It is within human nature to desire privacy, individuality and self alienation to an extent, while still wishing to be connected with and accepted by society through mutual understandings from one human being to another. This was the basis of the article, however Madden also included much detail regarding age and growing older. Mick is young (at the point we are at in the novel), however the article reveals that with age she changes. Madden states, "We see her in various situations, reacting variously, exhibiting in her own eccentric way all the characteristics of an adolescent girl trying to achieve womanhood, but fearing to succeed." I feel that this fear of age, yet still desirable growth in age is reflective of the paradox Madden is addressing in his article. Later he says again, "In growing up, he (Bill) has failed her." I felt that Madden was suggesting that as one grows older this paradox deteriorates and becomes less important. Perhaps individuality grows less vital to a person with age?
I suppose, as I stated before, what i am wondering is if Madden is trying to portray, or indirectly exhibit, that the paradox of the need for privacy and that for understanding shifts, or becomes less powerful, significant or influential over time.
This is a really, really interesting topic to explore, and to be honest I hadn't thought a lot about it - although I did notice, (as you pointed out), Madden's focus on growing up. I completely understand where you could gather this idea that the paradox of the need from privacy and that for understanding shifts or becomes less powerful over time from because of the evidence you gave.
ReplyDeleteHowever personally, I don't believe it was Madden's goal was to explore this (even if he did). I think it was a slightly different point he was trying to prove. If Madden was trying to prove the idea of the paradox becoming less important he would have gone against one of his major arguments - that "EVERYONE hungers for human understanding while simultaneously desiring an involiable privacy."To me this seems to include all ages. I personally believe that he is trying to explain that even AS Mick grows up she changes - but that doesn't cause her struggle to go away - just change.
After Mick is referred to as 'a grown person now' in the book, another event occurs (Singer's suicide) after which Mick (as Madden points out) is "frightened by the darkness that as a child she loves." So while she changes in a sense that she is now scared of privacy, the struggle in dealing with privacy v. understanding doesn't necessarily go away with age... it just changes.
I agree with Beth that the struggle of the need for both privacy and understanding doesn't go away with age, but changes with time and beliefs. The struggle continues at an older age, however, I think Madden argues that either privacy or understanding becomes nt over the other. The article ends by claiming "the reader is less optimistic". Madden proposes that possibly at a younger age, people believe they can find balance. But with age and experience, people grow less optimistic that a balance can be achieved.
ReplyDeleteBeth i totally see your point! But Nicole that is exactly what i was thinking about while posting this.."Madden proposes that possibly t a younger age, people belive they can find balance. but with age and experience people grow less optimistic that a balance can be achieved."
ReplyDeleteIt's as though people's values just adjust to this paradox as they grow older and realize its existence.
Although Anna you bring up an interesting point I personally find myself agreeing with Beth and Nicole that the author does not truly argue this point within his essay. You used the quote “In growing up, he (Bill) has failed her”. However, instead of viewing the quote from your standpoint I instead found myself seeing this as because Bill grew up, a piece of her life was taken away from her, emphasizing her isolation and her desire for communication. As Bill grew up “he was different entirely from what he used to be”. He was no longer a child and because of that a barrier was put up between them, the barrier that always exists between an adult and child. The communication they once had and the understanding they once possessed no longer exists because he has turned into an adult and left behind Mick, who wants to be an adult almost as or just as much as she wants to stay a child. No matter how hard one may try you can’t force an adult to be a child or a child to be an adult. There will always be this “thing” (for lack of a better word) that defines them from one another. Which brings me to your other quote: “We see her in various situations, reacting variously, exhibiting her own eccentric way all the characteristics of an adolescent girl trying to achieve womanhood, but fearing to succeed” I do not believe that this is sufficient evidence to back up your argument because I believe that the author includes this piece of information to show how Mick is caught—bringing her deeper into this state of isolation, resulting in a growing need for understanding (which I believe is the cause of her want to be a woman). However, your question does bring up this new idea of whether this paradox is modified as we age. Maybe because our wants and needs change as we grow older and our connections change that we sense this almost “deterioration of the paradox”? I don’t really know, but I feel like this question needs more investigation before we can really know a definitive answer.
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