I’ve read almost three chapters so far and am really enjoying it. Already it is presenting itself with the notion of time. That is, Eben seems preoccupied with the idea of controlling time. This is always interesting because it seems to be at the heart of everyone’s decisions in life. We’re always trying to “save time,” we’re running out of time, or we just want to go back in time.
There’s also a strong connection between art and life. Mr. Mathews tells Eben not to paint landscapes because they don’t reflect time. But the sketch of Jenny does. He can’t just be referring to her clothes because that is just a superficial triviality. I’m waiting to see what all this means. I wonder if Jenny grows up faster, as the novel hints at, to be with Eben.
[...] I’m particularly interested in some of Carmen’s ideas about time and art in this book, particularly, as she points out what Mr. Matthews sees as a reflection of our time is Jennie, who is, it seems from another time. Perhaps what reflects the time in the portrait is the way Eben has painted her, putting in the past, present, and his hopes for the future, but all the while knowing he and Jennie will never truly be able to be together. Not that I know much about mid-century America, but it seems like that’s what he’s doing, and it seems likely Mr. Matthews would respond to the emotion in the piece over its subject. [...]
April 10, 2007 @ 8:17 am