Lizbeth Ortiz
English / C Block
4/ 15/08
Anne Tyler and her view on Family
Family is something sacred. Nothing in the world can replace family. The perfect family includes the dad, the mom, the daughter and son. Family is a big part of Anne Tyler themes. Anne Tyler exposed the idea of the perfect family as a myth; here she reveals that the perfect marriage is also an illusion. The three books I was able to read, Breathing Lessons, Saint Maybe, and The Accidental Tourist. If you look at quotes from each book you will find something related to family.
Breathing lessons the novel deals directly with one day in the life of Ira and Maggie Moran, the day they travel to attend the funeral of Maggie's best friend's husband and detour to visit Fiona and Leroy. But in fact the novel covers their whole life together as each remembers the years they have known each other. Once again, Tyler takes family as a major theme, this time focusing on marriage. In Breathing Lessons, Tyler gives readers a picture of a good marriage versus a perfect marriage. Maggie and Ira Moran have been married for twenty- eight years. They stayed together for so long because of their children and realized everyday that they love each other. During that day I can’t say how many times Maggie looked over at Ira and fell in love all over again or how many times Ira agreed with his wife’s CRAZY request because he loves her. Breathing Lessons is a beautiful book to read and it brings the truth out of marriage. It is not all pink and roses.
In Saint Maybe everyone on Waverly Street agrees that the Bedloes are the perfect family, two friendly parents, three attractive children, a cat, a dog and assorted goldfish. Ian Bedloe, the youngest at seventeen, is a medium sort of person, a popular high school baseball pitcher. Ian's athletic older brother, Danny, marries Lucy Dean, the divorced mother of two small children, Agatha and Thomas. Shortly after the birth of baby Daphne, Danny dies in an auto accident. A few months later, the distraught Lucy dies of a sleeping pill overdose. Ian feels responsible for both deaths. Ian's pastor, Reverend Emmett of the Church of Second Chances, convinces him to quit college and care for the three children. There is also optimism at the beginning of the novel; the Bedloes are the perfect family partly because of their relentless optimism. Bee Bedloe, the mother, sets the tone for this optimism.
"There was this about the Bedloes. They believed that every part of their lives was absolutely wonderful. It wasn't just an act, either. They really did believe it. Or at least Ian's mother did, and she was the one who set the tone. Her marriage was a great joy to her, her house made her happy every time she walked into it, and her children were attractive and kind and universally liked." Chapter 1, pg. 8.
None of it is an act. It is a conscious choice Bee has made to look on the bright side of any situation, to be content with what life brings her. When her older son, Danny, leaves college to work for the post office, Bee insists he is lucky to have found his calling so young. When daughter Claudia quits college to get married and starts having children Ian hesitates slightly, but Bee insists she hopes she is happy with her choices. Once again the myth of the perfect family. On the first page, the Bedloes are described as the "ideal, apple-pie household" and their philosophy of life is "Don't worry. Everything will turn out fine." But Danny kills himself; Lucy dies; they are stuck with three children unrelated to them; and Ian takes religion seriously, dropping out of college to take care of the children. The Bedloes are not the perfect family after all, but they have a solid rock closeness and love that keeps them together and helps them overcome their trials.
In The Accidental Tourist, Anne Tyler presents an intimate portrait of Macon Leary, a middle-aged man coming to terms with the tragic death of his son. After his wife leaves him, Macon cuts himself off from the rest of the world. He becomes involved with an unconventional woman who helps him cope with his loss and take control of his life. On their way back from a vacation at the beach, Macon's wife, Sarah, informs Macon she wants a divorce because he has not been a comfort to her since the death of their son Ethan. Initially shocked, he begins to see her departure as a chance to reorganize the house. From my point of view there are three themes Family, Death, Order and Disorder. Death, since Ethan's death triggers the novels initial conflict. At first it leads to the end of Sarah and Macon's marriage. The past year had been miserable for both of them, when everything either of them said was wrong. When Sarah admits, "Now that Ethan's dead I sometimes wonder if there's any point to life," Macon responds, "It never seemed to me there was all that much point to begin with." This distrust sets off Sarah's decision to leave Macon. She feels he is not grieving as much as she and he is not providing her with the comfort she needs. Macon looks for someone to blame for Ethan's death, including Sarah and himself. Order and Disorder could also be another theme since Ethan's death coupled with Sarah's departure throws Macon into a state of disorder that he desperately tries to change everything in his life and instead of organizing it he is just making it worse.
These three books really help us understand the concept of family. Family and marriage is something sacred and should be taken seriously. I learned a lot from these three books. In Breathing Lessons I learned that marriage is a really tough road but if you always try to look on the bright side that just might get you by. In Saint Maybe the fact that the Bedloes were considered the perfect family I came to realize there is no such thing. You could try to have a perfect family but know that you will never get close. I also learned not to let myself guide with what I see on the outside because it could be the complete opposite on the inside. In The Accidental Tourist I learned a whole lot of things. With Ethan’s death Macon and Sarah let themselves grow apart instead of uniting together in such a difficult time. Macon seemed to have a different way of showing his grieve than Sarah did. It is always important to know that your partner is completely different and they will show and handle their emotions in a different way. Marriage is going to have a lot of difficulties and it is important to stand strong together during those times because that is what will make your marriage and bond twice as strong.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST
CHAPTER 1
Macon and Sarah are driving back from the beach after they have cut short their week's vacation. Macon is wearing a formal summer suit, which he prefers over jeans when he drives. Sarah is in a strapless terry beach dress. Sarah has a tan but Macon is pale; he has the thin skin that burns easily. The two people look as if they have been on entirely different trips.It starts to rain heavily, and Macon refuses to alter his driving style, or pull off for a while. Sarah would prefer to sit under an overpass to wait out the storm but Macon is fixed on the road and is oblivious to her discomfort even though she is now gripping the dashboard. Sarah tells him that he is not a comfort and that all.
CHAPTER 2
Macon and Sarah have separated. Sarah has found an apartment, leaving him the house and all his bizarre little habits. Macon loves his systems and now that he has no one to criticize them, he delights in them. Most of them have to do with cleaning. The dishwasher, to his mind, is a huge waste of energy. In his system, he will add each dirty dish to the kitchen sink with some bleach and on alternate days, he will pull the plug and spray everything with very hot water.Macon does show some flexibility in scheduling when he switches from taking his showers in the mornings to the nights. While he is in there, he lets the tub fill with water in which he swishes around his dirty clothes. Then he hangs everything.
CHAPTER 3
When Sarah calls and wonders if she can come by the house and pick up the navy rug from the dining room, Macon's mind wanders to the two of them sipping sherry and talking about how much they miss each other. However, Sarah's schedule won't permit and she doesn't take him up on his offer to bring it over. Macon wanted to see her new apartment but she said it was not put together just yet. Actually, she is having trouble getting out of bed these days.Sarah wonders if the man who shot their son has any idea that he not only killed the people in that restaurant that night but many others as well. Sarah wants to go to the prison.
CHAPTER 4
Macon's boss, Julian, does not waste time calling him after his return from England. Macon is still asleep when the phone rings yet somehow he is able to negotiate another two weeks longer than Julian had requested to get his manuscript. Macon tells Julian that he will try to do better than that though and hangs up still in a fog. Instead of working on his book, Macon spends the next week or so organizing the household, room by room. Macon rearranges all the kitchen cupboards; he weeds and prunes in the yard, and stretches a clothesline across the basement so he wouldn't have to use the dryer. Then he disconnects the dryer's exhaust tube and teaches the cat to go in and out the windowpane where the tube had been.
CHAPTER 5
Macon's broken leg brings him back home to be cared for by his sister Rose. Macon's two brothers live there too; Charles has never married and Porter returned after his divorce. All the Leary kids are back together again in the house where they grew up. Macon thinks of his childhood and how they were raised by their grandparents after their mother left with one of her many boyfriends. Macon's mother had been widowed when their father was killed in the war and her life was a string of boyfriends, new apartments, new causes, hobbies, and whatever else she could throw in. Change was believed in as if it were a religion. Macon's mother considered her children very boring.
CHAPTER 6
Macon's typing is interrupted by the sound of someone yelling to call off his dog. When he looks out, Edward has backed someone into the big magnolia and is barking furiously. The unfortunate someone is Julian, who had tracked Macon down after going to his house and finding it empty. The neighbors told him where to find him and then it became clear that Macon was here during his recovery and that he wasn't at home because Sarah had left. Julian tells Macon that he is so sorry and even offers Macon an extension on his manuscript but Macon does not need it. Macon hands over the bulk of the remaining pages, Julian is satisfied, and said that the next series will be the major U.S. cities.
CHAPTER 7
When Muriel arrives for the first lesson, Edward leaps on her and she pokes his rear end down with a long, sharp index finger. Macon is told to watch, follow her lead, and he needs to cluck to let Edward know that he is doing something positive. While Edward stays sitting, Muriel launches into the story of her hair, how it was blond when she was younger and her mother had entered her into talent competitions but then her hair turned dark and everything changed. The sister who stayed blond was the favorite one and all the boys liked her too. Then she snaps her fingers over Edward's head and he jumps up and barks and Muriel praises him.
CHAPTER 8
Macon and Edward continue their training. Macon seems to think he is improving but his family isn't so sure and don't want to think about his leaving the dog with them when he resumes his traveling again. Macon wishes he could stay in his cast forever; in fact, he wishes it could cover him from head to toe so he could hide forever. One night Julian brings over papers about New York and is a bit disappointed when he realizes that he has missed dinner but settles for coffee instead. When Julian, Rose, Macon, and Charles are making small talk, the phone rings and Macon answers it. It is Sarah and she wants to meet him for dinner tomorrow night so they settle on the Old Bay, the restaurant Macon had been going to.
CHAPTER 9
Macon is remembering the day when Grandfather Leary's mind first began to wander. Out of the blue, he announced that he needed Macon to get his passport from the safe deposit box because he was sailing for Lassaque on June 12. Of course, there is no such country but the place his grandfather had invented in his mind sounded like a nice place to visit for sure. After that, he would sit for hours and dream up inventions like a motorcycle that would pull a plow and a plant that was a cross between basil and tomatoes. So he isn't really surprised when his grandfather comes to him in a dream and tells him that he has lost his center and Sarah is that center.
CHAPTER 10
Muriel is telling Macon about her early-married life. The baby was the reason she got married and the reason she got divorced. Muriel was pregnant when she and Norman were married, there were complications, he was born severely premature, and would have problems all his life. Norman couldn't take the medical bills and the fact that his son was not like any others so he left. Muriel and her son, Alexander, have squeezed out a life ever since. At one point as they are talking, she looks up at Macon, something catches in him, and he feels an overwhelming urge to make a connection so he bends and kisses her. It surprises both of them, maybe Macon a little bit more so. The Learys are facing a difficult decision and Thanksgiving is coming.
CHAPTER 11
Macon lifts the phone and tries to form an apology for not being able to come to dinner the next night but the words freeze in his mouth. It really has nothing to do with her personally but ever since Ethan died, he has no interest in much of anything, especially women. Since he isn't able to call, he writes a note and drives to her house to deliver it. Muriel thinks someone is trying to break in and threatens to blow his head off with a shotgun but quickly relents when he announces himself. Macon hands the note through the crack of the door. Muriel reads it, looks up at him, and then he breaks down telling her all about losing Ethan and how he and Sarah had broken apart.
CHAPTER 12
Rose is irritated with Macon, because he has been missing meals and sometimes doesn't even come home at night. Macon apologizes but realizes that he has been spending more and more evenings with Muriel and he doesn't care who knows it. Rose is soon to get a surprise though as Julian shows Macon the engagement ring he plans to give to her on Christmas. Rose is so unlike any of the other women he has ever known. Julian likes the idea of being part of family. Macon seems a bit leery of it but tells him it is a beautiful ring just the same. Macon isn't really sure what attracted him to Muriel. Muriel's youthfulness is unsettling - she barely remembers Vietnam and had no idea about the Kennedy assassination.
CHAPTER 13
Muriel's parents live in a subdivision with streets named for trees that are nowhere near there. The car makes a right onto Apple Blossom Way and pulls up in front of the Dugan household where they are greeted by Muriel's sister, Claire, a pretty 17-yr. old blonde. Mrs. Dugan greets Macon with skepticism and accepts his gift of cranberry liqueur. Mr. Dugan is preoccupied with the possibility of the pipes freezing in the basement and darts in and out of the day. Muriel shows Macon pictures from her childhood and he sees the progression of her silky blonde hair to the frazzled mane she has now. Mrs. Dugan finds it necessary to inform Macon of Muriel's progression of unsavory boyfriends since she was 13.
CHAPTER 14
Macon has pretty well moved into Muriel's house now. It happened bit by bit, a few shirts, shaving gear, until the final vestige of his life Edward. Muriel, Alexander, Edward, and Macon form an odd little family. Macon makes breakfast every morning and fixes things around the house. Alexander has a playmate and someone to welcome him home from school with cookies and milk probably for the first time in his life. One morning after a particularly heavy snowfall, Baltimore is silent and frozen and the little family is cocooned inside when Charles knocks at the door. Charles had a hard time finding the house but he needed to tell Macon that his neighbors called to say that apparently some pipes had frozen and burst in his house because they could see water running.
CHAPTER 15
When Macon left for a trip to San Francisco a few days ago, Baltimore was covered in ice, but now on his return it is like the beginning of spring. Macon arrives home, puts a few things in order, and decides to take Edward out for a walk. Before long he hears the shrill sound of children teasing and he realizes that their target is Alexander. Macon lets Edward go to his defense and when Macon reaches him, Alexander is visibly relieved and takes Macon's hand for the walk home. The next day Julian stops by with information for the next book, but Macon suspects that he just wants to get a look at his new life. He approves of Muriel and invites her and Alexander to his wedding to Rose.
CHAPTER 16
The day of Rose's wedding dawned to rainfall but it has cleared up sufficiently by mid afternoon so that the ceremony can still be held outside as she has always wanted. Macon, Muriel, and Alexander arrive at the house and are greeted by Macon's mother. It had never occurred to him that she would be there and is she ever! Macon's mother's hair is now a deep tomato red, she is wearing a flowing white caftan, and takes Muriel's arm to chat immediately. Macon is struck with the horrible thought that maybe after all this time he is attracted to women like his mother, but he then breathes a sigh of relief when he sees Muriel release herself from his mother's grasp. Macon also hadn't counted on seeing Sarah at the wedding.
CHAPTER 17
Muriel is telling Macon about a man she had dated before him. The man was a customer who was going through a really bad divorce and couldn't trust a woman. Bit by bit, she changed all that and eventually he had even paid all of Alexander's unpaid medical bills. The two had talked about getting married but one day he met a stewardess and eloped within the week. Muriel thought that she had cured him so he could elope with this other woman. Muriel then asks Macon if he would ever do that and he tells her that of course he wouldn't. When they are making the rounds of the thrift stores, she announces that she has quit her job at the Meow Bow. Macon cannot believe that she is so irresponsible.
CHAPTER 18
Macon is in a hotel room in Winnipeg when Sarah reaches him. Muriel tracked him down through his brothers who told her where he was. Macon's brothers also told her about the damage to their house, which is partly why she is calling. Muriel wants to move back in because her lease is up and she can't find another apartment. Muriel will use the money she would have spent on rent to make any repairs that the insurance wouldn't cover. Muriel also tells him that the legal papers are ready to be signed and that she had been shocked to actually see them. Muriel hadn't anticipated the emotional jolt they would give her.
CHAPTER 19
Macon and Sarah need a new couch since their furniture was destroyed in the water damage. The couple drives to the store, very efficiently chose one, and request same day delivery. Sarah suggests lunch at the Old Bay and they have wine with lunch, which was something Macon has never done. On the way home they stop at the bank so that he can get his passport out of the safe deposit box because his trip to Paris is coming up. The two then stop at the old house to pick up some azalea fertilizer from Rose. Rose is staying back at the house because the brothers' lives are a mess since she got married. Sarah goes off to her sculpture class and Macon sits down to write.
CHAPTER 20
Macon is settling into his seat for the trip from New York to Paris when his eyes look up and land on a completely unexpected sight. Muriel is going to Paris anyway. Muriel had borrowed the money, different people were taking turns watching Alexander, and she had gotten Macon's travel details from his travel agent. Macon can't even begin to imagine how bad this will look if Sarah were to find out. When he lands, he rushes through customs, grabs a cab and feels lucky to have evaded her when it occurs to him that the travel agent would surely have given Muriel his hotel information too. Macon also is concerned that she will get lost in Paris, that she wouldn't have converted her money, or any number of other tragedies.
THEME:
Death
Ethan's death triggers the novel's initial conflict. At first it leads to the dissolution of Sarah and Macon's marriage. The past year had been "miserable" for both of them, with "months when everything either of them said was wrong." When Sarah admits, "Now that Ethan's dead I sometimes wonder if there's any point to life," Macon responds, "It never seemed to me there was all that much point to begin with." This pessimism spurs Sarah's decision to leave Macon. She feels he is not grieving as much as she, nor is he providing her with the comfort she requires. Macon looks for someone to blame for Ethan's death, including Sarah and himself.
Order and Disorder
Ethan's death coupled with Sarah's departure throws Macon into a state of disorder that he desperately tries to change. He wants to start a whole new life not reallt knowing what he wants.
Macon and Sarah are driving back from the beach after they have cut short their week's vacation. Macon is wearing a formal summer suit, which he prefers over jeans when he drives. Sarah is in a strapless terry beach dress. Sarah has a tan but Macon is pale; he has the thin skin that burns easily. The two people look as if they have been on entirely different trips.It starts to rain heavily, and Macon refuses to alter his driving style, or pull off for a while. Sarah would prefer to sit under an overpass to wait out the storm but Macon is fixed on the road and is oblivious to her discomfort even though she is now gripping the dashboard. Sarah tells him that he is not a comfort and that all.
CHAPTER 2
Macon and Sarah have separated. Sarah has found an apartment, leaving him the house and all his bizarre little habits. Macon loves his systems and now that he has no one to criticize them, he delights in them. Most of them have to do with cleaning. The dishwasher, to his mind, is a huge waste of energy. In his system, he will add each dirty dish to the kitchen sink with some bleach and on alternate days, he will pull the plug and spray everything with very hot water.Macon does show some flexibility in scheduling when he switches from taking his showers in the mornings to the nights. While he is in there, he lets the tub fill with water in which he swishes around his dirty clothes. Then he hangs everything.
CHAPTER 3
When Sarah calls and wonders if she can come by the house and pick up the navy rug from the dining room, Macon's mind wanders to the two of them sipping sherry and talking about how much they miss each other. However, Sarah's schedule won't permit and she doesn't take him up on his offer to bring it over. Macon wanted to see her new apartment but she said it was not put together just yet. Actually, she is having trouble getting out of bed these days.Sarah wonders if the man who shot their son has any idea that he not only killed the people in that restaurant that night but many others as well. Sarah wants to go to the prison.
CHAPTER 4
Macon's boss, Julian, does not waste time calling him after his return from England. Macon is still asleep when the phone rings yet somehow he is able to negotiate another two weeks longer than Julian had requested to get his manuscript. Macon tells Julian that he will try to do better than that though and hangs up still in a fog. Instead of working on his book, Macon spends the next week or so organizing the household, room by room. Macon rearranges all the kitchen cupboards; he weeds and prunes in the yard, and stretches a clothesline across the basement so he wouldn't have to use the dryer. Then he disconnects the dryer's exhaust tube and teaches the cat to go in and out the windowpane where the tube had been.
CHAPTER 5
Macon's broken leg brings him back home to be cared for by his sister Rose. Macon's two brothers live there too; Charles has never married and Porter returned after his divorce. All the Leary kids are back together again in the house where they grew up. Macon thinks of his childhood and how they were raised by their grandparents after their mother left with one of her many boyfriends. Macon's mother had been widowed when their father was killed in the war and her life was a string of boyfriends, new apartments, new causes, hobbies, and whatever else she could throw in. Change was believed in as if it were a religion. Macon's mother considered her children very boring.
CHAPTER 6
Macon's typing is interrupted by the sound of someone yelling to call off his dog. When he looks out, Edward has backed someone into the big magnolia and is barking furiously. The unfortunate someone is Julian, who had tracked Macon down after going to his house and finding it empty. The neighbors told him where to find him and then it became clear that Macon was here during his recovery and that he wasn't at home because Sarah had left. Julian tells Macon that he is so sorry and even offers Macon an extension on his manuscript but Macon does not need it. Macon hands over the bulk of the remaining pages, Julian is satisfied, and said that the next series will be the major U.S. cities.
CHAPTER 7
When Muriel arrives for the first lesson, Edward leaps on her and she pokes his rear end down with a long, sharp index finger. Macon is told to watch, follow her lead, and he needs to cluck to let Edward know that he is doing something positive. While Edward stays sitting, Muriel launches into the story of her hair, how it was blond when she was younger and her mother had entered her into talent competitions but then her hair turned dark and everything changed. The sister who stayed blond was the favorite one and all the boys liked her too. Then she snaps her fingers over Edward's head and he jumps up and barks and Muriel praises him.
CHAPTER 8
Macon and Edward continue their training. Macon seems to think he is improving but his family isn't so sure and don't want to think about his leaving the dog with them when he resumes his traveling again. Macon wishes he could stay in his cast forever; in fact, he wishes it could cover him from head to toe so he could hide forever. One night Julian brings over papers about New York and is a bit disappointed when he realizes that he has missed dinner but settles for coffee instead. When Julian, Rose, Macon, and Charles are making small talk, the phone rings and Macon answers it. It is Sarah and she wants to meet him for dinner tomorrow night so they settle on the Old Bay, the restaurant Macon had been going to.
CHAPTER 9
Macon is remembering the day when Grandfather Leary's mind first began to wander. Out of the blue, he announced that he needed Macon to get his passport from the safe deposit box because he was sailing for Lassaque on June 12. Of course, there is no such country but the place his grandfather had invented in his mind sounded like a nice place to visit for sure. After that, he would sit for hours and dream up inventions like a motorcycle that would pull a plow and a plant that was a cross between basil and tomatoes. So he isn't really surprised when his grandfather comes to him in a dream and tells him that he has lost his center and Sarah is that center.
CHAPTER 10
Muriel is telling Macon about her early-married life. The baby was the reason she got married and the reason she got divorced. Muriel was pregnant when she and Norman were married, there were complications, he was born severely premature, and would have problems all his life. Norman couldn't take the medical bills and the fact that his son was not like any others so he left. Muriel and her son, Alexander, have squeezed out a life ever since. At one point as they are talking, she looks up at Macon, something catches in him, and he feels an overwhelming urge to make a connection so he bends and kisses her. It surprises both of them, maybe Macon a little bit more so. The Learys are facing a difficult decision and Thanksgiving is coming.
CHAPTER 11
Macon lifts the phone and tries to form an apology for not being able to come to dinner the next night but the words freeze in his mouth. It really has nothing to do with her personally but ever since Ethan died, he has no interest in much of anything, especially women. Since he isn't able to call, he writes a note and drives to her house to deliver it. Muriel thinks someone is trying to break in and threatens to blow his head off with a shotgun but quickly relents when he announces himself. Macon hands the note through the crack of the door. Muriel reads it, looks up at him, and then he breaks down telling her all about losing Ethan and how he and Sarah had broken apart.
CHAPTER 12
Rose is irritated with Macon, because he has been missing meals and sometimes doesn't even come home at night. Macon apologizes but realizes that he has been spending more and more evenings with Muriel and he doesn't care who knows it. Rose is soon to get a surprise though as Julian shows Macon the engagement ring he plans to give to her on Christmas. Rose is so unlike any of the other women he has ever known. Julian likes the idea of being part of family. Macon seems a bit leery of it but tells him it is a beautiful ring just the same. Macon isn't really sure what attracted him to Muriel. Muriel's youthfulness is unsettling - she barely remembers Vietnam and had no idea about the Kennedy assassination.
CHAPTER 13
Muriel's parents live in a subdivision with streets named for trees that are nowhere near there. The car makes a right onto Apple Blossom Way and pulls up in front of the Dugan household where they are greeted by Muriel's sister, Claire, a pretty 17-yr. old blonde. Mrs. Dugan greets Macon with skepticism and accepts his gift of cranberry liqueur. Mr. Dugan is preoccupied with the possibility of the pipes freezing in the basement and darts in and out of the day. Muriel shows Macon pictures from her childhood and he sees the progression of her silky blonde hair to the frazzled mane she has now. Mrs. Dugan finds it necessary to inform Macon of Muriel's progression of unsavory boyfriends since she was 13.
CHAPTER 14
Macon has pretty well moved into Muriel's house now. It happened bit by bit, a few shirts, shaving gear, until the final vestige of his life Edward. Muriel, Alexander, Edward, and Macon form an odd little family. Macon makes breakfast every morning and fixes things around the house. Alexander has a playmate and someone to welcome him home from school with cookies and milk probably for the first time in his life. One morning after a particularly heavy snowfall, Baltimore is silent and frozen and the little family is cocooned inside when Charles knocks at the door. Charles had a hard time finding the house but he needed to tell Macon that his neighbors called to say that apparently some pipes had frozen and burst in his house because they could see water running.
CHAPTER 15
When Macon left for a trip to San Francisco a few days ago, Baltimore was covered in ice, but now on his return it is like the beginning of spring. Macon arrives home, puts a few things in order, and decides to take Edward out for a walk. Before long he hears the shrill sound of children teasing and he realizes that their target is Alexander. Macon lets Edward go to his defense and when Macon reaches him, Alexander is visibly relieved and takes Macon's hand for the walk home. The next day Julian stops by with information for the next book, but Macon suspects that he just wants to get a look at his new life. He approves of Muriel and invites her and Alexander to his wedding to Rose.
CHAPTER 16
The day of Rose's wedding dawned to rainfall but it has cleared up sufficiently by mid afternoon so that the ceremony can still be held outside as she has always wanted. Macon, Muriel, and Alexander arrive at the house and are greeted by Macon's mother. It had never occurred to him that she would be there and is she ever! Macon's mother's hair is now a deep tomato red, she is wearing a flowing white caftan, and takes Muriel's arm to chat immediately. Macon is struck with the horrible thought that maybe after all this time he is attracted to women like his mother, but he then breathes a sigh of relief when he sees Muriel release herself from his mother's grasp. Macon also hadn't counted on seeing Sarah at the wedding.
CHAPTER 17
Muriel is telling Macon about a man she had dated before him. The man was a customer who was going through a really bad divorce and couldn't trust a woman. Bit by bit, she changed all that and eventually he had even paid all of Alexander's unpaid medical bills. The two had talked about getting married but one day he met a stewardess and eloped within the week. Muriel thought that she had cured him so he could elope with this other woman. Muriel then asks Macon if he would ever do that and he tells her that of course he wouldn't. When they are making the rounds of the thrift stores, she announces that she has quit her job at the Meow Bow. Macon cannot believe that she is so irresponsible.
CHAPTER 18
Macon is in a hotel room in Winnipeg when Sarah reaches him. Muriel tracked him down through his brothers who told her where he was. Macon's brothers also told her about the damage to their house, which is partly why she is calling. Muriel wants to move back in because her lease is up and she can't find another apartment. Muriel will use the money she would have spent on rent to make any repairs that the insurance wouldn't cover. Muriel also tells him that the legal papers are ready to be signed and that she had been shocked to actually see them. Muriel hadn't anticipated the emotional jolt they would give her.
CHAPTER 19
Macon and Sarah need a new couch since their furniture was destroyed in the water damage. The couple drives to the store, very efficiently chose one, and request same day delivery. Sarah suggests lunch at the Old Bay and they have wine with lunch, which was something Macon has never done. On the way home they stop at the bank so that he can get his passport out of the safe deposit box because his trip to Paris is coming up. The two then stop at the old house to pick up some azalea fertilizer from Rose. Rose is staying back at the house because the brothers' lives are a mess since she got married. Sarah goes off to her sculpture class and Macon sits down to write.
CHAPTER 20
Macon is settling into his seat for the trip from New York to Paris when his eyes look up and land on a completely unexpected sight. Muriel is going to Paris anyway. Muriel had borrowed the money, different people were taking turns watching Alexander, and she had gotten Macon's travel details from his travel agent. Macon can't even begin to imagine how bad this will look if Sarah were to find out. When he lands, he rushes through customs, grabs a cab and feels lucky to have evaded her when it occurs to him that the travel agent would surely have given Muriel his hotel information too. Macon also is concerned that she will get lost in Paris, that she wouldn't have converted her money, or any number of other tragedies.
THEME:
Death
Ethan's death triggers the novel's initial conflict. At first it leads to the dissolution of Sarah and Macon's marriage. The past year had been "miserable" for both of them, with "months when everything either of them said was wrong." When Sarah admits, "Now that Ethan's dead I sometimes wonder if there's any point to life," Macon responds, "It never seemed to me there was all that much point to begin with." This pessimism spurs Sarah's decision to leave Macon. She feels he is not grieving as much as she, nor is he providing her with the comfort she requires. Macon looks for someone to blame for Ethan's death, including Sarah and himself.
Order and Disorder
Ethan's death coupled with Sarah's departure throws Macon into a state of disorder that he desperately tries to change. He wants to start a whole new life not reallt knowing what he wants.
POST 7 THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST
In The Accidental Tourist, Anne Tyler presents an intimate portrait of Macon Leary, a middle-aged man coming to terms with the tragic death of his son. After his wife leaves him, Macon cuts himself off from the rest of the world. Almost against his will, he becomes involved with an unconventional woman who helps him cope with his loss and take control of his life.On their way back from a vacation at the beach, Macon's wife, Sarah, informs Macon she wants a divorce because he has not been "a comfort" to her since the death of their son Ethan. Initially shocked, he begins to see her departure as a chance "to reorganize" the house.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
POST 6: SAINT MAYBE CONT.
I READ CH. 6 184- 225
On Saturdays, the Church of the Second Chance does Good Works. They paint or repair an elderly member's house, or help someone who is in need. Today they are painting Rev. Emmett's house. Thomas and Daphne love Good Works. Agatha is fifteen and has to be talked into coming. On the way over, Agatha talks about what they would do in a nuclear war. She suggests that the entire family move into a grocery store, where they would have plenty of supplies to live. The young people, including Claudia's children, would be the future generation. The old people, like Grandma and Grandpa Bledsoe, would bring wisdom. When Thomas questions if Ian should come, Agatha insists.
I READ CH. 7 226-243
Agatha was the one who came up with the idea of finding a wife for Ian. With Agatha headed for her first choice college, Thomas a gregarious high school freshman and Daphne 11 going on 80, they feel Ian needs someone. Daphne instantly thought of Miss Pennington, her fifth grade teacher with the hourglass figure and sexy 1950s clothes, instead of pantsuits. Daphne insists Ian needs a Parent/Teacher conference to discuss her homework. When Ian demurs, Daphne says she just wants him to appear interested. Ian protests that being a grade mother and baking six dozen cookies for Parents night, makes him interested, but Daphne finally wins. Later, Daphne reports the meeting went well. Miss Pennington wore her scoop necked blue dress. Ian did not say anything religious.
I READ CH. 8 244- 266
Rev. Emmett has a heart attack. The first Sunday, a retired Baptist minister, Dr. Benning, preaches, but he has to leave for a bus tour of the Sun Belt. The second week a non-denominationalist, who got his Thy and Thou mixed up, preaches. The congregation prays for Rev. Emmett to come back. The third Sunday, nobody preaches, they just say a few extra prayers. The fourth Sunday, Rev. Emmett finally returns, looking pale and even thinner than usual. After Church, Rev. Emmett asks Ian to stay behind. Rev. Emmett wants to discuss his successor. He wants Ian to go to seminary, so when the time comes, Ian can replace him. Ian demurs. Daphne, at 16, is more trouble than all three children at any other age.
I READ CH. 9 267-308
May of 1988 is the wettest spring anyone can remember. It rains every day, and the Bedloe's roof develops a leak directly over the linen closet. Ian calls Davidson Roofers, but they say they can't come out until the weather clears. June was dry as a bone, but no one cared. One morning early in the month, Bee awakened unable to talk. Two days later, she was dead. Agatha, an oncologist in L.A., flew out for the funeral with Stuart, her handsome husband. Claudia and Macy came from Pittsburgh with their two youngest, George and Henry. Their oldest, Abbie, flew in from Charleston. Even with all these people in the house, Daphne kept wandering around aimlessly. It seemed as if somebody was missing, she thought, then realized it was Grandma.
I READ CH. 10 309-337
Rita and Ian have only been married for four months, and already she is asking when he wants to have children. Ian says in a few years. When Rita protests that she is almost 30, Ian assures her that is young. At 42, he feels ancient, especially when he thinks of having a child. On Sunday, the two walk to church together. Daphne seldom attends services, although she is still a regular at Good Works on Saturdays. During the hymn, Rita turns to Ian and confides that she may be pregnant, and she intends to be glad about it. Ian can only reply, "me too." Ian nervously starts to construct a cradle of Virginia cherry for the baby, joined, without nails so it will last a hundred years.
THEME:
The myth of the perfect family is once again exposed in this novel. On the first page, the Bedloes are described as the "ideal, apple-pie household" and their philosophy of life is "Don't worry. Everything will turn out fine." But Danny kills himself; Lucy dies; they are stuck with three children unrelated to them; and Ian takes religion seriously, dropping out of college to take care of the children. The Bedloes are not the perfect family after all, but they have a bedrock closeness and love that keeps them together and helps them overcome their trials. When the children are planning what to do in the event of a nuclear attack, they decide to commandeer a grocery store just for their immediate family. They make a point of including Ian, who is, in fact, not related.
On Saturdays, the Church of the Second Chance does Good Works. They paint or repair an elderly member's house, or help someone who is in need. Today they are painting Rev. Emmett's house. Thomas and Daphne love Good Works. Agatha is fifteen and has to be talked into coming. On the way over, Agatha talks about what they would do in a nuclear war. She suggests that the entire family move into a grocery store, where they would have plenty of supplies to live. The young people, including Claudia's children, would be the future generation. The old people, like Grandma and Grandpa Bledsoe, would bring wisdom. When Thomas questions if Ian should come, Agatha insists.
I READ CH. 7 226-243
Agatha was the one who came up with the idea of finding a wife for Ian. With Agatha headed for her first choice college, Thomas a gregarious high school freshman and Daphne 11 going on 80, they feel Ian needs someone. Daphne instantly thought of Miss Pennington, her fifth grade teacher with the hourglass figure and sexy 1950s clothes, instead of pantsuits. Daphne insists Ian needs a Parent/Teacher conference to discuss her homework. When Ian demurs, Daphne says she just wants him to appear interested. Ian protests that being a grade mother and baking six dozen cookies for Parents night, makes him interested, but Daphne finally wins. Later, Daphne reports the meeting went well. Miss Pennington wore her scoop necked blue dress. Ian did not say anything religious.
I READ CH. 8 244- 266
Rev. Emmett has a heart attack. The first Sunday, a retired Baptist minister, Dr. Benning, preaches, but he has to leave for a bus tour of the Sun Belt. The second week a non-denominationalist, who got his Thy and Thou mixed up, preaches. The congregation prays for Rev. Emmett to come back. The third Sunday, nobody preaches, they just say a few extra prayers. The fourth Sunday, Rev. Emmett finally returns, looking pale and even thinner than usual. After Church, Rev. Emmett asks Ian to stay behind. Rev. Emmett wants to discuss his successor. He wants Ian to go to seminary, so when the time comes, Ian can replace him. Ian demurs. Daphne, at 16, is more trouble than all three children at any other age.
I READ CH. 9 267-308
May of 1988 is the wettest spring anyone can remember. It rains every day, and the Bedloe's roof develops a leak directly over the linen closet. Ian calls Davidson Roofers, but they say they can't come out until the weather clears. June was dry as a bone, but no one cared. One morning early in the month, Bee awakened unable to talk. Two days later, she was dead. Agatha, an oncologist in L.A., flew out for the funeral with Stuart, her handsome husband. Claudia and Macy came from Pittsburgh with their two youngest, George and Henry. Their oldest, Abbie, flew in from Charleston. Even with all these people in the house, Daphne kept wandering around aimlessly. It seemed as if somebody was missing, she thought, then realized it was Grandma.
I READ CH. 10 309-337
Rita and Ian have only been married for four months, and already she is asking when he wants to have children. Ian says in a few years. When Rita protests that she is almost 30, Ian assures her that is young. At 42, he feels ancient, especially when he thinks of having a child. On Sunday, the two walk to church together. Daphne seldom attends services, although she is still a regular at Good Works on Saturdays. During the hymn, Rita turns to Ian and confides that she may be pregnant, and she intends to be glad about it. Ian can only reply, "me too." Ian nervously starts to construct a cradle of Virginia cherry for the baby, joined, without nails so it will last a hundred years.
THEME:
The myth of the perfect family is once again exposed in this novel. On the first page, the Bedloes are described as the "ideal, apple-pie household" and their philosophy of life is "Don't worry. Everything will turn out fine." But Danny kills himself; Lucy dies; they are stuck with three children unrelated to them; and Ian takes religion seriously, dropping out of college to take care of the children. The Bedloes are not the perfect family after all, but they have a bedrock closeness and love that keeps them together and helps them overcome their trials. When the children are planning what to do in the event of a nuclear attack, they decide to commandeer a grocery store just for their immediate family. They make a point of including Ian, who is, in fact, not related.
POST 5 SAINT MAYBE
I READ CH. 1 1-46
Everyone on Waverly Street knows each other. There are the foreigners, a group of Middle Eastern students who attend Johns Hopkins, practice their English and cook with curry spices. The newlyweds, although they have been married for two years now, and the Bedloes, everyone's ideal apple pie family, two cheerful parents and three handsome children, a dog, a cat and assorted goldfish. Ian is the easygoing youngest son, who prefers to wear plaid shirts, ripped jeans and high tops held together with electrical tape to school. In 1965, there is a dress code, but it does little good to call Ian's mother to come pick him up. She is likely to turn up dressed just as sloppily.
I READ CH. 2 47-81
Thomas and Agatha are coloring while their mother naps. Daphne cries, but Lucy does not wake up. Agatha is not allowed to pick up the baby and give her a bottle, because Thomas dropped Daphne last week. Agatha thinks that is not fair - she is much bigger and more mature than Thomas is. At 7, Agatha is large for her age. Thomas says he hates this coloring book. Agatha says Danny gave the coloring book to them, and Thomas claps his hand over his mouth as if he has said something blasphemous. Agatha knows that soon Daphne will start to wail loudly, sounding sad, lonely and lost. They go in the baby's room, which smells of dirty diapers. Thomas tries to amuse Daphne in her crib.
I READ CH. 3 82-129
Ian remembers watching an amoeba through a microscope in science class, as it absorbed a dot of food. Ian cannot absorb Danny's death. How could Danny possibly forget to slow down around a curve at the end of their block? How could he run into a stone wall that has been there since before Danny was born? Ian is sure Danny killed himself, because Ian told him Lucy was having an affair. Ian wonders if he told his Mom, would she say, "Why sweetheart, is that all that's bothering you? Listen, every last one of us has caused somebody's suicide." Probably not. Lucy is growing steadily paler. She does not have any relatives to help with the children.
I READ CH. 4 130-158
Thomas is getting ready for Church Day Camp. Grandma Bedloe chides Ian gently for not sending the children to the Presbyterian Day Camp, but Ian counters that the Presbyterian camp costs money. The Church of the Second Chance camp is free. Daphne, a toddler now, wants to take her lawn mower pull toy to camp, but Thomas is afraid the bigger boys will laugh at her. Agatha has brought a mustard seed from their mother's jewelry box for sharing hour. This makes Thomas mad, because she hardly ever lets him even look in the jewelry box. Agatha says that is because Thomas cannot keep secrets. He is the one who told Mrs. Jordan their father's name. Agatha shows Thomas a secret picture from the jewelry box with his mother.
I READ CH.5 159-183
Doug Bedloe is bored during his retirement. Whenever he tries to help with the children, he does something wrong, and Ian or Bee takes over. Doug's few efforts to help are ineffectual, as when he tries to mop the muddy kitchen floor without sweeping it first. Initially, Doug planned to volunteer coaching baseball, but soon he realizes he has been working with adolescents for a lifetime. Adolescents are shallow, and Doug is tired of them. Doug really misses Danny. Of his own three children, Danny was the only one Doug could really talk to. The only thing Doug really enjoys these days is fixing things, but not enough things get broken to keep him busy.
Everyone on Waverly Street knows each other. There are the foreigners, a group of Middle Eastern students who attend Johns Hopkins, practice their English and cook with curry spices. The newlyweds, although they have been married for two years now, and the Bedloes, everyone's ideal apple pie family, two cheerful parents and three handsome children, a dog, a cat and assorted goldfish. Ian is the easygoing youngest son, who prefers to wear plaid shirts, ripped jeans and high tops held together with electrical tape to school. In 1965, there is a dress code, but it does little good to call Ian's mother to come pick him up. She is likely to turn up dressed just as sloppily.
I READ CH. 2 47-81
Thomas and Agatha are coloring while their mother naps. Daphne cries, but Lucy does not wake up. Agatha is not allowed to pick up the baby and give her a bottle, because Thomas dropped Daphne last week. Agatha thinks that is not fair - she is much bigger and more mature than Thomas is. At 7, Agatha is large for her age. Thomas says he hates this coloring book. Agatha says Danny gave the coloring book to them, and Thomas claps his hand over his mouth as if he has said something blasphemous. Agatha knows that soon Daphne will start to wail loudly, sounding sad, lonely and lost. They go in the baby's room, which smells of dirty diapers. Thomas tries to amuse Daphne in her crib.
I READ CH. 3 82-129
Ian remembers watching an amoeba through a microscope in science class, as it absorbed a dot of food. Ian cannot absorb Danny's death. How could Danny possibly forget to slow down around a curve at the end of their block? How could he run into a stone wall that has been there since before Danny was born? Ian is sure Danny killed himself, because Ian told him Lucy was having an affair. Ian wonders if he told his Mom, would she say, "Why sweetheart, is that all that's bothering you? Listen, every last one of us has caused somebody's suicide." Probably not. Lucy is growing steadily paler. She does not have any relatives to help with the children.
I READ CH. 4 130-158
Thomas is getting ready for Church Day Camp. Grandma Bedloe chides Ian gently for not sending the children to the Presbyterian Day Camp, but Ian counters that the Presbyterian camp costs money. The Church of the Second Chance camp is free. Daphne, a toddler now, wants to take her lawn mower pull toy to camp, but Thomas is afraid the bigger boys will laugh at her. Agatha has brought a mustard seed from their mother's jewelry box for sharing hour. This makes Thomas mad, because she hardly ever lets him even look in the jewelry box. Agatha says that is because Thomas cannot keep secrets. He is the one who told Mrs. Jordan their father's name. Agatha shows Thomas a secret picture from the jewelry box with his mother.
I READ CH.5 159-183
Doug Bedloe is bored during his retirement. Whenever he tries to help with the children, he does something wrong, and Ian or Bee takes over. Doug's few efforts to help are ineffectual, as when he tries to mop the muddy kitchen floor without sweeping it first. Initially, Doug planned to volunteer coaching baseball, but soon he realizes he has been working with adolescents for a lifetime. Adolescents are shallow, and Doug is tired of them. Doug really misses Danny. Of his own three children, Danny was the only one Doug could really talk to. The only thing Doug really enjoys these days is fixing things, but not enough things get broken to keep him busy.
POST 4: BREATHING LESSONS CONT.
I READ PART 3 CH. 3 292-326
Mother and daughter's suitcases neatly packed in the trunk, Ira's next task is to back out of Fiona's mother's driveway without hitting her car. He thinks that it might be better if he were to stand outside and let Maggie back the car down the drive as he guides her so that she does not hit the other car or the mailbox. Despite her driving record and this morning's mishap, Maggie Slides behind the wheel.
She cautions Ira not to say anything if she should happen to hit the mailbox, but he tells her that with him guiding her it won't be a problem. True to form, her foot misses the brake pedal as the car rolls backwards and into the mailbox, narrowly missing Ira.
I READ PART 3 CH. 4 327-338
There was a man who had been in Maggie's care at the nursing home once who told her his concept of Heaven, that he would get back everything that he had ever lost on Earth. Since he was talking in such a spiritual vein, Maggie assumed he meant getting back intangible things, like lost youth or passions, but he was much more practical than that. The old man expected to get tangible things back, like the red sweater his mother had made for him that he could never find and the pocketknife his brother threw into a cornfield. Maybe he would even get so lucky as to get back the diamond ring from the girl who ran away with someone else. Maggie and Ira ended in a bed ready for the drive back home the next day.
OVERALL THEME FOR THIS BOOK IS:
Family
Modern American families. Each individual plays a big part on how that family is and will act. For Tyler, the family acts as force on an individual, in both positive and negative ways. In Breathing Lessons, each character has an individual interpretation of the concept of family that coincides with their understanding of their own identity. For example, Ira feels trapped by his family to the point where he felt that "his sisters' hands dragged him down the way drowning victims drag down whoever tries to rescue them." This view of the family extends from Ira's perception of himself as someone cheated out of his dreams.
Mother and daughter's suitcases neatly packed in the trunk, Ira's next task is to back out of Fiona's mother's driveway without hitting her car. He thinks that it might be better if he were to stand outside and let Maggie back the car down the drive as he guides her so that she does not hit the other car or the mailbox. Despite her driving record and this morning's mishap, Maggie Slides behind the wheel.
She cautions Ira not to say anything if she should happen to hit the mailbox, but he tells her that with him guiding her it won't be a problem. True to form, her foot misses the brake pedal as the car rolls backwards and into the mailbox, narrowly missing Ira.
I READ PART 3 CH. 4 327-338
There was a man who had been in Maggie's care at the nursing home once who told her his concept of Heaven, that he would get back everything that he had ever lost on Earth. Since he was talking in such a spiritual vein, Maggie assumed he meant getting back intangible things, like lost youth or passions, but he was much more practical than that. The old man expected to get tangible things back, like the red sweater his mother had made for him that he could never find and the pocketknife his brother threw into a cornfield. Maybe he would even get so lucky as to get back the diamond ring from the girl who ran away with someone else. Maggie and Ira ended in a bed ready for the drive back home the next day.
OVERALL THEME FOR THIS BOOK IS:
Family
Modern American families. Each individual plays a big part on how that family is and will act. For Tyler, the family acts as force on an individual, in both positive and negative ways. In Breathing Lessons, each character has an individual interpretation of the concept of family that coincides with their understanding of their own identity. For example, Ira feels trapped by his family to the point where he felt that "his sisters' hands dragged him down the way drowning victims drag down whoever tries to rescue them." This view of the family extends from Ira's perception of himself as someone cheated out of his dreams.
POST 3: BREATHING LESSONS
Today i read 1-48 Part 1 Ch. 1
Breathing Lessons is the story of Maggie and Ira Moran and the struggle for extraordinary moments in their quite commonplace marriage. The story takes place in one day, begins early on a Saturday morning as Maggie and Ira are preparing to travel from their home in Baltimore to a small town in Pennsylvania to attend the funeral of the husband of Serena, Maggie's best friend from high school. They had just heard from Serena the night before that Max had died and didn't have as much time to prepare for the trip as they normally would. The alarm has gone off too late, and the couple is frantically preparing to leave. Maggie is not as unnerved by this as Ira.
I READ 49-78 Part 1 Chp. 2
Maggie's dearest high-school friend, Serena is now a widow. Her husband Max just passed away. When the Morans arrive, several old classmates greet them. What is supposed to be a memorial service actually resembles a reunion. A series of events stir up old feelings and recollections for Maggie, and she examines her life and the choices she made.They reach the church where the funeral is being held and realize that they are the first to arrive. This pleases Ira, who likes to be punctual. Serena, who had always been a bit eccentric, arrives looking like a Spanish matron in a red dress and long black shawl. Her unusual appearance is shadowed only by her request that Maggie and Ira sing just like they did at Serena and Max's wedding. Maggie doesn't think it's appropriate, but other friends are coming who will sing as well. Serena has decided that this is to be a memorial service, not a funeral; its purpose is to comfort her, and that's what she wants. As the service finally begins, not all of those who were asked to sing do so. Serena makes mental notes.
I READ 79-126 PART 1 CH. 3
Afterwards, everyone walks to Serena's house for drinks, lunch and a showing of Serena and Max's wedding movie. As Maggie looks around the room, sees all the old friends gathered, she thinks that the scene could almost have come straight from high school. She lets her mind wander even further to the time she and Ira fell in love. He had been a few years ahead of her in school, and he never had a social life because of family commitments to his ailing father and two sisters.
An embarrassing, humorous, abrupt exit from the funeral leaves Ira and Maggie with half day's worth of time to spend. Ira wants to go back to his frame shop, Maggie decides she wants to visit her son Jesse's former wife and his only child. Maggie has it in her head that she can rekindle the love the couple had when they were young.
I READ PART 2 129-181
Ira has reached the 50-year point in his life, and he spends a lot of time reflecting on what has passed and what may come, but for the most part he notices how people seem to waste their lives on dumb or impossible dreams. Not that he is excused from coing it. His plans of medical school were forgotten early and he never got past working in his father's framing shop. Ira doesn't take any particular pleasure in his children, either. Jesse, who can't sing a note, refuses to believe that he can't be a rock star even though it has cost him his marriage and his child. Daisy has distanced herself emotionally, and soon will increase that distance with her departure for an Ivy League college. Ira is not happy at all with how his life has turned out.
I READ PART 3 CH. 1 186-223
As the car speeds along the Pennsylvania highway, Maggie remembers the time after Fiona left their home with Leroy. Maggie would try to disguise herself and sit in her parked car in the hopes of catching a glimpse of her granddaughter. It is hard for her to make the leap from the days when Leroy was a newborn and Maggie would comfort her in the night to today, when she wouldn't even recognize the child. For Maggie, losing Fiona and Leroy is just another trauma in a series of losses, and she wonders if this is what aging is really all about losing things that you made the mistake of thinking were yours to begin with.
I READ PART 3 CH. 2 224-291
Ira's reaction to the news that Fiona and Leroy are coming back with them is cruel. He can never understand how Maggie accomplishes these things one minute he's tossing a Frisbee, and the next, the plans for his day have been completely altered. She doesn't understand why Ira is always so negative by Jesse, but she supposes that this invitation to Fiona just opens all of those feelings for him. Jesse was different from Ira from the moment he was born. He had joy and a spirit in him that Ira could never recognize or understand. Maggie wonders if Jesse ever connected with her, either. She was the boring, conventional type, and Jesse could never abide by convention.
Breathing Lessons is the story of Maggie and Ira Moran and the struggle for extraordinary moments in their quite commonplace marriage. The story takes place in one day, begins early on a Saturday morning as Maggie and Ira are preparing to travel from their home in Baltimore to a small town in Pennsylvania to attend the funeral of the husband of Serena, Maggie's best friend from high school. They had just heard from Serena the night before that Max had died and didn't have as much time to prepare for the trip as they normally would. The alarm has gone off too late, and the couple is frantically preparing to leave. Maggie is not as unnerved by this as Ira.
I READ 49-78 Part 1 Chp. 2
Maggie's dearest high-school friend, Serena is now a widow. Her husband Max just passed away. When the Morans arrive, several old classmates greet them. What is supposed to be a memorial service actually resembles a reunion. A series of events stir up old feelings and recollections for Maggie, and she examines her life and the choices she made.They reach the church where the funeral is being held and realize that they are the first to arrive. This pleases Ira, who likes to be punctual. Serena, who had always been a bit eccentric, arrives looking like a Spanish matron in a red dress and long black shawl. Her unusual appearance is shadowed only by her request that Maggie and Ira sing just like they did at Serena and Max's wedding. Maggie doesn't think it's appropriate, but other friends are coming who will sing as well. Serena has decided that this is to be a memorial service, not a funeral; its purpose is to comfort her, and that's what she wants. As the service finally begins, not all of those who were asked to sing do so. Serena makes mental notes.
I READ 79-126 PART 1 CH. 3
Afterwards, everyone walks to Serena's house for drinks, lunch and a showing of Serena and Max's wedding movie. As Maggie looks around the room, sees all the old friends gathered, she thinks that the scene could almost have come straight from high school. She lets her mind wander even further to the time she and Ira fell in love. He had been a few years ahead of her in school, and he never had a social life because of family commitments to his ailing father and two sisters.
An embarrassing, humorous, abrupt exit from the funeral leaves Ira and Maggie with half day's worth of time to spend. Ira wants to go back to his frame shop, Maggie decides she wants to visit her son Jesse's former wife and his only child. Maggie has it in her head that she can rekindle the love the couple had when they were young.
I READ PART 2 129-181
Ira has reached the 50-year point in his life, and he spends a lot of time reflecting on what has passed and what may come, but for the most part he notices how people seem to waste their lives on dumb or impossible dreams. Not that he is excused from coing it. His plans of medical school were forgotten early and he never got past working in his father's framing shop. Ira doesn't take any particular pleasure in his children, either. Jesse, who can't sing a note, refuses to believe that he can't be a rock star even though it has cost him his marriage and his child. Daisy has distanced herself emotionally, and soon will increase that distance with her departure for an Ivy League college. Ira is not happy at all with how his life has turned out.
I READ PART 3 CH. 1 186-223
As the car speeds along the Pennsylvania highway, Maggie remembers the time after Fiona left their home with Leroy. Maggie would try to disguise herself and sit in her parked car in the hopes of catching a glimpse of her granddaughter. It is hard for her to make the leap from the days when Leroy was a newborn and Maggie would comfort her in the night to today, when she wouldn't even recognize the child. For Maggie, losing Fiona and Leroy is just another trauma in a series of losses, and she wonders if this is what aging is really all about losing things that you made the mistake of thinking were yours to begin with.
I READ PART 3 CH. 2 224-291
Ira's reaction to the news that Fiona and Leroy are coming back with them is cruel. He can never understand how Maggie accomplishes these things one minute he's tossing a Frisbee, and the next, the plans for his day have been completely altered. She doesn't understand why Ira is always so negative by Jesse, but she supposes that this invitation to Fiona just opens all of those feelings for him. Jesse was different from Ira from the moment he was born. He had joy and a spirit in him that Ira could never recognize or understand. Maggie wonders if Jesse ever connected with her, either. She was the boring, conventional type, and Jesse could never abide by convention.
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