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.
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I agree that she could have interpretated Binx as not conlcuding his search. Binx is a very complex character.His relationships are very questionable. Throughout the novel he is inconsistant with what he wants and who he wants.Although I do believe Kate is a good fit for him. Both of them depend on each other and trust one another. But I do see how he feels unsatisfied and that his relationship is only a "comfort blanket". I also agree that no matter what Binx would find something to complain about. He never seems satisfied, resents everydayness, and attends movies to escape reality. The relationship between Aunt Emily and Binx is accurately describes. She is like the mother figure he never had. He trusts and respects her. She thinks the world of him and he can accomplish great things, such as medical or law school. This was a great interpretation of the question regarding Binx and his search from the Moviegoer.
ReplyDeleteYou took a whole different spin on the novel then I did. I believe by the end of the novel Binx marries Kate, because she has changed everyday life for him. She shows him that he can be compassionate, and that there is humanity in the world. Kate coming into his life was extrodinary for him, she gives his life meaning. The fact that Kate trusts Binx with her life means a lot to him. I agree with the fact that yes, he does share a special bond with Kate, and maybe he still looks for Sharon because he is always second guessing things that he believes in. But all in all, by the end of the novel I think he has found what he was searching for. In regards to Aunt Emily, I think he had respect for her but he didn't share the same beliefs as her. Aunt Emily was always trying to force her way of life onto Binx. Instead of trying to help him with his struggles in life, she tried to force him into the lifestyle that she wanted for him. In the end when Aunt Emily scolds Binx for not behaving like a southern gentlemen, I sensed a feeling of relief from Binx. Now that Aunt Emily knows Binx has not excepted her way of life, he can finally live his own. She doesn't agree with his choice, but she forgives him for it.
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