This section details Martin's new routine now that Marijke has left him. I think it is most likely that once the girls arrive to the flat they will try to talk with Martin and I believe they will eventually help him in some way.
I also think that the girls will help Robert find a way to let go of Elspeth and move on with his life. Since the afterlife and religion seem to be things that Robert often ponders, it's possible that the twins may even restore his faith.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
February & The Mirror Twins
Firstly, I was shocked that the will required Robert to remove all the papers from Elspeth's flat. I had figured beforehand that the twins would discover secrets regarding their family history by looking through Elspeth's diaries and such. This leads me to believe that the twins will need to be more creative in uncovering the truth, maybe by talking with Robert or by exploring other aspects of Elspeth's flat.
Another thing I noticed was that Julia always seems to lead Valentina. For example, the twins both dropped out of college (three times) because Julia didn't want to attend classes anymore. Throughout this chapter it is made clear that Valentina is the more anxious twin and Julia is more headstrong. I think these traits may also apply to their mother and aunt which may be another cause of the tension between them. This may be another reason why Elspeth wanted to leave the flat to the girls, to warn them of possible tension between them and guide them away from it.
I also noticed in this section that Jack "considered that he had ended up with the right sister, after all, and was thankful. He stood smoking, and thought about other ways things might have turned out." This suggests that perhaps the tension between Edie and Elspeth involved Jack in some way. This got me to thinking about how Jack implies that he could choose either sister. Since the women were identical twins it is made clear that he does not base this decision on physical appearance and this leads to another suggestion about a flaw in Elspeth's character.
There was also an allusion made in these pages to the "Des Esseintes' sisters". I do not yet know what this is referring to. If you know please leave a comment otherwise I will try to add an explanation to this post soon.
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Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Another thing I noticed was that Julia always seems to lead Valentina. For example, the twins both dropped out of college (three times) because Julia didn't want to attend classes anymore. Throughout this chapter it is made clear that Valentina is the more anxious twin and Julia is more headstrong. I think these traits may also apply to their mother and aunt which may be another cause of the tension between them. This may be another reason why Elspeth wanted to leave the flat to the girls, to warn them of possible tension between them and guide them away from it.
I also noticed in this section that Jack "considered that he had ended up with the right sister, after all, and was thankful. He stood smoking, and thought about other ways things might have turned out." This suggests that perhaps the tension between Edie and Elspeth involved Jack in some way. This got me to thinking about how Jack implies that he could choose either sister. Since the women were identical twins it is made clear that he does not base this decision on physical appearance and this leads to another suggestion about a flaw in Elspeth's character.
There was also an allusion made in these pages to the "Des Esseintes' sisters". I do not yet know what this is referring to. If you know please leave a comment otherwise I will try to add an explanation to this post soon.
....
...
..
.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
February
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Monday, June 6, 2011
She's Leaving Home
This chapter explores the lifestyles of both Marijke and Martin. Again I feel it is simply to inform the reader of details that will be important later on.
Personally I feel badly for both characters. It must be hard for Martin to live with OCD and it's clear that it strains himself and his wife. But it also seems like their son Theo has no respect for his father's illness. Marijke tried to help but over time she couldn't stand the rules associated with Martin's OCD. I thought Martin's description of his illness was both fair and detailed. Even the style used to describe his compulsions reflects the patterned and specific way in which Martin must act.
At the end of the chapter we see that Martin is heartbroken about his wife leaving him and it seems to me like this will provoke further compulsions from Martin. He may believe that she left because he didn't do something correctly and he may try to make up for it by adding more steps to his routine.
I would guess that Marijke's letter to Robert asks him to look after Martin or to at least visit him and keep him company.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Personally I feel badly for both characters. It must be hard for Martin to live with OCD and it's clear that it strains himself and his wife. But it also seems like their son Theo has no respect for his father's illness. Marijke tried to help but over time she couldn't stand the rules associated with Martin's OCD. I thought Martin's description of his illness was both fair and detailed. Even the style used to describe his compulsions reflects the patterned and specific way in which Martin must act.
At the end of the chapter we see that Martin is heartbroken about his wife leaving him and it seems to me like this will provoke further compulsions from Martin. He may believe that she left because he didn't do something correctly and he may try to make up for it by adding more steps to his routine.
I would guess that Marijke's letter to Robert asks him to look after Martin or to at least visit him and keep him company.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
A Flower of the Field
This is a rather sad chapter and I think its main purpose is to describe Robert's frame of mind. This will probably contribute to future actions.
One of the lines that really stuck out to me is "At this moment he knew everything he would ever know of Elspeth..." I think this line is especially powerful because it made me reflect upon the importance of time, information and memories. It is sad to think that it is the end of her story and nothing new will happen from her and this scares Robert. It may also be ironic foreshadowing. In reading the description of the novel it sounds as if Elspeth is keeping secrets that the twins will later discover. So it is possible that Robert has something yet to learn about her. It is easy to detect the fear in Robert as he thinks about losing Elspeth and I think it really captures his love for her and his apprehension at being alone, which is also emphasized later on in the chapter.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
One of the lines that really stuck out to me is "At this moment he knew everything he would ever know of Elspeth..." I think this line is especially powerful because it made me reflect upon the importance of time, information and memories. It is sad to think that it is the end of her story and nothing new will happen from her and this scares Robert. It may also be ironic foreshadowing. In reading the description of the novel it sounds as if Elspeth is keeping secrets that the twins will later discover. So it is possible that Robert has something yet to learn about her. It is easy to detect the fear in Robert as he thinks about losing Elspeth and I think it really captures his love for her and his apprehension at being alone, which is also emphasized later on in the chapter.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
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