Oct 28 2009
Perfection In Reality ?
Joseph O’Connor gives me the exact impression I had expected from a distinguished Irish writer, in a positive way. O’Connor’s works are certainly unique and authentic to his character. However, qualities that I have identified with James Joyce’s works, such as vivid story telling and Irish pride imbedded with subtle lamentation, permeate O’Connor’s stories as well.
O’Connor’s Memoir In Progress made the biggest impression on me by accounting events in a real person’s life in a way that seems fitting for telling fairy tales. Embodying all the ideal traits of a young couple, O’Connor’s parents described in his memoir do not seem real to me. Therefore, it was a huge disappointment that I didn’t get to meet O’Connor’s parents, who are now legendary characters in my mind.
While I do not believe that perfect human beings described in O’Connor’s memoir exist, I do acknowledge O’Connor’s exceptional skill to produce beautiful characters without using elaborate languages. I also wonder what causes O’Connor to think of his parents in such glorious lights and that if I would ever be able to do the same.
I do believe that they exist only this way in his mind. perhaps he would like them to be this way, but in reality they are not. It is always great to imagine things greater than they are, its a way of giving yourself hope.
I guess we all dramatize a bit because we want everyone to accept, and like what we do and it is always nice to present our families in a beautiful light like you say.
Your question got me thinking a lot and honestly, I don’t know.
But about dramatizing when writing, I do it quite often too. I just never realized that other people must do it to and and always felt a little guilty about not being completely honest in my writings. Knowing that someone out there do the same thing make me feel much better. (So, thanks !)
Sijia, when you say, “I also wonder what causes O’Connor to think of his parents in such glorious lights and that if I would ever be able to do the same”, why not (why can’t you see yourself being able to do the same)?
Personally, when I write, I feel like you have to dramatize things in order to give it an effect. The same can be said about O’Connor’s work. Who knows if he’ll actually to admit that it was a bit dramatized, but we can all assume what we deem to be true, no?