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Post by dcomeaux on Jul 22, 2024 3:03:18 GMT
This week hasn't been kind to me as I have been sick all week so I have not quite finished the book yet. I'm about halfway done and noticed that Maria seems very detached from everything going on around her. She doesn't seem to have strong feelings about much which I noticed during the abortion scene. In addition to the abortion, there are several other instances where detachment seems to be prevalent. Maria seems very detached from her husband, Carter. Their conversations are short and lack any kind of depth. She also drives aimlessly which I think is a way for her to escape the reality of her life and just go.
I keep wondering to myself if I will find out a little later why she is so detached and it seems like somewhat alienating herself from others around her.
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Post by connorswauger on Jul 22, 2024 3:27:58 GMT
I agree that she does have this disconnection from life. Also with Carter, I remember she mentions how difficult it is to have a conversation with him because they keep falling into the same patterns. Also with the abortion she just goes along with the process, but she fantasizes about keeping the baby.
It feels like the freeway is her safe space because when she’s driving, that’s the only true time that Maria is in control.
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Post by Dr. Nemmers on Jul 24, 2024 3:35:27 GMT
How would we compare the "detachment" of Maria with the "distance" experienced by the narrator of Winter in the Blood? They seem to be similar attitudes and dispositions, no? How do we feel that their respective trajectories manifest?
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Post by dcomeaux on Jul 25, 2024 1:06:10 GMT
Comparing the two, Maria's detachment is more superficial, and the narrator from Winter in the Blood is more personal regarding his culture. For Maria, it led her down a self-destructive path while the narrator had a lot of self-reflection.
I feel that while the narrator of Winter in the Blood was also detached or distanced, his journey throughout the novel led to the conclusion that there would possibly be future healing and understanding. With Maria, I feel like her journey through Play It As It Lays does not lead to the same outcome. It just led her to have an even deeper detachment by the conclusion of the novel.
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