Sieze The Day

The novel "Seize the Day " is a very interesting novel especially structurally. The author's writing style is very unlike any of the styles we have read in our past novels and I think it can be clever and confusing at the same time. The readers get to follow the main character through his daily routine and also be inside his mind. The time frames are very different since in twenty pages Wilhelm has talked extensively of several memories and also has barely made it to the breakfast table at the same time. It must have been challenging to write two stories at the same time including the same character. One thing I noticed is that when Wilhelm thinks the author doesn't use quotations and that indicates to me that the character is bringing back not only memories but conversations all at once making it unnecessary to use quotation marks though it would distinguish conversations. Though we get to slowly experience Wilhelm's routine we get to know his past and his regrets very quickly, the author introduces the character through his memories. "After much thought and hesitation and debate he invariably took the course he had rejected innumerable times." This quote shows the readers how weak and indecisive Wilhelm had been and his bitterness towards all of the impulsive mistakes he had made. The character seems rather pathetic since he lists all of his biggest impulsive screw ups bitterly and I wondered what it was that drove him to make decisions he didn't fully support.

I think that this indecisiveness helps the readers build an opinion or an image of Wilhelm's character, he is very bitter and resentful but outwardly is portrayed as cheerful and friendly. "That dark little gloomy Artie with his disgusting narrow face, his moles and his self-sniffing ways and his unclean table manners, the boring habit he had of conjugating verbs when you went for a walk with him." When I read this sentence I didn't feel bad for boring Artie for being so harshly criticized but rather for Wilhelm because he sounds jealous of his smart, successful cousin who may be snooty and boring but at least he wasn't a drop out. I think that his father's apathetic attitude towards others and especially him left a deep scar in Wilhelm's emotions because he wanted to please and feel satisfaction but was always cut short or even scorned by his father. This leaves Wilhelm to become a bitter man but we discover all this resentment only in his thoughts he is always courteous and pleasant around other people, I think he does this because it is not other people's fault that he has problems and doesn't want to take it out on them.

The structure makes the book interesting because we get two perspectives, the outward one showing us how Wilhelm acts towards everyone. I don't think that his courteousness with people like Rubin is fake but he is trying to make the best of his situation and at that moment may even be cheerful. The other side or his darker side is expressed through his thoughts and memories and this is where the readers witness Wilhelm's problems. These two sides of him are almost like alter-egos, so different and such opposites but still in the same body. Also Tommy's explanation for the name change seems like he's always wanted to become someone else, someone better, this way of thinking may have been caused by his father. I think it is sad how regretful Tommy is of some parts of his life but it seems like he is very pessimistic as well which doesn't help him. Its strange how neither time frames are written in the future but rather both in different pasts so I can't figure out who the narrator is but hopefully as I read on it'll become clear.