Bessie, Mrs. Glass, interrupts Zooey's bath to share her worries about Buddy with him. She finds the manuscript that Zooey has, The Heart Is an Autumn Wanderer. She also talks about how difficult it has been to deal with all of the children, especially Franny's current condition. She leaves him to deal with all that they have talked about as she goes to check on Franny.
mercurially: "Then, mercurially, as thought he'd read the letter..." (p. 69) adverb, suddenly or unpredictably changing in mood or mind
excelsior: "...he stuffed it like so much excelsior into its envelope." (p. 69) noun, used in the names of hotels, newspapers, and other products to indicate superior quality
importunate: "...his mother's voice -- importunate, quasi-constructive -- addressing him from outside the bathroom door..." (p. 71) adj, persistent, especially to the point of annoyance or intrusion
occultish: "With its many occultish-looking folds..." (p. 73) adj, involving or relating to the supernatural, mystical, or magical powers or phenomena
iota: "...it didn't detract an iota from the single, impactful impression..." (p.74) noun, an extremely small amount
sempervirents: "...to align it with the other sempervirents in its row..." (p. 76) noun, something that is always fresh
connoisseurlike: "...a flicker came into her eyes...of connoisseurlike, if perverse, relish for her youngest, and only handsome, son's style of bullying." (p. 81) adj, showing expert judgement in matters of taste
reticent: "Don't be reticent." (p. 83) adj, not revealing ones thoughts or feelings readily
tenable: "...strong (and still perfectly tenable) impression..." (p. 88) adj, able to maintained or defended against attack or objection
Bessie, the Glass children's mother, has dealt with the raising of these 7 children. She feels as if her husband, Mr. Glass, is distant now that their children are not children any more. Her two sons that died were special ones to her and there is a hole in her life now. Her surviving children pose many challenges to her as a mother. For putting up with everything that life has thrown her way, Mrs. Glass is a strong woman, but still wishes for more support from her family.
" 'Every single time your father turns on the radio, I honestly think he expects to tune in on "It's a Wise Child" and hear all you children, one by one, answering questions again.' " (p. 83) Bessie is talking to Zooey about her husband. We have not met him yet in this novel, so, as readers, we get to put together the pieces to create him in our minds. To me, I feel like he's sad. He works very hard, but is tired when he gets home at the end of the day. He has to work hard to support his family, who he undoubtedly loves. I feel like he and Bessie married for love, but their marriage has turned into more of a cooperative than romantic relationship over the years. With Mrs. Glass's quote, I picture him missing the old days, when his children were at the forefront, admired and beloved. Now they seem to be struggling, or have settled short of their full potential. Instead of actively worrying about them, he has chosen to retreat to the past, and relive how they used to be. Mrs. Glass thinks he expects to hear Seymour and Walt as well, his two deceased sons. Maybe this is his way of dealing with their death.
Seymour and Walt were special to Bessie. She describes Seymour as "her favorite, her most intricately calibrated, her kindest son" (p. 89), and Walt as "her only truly lighthearted son" (p. 90). They were special children in the Glass family, but now they are gone. I guess that Mrs. Glass relied on them for different things than she relied on her other children for. She probably relied on Seymour for understanding. I see Seymour listening to her complain and asking if he can help her take care of the other kids. When her other children would worry about things, I see Walt not letting it bring him down. His high spirits would have helped the other children forget their worries. Her remaining children are more serious, and although she still loves them, they are no Seymour or Walt.
Each of the children that are still alive have their own problems. Buddy doesn't have a phone and lives deep in the woods, much to his mother's worry. She tries desperately to get in contact with him, even calling his neighbors that live down the road from him. The oldest daughter, Boo Boo, has her own family and is very busy, too busy to help her mother. While this story is taking place, she is on vacation with her family and won't be back for about a week. Mrs. Glass feels that she can't talk about things with Waker, since he was Walt's twin and brining up Walt's death would only cause him more pain. He is away in Ecuador at the time of this novel. Franny and Zooey are within her reach. Franny is not well and has returned home from college to recover. Zooey is going through what could be called a midlife crisis if it was happening later in his life.
Mrs. Glass decides that she can't take any more. In this excerpt from the book, she interrupts Zooey's bath in search of discussion and comfort. She wants to finally have someone listen to her, someone on whom she can rest the burden that she has been carrying around since the deaths of her sons and the settling for mediocracy of some of her other children. Her husband can't help, her dead sons obviously can't help, so she turns to her closest child, Zooey, and lays it on him.
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