While here we are in charge of reading a couple of books. Two of these books, Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole and The Moviegoer by Walker Percy, involve very memorable characters. Ignatius Riley of Confederacy of Dunces is a large man who puts together ridiculous schemes to get out of work, spouts intellectual nonsense and is all around a little loopy. Binx Bolling from The Moviegoer is a stockbroker who jumps from woman to woman trying to play his life like a movie and find his “purpose.” When we were talking to John Biguenet, he explained that there are always two sides to everything in New Orleans. I believe that Binx and Ignatius show those two sides quite well.
Ignatius shows the unique side of New Orleans- the side that refuses to change. Ignatius will make up insane stories so that he can avoid work and keep things the way he wants. He is also forever unhappy, but doesn’t seem to mind being that way. Similarly, New Orleans has many faults and complaints, but instead of really working to improve, the city simply accepts much of its unhappiness. The main characteristic shared by New Orleans and Ignatius is their consistence. Both know that they are different from those around them, but they don’t conform, or even attempt to conform. Despite their differences from others, they maintain their beliefs and their ways- which I believe is an admirable quality.
Binx does not share that quality. Binx seemingly conforms to society while maintaining beliefs that disagree with the way he behaves. This makes me think of the other side of New Orleans- the side that is battling between its beliefs and its behavior. I realize that I just said that New Orleans doesn’t conform, but it does have a battle between the beliefs and the behavior. Consider the intense Catholic population and Bourbon Street- not exactly synchronized.
These two sides of New Orleans create a one of a kind city that is both consistent and set against itself. It’s important that both be present, even though it can create some interesting effects!
Savannah,
ReplyDeleteYou and Lorna have isolated the city's inner conflict (expressed through characters in narrative as well as in the speech, behavior, and even urban structure) as a major identifying characteristic. I think you are on to something.
I began this thought in Lorna's comment, but since it occurred to me last night (when I could read but not comment on your blog posts) I thought I'd continue it here.
In most musical pieces there is a moment (or series of moments) that live and play around the 7th of the scale--that "conflict" note just one step (or fractions of a step, depending on the kind of scale) that resides just shy of resolution. This is where New Orleans lives, I think--"not exactly synchronized" but also "not exactly resolved". In scientific terms perhaps the city is like a suspension (but we'll need to call in the scientists on that one!) Let's talk more about this at lunch today.
DB