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In Revolutionary Road, the funniest exchanges involve John, the son of the Wheelers' neighbour, Mrs Givings, the real-estate broker who first found them their "sweet little house". John Givings, supposedly "doing marvelously well as an instructor of mathematics at some Western university", has in fact been confined in the local "insane asylum". Now he is allowed out for the day. Medical advice is that he might be taken to "the home of some close friend" - neutral territory, rather than his parents' own house. "There still does seem to be a good deal of hostility concerning the, ah, home atmosphere and whatnot," observes the doctor, a nice professional pause before reaching for his euphemism.
The Wheelers - young, modern, broad-minded - are chosen and agree. In one way this is a very old dramatic trick. There is scarcely a Jacobean tragedy that does not find space for the verbal capers of a madman, alone liberated to mock the tragic characters. John similarly obliges, saying what goes unsaid. As soon as he meets the Wheelers, unnerving with his jaunty cap and parody smile, he is spilling the beans as his appalled parents look on. Frank self-importantly tells him that he is quitting his job and "taking off". John recalls his mother saying something about this. "She didn't say why, though; she just said it was 'very strange'." He splits the air with "a bray of laughter".
The Wheelers, thinking themselves intellectual rebels, find it oddly congenial and Frank chats happily about "the hopeless emptiness of everything in this country". John is delighted. " 'Wow,' he said. 'Now you've said it. The hopeless emptiness'."
He and the Wheelers are comically pleased with each other. On his second visit, however, he finds that his hosts have abandoned their Paris plans and mad complicity turns to mockery. "You figure it's more comfy here in the old Hopeless Emptiness after all... Am I getting warm?" John is removed, lobbing cheerfully devastating (and accurate) observations about the Wheelers' disastrous marriage as he goes. Serious stuff更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
In Revolutionary Road, the funniest exchanges involve John, the son of the Wheelers' neighbour, Mrs Givings, the real-estate broker who first found them their "sweet little house". John Givings, supposedly "doing marvelously well as an instructor of mathematics at some Western university", has in fact been confined in the local "insane asylum". Now he is allowed out for the day. Medical advice is that he might be taken to "the home of some close friend" - neutral territory, rather than his parents' own house. "There still does seem to be a good deal of hostility concerning the, ah, home atmosphere and whatnot," observes the doctor, a nice professional pause before reaching for his euphemism.
The Wheelers - young, modern, broad-minded - are chosen and agree. In one way this is a very old dramatic trick. There is scarcely a Jacobean tragedy that does not find space for the verbal capers of a madman, alone liberated to mock the tragic characters. John similarly obliges, saying what goes unsaid. As soon as he meets the Wheelers, unnerving with his jaunty cap and parody smile, he is spilling the beans as his appalled parents look on. Frank self-importantly tells him that he is quitting his job and "taking off". John recalls his mother saying something about this. "She didn't say why, though; she just said it was 'very strange'." He splits the air with "a bray of laughter".
The Wheelers, thinking themselves intellectual rebels, find it oddly congenial and Frank chats happily about "the hopeless emptiness of everything in this country". John is delighted. " 'Wow,' he said. 'Now you've said it. The hopeless emptiness'."
He and the Wheelers are comically pleased with each other. On his second visit, however, he finds that his hosts have abandoned their Paris plans and mad complicity turns to mockery. "You figure it's more comfy here in the old Hopeless Emptiness after all... Am I getting warm?" John is removed, lobbing cheerfully devastating (and accurate) observations about the Wheelers' disastrous marriage as he goes. Serious stuff更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net