I enjoyed this novel. It was interesting to read from a cynical and unbelieving standpoint and to understand Binx's struggle to find the meaning of his existence.
Question: What is the resolution of the story? Does Binx finally find the answer to his search?
I do not think Binx truly finds the "answer" to his problems. In the end of the novel, his aunt asks him, "What do you love? What do you live by?" Binx has no response because he is still unsure. Yes, he ends up marrying the only woman he truly has respect for, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't have settled for anything less than Kate either. Binx still looks for Sharon, although he is well aware of the fact that she is engaged. Although he cares for Kate, I think Binx only truly cares about himself and his needs. He also tries to persue Sharon's roommate, when Kate is late meeting him. I don't think his marrying Kate helped him discover the answer to his struggles. Their marriage provided a sense of security and a comfort blanket for both Binx and Kate. Binx feels secure in their relationship because he knows Kate depends on him, but I don't think that idea in itself is what Binx was looking to discover. On page 234, Kate says to Binx, "I am frightened when I am alone and I am frightened when I am with people. The only time I am not frightened is when I'm with you. You'll have to be with me a great deal." Binx is the only person Kate trusts with her life, and Kate is the only woman Binx can tolerate. He grows tired of his secretaries, but it is different with Kate. I think the only reason Binx still searches for Sharon is because Sharon has an obstacle: she is engaged. All the other secretaries fade out. He holds a special bond with Kate.
I think that even if Binx was happy, he would still find something to complain about. He would still hope for something extraordinary to happen to change his life. Binx's main problem was the malaise, the every day life routine. Binx fails to realize that there is no escaping the malaise. Life becomes a malaise; it devours you and you become a prisoner of your own life. He expects something grand to happen all the time and change his day to day routine. But what about the next day? And the day after that? Eventually, everything will settle back into it's normal routine.
Question: Digest Binx and Aunt Emily's relationship.
Binx has a great deal of respect for his aunt. She is the mother he basically never had. I think that Aunt Emily understands Binx's struggles. She demands he go to medical school maybe because she knows it will give him a purpose. All throughout Binx's life, he has had to deal with death. First, the loss of his older brother, Scott. Then the death of his father, followed by the "abandonment" of his mother. At the end of the novel, Lonnie dies from infection and Aunt Emily also loses her husband. I think that Aunt Emily's suggestion for medical school for Binx will help him find peace and meaning in helping others overcome some of their struggles.
