Naiveté and Loneliness in Classic and Modern Literature

Clarinsa Djaja

Mr. Patrick Jones

English 10.4

17th November 2016

Naiveté and Loneliness in Classic and Modern Literature

Introduction

John Steinbeck is remembered for many things. He was one out of only nine people who had won both the Noble and Pulitzer Prize^[a][b]. Or rather, he was the man who made students around the world frustrated as he wrote over 10 literary devices in one paragraph just so your^[c] teacher could analyze them^[d]. ^[e]With great works under his name such as Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden, it was his early book: Of Mice and Men that set a standard for many more famous books regarding the topic of the Great Depression (John Steinbeck – Biographical). While classics don’t satisfy all readers, with new authors becoming famous every day, Broadway producer turned author Gavriel Savit who lives on a philosophy of “write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open,” is a new author who published his first book Anna and the Swallow Man this January 2016 (Burnett). The Ann Arbor native describes his own writing interests within the boundaries of magical realism (Schindel). Set over 70 years apart on different sides of the world, Anna and the Swallow Man and Of Mice and Men may seem to have nothing in common with each other in terms of the development of their naive main characters, but both stories’ historical setting communicate the theme of loneliness^[f].

Comparison: Development of Naive Characters

In Of Mice and Men^[g], the author creates a static yet childlike character. Steinbeck uses Lennie Small’s static character development to eventually lead to his demise. In the first chapter the narrator describes, ‘‘‘Lennie reluctantly reached into his pocket. His voice broke a little. ‘I don't know why I can't keep it. It ain't nobody's mouse. I didn't steal it. I found it lyin' right beside the road’’’ (Steinbeck 5).  Small acts in a typical childlike manner; one who complains about why George Milton (his father figure) does not allow him to keep the mouse. The author specifically states that “his voice broke a little,” meaning that he was losing the evenness of his voice due to his inability to overcome his sadness and sobs (5). His mentally handicapped mind contrasts his age and appearance because he has no conscience to define his actions in terms of guilt. Small’s obvious physical strength combined with his mental illness makes him an unlikely dangerous character, which he himself does not understand. ‘“^[h]Lennie went back and looked at the dead girl. The puppy lay close to her. Lennie picked it up. ‘I'll throw him away," he said. It's bad enough like it is”’ ^[i](45). Though Small's naivetés is revealed in his inability to differentiate between right and wrong, his response is always based solely upon Milton’s reaction^[j]. After he realizes that he has done a bad thing as Curley’s wife and the puppy lay exposed dead on the hay; Small's simple mindedness leads him to believe that removing the puppy will “set right” to his mistake. Like a child, he demonstrates his lack of acknowledgement, as the dead girl and a puppy are not of equal value within the context of society. From both quotes, the author displays the same simple mindedness behavior Small possesses from the very first chapter all the way to the near end of the book^[k].

        With the character of Anna Lania, Savit demonstrates rich character development in terms of her ability to comprehend abstract concepts. Only does her potential to understand the concept of survival slowly become^[l] evident near the ending. Early in the journey, the narrator states, “Perhaps Anna had been naïve. She had not assumed that the two men would become the best of friends- in fact, that was one of the reasons Reb Hirschl had so appealed to her…”^[m] (Savit 124). As a seven- year-old child, she possesses a mindset of a faultless world, one where people lived harmoniously together and cooperate in times of conflict, similar to the exposition of the story where her father was adored amongst others. Savit exposes her innocence to the reader directly even as to describe her as being “naïve.” On the other hand, within two years along the journey, Lania soon familiarizes herself with the concept that death being upon all of us^[n], simply lurking in the distance. “But she was a child who knew how to survive. She was a child who knew that adult sized animals were not always good, ought not always to be trusted. And she was a child with a knife hooked over the waistband of her skirt” (212). Anna and the Swallow Man opens with Lania being vulnerable after the Germans captured her father. However, she eventually risks her life to save the Swallow Man – her companion, teacher and “father.” Savit writes a typical coming of age ending where the main character soon realizes that they are able to do so much more; suggesting that Lania has learned how to apply all the obscure principles and lessons of survival from the Swallow Man. The author’s use of a third person narrative is emphatic at first and precocious towards the end – similar to the character development of Lania herself.^[o]

Although both Small and Lania are naïve main characters, each author uses their character development throughout the story to disclose different messages to the reader. Small’s ^[p]innocent behavior, however, is simply used by Steinbeck to keep their dream alive even until his death. Although some may disagree and say that Steinbeck simply uses him to show that naiveté means that a person is less competent than others, we, like the other characters^[q] in the book, are quick to dismiss a world full of possibilities. Similar to how Small’s ^[r]enthusiasm inspires Milton, the author wants his audience to grasp the message that sometimes it is reasonable to be naïve, to see the world from a child’s perspective and to look for comfort in something that society sees as impossible^[s]. Initially, Lania acts similar to any other seven-year-old ^[t]child – she’s^[u] vulnerable, confiding and simple minded.  Yet no one expects her to grow into a cunning character who is able to understand the abstract concepts of death and survival within the span of two years. While the last act of the book solely relies on her own strength and will to survive, Savit uncovers the reality that choosing to grow up and break out of our naïve “shells” gives people the courage to discover who they truly are. The story eventually concludes with Lania being able to uncover “what is out there” in her future (Savit 230). Though Steinbeck and Savit construct naïve individuals, their messages relating to growing out or choosing to live in naiveté are different^[v].