The Mezzanine: Saying What We Couldn't
Everyday human life is so rife with routine that, to us, it seems trivial to take time to talk about the little things we do everyday, much less analyze them. The Mezzanine makes a point of doing exactly that, eloquently describing the precise feelings that most of us experience during our daily lives. Tackling a topic as seemingly mundane as an escalator ride offers Nicholson Baker an opportunity to reflect through Howie on what really gets him going: the small, fleeting moments that can be zoomed in on for a surprisingly intriguing analysis. And this is what I particularly appreciate from the unique writing techniques introduced through this novel: Howie's capability to capture the little moments that we know we experience, but can't seem to put into words or even think about once the moment has passed.
Howie employs a number of methods for his in-depth analyses: not only does he use the main body of text itself to dive deep into the details, but as if that weren't enough, he fits in footnotes expanding on the very topics you thought he'd talked about at length already in the main text. However, though as a reader this may seem tedious to brave through, it is a crucial factor in Howie's capability to describe human sensations to a point. For example, at one point in the book Howie attempts to describe to us the unique sensory experiences you are confronted with as you put on your socks. To almost everyone, this is a menial task, one done absent-mindedly in the rush to head out of the house. Not for Howie. He begins his thoughts about the topic while recognizing how much he enjoys the "slippage of the inner surface of the sock against the underside of [his] foot," and he then pulls us into a footnote about his life experience when he would naively "pre-bunch [his socks]... gather[ing] the sock into telescopic folds over [his] thumbs" till he changed his techniques to "detach... pieces of grit that have embedded themselves in [his] sole." (Baker 12) Has any of us ever stopped to think about the efficacy of sock-wearing methods, or the sensation of the sock against the foot? You may notice, in retrospect, that you have, but have also never been able to vocalize it the way Howie has done so precisely for us here. This is what intrigued me so much about The Mezzanine: its proficiency in encapsulating little moments for us and allowing us to again relive these little moments while now actually placing thought on the sensations we experience.
At a surface level this book may seem inconsequential: the account of a mere escalator ride to the workplace. Ultimately, however, this book serves as a collection of powerful analyses by a narrator who cherishes the small details in life, using defamiliarization to help us see everyday things anew. Howie's ability to recall universal experiences so precisely and in doing so enable us to recognize and relive them, is a very special one not just for him, but for those who get to relive their own sensations through him. With its one-of-a-kind narrator, The Mezzanine offers all its readers a special chance to live the small details of life once again.
Works Cited
Baker, Nicholson. The Mezzanine. New York, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1988.
This is an excellent analysis of how The Mezzanine takes miniscule aspects of human life and magnifies them; I especially like how you describe how the narrator uses his excessively detailed descriptions to pinpoint the exact aspects of the object that he is describing. I find your analysis of these aspects as "universal" fascinating, as I both disagree and agree with your idea; I think that these aspects are not truly "universal," as Howie lives in a very specific set of circumstances that not all humans live in (disregarding their banality and the fact that his living conditions are of a very common sort), but they are "universal" in the sense that Howie is able to magnify his subjective experiences to the extent that they become "universal" through his perspective.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading The Mezzanine, it was refreshing to recognize that everyone has random thoughts that often go unspoken. I appreciated the detail you highlighted about how reading Howie's thoughts offers a chance to "experience the details of life once again." I believe Baker/Howie would be pleased to know this, as he aimed to reveal the beauty and wonder in the seemingly mundane aspects of life. Ironically, however, the book's immersive depiction of random thoughts sometimes made it difficult to remember the specific mental journey Howie had just been on after finishing a chapter. This experience shows the book's unique ability to capture the fleeting nature of our thoughts, reflecting Howie's need and struggle to get others to appreciate these types of thoughts.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I like your analysis on the different ways that Howie conveys his thoughts. I also liked that you gave specific examples, like the socks and how he describes the feeling as he slides them on. I agree with your final point that this book serves as a powerful collection of analyses.
ReplyDeleteI think your post highlights how well Baker's novel executes its purpose. He articulates human thought in a way that I've never seen done anywhere else. It's so relatable that it feels like you had the thought yourself, and oftentimes you have (although subconsciously). The sock tangent is a perfect example of this.
ReplyDeleteThe example of putting on socks is the epitome of this novel's relentless focus on the "everyday"--a mindless task that most of us perform most days, and almost none of us devote any extended thought to. This example also epitomizes one of the key effects of Baker's narrative, the way he invites us into his obsessions: I hadn't even been aware of the term "pre-bunching," much less the technique (although as soon as Baker describes it I recognize what he's talking about). I feel like I SHOULD have a strong position on the question of "pre-bunching," and I realize that perhaps I have pre-bunched at some points in my life, but that I don't think I do anymore. I like how the novel focuses on all the little "competencies" we develop in order to move through the world every day--we can take some pride in our efficiency and proficiency as sock-wearers, even if we're occasionally feeling down about our other accomplishments. If you've put on socks today, and done so efficiently and effectively, take some pride in that feat! Celebrate your pre-bunching technique? Give yourself credit for an "achievement" you haven't been inclined to celebrate since kindergarten!
ReplyDeleteYour analysis of Howie's point of view regarding socks is such a good example of him zooming in on otherwise unimportant things! After I learned how to put on my socks for the first time, I never once thought about how I put them on, and I never once thought about how the material bunches up or the sensory feeling of them. It's so interesting how Howie thinks so deeply about parts of a daily routine, and how Baker's ability to connect with the reader's experiences is seen throughout the entirety of the novel.
ReplyDeleteI loved your analysis on how The Mezzanine articulates our own thoughts so well. Howie's descriptions of mundane things is so vibrant and interesting to read because of his/Baker's fascination for these seemingly simple tasks. This compounded with Baker's ability to elaborate on these little details so eloquently makes The Mezzanine both a highly interesting novel to read and highly skillful piece of literary work.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this blog! In almost all of the blogs I've read (possibly including my own,) I've noticed we always say "In a novel about a topic as mundane as riding an escalator," but I would argue that this tiny glimpse of everyday life is one of the things that makes The Mezzanine extra special. We've all heard of novels that take place in the timespan of a day, but this is the first novel I've read that takes place in the matter of a few minutes. This doesn't really have much to do with your blog I guess, but it was just an interesting thing I noticed. On the topic of your blog, I agree with you and I think the way he describes things: "defamiliarization," "clean background trick," whatever you want to call it, is the thing that makes this novel so interesting. I specifically love the way he doesn't just describe things, but he takes the time to create these insane, hyper specific metaphors to ensure that we not only think about the things he's describing, but we can also clearly visualize them. This was a great blog Kruthi!
ReplyDeleteI love how you eloquently described the gravity in Baker's descriptions. I strongly agree that the defamiliarization presented is extremely fun, and consistently relatable. However, I disagree that the main impact or importance of the book is from his proficiency and ability to write these descriptions well. I think the most important quality is not that he says what we can't, but says what we CAN. I found that the book provided a relatable, and in turn, accessible new method of writing. It highlights the subconscious observations that every person makes on a daily basis, and provides a new way of thinking or writing for everyone. Still, your blog was extremely well written, and provided very good points! Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Kruthi! This post was so beautifully written and I like how you connected the book's footnotes to the overall theme of "living the small details of life" again, as you said. I also really like how you talked about how the book allows us to focus on past experiences and therefore relive them. I never thought of the book that way -- but by scrutinizing these moments so closely, as Howie does, we do essentially experience them all over again. Overall, great post!
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