I think The Mezzanine might be a coming of age novel...
...Or at least a unique subversion of one.
While main characters in coming-of-age novels are usually teenagers, Howie is in his mid-twenties. Still pretty young, but not quite as young as the typical young hero of a story. However, a large focus of the book is definitely Howie’s maturing. In chapter 7, we learn about the “morning of [his] adulthood” when he was twenty-three (49). He describes this morning on which he discovered how to apply deodorant without taking off his shirt. Despite the fact that this mundane, strange memory is the one that defined his coming of age, the story Howie tells is a coming-of-age story. A few pages later, he reflects on this maturity. He is “the sort of person who stood in a subway car and thought about buttering toast…who said ‘actually’ too much.” He “was a man, but…not nearly the magnitude of man [he] had hoped [he] might be” (54). This bittersweet reflection on maturing and still not feeling quite mature is very coming-of-age style, presenting the reader with this very human portrayal of our hero, Howie.
Where my coming-of-age subversion idea gets into the weeds a little bit is Howie's relationship with his father. These kinds of stories don't usually allow the main character to have a good relationship with their parents(s) (see Lady Bird, Edge of Seventeen, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, etc). But Howie and his dad honestly seem pretty chill. Like, Howie loves his dad. They both share similar eccentricities, most noticeably those about ties. When first reading this book, I noticed that on page 27 Howie assumes that his father “must have had special affection” for the doorknobs Howie himself obsesses over. At first, I honestly assumed that Howie is kind of stupid. Upon further reading and reflection, however, I repealed my judgement and decided that he is probably right. His father obsesses about ties and their unique patterns and occasions much like Howie obsesses over things like bendable straws or doorknobs. Additionally, when discussing their respective ties on page 28, they both kind of pantomime the social interaction in a similar way. Howie pretends “to think back with effort, when in fact [he] remembered every detail of the transaction” when he bought the tie. His father acts “as if he too had to remind himself of the circumstances in which he had bought it.” We have no way of knowing what’s going on in Howie Sr.’s mind, but it seems apparent that they both think the same way. Kind of a reach? Maybe. But at the very least, we know that Howie’s coming-of-age story subverts the trope with an apparently loving and healthy relationship with his parental figure.
Two more coming-of-age trope points I want to hit (but don’t know how to flesh out):
Frequently we see main characters being isolated/alienated. Howie is kind of toeing the line here. He’s awkward and so observant that it’s almost like he’s an alien coming to earth for the first time. However, this doesn’t make him jaded, bored, or depressed—he seems pretty content in his solitude. Then, of course, he has these strong relationships with his dad and with L and even with his coworkers. The only alienation we see is this sort of divide between the way he thinks and the way we (and other non-Howie people) think; what he notices and what we don’t notice; what he’s conscious of that we do unconsciously; etc.
We also usually see one big event that changes the course of a character’s life. I guess you could see Howie getting his mystery job as a big event. You could even see his deodorant application being the big turning point—but I honestly don’t think you can put a finger on what changes Howie’s life. On page 16, he lists a few major discoveries, from “shoe-tying” to brushing his tongue to “discovering that sweeping was fun.” Because Howie appreciates everything so much, I think it’s hard to find something that isn’t a huge (or at least pretty important) turning point in his life.
In short, it seems like The Mezzanine is stuck between being a coming-of-age novel and a parody of one. I can’t really put a finger on it. Let me know if you have ideas :)
Hi Oona! Ohhh this is really interesting. You're right, Howie is always talking about the past. And the moments that turned him into an adult. I agree, I think it's a coming of age, not a parody.
ReplyDeleteI agree! This is a coming of age subversion! His whole identity, or at least his identity within the novel, is an odd obsession with the graduation from childhood to adult hood. Even the premise can be tied back to this, I explored this in another blog's comment, where an escalator is just a means to get from point A to point B. But, as you said, where it deviates is the fact that the typically controlling parental figure is not the catalyst for this "arc," but instead his own drive. And because it's his own drive, and he is a person so infatuated with the little things, his arcs are going to end up revolving around the little things. i.e. the evolution of his shoe-tying techniques and his innovation in the applying-deodorant department. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Oona! I can also see where you are coming from with the coming-of-age novel idea, Howie always talks about growing up and what it means to become an adult. Maybe it's more of a reflection of coming of age, since we don't really see it play out in real time. Since we are not watching Howie directly grow up on the page the way you would in a typical coming-of-age story, we are getting his memories and analysis of the moments that may have already happened. I see it how he is already an adult looking back and trying to figure out when and how it happened, but also we see some of his insecurities and maybe he isn't as grown as he wants to be (not the man he wanted to be). Overall great blog!
ReplyDeleteHey Oona! I can totally see where you're coming from with this blog post. However, i feel like we're slightly past his coming-of-age at the point of Howie's life in which The Mezzanine is set. There's a point in The Mezzanine where he explicitly mentions feeling the actual transition between adolescence and adulthood. Therefore, I believe he's reflecting on his coming-of-age rather than this novel being about his coming-of-age. But great blog post!
ReplyDeleteHowie's relationship with his father and mother both seem rather chill, and I'll add that he seems to be in a "grown-up" relationship with L. and that, too, seems to be largely free of friction. We might say that these are the kinds of plot-sources we encounter in more typical c-o-a literature, while Howie seems to have already surpassed the conventional thresholds of adulthood: he's got his first "real job," with a suit and tie; he is in a serious relationship; he lives alone and is financially independent. And he also knows how to tie his shoes, and apply deodorant without taking off his shirt! He is proud of these minor "competencies" he has mastered, and this leads to his unusual way of measuring his own personal growth--to be a passable "adult" in this world, he needs to be able to wear a suit and shoes and perform his role as a "business guy" in a way that others will accept. We rarely give ourselves credit for all the little competencies we successfully execute every day, and we rarely give ourselves credit for being passable adults, once we achieve this ambiguous status. There was a brief period where millennials talked about the struggles of "adulting," and that may be the closest we've come to acknowledging what Baker tries to celebrate in this novel. This stuff is not necessarily easy, and there's no one around to explain it!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Oona. I really like your argument that The Mezzanine functions as a coming-of-age story, even though Howie is not a bebe anymore. Your discussion of the “morning of adulthood” was especially convincing because it shows how Baker replaces the dramatic milestones we usually expect with small, oddly meaningful realizations that feel much more true to everyday life. I also thought your point about Howie’s relationship with his father was interesting. Rather than defining maturity through conflict or rebellion, Baker presents adulthood as something Howie grows into while maintaining a genuine connection with his dad, which does feel like a subversion of the genre. I especially liked your observation that it’s hard to identify one life-changing event for Howie because he treats so many ordinary moments as significant.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the post, Oona! I find your argument quite interesting and I sort of agree. When you look back at the 'end of my childhood' moment in the Mezzanine it does feel like he's accepted his adulthood at last. While it's not very dramatic moment to us, its probably a very important moment in his life. Overall, I kinda sorta agree with your take on The Mezzanine.
ReplyDeleteHi Oona, I think that Howie's relationship with his father actually strengthens the coming of age theme rather than subverting it. A father figure "passing down the baton" teaching the son skills like wearing a tie is a classic coming-of-age moment for me. In any case, I agree that The Mezzanine blurs the typical lines for a coming-of-age novel. I think this might be intentional: Baker is raising the thought-provoking question of when exactly does adulthood begin? Howie is set on his goals of moving to more mature thoughts but still gravitates to his interest in mundane things.
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