Whereabouts: A Novel, Jhumpa Lahiri, author; Susan Vinciotti Bonitio, narrator
When I finished this brief novel, I stopped for a moment to try and figure out what the author had tried to convey. At first, it seemed so simplistic and thin, I was at a loss. Then I began to think about the stories the main character shared. The book was filled with the nitty gritty of the main character’s life, although the reader may not have realized that at first, because she seems to be purposeless and so disconnected from any firm relationships . By and large, too, she is the only character in the novel to consider, since all of the others mentioned are almost bystanders, not very involved in her life, and not very deeply developed. Yet we know who they are as they come in out of our protagonist’s life, almost like phantoms.
This woman, of indeterminate age, seems to drift through her life, almost haphazardly. She resists close relationships as they require a commitment she is not willing to make. She does not seem to want responsibility to anyone but herself for any extended period of time. She wanders in her city and imagines what the lives of others are like, without ever finding out if her suppositions are, in fact, close to reality. She seems to enjoy life vicariously. Many of the relationships she does somewhat make seem superficial and foolhardy without any real possibility of a long term involvement. She has friends, but she does not seem fully dedicated to them and seems to move on without a backward glance.
Lahiri has examined her life, and it comes up pretty empty as far as most of us would be concerned, but she seems fairly contented. Or, is she? Is she really lonely and a bit in awe of the relationships that others share? Is this why she moved on, temporarily, to whole new life experience. Can she overcome her parents problematic relationship and her lack of appropriate feeling towards her loved ones? Is it resentment or fear of an intimate relationship, because she has lived with a poor example, that holds her back?
So, after thinking about the purpose of the novel, I realized it made me think about a lot of possible issues in our own lives that help us to have a healthy outlook or a sad outlook. Sometimes the most petty reasons seemed to create catastrophes. Is the desire to be alone, on one’s own, healthy or is it indicative of a life that lacks purpose? Where was this woman heading eventually, forward, backward or remaining in stasis? What could possibly motivate her, or anyone, to choose one lifestyle over another? At the end of the day, this book will leave a thoughtful reader with lots to think about.