Augie March: Ch 7 to 11

[jennie fitz]

Good morning!

In these next 100 pages, I feel we're getting more of a sense of self-
awareness in Augie. Most striking was his rejection of the Renlings -
he was insulted by the idea of being adopted by them. He wants to
make his own way in the world; and he doesn't like to be thought of as
average: "I had family enough to suit me and history to be loyal to,
not as though I had been gotten off of a stockpile." (153)

He's also showing some big-shot bravado that's he's not quite ready to
back up: he's all swagger when he asks Esther for a date, but faints
when she rejects him. When I first read this scene I wrote "delusions
of grandeur with Esther;" I thought she rejected him because of class
differences. we later find out that it was more of a moral decision,
as she thought he was a male escort for Mrs. Renling. And through
this misunderstanding Augie gets closer to Thea, which I think is a
better match. Those two could really have some adventures together.

I am ready for the adventures to begin! The first real adventure was
in Lakawana with the stolen car. I was really surprised he made it
back to Chicago. that seemed like the sort of episode that would kick-
off a life on the road, traveling from city to city and meeting all
sorts of people. But maybe this book is about Chicago and the
adventures Augie has there and not about a kind of lifetime road trip
novel.

and as for my earlier prediction - although I did get the
Commissioner's death as a set up for the crash, I was surprised that
it didn't really affect Augie and his family too much. He just went
around and got another patron/employer situation in the Renlings.

Happy Saturday - hope you all get to do some apple-picking!