I was intrigued by our conversation in class on Tuesday regarding Mr. Hero’s conversation with Archie about his wife, Clara. As he stumbled over his words and justified his motives, her beauty secretly arouses Mr. Hero. He is quick to cover his bases with disclaimers and stands up for others opinions of the situation, but it becomes pretty obvious that he is disguising a true desire for something “off the table”. I think that very often we desire so much what we cannot have, simply because we cannot have it. The truth is, she is beautiful. To a point he acknowledges that. I think this passage brings out a point that is so commonly relatable in all of our lives in some way or another. We want what is different, unusual, and unknown to us. Something slightly against the rules (not totally off the table) intrigues us. Some of us rebel and deny any sense of these desires, and others long for it. We do not want anyone to know that we want it, and we do not really want anyone to tell us we can have it. The fact is, what is off limits is often what excites us! Mr. Hero said, “The men don’t like it ‘cos they don’t like to think they’re wanting a bit of the other when they’re sitting down to a company dinner with their lady wives, especially when she’s…you know…they don’t know what to make of that at all” (p. 61). These sorts of situations make us uncomfortable. We do not want any one to know that we are being tempted in any way, while at the same time we are spurred on by our desire. My point is not that it is always specifically a sexual desire, but simply a desire to have what is unknown.
Good, so why are characters in the novel so afraid to let other characters see their desires?
ReplyDeleteThis idea of wanting what you can’t have causes so many situations in life. How you handle these wants, changes peoples lives dramatically. The way you are raised plays a part in this. A perfect example is Clara and Alsana. Both born with strict religion, Alsana marries who has been picked for her and does not rebel because she knows she cannot. Than there is Clara who has been raised with firm religion and an upbringing that suggests it’s not acceptable to marry lighter. Clara marries Archie, who represents what she is told she can’t have. Samad is tempted by Miss Poppy Burt Jones, a woman he cannot have. He is married, but she is also his son’s teacher, her white teacher, making this even more a shame shame situation. Many of our main characters seem to be faced with these things they cannot have. White Teeth does a great job of showing how both ends play out. To take what is forbidden, or to follow the rules. We have men like Mr. Hero who knows what he wants but wouldn’t dare go there. Samad who knows what he wants and takes it, but knows to keep it a secret. Than you have Archie, who to some has taken the forbidden fruit, but Archie does not see Clara as something he shouldn’t have. It’s only something we shouldn’t desire if we believe it too.
ReplyDeleteIn response to why the characters in the novel so afraid to let other characters see their desires...I wonder how much of that is a response from the culture? But honestly I think we all want to keep to our desires ourselves. Being vulnerable and honest is not an easy thing, and we often don't want others to know what is really going on in our head. Also, like we have talked about in class, a lot of the awkwardness is a result of not wanting to address race. Especially in this interaction with Mr. Hero, I think he was skirting around the core issue so much that it became an incredibly confusing interaction. So confusing that even Archie (which I guess isn’t that surprising considering his personality) has no idea of what Mr. Hero is talking about. But it also makes the reader think twice about what the core discussion is about. Most of us thought that Archie was getting fired or disciplined in some way or another. These interactions are so uncomfortable that it makes me just want to be like, “What’s really going on here!!!” The characters get themselves in trouble because they are not willing to openly address the real issue.
ReplyDelete