Sunday, October 21, 2012

Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald

"Talk is men. When I talk I say to myself that I am probably Dick. Already I have even been my son, remembering how wise and slow he is. Sometimes I am Doctor Dohmler and one time I may even be an aspect of you, Tommy Barban." 

Nicole Diver is the only character that gets a chance at first person narration. This affords us a glimpse into her character that we are not given with the other figures of the novel.


I find it interesting that she acknowledges that even (or perhaps especially) in moments of solitude, she is not herself. Her inner monologue is controlled by men, just as her life and certainly her psyche have been controlled by the actions of the men around her. 


What are the implications of Fitzgerald privileging Nicole over the other characters in this way? The insights we as readers are given is complicated by the fact that Nicole has been diagnosed as a schizophrenic. Can we believe her narration? If "talk is men," who is she speaking as in these passages? 


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