I for one am trying to understand the endlessly detailed descriptions of the houses of all the families in any way I can. Whether Agee is going between formal and perosnal writing is irrelevant at this point as everything is subject to interpretation. The mood is mythical for whatever part of the book a person is on and can be dissected and analized based on the way Agee wanted the book to be read (which itself is a topic of discussion). The Ricketts' fireplace is open to all ideas of sliding difficulty. It could simply be a collection of random papers picked up by a watchful eye or go so deep into each family member's personsal asperatinos and obviously crushed dreams for different circumstances. The wall contains almost every conceivable image for fantasy and desire while also containing cultural norms (the adds for food, drink, stores, clothes, and others) and several relating to history or religion (the many Christmas Dinners and "incidents in the life of Jesus") thus making it a type of treasure chest shared by the family and grown over time to help them relax when small times like that occur.
But this all again related to what Agee wants reader to see from his eyes. He sets up the scene to his standards of metaphor but leaves us to come up with our own having mentioned at the start that he wishes nothing to be pointed at him. Read it and leave but in that brief message is another and another leading to infinite possiblities which (I say this word strongly) may be Agee's goal, fulfilling his desire for something I will not try to understand. And by doing this, he draws everyone who reads it in whether they like it or not (the book, not him).
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Upon reading Agees description of the Ricketts’ fireplace, it is immediately evident that the description is unnecessarily detailed; what is not evident is the reasoning behind this in depth description. Agee describes the Ricketts as, “much more actively fond of pretty things than other families are,” another peculiar fact, as like these “other families,” the Ricketts cannot afford “pretty things.” The Ricketts’ fireplace serves as a central gathering spot for the family. Not only is it obviously a source of warmth but it is also decorated with countless pictures and advertisements. Agee spends a notable amount of time describing these decorative images, and like many other aspects of the novel, leaves the reasoning for this portrayal up to the reader for interpretation. I personally feel that Agee included this excerpt to emphasize the fact that although the Ricketts could not afford the things that were being displayed in the advertisements over their fireplace did not mean that they could not dream about one day obtaining them and did not mean that these dreams did not motivate these poor people to wake up each morning and continue to live. During such difficult times, people needed a source of motivation and these images provided exactly that. These advertisements detail images of celebratory items such as “pink or blue bows,” steaming turkeys,” “husbands in tuxedos,” and “whiskey,” which reminded them that there were better times ahead. There were also omens of religion such as, “Daughters of Jerusalem,” and “Christmas dinner,” which perhaps emphasized the power and importance of prayer and belief.
ReplyDeleteEssentially, Agee spends so much time describing the fireplace and gives it such significance because this small place in the Ricketts’ home has so many purposes. The Ricketts are attached to this part of their home as It provides hope, warmth, and motivation during a time when people had a difficult time obtaining these things.