so i just wanted to prove a point on how mr cholly duz not feel luv or express any sort of luv in the passage we've been studying the past 2 dayz.
rape 1 |rāp|
noun
the crime, committed by a man, of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse with him without their consent and against their will, esp. by the threat or use of violence against them.
I think it would be necessary to point out that yes, it is true that just because is violent towards someone does not mean they do not love them but if we were to take the relationship that Mr. Cholly has with his family as a whole instead of only analyzing his psyche at the moment in the passage, then we'd realize that that relationship has been deterred because of him. That familial bond is no longer existant.
His relationship with Pauline has become purely sexual and abusive yet only for him. We could even suggest that the rape scene with Pecola is only a way for him to remember what he and Pauline used to have, which is why she is compared to her mother, which is why the narrator says he did feel love. It was in no way a love that he was feeling for Pecola but in fact it was a feeling of love that he was trying to remember through the image Pecola was projecting in his mind.
Mr. Cholly, as frustrated with his life as he was, saw no other option but to seek some sort of escape from the reality he was living in. Because of the one instant that Pecola reminded him of what he used to have with Pauline he jumped onto what he saw as an opportunity of escape, which in a sense just puts him in the same situation as so many characters in the The Bluest Eye - he's just another character trying to escape by grabbing onto something that is only fictional, in his head, and surreal - a dream.
Ok, you may make a point there, and I completely understand your point of view.
ReplyDeleteBUT
It is one of the only passages where we DO get a perspective into his psyche. Nowhere else in the book can we find such an accurate description of the rape scene, and it is here concentrated around him. Therefore we can already see that it is to point out that this rape scene is not just the typical kind we can find a definition of in a dictionary (no offense..). It contains much more depth and dimension because of Cholly's complex feelings. Which is why it is particularly essential to analyze his psyche at this precise moment.
Also you should note that before there is any question of rape, there is a statement about the guilt/pity/tenderness that he feels for her. "Guilt and impotence rose in a bilious duet. What could he do for her- ever?" He then asks himself how he could ever return her love "What could his calloused hands produce to make her smile?"
There is so much evidence of his love for her. By saying this, i am not praising his act of rape as if it were for a good cause. On the contrary, it doesn't change that it is still the most horrible thing. But you have to acknowledge that there was at least "tenderness, a protectiveness" present before the actual 'recognizing pauline in her so i am going to rape her' part.
Even though it gets completely twisted, there is a feeling of love.
Dear Ben,
ReplyDeleteAs much as I appreciate your critical eye, I strongly believe you are wrong.
This is why:
Firstly, as we all remember clearly, you had previously stated that "There is no love in this passage, AT ALL, it's just gross".
I see you have partly changed your mind, and admit to the presence of complex feelings building up inside Cholly. Good. Now, , let us define what love is, shall we? :
Love: -noun
1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person
3. sexual passion or desire.
It is in my understanding that, in this passage, Love in this sense of the term seems to be precisely what Cholly is feeling: if you read the passage closely, you will see that the author refers repeatedly to feelings of "tenderness", "protectiveness" as well, as, obviously lust and desire towards Pecola. I agree that all of these feelings may be triggered by a memory of his previous happiness with Pauline, but its is undeniable that at this moment, Cholly is conscious that he is doing this to his daughter and not to his wife. He even acknowledges her fragility, frailness and inferiority at the beginning of the passage, thus clearly pointing out to the reader that he is aware it is Pecola standing there and washing the dishes, and not Pauline.
In addition, Claudia, at the end of novel, highlights this argument by saying: Cholly was the only one to love her enough to give something to her, even if he did it in an unnatural, horrible, unjustifiable way. I agree that Cholly is twisted, and dark, and repulsive, yet the fact that he feels pity, and most importantly this desire to protect her and be tender, demonstrates that he does, deep down, love her.
Also, I am not sure what you mean by "raping his daughter serves as an escape form reality?" ... To me, it's more like he is down right diving into it, into Pecola and all of her troubles and his, facing this lack of love and prettiness and affection he, Pauline, Pecola and her brother have been deprived of for so long.
Anyways,
Good Night :)
I'm so glad to see this post, Ben, and your responses, ladies. You articulate the complexity of the scene and get at our own inevitably mixed reaction to it.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think the "tenderness" references are there for a reason -- to suggest that Cholly's emotions go beyond a misplaced "love" for his wife. But I also see the point you're making, Ben, that the very act of violation seems to negate that feeling...
Blog on!