This Ain’t No Jolly Ole Saint Nick

In the book Room by Emma Donoghue, I find the character of Old Nick to be the most confusing so far.  So this guy has had Ma locked up in this 11 x 11 room since she was in college.  The only time we read scenes with Old Nick, is when he comes back to Room to have sex with Ma, throw out the trash, and pick up the list of necessities.  Two years into Ma’s captivity, she gives birth to a son named Jack, who, although he gives Ma some company and a reason to take better care of herself, he also has to live in this 11 x 11 room with Ma, not yet having experienced what the outside is like.  

So the question is: What is Old Nick getting out of this?  In the beginning of Ma’s captivity, I suppose it was the feeling of control and dominance, but that theory only comes from watching numerous crime tv shows.  Even if Old Nick’s satisfaction from this situation is over, and to him, it’s just becoming tedious to have to provide for both Ma and Jack, he can’t really quit now, he’s too far into his own “game”.  If he were to release Ma and Jack, they would just report him to the police.  He’s been caught in his own trap, in his own room.  

This leads to the question: Does Old Nick actually cares about Ma and Jack?  He does bring them things, not just the necessities (like food, electricity, etc), like games, books, and different toys.  It could be argued that these things are just used to keep Ma and Jack preoccupied and distract them from the fact they are trapped in their limited 11 x 11 room, but it still brings light to the dismal situation of Room.  It could also be argued that he brings toys and games for Jack as a way of messing with Ma.  In the beginning of the book, Jack has a good impression of Old Nick, for he only hears about him when he brings them their Sunday Treat, because of this, Jack is reluctant to believe Ma when she reveals that Old Nick is an evil man.  Even though Jack has never interacted with Old Nick, he still thought of him as a good man, which gets on Ma’s nerves since she can’t prove otherwise.  

Because of these different views we get of Old Nick, I don’t know what to think about him.  I know what he has done is wrong, but I am intrigued to see what he will do as Jack’s world becomes enlightened as he becomes older and Ma will begin to have a stronger helper.  

Keep Calm and Bike On

Contrary to the general consensus about the ending of Smithy’s quest and The Memory of Running, I find myself actually liking the ending.  It’s what you would expect, and usually want, from a typical ending: Most of the ends are tied up and the hero of the story, Smithy, has grown and developed drastically.  

Smithy has seen Bethany’s body.  This moment in the book is one of the most powerful scenes to read.  Although he is skeptical, he has closure and confirmation of where she is and that she’s moved on to another life.  Hook has found Bethany for the last time.  Originally, I assumed that Smithy would have his closure by seeing Bethany and then fly home and have his moment with Norma.  I didn’t expect so see Norma there at the funeral home, (but now I see how that could have been very predictable).  I admit that it’s a little weird for Smithy and Norma to have their romantic scene right after they get out of the funeral home that houses Smithy’s dead sister, but I still think it was a touching moment.  It reminds me of a typical movie ending, when Smithy turns Norma around in her wheelchair and kisses her.  Although Smithy “getting the girl” isn’t truly a “Smithy ending”, it’s still a touching moment and ties the book together.

A lot of people in class were saying that they believed that McLarty rushed the ending, and that he could of either dragged something out longer or played with it more.  But, if you think about it, no one can make the perfect ending.  If the ending had been different, I may of have mixed feelings, while other people would have been satisfied.  You can’t please everyone.  But people fail to see how well McLarty has made things come full circle.  Even though we are left at a cliffhanger, wondering what Smithy will do now, that’s the beauty of this ending.  We are left theorize what he will do.  Will he go back? Will he stay in California? How will he get back? By leaving these questions open ended, McLarty sets up an opportunity for us, as readers, to answer them and think of a new quest and new life for Smithy and Norma.  

Now, as I said above, no ending is perfect.  I’m not just going to write about how pretty perfect this ending was, because it wasn’t.  Believe it or not, I too had qualms.  First, I can’t really see how Smithy is a hero.  Yes he’s made a journey and has grown into a new person.  But, I am someone who favors the typical plot line of an underdog going off on a journey, coming across a twist in their original plan, but then things work out in the end.  In The Memory of Running, obviously the underdog is Smithy, and obviously things have worked out in the end, but where’s the twist?  You could argue him getting his bike stolen was, but that doesn’t seem to affect his journey much.  In a way, Smithy’s journey seems just smooth sailing the whole time.  Although he does face obstacles on the way, none of them seem to seriously affect his journey.  It just seems to me that a bike ride across the United States of America would be harder than Smithy narrates.  

All in all, although the storyline bothered me a little, I still like the ending.  It’s a nice short sweet ending that does a good job tying up most of the loose ends in Smithy’s life.  It both concludes The Memory of Running nicely, as well as sets the scene for a possible sequel in the future. (*cough* *cough* McLarty).  

Judging a Book by its Cover

One point that Isaac brought up in class that really sparked my attention is the way we see and sympathize for Smithy in comparison to the way the people Smithy meets on his long journey perceive him.  When we look at Smithy from the start of his journey to where he is now, we see a vast improvement.  He’s eating healthier (and less), he becoming more physically fit, he’s losing weight, he is becoming more confident when talking with Norma, etc.  Smithy has drastically changed; he is not his old, fat, drunk self anymore, nor is he his young, scrawny, socially awkward self either.  He has created a new path, and with it, a new Smithy.

Although we see how Smithy has evolved throughout his journey, and feel proud of him, the same feeling is not apparent with the people he meets on his journey.  Many of the people Smithy meets look down upon him, judging only upon his looks and way he presents himself.  This proves to be a classic example of someone who judges a book by its cover. (Of which I am usually guilty of).  An example of this is with the doctor who takes care of Carl, Dr. Donna Trivitch.  Dr. Trivitch takes one look at Smithy, and immediately comes to the conclusion that he is going to abuse Carl for his condition, when in reality, Smithy is one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet and wouldn’t dream of doing those kind of things.  Never the less, Dr. Trivitch’s skepticism gets the best of her, and she sends for her cop friend to beat him up, unaware that Smithy hasn’t been anything but nice to the man who ran him over with his truck.  

I suppose the reason we sympathize for Smithy and respect the progress he has made is, as Isaac stated, because we have seen his rock bottom.  We’ve seen him at his worst, and are beginning to see him at his best.  Because of this, we see the vast amount of progress and growing Smithy has done throughout his journey.  He has left his home, which was full of unwanted memories of his fat, drunk self, and has set out to find Bethany and explore the big USA on the way.  But people only seem to dwell on the fact that Smithy has left his home, and is now roaming homeless, and don’t ask why.  

Therefore, I am curious to see if Smithy will make a true friend, other than Norma, that he can talk to and bring on the rest of his journey, although he is almost there (with respect to the entire journey).  I think one of the only things that is missing on Smithy’s journey is a companion.  One he can talk to without the restriction of phone lines.  

Poor Norma

Everytime Smithy and Norma talk, I just end up feeling really bad for Norma.  Obviously, Norma is the closest friend Smithy has at the moment, and so he decides to share his whole journey with her.  At first, their conversations are so awkward and are almost unbearable to read, but later on in the book, they become more familiar with each other.  But even though they are getting used to talking to each other, their phone calls never fail to make me feel a tad bit uncomfortable.  

First, I don’t know how they can be fine with the awkward pauses.  After almost every pause, one of them asks if the other is still on the line.  Maybe they don’t have that much to talk about, but I would expect they wouldn’t waste their infrequent conversations with frequent silent pauses.

Another reason is just Norma.  Oh, poor Norma.  When she and Smithy are ending their phone calls, she almost always says something like: “I love you, Smithy.”  But Smithy never replies back “I love you too”!  The only time he mentions the word “love” to her, is when he reads his letter.  He initially doesn’t want to say it, instead he says “Good Bye, Smithy”, but then tells her.  It’s just disappointing and I end up feeling really bad for Norma.  I know Smithy has feelings for her, but it’s so unfortunate for both the reader and Norma that he hasn’t figured out how to convey them to her.

All in all, I’m glad Norma’s and Smithy’s relationship is growing, and that they are becoming more comfortable.  I really hope Smithy will soon be able to say the word “love” to her, because, from the narration of the dream and purchasing of the book, we know Smithy does have feelings for Norma.  He just needs to learn how to come out of his shell and express them, which is what I hope will be one of the outcomes of his long, adventurous journey.