The Art of Remembrance
A few days ago, in class, we spent
a good amount of time talking about Clarissa and her sentimentality. While
listening to the points made, I recalled the ways that memories are portrayed
in The Mezzanine. I would like to
take this post to discuss the ways nostalgia plays a role in both The Mezzanine and Mrs. Dalloway.
This idea that memories negatively
shape the way that we process things is apparent in both novels. In Howie’s
case, he criticizes nostalgia because it “turned something that I was taking
seriously as an adult into something soupier, less precise, more falsely
exotic, than it really was” (Baker, 39). In other words, he’s saying that memories
distort things, turning them into something overly meaningful or meaningless. He
expresses his dislike for that. It’s apparent that Howie takes measures to stop
these memories from invading his mind as shown in the quote, “no matter how
hard I try to keep sentimental distortions from creeping in, they creep in
anyway” (Baker, 41). In Mrs. Dalloway,
if you recall Clarissa’s preparation for her dinner party, there is really no
reason for her to feel distraught. However, the fact that Peter made
fun of her saying that she will probably marry the Prime Minister and plan a
bunch of parties, added bitter emotions to this otherwise mundane task.
In Mrs. Dalloway, it can also be argued that Clarissa finds joy
and ease through these recollections. When Clarissa has a flashback
talking about Sally Seaton. Clarissa described her as extraordinary and
she happily reminisces of the times they spent together. Also, even her
references to Peter and his frivolous nature seem to be joyfully reminiscent.
Compared to the joyful tone,
Howie references childhood memories with a tone of humorous distaste
throughout the novel. As evident in the quote, “a few simple calculations would
determine how many years it will be before I reach this new stage of life: the
end of the rule of nostalgia, the beginning of my true Majority” Howie constantly
refers to nostalgia as a parasite that won’t stop reemerging in his mind
(Baker, 47). He claims that ideas thought of in his childhood are no longer
original and they don’t count as “adult thoughts”. I personally think that this
thought-process is humorous and in line with the tone of the book.
Nostalgia is a reoccurring theme in
both Mrs. Dalloway and The Mezzanine. In the prior, the idea of
memories is more thought-provoking for the reader and the character. In the
latter, the memories are negative, but in a humorous way. This is an important
part of the tone of each respective novel. The lighthearted, humorous tone
of The Mezzanine and the thoughtful, critical tone of Mrs. Dalloway seem
to shape the nature of the nostalgia presented in each respective novel.
Nostalgia is something that I also refer to in my blog. While the two books differ in its mood overall, they are very similar in style and theme. And when you say the memories are negative, I think that's reasonable and natural. People tend to remember things that changed them as person and this usually is when the outcome fails your expectations. But that's what shapes human life. Like in the two books, these negative (sometimes depressing) memories, shape the two characters. Ultimately, "they seem to shape the nature of the nostalgia" (Albert Lee, 1).
ReplyDeleteI agree with your point, and I think nostalgia plays an important role in both novels, regardless of what the characters think of it. I think this difference represents a contrast between Howie and Dalloway: while both of them lead lives that are mundane and focused on minutiae, their attitudes towards thinking are distinctly separate. I wonder, is this mentality a result of the different time periods? Maybe in the early 20th century, it was seen as more poetic to draw upon your past and reflect, while in the modern era, there's this sense of "focus on the present and don't dwell in the past"?
ReplyDeleteI really like this post. The constant reflection and nostalgia is something that stood out to me while reading both The Mezzanine and Mrs. Dalloway. I think it is interesting, and says a lot about the characters, that Clarissa tends to reflect on her experiences and relationships with people while Howie usually reflects on his experiences with material things. This could be the reason for the difference in tone that you described in your post: Clarissa has fond memories for her past friends and family while Howie more analytically sees the progression of himself and technology since his childhood.
ReplyDeleteNostalgia seems especially complicated, to me, in _Mrs. Dalloway_. Clarissa remains fascinated by her past, and her thoughts return to it often, and as we've discussed, this has something to do with it being the time in her life with the most excitement and drama and uncertainty about the future. She has a lot of stability and predictability in her life right now, and she has a very comfortable existence--it's not clear that thinking back to more tumultuous times means that she's "rather" still be living back then. But there's an undeniable fascination with the idea that this 18-year-old young woman she remembers being so smitten with Sally and Peter and all those possibilities for social revolution is the "same person" as the middle-aged woman venturing out for flowers. Thinking about it with fondness and fascination doesn't equal a rejection of her present. Her present is partly constituted by the existence of this past in her memory.
ReplyDelete