Howie is an Artist
The Mezzanine follows a protagonist Howie who views everything, on a different level kind of like a painter. Especially with regard to his tendency to overanalyze everything in the world around him. It is said that Howie's mind is a whirlwind of ideas, perceptions, and recollections all together. Although it appears from the outside that he is doing something typical, Nicoholson Baker gathers all of Howie's ideas and turns them into a narrative. Howie's obsession with the smallest things you overlook in your "everyday" life is similar to that of a painter who is always perceptive.
Howie's mind is the most evident in the way that he fixates on small objects and small details that most adults would overlook. He give everything a bigger picture and finds a meaning behind it, Baker is remarkable at making his thoughts deeply introspective. Ranting about the designs of a stapler, textures of a straw, and these thing would trigger beautifully deeper background on what these small details mean to him. Often meandering through various tangents, much like how an artist might explore different assets of a subject in their work. Baker describes Howie's thinking as if he is creating a painting as he shares his memories on details discovers. A good example of this would be when Howie a took a doorknob and then found away to talk about good side on his father. As a reader it should how memorable that moment was for Howie.
Like an artist, Howie lets us feel his emotions through his thoughts and as a reader it helps me think of my own happy memories of my parents. Artist create art to let their view their emotions that they portrayed on their piece of artwork. Howie is fascinated, by the form, function, and history of objects. His observations transforms the objects into something more significant than their utilitarian purpose, elevating them to a level of artistic appreciation.
In essence, Howie's approach to life in The Mezzanine is to see the extraordinary in the ordinary, much like an artist does. He turns everyday objects and moments into a kind of art, inviting readers to reconsider the world around them and find beauty in the most unexpected places.
Works Cited
Baker, Nicholson. The Mezzanine : A Novel. Grove Press, 1988, https://www.overdrive.com/search?q=354F93EE-B54E-418C-AE4F-2ABB64CDCCC6.
Your post gives an analysis of what it means to be an artist. For Howie that means the ability to deconstruct everyday objects and look at them through a unique lenses. I think its interesting that you say, "Howie fixates on small objects and small details that most adults would overlook." There is a bit of a childlike tendency in Howie to look at everything he passes as if he has never seen it before, but that is what contributes to the unique feel of the book. You also point out Howie's ability to share his memories and thoughts with us as part of his art. I agree that Howie manages to share his emotions with us the reader, but the way he does this is very different from traditional art (like painting, music, etc.). That being said, I think I have a new appreciation for how Howie is an artist.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a very well said post! You hit it right on the nail as you compare Howie to an artist. Throughout the story, Howie's fascinations are deeply laced with emotions which is what artists try to do with their works: lace in powerful emotions. Overall I really like this new comparison and this was an awesome post!
ReplyDeleteThe objects that Howie encounters were not just items to him, they were thought provoking and memory inducing specialties. Artistry of encapsulating evoking an wide arrangement of ideas was a simplicity that, like you stated in your writing, many humans (adults or not) probably skipped over once again. Way to nail this comparison and show Howie in a light that may not have been recognized previously.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of this post that not only is The Mezzanine as an idea a piece of art, but Howie himself is an artist. The way his trick of defamiliarization can be seen as a form of art, because he elevates ordinary objects, is really interesting. I like how you emphasized the emotional aspect of his art, how it connects to his and the reader's memories, leaving more of an impact. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI think Howie can be viewed as an artist because Howie is one. While Howie is not literally the author of the mezzanine he effectively is. This matters because writing is art. In the book it is Howie who is the narrator, it is Howie who is the author, it is Howie who is the artist.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting post that highlights the unique descriptions of ordinary objects in The Mezzanine. I love your analogy that Howie is a painter, as I think it's very true that Baker's writing highlights certain aspects of ordinary visuals in a way that painters often do, using highlights or vibrant colors to show you something you've never seen before in something you can see often. I can picture a painting of a spinning fan with light glinting off of one of the blades, and I think that's the image that Howie/Baker strives to put in our minds through this book.
ReplyDeleteI like that you talk about how Baker's writing enables us to relive moments or memories through his detail in describing experiences in a way that makes the experiences almost universal. This was one thing that I particularly appreciated about the novel as it became much easier for me to get through footnotes and what seemed like lengthy descriptions when it was describing a sentiment I'm very familiar with or experience often and can't verbalize. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHey Jess, Great blog post! I really like how you go with the idea that Howie's thoughts are like art, because to a certain extent they really are. The way he is able to beautifully recollect and describe memories (as trivial as they may be) he always manages to describe them in a way that the reader knows exactly what he's talking about and (most times) be able to picture the descriptions in their head almost as if the reader were transported over there. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteI really like how you say "Howie's approach to life in The Mezzanine is to see the extraordinary in the ordinary." The way you phrase it better encapsulates the method of Howie's thinking rather than the phrase "defamiliarization." Howie truly does try to show the amazing engineering or features of many objects in our daily lives that we take for granted. Additionally, I like the way you call him an artist. This analysis of Howie is something I never thought of while reading The Mezzanine but now I find that is a great term for Howie.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting blog! You've put into words a lot of the thoughts I've had about The Mezzanine, in regard to his descriptions of the beauty in everyday objects, but haven't found the words to describe. Equating Howie to an artist is a really interesting description, and I think it's very accurate! One of the things that struck me the most about The Mezzanine is Howie's vivid metaphors. The metaphors he used always seemed to me like descriptions of paintings, and this fits perfectly with your description of Howie as an artist.
ReplyDeleteYour point about the relationship between art and the emotion evoking nature of the novel stood out to me. As a non-artsy person myself, I have never allocated much thought to the qualifiers of the concept of art. However, I think you are correct in saying all art should have the capacity to elicit emotional or intellectual responses, which The Mezzanine certainly succeeds at.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about how Howie's thoughts about the "small stuff" could be considered art. I think that's a really interesting idea, especially as art isn't necessarily a strictly defined term. I can definitely see one could interpret his thoughts as art. Very interesting post!
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