The passage that I have decided to analyze is the one I thought had a lot of revealing language. In my book, it can be seen on pg. 112, but at the same time, my book is the Naiad Press edition.
Regardless, let me delve right into my thoughts.
At this point in the novel, Abby is asking Therese whether or not Therese will go on a trip with Carol (Therese does not even know that she is going to be asked).
So let's break it down.
Therese feels a "flush of anger." The word flush implies immediacy; it also indicates a mood swing. Moreover, there is a shift in tone. The narrator goes from a quiet narration to asking a blur of questions, which shows cluttered thoughts. Obviously, Therese does not do well with jealousy.
All of a sudden, the "flush of anger" disappears and leaves Therese feeling "vulnerable and weak." How can someone go from strong and defensive to weak in just a few seconds? With some type of mental disability, of course. Not only does this portray Therese's mood swings, but it also characterizes Lesbian Pulp's idea of homosexuality as a pathology. Some may see Therese's new mental instability as a disease caused by her association with Carol, and in this instance, I agree.
Furthermore, through her mood swings, Therese can finally admit to herself that she loves Carol. She explicitly says, "I want to be with her. I love to be with her, and what has it got to do with you?" It's as if there is a block in her path, and now she can finally get over it (ironically, she now sees another block in the form of Abby).
Overall, this passage exemplifies Carol's effect on Therese: Therese has now become emotionally unstable.
Let me know if you agree, and let me know if you do not.
--
Farhan Khan
Overall, this passage exemplifies Carol's effect on Therese: Therese has now become emotionally unstable.
Let me know if you agree, and let me know if you do not.
--
Farhan Khan
3 comments:
It is interesting you note how Therese is portrayed as becoming mentally unstable, as was the perception in the context this novel was written.
It is therefore ironic that from this "instability" of hers, Therese almost seems to experience stability. With her admission to herself of her feelings towards Carol, she loses much of her internal conflict, and is capable of finding peace in her feelings. While there are still obvious obstacles to her love, her acknowledging her true feelings grants her a major step towards establishing a course of action with Carol, and thus granting her life some much-needed stability.
I also find it interesting that you find this shift in Therese's character interesting. I noted that you first perceived Therese as unemotional and bland earlier in the novel, and that is true. I believe that the main reason why Therese became "emotional" is because of Carol. The fire that burns in Therese, namely her shifting in feelings, is caused primarily by her love. I do not believe that Therese is mentally unstable, but merely in love. Previously, her routine life and lack of passion made it so that it seemed as if she was sort of like a zombie. However, after meeting Carol, Therese gains access to her true feelings and learns to live and truly experience life. For Therese, this "instability" is what it means to truly be human.
Farhan,
I think you've done a nice job of honing in on a really important aspect of the text, and that both Steve and Austin have offered you some important counter-arguments that might help you develop your argument even further.
What I would suggest is that you push just a little bit past what the text seems to be representing and think more about the stakes of that representation. Why might it be important or problematic that Therese is represented as mentally unstable? Does Highsmith seem to be critiquing this perception of lesbian desire or buying into it? Are there any moments in the text that seem to undercut the idea that Therese is "crazy" or that if she is anxious, emotional, etc., that she has reason to be? There are lots of directions to potentially go with this, and I look forward to talking about more!
Also just keep in mind as you move into drafting your paper that when you make a claim about the text, you may want to give a direct quotation and/or more details from the passage so that you can more fully illustrate and support your point.
Again, this is a nice start.
Best,
Jennifer
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