George Saunders and Thomas Pynchon are two amazing authors.
George Saunders, because of his ability to take absurd situations and
environments and turn them into something true and humanistic- and
Thomas Pynchon because of his ability to challenge the reader in new and
exciting and difficult ways. If Saunders and Pynchon's intellects got
together and mind-fucked, then the brain of David Foster Wallace would
inevitably be the end result. Wallace is able to blend absurd characters
and situations, intricate plots and themes- often in ways that confound
the reader, but in the end, the reader is rewarded with a deeper
understanding of what it means to be human.
At the beginning of his story 'Little Expressionless Animals',
Wallace introduces four vignettes, and at first glance, it is difficult
to imagine where he is going with this, and how he intends to pull it
all together. 1) We first see two young children left on the side of the
road. Their mother tells them to hold on to a fence post until she
returns. They stand there all day, and she never returns. 2) Then we see
a woman and a child watching a cartoon in a a dark movie theater. A
creepy man is fondling the woman's hair, but she does not make a sound,
in fear that the child will become horrified. 3) Then we see Alex
Trebek, from "JEOPARDY!", goofing around his studio. 4) And lastly, we
see two lesbians, Faye and Julie, having sex together in a posh L.A.
apartment.
It is understandable then, to be somewhat confused at this point,
perhaps wondering where this story is going. How does Wallace, in fact,
end up pulling these scrambled threads together? And how does he make
those threads feel important and life affirming? After reading and
reviewing this story, I have come to my own conclusions. I will briefly
expound on how, in my view, Wallace has written a story of depth,
feeling, and intelligence.
1) The children left by the road: We find out the children left by
the road are Julie, and her autistic/special needs infant brother, Lunt.
While standing there, holding onto that fence with her brother, she
watched a cow in a pasture chewing grass and cud all day long. The
expressionless facial features of the cow never left Julies memory. They
were standing there in need, in agony, in sadness- and all the cow
could do was stand there, expressionless, and chomp away. She later
expresses her views that men, in general, are this same way. Men have
this same expressionless attribute. And perhaps, though it's never
stated, this is a major factor that contributed to Julie becoming a
lesbian. She also has a peculiar fondness for her mother. Julie states
that the man her mother was with, made her abandon the them as children.
And that her mother, in reality, was only abandoning Lunt, but needed
Julie to be there to take care of him. I believe that Julie, though
these stories could possible be true, is telling herself these things in
order to cope with her life.
2) Woman and child in a movie theater: There is a part of the story
when Faye and Julie are exchanging different anecdotes, some true, some
not, in order to explain why Faye is a lesbian. Faye recounts the story
about her and her mother, Dee Goddard, going to the movies when she was a
little girl. A man, unbeknownst to Faye, is fondling her mothers red
hair. The incident is so traumatic that it sends her mother into a
downward spiral of drugs and alcohol. Her husband, years later,
re-marries a woman practically identical to Dee, and tortures her with
this fact, like a knife in the back. This story could be entirely true,
somewhat true, or mostly fabricated- the reader never knows for sure.
3) Alex Trebek: Alex Trebek and his cronies on the set of
"JEOPARDY!", I believe, act as a vehicle for introducing the varying
themes in the story. Faye and her mother work on the set. Julie is a
prodigy contestant. Lunt is also a form of prodigy contestant, sent in
to dethrone his sister (for thematic impact, implemented to generate
more TV viewers). There is an undertone theme of TV's secret agenda to
control our minds. How we subconsciously, by viewing TV, are allowing
this to be so. This theme is not heavy handed, It comes into the story
by means of a conversation. I believe that Wallace had no hidden
agendas, or hidden themes to present to the reader in this story. Any
themes outside of the obvious text and storyline undoubtedly came about
amorphously- through the structure of his story. Wallace is often
intrigued by unique settings and pop/current popular culture, and how
this culture affects our lives.
4) Julie and Faye have sex: The story, in retrospect, is ultimately
about Julie and Faye- their devotion and love for each other. They bring
home the most human elements of this story. Their relationship, as
expressed through excellent dialogue, is beautiful, sweet, and sincere.
They both have insecurities and flaws. But they compliment each other.
Wallace said it best in that first vignette: "Julie and Faye lie in bed,
as lovers. They compliment each others bodies." This, I believe, could
be interpreted in two different ways. 1) Literally, they are speaking to
one another, complimenting each others bodies. Or, 2) Because they are
lesbians- because they are two lesbians in love- their bodies compliment
each other, and therefore, are one.
Did I personally relate to all of these stories? No, I must admit, I
did not. Did I fully understand all of these characters? No, I did not.
But I don't believe that Wallace did, either. He was brave enough to
venture into unknown territory, and make it as real and human as his
mind could conjure. Little Expressionless Animals, may not invoke in you
feelings of personal renewal, or transcendence, but hopefully it shows
you that there is humanity and truth to be found- even in the most
unlikely of places- even on the set of "JEOPARDY!".
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