“Universal Apocalyptic Speculations about American Life

as Presented in the Select Novels of Jonathan Franzen”

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of

the requirements for the award of the degree of

the Master of Arts in English Literature

By

E. Amy Jennifer

Register number: 1631F0041

Under the supervision of

Dr A. Vasudevan

Department of English

Government Arts College

Udumalpet 642126

March 2018 E. Amy Jennifer

Register number: 1631F0041

II M. A. English Literature

Government Arts College

Udumalpet 642126

Declaration

I hereby declare that the dissertation entitled “Universal Apocalyptic Speculations about American Life as Presented in the Select Novels of Jonathan Franzen” submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of the Master of Arts in

English Literature to the Department of English, Government Arts College, Udumalpet

642126, is a record of an original and independent research work carried out by me under the supervision of Dr A. Vasudevan, Associate Professor and Head, Department of English,

Government Arts College, Udumalpet 642126, and that it has not formed any basis for the award of any degree, diploma, fellowship, or other similar title for any candidate in any institution.

Udumalpet

March 2018 Signature of the candidate

i Dr.A.Vasudevan, M.A.,M.Phil., Ph.D.,

Associate Professor and Head

Department of English

Government Arts College

Udumalpet 642126

Certificate

This is to certify that the dissertation entitled “Universal Apocalyptic Speculations about American Life as Presented in the Select Novels of Jonathan Franzen” submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of degree of the Master of Arts in

English Literature to the Department of English, Government Arts College, Udumalpet

642126, is a record of an original and independent research work carried out by Ms. E. Amy

Jennifer, (Register Number: 1621F0041), II M. A. English Literature, Government Arts

College, Udumalpet 642126, under my guidance and supervision and that it has not formed any basis for the award of any degree, diploma, fellowship, or other similar title for any candidate in any institution.

Udumalpet

March 2018 Supervisor

Supervisor Countersigned:

(Head of the Department)

ii Acknowledgements

I express a deep sense of gratitude to Dr A. Vasudevan, Associate Professor and Head,

Department of English, Government Arts College, Udumalpet 642126, for his guidance and supervision. I sincerely thank members of the staff of the Department of English,

Government Arts College, Udumalpet, for their encouragement all through the research. I owe my sincere thanks to my parents and friends for their constant support until the completion of the research work. I thank God Almighty for showering blessings in abundance all through my endeavors.

iii Content

Acknowledgements iii

Chapter I: Introduction 1

Chapter II: Jonathan Franzen: Life and Works 12

Chapter III: Summary of The Corrections 22

Chapter IV: Summary of The Freedom 32

Chapter V: Summary of The Discomfort Zone: A Personal History 42

Chapter VI: Universal Apocalyptic speculations about American Life 52

Chapter VII: Conclusion 63

Works Cited 72

iv Chapter I

Introduction

The study focuses on the vision that makes the world to survive. A vision on heavenly secrets that can make sense of earthly realities. The term “apocalypse” is used in different connotations. In general, an apocalypse is a disclosure revelation. The term

“apocalypse” is derived from ancient Greek “apokalypsis.” It is an ancient and classical term, which has imbibed ample of meaning in it. This term has its major part in the Holy

Bible. “Apocalypse” means revelation, pulling back of the veil to reveal what is behind the curtain. This mindset is often defined as the ability to go beyond the immediate experience to the greater reality behind it. The last book of the New Testament, carries the Book of

Revelation, in which the revelation John receives is that of ultimate victory of good and evil and the end of the present age. Revelation is more about first century Roman persecution of

Christians than is about anything else.

The Bible presents a certain paradox when it comes to the end times. On one hand, the Bible tells that people may not know when the end is going to be of prophetic history.

The theme of God’s sovereign control in the affairs of world history clearly emerges and provides comfort to the future church, as well as the Jews whose nation is destroyed by the

Babylonians. The Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans will come and go, but God will establish His Kingdom through His redeemed people forever. However, on the other there are certain signs for it. Though it centers on the end, one can consider those signs as remainders as “Christ is going to return as judge and redeem creation, the righteous.

Just as Genesis is the book of beginnings, Revelation is the book of consummation.

In it, the divine program of redemption is brought to fruition, and the holy name of God is vindicated before all creation. Although there are numerous prophecies in the Gospels and

Epistles, Revelation is the only New Testament book that focuses primarily on prophetic

1 events. Its title means “unveiling” or “disclosure.” Thus, the book is an unveiling of the character and program of God. Penned by John during his exile on the island of Patmos,

Revelation centers on visions and symbols of the resurrected Christ, who alone has authority to judge the earth, to remake it, and to rule it in righteousness.

In reference with Holy Bible, the revelation may be made through a dream, as in the

Book of Daniel or through a vision, as in the Book of Revelation. To point out Apocalyptic visions , in the Book of Daniel, after a long period of fasting Daniel is standing by the side of a river when a heavenly being appears to him and the revelation follows.

Apocalypse is not a term confined only to New Testament. Because even in the Old

Testament, one can trace its fragments. In the Hebrew Old testament, some pictures of the end age. It is an image of the Judgment, of the wicked and glorification of those who are righteous before God.

Apocalyptic is a type of biblical literature that emphasizes the lifting the veil between heaven and earth and revelation of God and his plan for the world. Generally, these sorts of writings are marked by involving vivid symbolism, distinctive literary features, and prediction of future events and accounts of visionary experiences or journeys to heaven.

Even the whole Old Testament is plundered for visions and symbols. The prophecies and events described are concerned only with events in John’s day and have no bearing on today or the future.

The biblical apocalyptic writings are characterized by certain distinctive theological ideas. Its concern is on the relation between heaven and earth, the rule of god over both and his ultimate victory over evil. These ideas are the themes of the Holy Bible. Two great examples of apocalyptic writings found in Bible are in Daniel (605-536 BC) and Revelation

(95-96AD). Other than these two in the book of Ezekiel and Zachariah, apocalyptic visions are recorded. Enoch and Ezra also had those revelations.

2 During the first century A.D., Jews got the revelation from God regarding the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem. This serves as an origin of apocalyptic records. It is the greatest example of apocalypse. In Judaism, revelations are respected. It remains alive in Christianity.

Many writers give their contribution inspired by the book of Revelation but, no one can achieve the grandeur and power of the canonical Book of Revelation. Those are written by human authors as directed by the Holy Spirit. Apocalyptic is distinguished from other forms of prophecy in that God himself rarely speaks. The revelation is communicated through angels or other heavenly figures.

An interesting difference between revelation and all other apocalypses is the extent to which it leaves visions unexplained. In mostcases, visions are just related, so that the reader is challenged to provide the interpretation, as in the case of majority of Jesus’ parables. Right interpretation demands Spiritual capacity and insight.

On the Biblical reference apocalypse means ‘to avail or to reveal the plan of God’. In the Old Testament people are not aware of God’s kingdom. When and how it will be revealed is a sort of mystery to those people. Especially, the book of Daniel is a key of encouragement to the Jews about upcoming kingdom. Jews of first century believed and expected a lot from this apocalypse.

The gospels like Matthew mark and Luke, it is clear that Jesus has fulfilled the apocalypse and its foretold prophecies. People are expecting to see the prophecies of Daniel to be fulfilled. Jesus himself is a revelation. God the father revealed himself through Jesus.

In the book of Philippines, one can trace the essence, that service is the centre of

God’s Kingdom with the principles: serving one another, loving one another and living for one another. The core of God’s kingdom is love one another and serving one another, Jesus himself stated. Love your enemies, love one another (Matthew 5:44). For even the son of

3 man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark

10:45). Whatever caste, creed one belongs to love one another with brotherhood is the philosophy of new community.

After years passed, gradually apocalyptic literature flourished in a certain time between 600B.C. - 200A.D. Number of apocalypses were written during that time. It is a genre of prophetical writing that developed in post-Exilic Jewish culture and popular among

Millennialism early Christians. The object of this literature in general is to square the righteousness of God with the suffering condition of His righteous servants on earth. Early

Old Testament prophecy taught the need of personal and national goodness. Its views are not systematic and comprehensive with regard to the nations in general. Regarding the individual, it held that God’s service here is its own and adequate reward, and saw no need for postulating another world to set right the evils of this one.

In researcher’s opinion, apocalyptic literature is a form of revelatory literature in a narrative framework it tells the story and as cat logically to the God to the end time, it is not the personal story but it is a universal story. However, later with the growing claims of individual and acknowledgement of those in religious and intellectual life, problems are noticed, later the problems pressed themselves irresistibly on the notice of religious thinkers, made it impossible for any conception of the divine rule to gain acceptance, which does not render adequate satisfaction to the claims of both problems. To achieve such satisfaction is the task undertaken by apocalyptic, as well as to vindicate righteous of god alike in respect of the individual and of the nation.

Apocalyptic prophets sketched in outline the history of world and humankind, the origin of evil and its course, and the final consummation of all things. The righteous as a nation should yet posses the earth either via an eternal Messianic kingdom on earth, or else in temporary blessedness here and everlasting blessedness hereafter. Though the individual

4 might perish amid the disorders of the world, apocalyptic prophets taught that the righteous person would not lack to attain through resurrection the recompense that is due in the

Messianic kingdom or alternately in heaven itself. Some may distinguish between messages of prophets and messages of proto-apocalyptic and apocalyptic literature by saying that the message of prophets is primarily a preaching of repentance to escape Judgement. The message of the apocalyptic writers is of patience and trust for that deliverance and reward are sure to come. Neither the prophets nor the apocalyptic authors are without conflict between their messages and there are significant similarities between prophecy and apocalyptic writings.

Apocalyptic literature shares with prophecy revelation by visions and dreams and these often combine reality and fantasy. Those writing took a wider view of world’s history than did prophecy. A number of Christian apocalypses were written during the period between 100CE and 400CE, “apocalypse of peter, apocalypse of Paul, the Ascension of

Isaiah and the Testament of Abraham.

Although these works adhere to those forms in recounting supernatural visions pseudonymously in esoteric language, they refer to an individual’s salvation and lack the characteristic apocalyptic content of treating collective history and collective salvation. The literature begins principally out of conflicts like conflict of the community. Blindly, it does not predict the future rather it gives hope for the future by calling on images from the past and give meaning for the present conflict. It helps to understand what the conflict is all about.

Although the apocalyptic genre disappeared after the middle ages, an apocalyptic mood, reinforced by explicit references to the revelation to John, appears in numerous modern literary works. This literature has lots of difference in present in contrast to past.

Writers have been imagining the end of the world since soon after it began, but today’s

5 practitioners deliver a new kind of bleakness. Previously one could blame naïve scientists or tyrant villains, world leaders or fickle fate. However, nowadays, as researcher finds, humans are all, personally, to blame.

The importance of this sort of literature is firstly this type is extremely significant for men to look into himself and the present world around him. Secondly, this significance is greatly underestimated by humans. It is mediated by another world being such as elder from heaven or an angel to the human recipient. It deals with transcendent reality both as temporal and spatial. Temporal is about time as past, present, future. Spatial is about heaven, earth and other locations on the earth.

Far from confirming the historical interpretation, historical evidence actually indicates that apocalypse remained largely incomprehensible to the early readers. By attributing to the text, a meaning which is not apparent at time of its composition, but is the product of a later development, the historical interpretation cannot be considered as the result of sound exegesis, but rather an example of what is called eisegesis, or accommodation, or in other words, imposing on to a text a meaning which is foreign to it.

Apocalypse is not just a product of inspired human reason and reflection. It is the account of what appears to have been a very profound and informative mystical experience.

Apocalyptic literature uses symbols that communicate an absolute truth. It interprets itself.

This is a crisis literature.

Another source of apocalyptic thought is primitive mythological and cosmological traditions, in which the eye of the seer could see the secrets of future. Thus six days of world’s creation, followed by a seventh of rest, are regarded as at once a history of the past and a forecasting of future. As the world is made in six days its history would be accomplished in six thousand years, since each day with God is as a thousand years as one

6 day, and as the six days of creation are followed by one rest, so the six thousand years of the world’s history would be followed by a rest of thousand years.

This literature is discussed in many parts of the world. The widely spread thought is that, it is not linear and it has images. These images are not only stick to history but it is used to protect what will be going to happen in the upcoming days. It is characterized by Mosaic way of appearing. It is similar to Biblical Prophecy because it does tell something of future.

It dissipates God’s work in earth. There occurs a significant difference between typical

Biblical prophecy and apocalyptic literature. Former is typically involved in genre of prayers or speeches, for instance. Often it is a prayers to God, lamenting for sin, repenting for sin or prayers of praise and thanksgiving. It is calling God’s people towards faithfulness and repentance. When the focus turns on to apocalyptic literature, one can find a different mode of communication. Like watching a drama, the writer or prophet watches the future, sometimes nearest future, sometimes distant future. As the prophet watches those dramas played out, he reports to us, on what he sees. The drama that is played out, in a visionary apocalypse, is one, which is very figurative, very vivid in imagery, but tends to draw large lines and broad strokes about end. It involves cosmic conflict, battle between light and darkness, God and His enemies.

On discussing end and prophetic literature, major section “signs of the Apocalypse” must not be excluded. Based on present conflicts of the world, signs are classified as natural disasters, false prophets, famines, a cashless system and wars. Whether caused by human natural disasters or poor farming methods, famine could be a sign of the end. Regarding wars, the Jewish people will return to their homeland Jeremiah prophesized. God promised to return and lead this people from exile back to their own soil.

Never has there been a time before when all these events are evident in so many diverse places and with such frequency and intensity. The books of Matthew and Luke,

7 which state the natural disasters are signs of impending doom-adding that there have been

4,000 earthquakes in 2017 already, according earthquake.

Some characteristics of apocalyptic literature are,

1. All apocalyptic Literature claims to be revelation of new/ hidden knowledge

2. It often uses the formula “prophetic vision” to witness the future.

3. The literature uses mysterious and symbolic language. This is ironic, as the

name means “unveiling” and then the writing goes to lengths to clothe

everything in symbolism.

4. Except revelation, all are written in pseudonymous.

5. “God’s victory over evil” must be the main theme.

6. God is in control, even if evil seems to have run amuck. This centers the

work.

7. Apocalyptic literature is preoccupied with future events, because, the present

stinks.

To be in nutshell, biblical symbolism is systematic. Every covenant cycle is the Bible has the same shape, and predictions of the next cycle, or covenantal event, invariably make allusions to the previous ones. The uninspired texts lack this kind of purpose. The projection of the writer into the past is also another aspect apocalyptic literature. This makes what he says a prophecy in order to protect him from retribution by the current authorities. That type of prophecy is about present and the near future with the optimistic message, “stand fast with God” and this will pass. This kind of temporal relationship is reportedly deduced from scholars dating the writing style of each text and finding that it is written far after when it is supposed to have been written. In addition, the authors often describe the future with greater accuracy and time of its purported writing with much less fidelity.

8 The idea of universalism is a concept widely used in social policy and welfare state literature. On the other hand it has been very influential concept in western thought, especially in the study of comparative religion. It is generally understood as the belief in one universal religious truth, which can be reached or understood in many ways. By universalism the reference is often made to certain kind of redistribution of resources in a society. It will be approached both as an idea or ideal and as an administrative social policy principle affecting the distribution of social benefits. Basically the concept of universalism is used to make a major distinction to other kind of social policy ideas and principles, most often to those of residualism, marginalism, selectivity, and particularism. In the comparative welfare state research, especially during the post-war decades, the concept of ‘institutional’ widely used in a similar meaning as universal. The role of universalism has been declining rather than increasing because of economic and political reasons. It is a theoretical and political struggle concept that is closely linked to visions of good society.

There are four different views of universalism

1. Universalism as the interest of the state

2. Universalism as policies aiming for economic equality and national

integration

3. Universalism characterizing a welfare regime

4. Universalism as a feature of social benefits

Two conceptions of social welfare seem to be dominant in the US today: the residual and the institutional. The first holds that social welfare institutions should come into play only when the normal structures of supply, the family, and the market, break down. The second in contrast, sees the welfare services as normal, “first line” functions of modern industrial society. Institutional model is contrasted to the residual one. The researcher feels that

9 The underlying view is that the welfare of the individual is the responsibility

of the social collective: the family or market’s capacity to secure an optimal

distribution of welfare is seriously questioned. Moreover, the institutional

model promotes the principal that all citizens should be equally entitled to a

decent standard of living, and that full social citizenship rights and will be

guaranteed unconditionally.

Universalism can be seen in various fields such as philosophy, religion and history.

A community that calls itself Universalist may emphasize the universal principles of most religions and accept other religions in an inclusive manner, believing in a universal reconciliation between humanity and the divine. Christian universalism is focused around the idea of universal reconciliation, also known as universal salvation- the doctrine that every human soul will ultimately be reconciled to God because of divine love and mercy. A belief in one fundamental truth is also another important tenet. The living truth is seen as more far-reaching than national, cultural, or religious boundaries or interpretations of that one truth. Unitarian Universalism emphasizes that religion is a universal human quality and focuses on the universal principles of most religions.

The rise of universal social policies connected closely to cross-class solidarity and alleviation of class conflict. In most countries, modern social policies have been built upon the basic idea of compensating the wage earner for lost income. The notions of woman- friendly social policy and women-friendly citizenship provide an intriguing starting-point for a debate on the meaning of universalism has responded mainly to class-related conflicts and that universal categories and modes of social policy constructed to serve the welfare of male citizens only.

The unparalleled crisis of the global economy will have deep consequences for social policies. On the one hand, the reform marginal of governments has vanished already. On the

10 other hand, the governments, because of their ability to borrow enormous amounts of money, have become relatively more powerful actors in the world.

Another problem with the connection between social democracy and universalism comes from the fact that in the history of social policy universalism also been promoted by referring to liberal or conservative and liberal governments have been fond of the

Universalist principle in education.

The principles of universalism with regard to the allocation of benefits include:

1. Only the flat-rate benefits are universal

2. Positive discrimination is not in contradiction with universalism

3. Compensating the same proportion of lost income for all people is in

harmony with the principle of universalism

Today, universalism is much more than a label. As an alternative to means-tested assistance and corporatist social insurance, the universalistic system promotes equality of status. All citizens are endowed with similar rights, irrespective of class or market position.

In this sense, the system meant to cultivate cross-class solidarity, solidarity of the nation.

The advantages of universalism are:

1. The effectiveness of social administration

2. The unconditional security for people with low income

3. The promotion of social integration

4. The compatibility with economic effectiveness

This idea has its evident limits and it only can survive together with particularism and selectivism. The second chapter focuses on the author, Jonathan Franzen’s life, his education, life around America, his views on society and his works that contribute much for literature

11 Chapter II

Jonathan Franzen: Life and Works

The social realistic novelist Jonathan Franzen was born on August 17, 1959 in

Western Springs, Illinois. He was the novelist and essayist whose sprawling, multilayered novels about contemporary America elicited critical acclaim. His parents were Irene and

Earl T. Franzen, immigrants from Sweden. His father worked in a railroad company and his mother as a receptionist.

From his childhood, Franzen grew up in a disciplined family background. Jonathan lived in different places like Webster Groves, Missouri. Each place influenced him to the root and made him to think creatively and in broader sense. He mastered both English and

German literature and language. He graduated from Swarthmore College in 1981, with a

German degree. During 1979-80, he studied at Wayne State University. In 1981-82, he studied at Freie Universitat Berlin in Berlin with Fulbright Scholarship. He had faced number of economic crisis and social falls in his life. He was the witness for the great two centuries as twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

His experiences with the outer world made him to think realistically and it enabled him to speak German fluently. He started his literary career as a novelist. He received number of awards and honors including National Book award and Pulitzer Prize. Franzen wrote for The New Yorker magazine. His 1996 Harper’s essay “Perchance to dream” bemoaned the state of contemporary literature. In recent years, Franzen recognized for his opinions on everything from social networking services such as twitter and the proliferation of e-books.

12 Franzen had done something much harder than writing a fine novel. He had validated a certain type of aesthetic vision, one that entirely excluded from the pantheon just a generation ago.

One of the major things that made Franzen to become a novelist was his love for book. During his days in school, he did not find many friends. Rather he started to spend time in reading books, for hours. It was a fact that, his school days were not happy days. He started reading books from his young age that helped him realize the general state of the country, because Realism was the field, which influenced him. Though his mother abandoned him by saying, “Don’t read the bundle of lies,” he never gave up his reading. He even proudly said,

“Books are the one that made me to survive. Once you develop this habit as a young man it stays with you.”(Franzen’s interview, by Marc Christophe Wagner, 2016)

It was the time in college; he understood how to read in a proper manner. He had a revolutionary thought that made him to question every conventional norms of study.

Though he forced to study some works, he declared openly that particular work or author was not capable to celebrate as a good one. It is because that he knows how to analyze a literary work. Franzen got married in 1982 to Valerie Cornell. They separated in 1994 and got divorced. He and his friends lifted an auto tire onto a 40-ft flagpole at Webster Groves

High school using several large helium balloons. It was a successful effort. He earned money he worked weekends as a research assistant at Harvard University tracking earthquake.

In his young age, he paid closest attention to professors, editors, theorists and other arbiters of taste, trying to figure out what made them attack certain works, praise others and raise a cherished few to the status of modern masterpieces. He read the critics, who wrote

13 about novels and in time graduated to the critics who wrote about critics. When an imposing figure came to town, he was in the audience to soak up the insights offered by luminaries with the guiding spirit of the time. He compared notes with his peers, and read the book reviews in the paper.

He had staked his entire claim on plotting, character development, psychological insight and structural control of the narrative. All these things parlayed into a position of prominence in American fiction.

By all his mastery over English language, Franzen published his first novel “The

Twenty-seventh city” in 1988. He worked eight hours a day for this novel. This enabled him to know the role of being an author. Regarding his first novel, he quoted as “A conversation with the literary figures of my parents’ generation, the great sixties and seventies post moderns”. In the first novel, he avoided the use of personal elements. Being a novelist new to the field, he felt difficulties in distinguishing situation and story from character.

However, later he got skill on it.

His second novel focuses on the “Dysfunctional family”. The novel named as

“Strong Motion” published in 1992. The system of the novel Franzen quoted as the systems of science and religion-two violently opposing systems of making sense in the world. The novel drawn from the author’s experience working in seismology. Set in Boston, it discussed the Harvard seismologist who discovered a link between unexplained earthquakes and the disposal of chemical waste.

The third “The Corrections” published in the year 2001, which had won “National

Book award” for fiction. He worked for eight years in narrating the play, which focused on a family of five whose members endure unsuccessful marriages, strained familial relationships and failed careers. The novel expose all about the American culture and

14 relationship. He even adds that the world of 1990s was good, but in the case of 21st century, it was not the same. In the novel, he envisioned the future world. The character Chip moved on from one job to another, without minding about the future. Franzen let each of his family members, and many of their friends, strut on the stage in a major role. It was partially autobiographical work. Even the minor characters, given the intensely visualized realization, which reserved for leading protagonist in the novels.

One of the important statements by Franzen was,

“There is a hunger on the part of reader for complicated depressions of family and anxiety and they experience in their life.”(Franzen’s interview, Marc Christophe Wagner,

2016)

Following the death of his parents and the dissolution of his marriage , he contributed a series of essays to The New Yorker magazine that were later compiled into a book ‘Hoe to be Alone’ in 2002.

His fourth novel “The Freedom” in 2010, the subject of novel that is unusual “recall” in the United Kingdom starting in early October 2010. The novel discusses the many ways of family dynamics that can turn into a sardonic variant on those survival reality shows. At first, his extract he gained respectable space. While publishing the book Franzen was the first American author to appear on the cover of Time magazine since 2000, with the headline

“Great American Novelist”. This novel written after the death of his close friend and fellow novelist David Foster Wallace whose death had a serious impact on him. “The New York

Times” on November 17, 2014, reported that the novel “Purity” published in the upcoming

September. The president of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, described purity as the “Multi-

Generational American Epic that spans decades and continents”. The thought of the novel

15 sketches from contemporary America to South America to East Germany before the collapse of Berlin wall.

Other than novels, he had written short stories and non-fictional works, which all based on the prevailing culture in America. During 1990s, Franzen thought that role of writing social novels are the issues and ideas, in favor of focusing on the internal lives, characters and their emotions as a useless act. It was because the advent of media culture seemed to affect the reading of novels.

In 2002, he published a critique that speaks about the difficulties in reading fiction.

He had taken the novels of William Gaddis, entitled “Mr. Difficult”. It published in The

New Yorker. There he proposed two types of models: a “Status Model” and “Contract

Model”. The former refers to the point of fiction is to be art and the latter is of the point of fiction is to be entertainment.

A personal essay “The Discomfort Zone” published in 2004, which speaks about

Franzen’s life in Missouri. It revolves around deeply loveable, clever, honest insight of social and family history and of a personal and political reflection too. After the corrections, the collection of essays “How to Be Alone” was came to read in 2002, which speaks about novelist’s uncomfortable relationship with the place of fiction in contemporary society.

In the 2012 and 2013, two works “Farther Away” and “The Kraus Project” was came in book form, respectively. The first was the collection of essays dealing with love of birds and his friendship with David Foster Wallace and his ideas on technology. The second one deals on the playwright, poet, social commentator and satirical genius- Karl Kraus. One of the major ideas discussed in the work was, how media conglomerates influence politics in their quest for profits.

16 During a lecture on autobiography and fiction at American University, Franzen discussed four perennial questions often asked to him by audiences, all of which annoying.

They are

1. Who are your influences?

2. What time of the day do you write on?

3. “I read an interview with an author who says that, at a certain point of writing a

novel, the characters ‘take over’ and tell him what to do”. Does that happen to

you, too?

4. Is your fiction autobiographical?

For all those questions, he gave reply only for third one as

“This one always raises my blood pressure”

As a novelist, he respected every one. However, he did not like people comparing himself with other writers because each writer gifted with their own creative and narrative power. Therefore, comparison was also the one hated by Franzen.

He had received awards like James Tait Black Memorial Prize, Salon Book Award,

Galaxy National Book Awards as International author of the year, Carlos Fuentes Medal,

Welt-Literaturpreis, and Budapest Grand Prize.

In addition to awards, he had gained certain honors and recognition including

Granta’s Best Of Young American Novelists, New York Times Best Books of the year,

National Book Critics Circle Award, Pulitzer Prize, PEN Award, International Dublin

Literary Award, Distinguished visitor at American Academy Berlin, Los Angeles Times

Book Prize, Elected to the American academy of arts and science.

17 The first international academic symposium solely dedicated to Franzen’s work took place at Glasgow University, UK, 22 March 2013. Another one was with the title “Jonathan

Franzen: Identity and Crisis of the American Novel” at the University of Cordoba, Spain.

Jonathan after long and intense consideration determined four ways that a contemporary novel could earn adulation from the literary establishment at that particular journey in history.

1. The novel could make its mark for its experimental excesses, and in this case, the

more difficult and insufferable the reader found the work, the more likely that it

was a masterpiece.

2. The novelist could earn acclaim for a work, or even an entire oeuvre, by leading a

lifestyle that was sufficiently bohemian, drug and alcohol ravaged or otherwise

Transgressive.

3. A novelist could hit it out of the park by addressing a pressing social issue,

employing fiction as a tool of advocacy for some righteous cause- ago book was

a book that did good.

4. A writer could take the path of collected works by mixing in dizzying doses of

sex, between husband and wife, and ideally leading to a book burning, obscenity

charges from a southern state or at a minimum, outraged parents demanding a

novel’s removal from a school library.

Jonathan had showed his masterly skill in the field of Translation too. In September

2007, Franzen from German “Fruhlings Erwachen” translated Frank Weekend’s play,

“Spring Awakening”. Later, he revealed one of his translation work done for Swarthmore

18 College’s theater department for $50 in 1986. He comments on this work, I knew it was a good translation, better than anything else was out there.

Being an active writer, he had given a commentary on the use of cell phones, sentimentality and decline of public space. It was entitled as “I just called to say I Love you”. The recent non-fictional works of Franzen “A critic at large: A Rooting interest” appeared in The New Yorker in Feb 2012. In may23, 2016 “the end of the end of the

World: an uncle’s legacy and a journey to Antarctica in The New Yorker”.

Jonathan Franzen even appeared in radio and television shows, notably in “Oprah

Winfrey Show” on December 6, 2010 to discuss about his novel Freedom. The significant idea that Franzen had followed in all his novels was the “Humorous” tone. According to him, “no novel could be written without humorous narrative”. He added, “Irony is the native voice of mine”. His secret for succeeded was “I like to laugh and I like to make people laugh”. Complexity, ambiguity and contradictions play a vital role in his works. In general, the works of Franzen tried to create an infinite depth among the serious readers.

His narration is vivid, unscrupulous and to the point, evolves its importance in each sentence. It seemed to be serious but it had the comic notions.

His themes and plot circles around the contemporary realistic world that goes on complicated culture. Major focus was on the vices of the world that must correct. The guideline given by Franzen to write a fictional work is “one needs a problem and a tale”. His characters magically presented with perfect inverse the way it performs, which makes sense.

Consciously, the novelist had selected it from real world. His narrative style was enormously readable and very convincing. Almost all his novels set out in and out America, because for him country is becoming an Anti-intellectual one. Therefore, the writer has to

19 provide some useful thoughts to them. He had skewered the particularity of modern life and love like no one else. All his works were both a page-turner and a work of art.

His characters moved relentlessly through their paces but the books never sounded rushed. Franzen managed to add new layers to his novels even in the final stretch, yet still proved capable of pulling everything together for one of the most memorable fiction.

A portrait of world poised on the brink of combustion, and a nation losing its super powers, shot through the viewfinder of one long, difficult marriage was the major line of

Franzen’s novels. His writings illuminated, through the steady radiance of its author’s profound moral intelligence, the world we thought we knew.

The single biggest theme in literary fiction these days in return of storytelling- and that comes aloud and clear in works of many writers of Franzen’s generation. He had raised the ante the highest, and taken the hardest blows from those who wax nostalgic for the days.

To a certain degree, he had become the poster boy for the changing of the guard that has been playing out in the literary fiction over the last decade. Franzen’s major focus is on all sorts of entertainment leaves the possibility to become an intellectual entertainment.

Literature can change anyone, when he/she loves it. The motive “how people are changing and transferring their love and concern for own principles perspectives” were discussed with instances in novels. His works gives the deeper insight into the life of the contemporary world.

From the start of his career, Franzen had inspired us to laugh at his characters. Later days, he made us to love them too. His stories achieved both the extremes. He had certain virtuosity of authorial control over his works. Plenty of political agenda, reflected in his writings, which were mirror views of the real-life of Jonathan Franzen but none were

20 allowed to go unexamined, unchallenged or trample on the nuanced human elements that reside at the core of the book.

The next chapter deals with the novel, The Freedom, and its summary, which throws more light into the plot as the government’s policies, American people’s insecure life and lack of morality.

21 Chapter III

Summary of The Freedom

The story of the family, which lived in Ramsay hill, discussed in detail. The story of the novel revolves around the family of Berglunds. Walter Berglund and Patty were the couple had two children as Joey and Jessica. Patty’s mother Joyce was a state politician in the Democratic Party. Though Joyce was a Jewish, she married ‘exceedingly Gentle’ Ray

Emerson. Patty did not have sweet childhood days. Her sisters Abigail and others often played pranks at her. When she was seventeen, raped at a party and it became “the most wretched hour of her life”. Her softball coach informed the issues of rape informed to

Joyce, who prevented the act of calling police. It was because Ethan Post, the boy who raped, was the son of a wealthy person. In her senior year at high school, she became an even better basketball player- stronger and more aggressive.

The first years of college did not worked much because patty’s lack of any sort of social life outside of practice and hanging out with her teammates. She decided to go to university of Minnesota, one not to obey her mother and other to get away from family for some time. One day in the Introductory Earth science class, patty was beside Eliza, who wrote patty’s name in capital letters, and often tried to involve in a conversation with her.

Eliza wanted to become a friend of Patty. Eliza fancied herself as a poet and developed warm relationship with her. It was a new experience for Patty, who never had other friends than teammates. Eliza used to drink, smoke and sleep with many people even insisted Patty to do the same. However, Patty neglected her ideas. Few weeks later Patty started to go on with Carter, her first official date. It did not last long, when she found Eliza was the high school friend of Carter. Though she ended up with Carter, she continued her friendship with

Eliza.

22 The next summer Eliza begun to date a person named Richard Katz, a musician and a member of a punk called “Traumatic”. By her Patty met Richard in a hot August morning, without her conscious she fell for him. Eliza as “this nerdy hanger-on guy Walter” often quoted Richard’s roommate, Walter Berglund. On her visit to Richard’s apartment, she met

Walter. By him, she came to know about Richard’s mother, who abandoned him and his father died of lung cancer, which taken by Richard in his last days. He even added,

“Richard’s a very loyal person, although may be not that nice to women. He’s actually not that nice to women, if that’s what you’re asking”. Walter and Patty became good friends and gone to theater few times together. Walter was from Hibbing, Minnesota. He loved to study acting and filmmaking. In order to support his family he had chosen law. He was hard worker too. He served in a construction up to 25 hours a week and then woke up at 4 am every day to study. His mother was disabled; father an alcoholic and brothers were deadbeats. Their family had a motel in Hibbing called “Whispering pines”. Walter was an awesome person ever, unfortunately Patty had crush on Richard.

On the other end, Richard dumped Eliza. It was a Christmas Eve. Patty had gone to her house but disappointed by her family members in all respect. From her house, she rang to the hotel of Walter, who astonished on hearing the voice of Patty. In fact, she too got surprised because she was not sure whether to be happy for Walter’s voice or for Richard’s, who visited there. Patty informed that Eliza was suffering from Leukemia. So in order to take care of her, Patty returned hostel and nursed her. She did not pay head to the calls of

Walter. When they met again, she was informed Eliza’s habit of consuming heroin. Being disappointed, she called Eliza’s parents to look over her. Eliza threatened Patty “if you leave me I’ll kill myself”. In spite of that, she left Eliza. With heavy heart, Patty played the match the worst of ever. On her way back, out of excitement in meeting Walter the next day, she fell on a black ice and broke her knee. After that, Walter was the one, who took

23 care of Patty. In hospital, they had debate about the freedom of women, which made Walter to admire her. Following days, they went for a movie. He asked her to check-in with him, as Richard was going to move to New York. Finishing dinner, they step into the apartment of Walter but to their disappointment found Richard still there. Walter being tired of heavy work asked Richard to drop Patty in hostel. Richard and Patty went in a car and Patty reminded of her crush with him. Richard revealed Walter’s love for Patty and he never wanted to spoil the life of his friend. Patty too decided to join him in New York trip.

Then for about one week she did not tried to contact Walter. When he rang her to inform about his father’s coma, she blurts out that she missed him. However, surprisingly, she drove to New York with Richard. It was not a memorable one. Both started to hate each other.

When Patty came back, home she realized and felt apologized for being wrong about her parents. They never forced her to study “creative in the arts”. Walter’s dad died after some days and nearly four thousand people visited his funeral. She married Walter three weeks after her graduation and they begun their new happy life. Richard had moved to the east of country and settled in Jersey City.

Walter and Patty lived in Ramsay Hill with their own house. Their neighbors had a good thought about them. According to neighbors Walter was a sweet person and very passionate about the environment. However, people were astonished to seed the shady dealings of Berglund with a coal company. There had always been something not quite right about the Berglunds. Patty was self- deprecating but never talked bad about anyone. She was a sweet mom, who stayed at home, preparing cookies and juice. One of her neighbor was Carol, who worked as a secretary for a big shot but later thrown out of job, being a pregnant woman by her boss. She gave birth to a baby girl named Connie Monaghan. She

24 never took care of her daughter. In weekends, Patty took care of Connie but never got the back from Carol. Instead Carol flirted with Walter .Connie was described as a “silent and grave”. Another neighbor was Seth and Marrie. Seth had a crush on Patty.

Compared with Jessica, daughter of Patty, Patty gave much importance to Joey, the son. In fact, Jessica was the one, who had to admire by her parents because Joey was not nice one in both studies and behavior. On a day, Joey and Patty visited their property surrounded by a lake. No one knows the name of it. Therefore, Joey named it as “Nameless

Lake”. Connie loved Joey even from her childhood. They had one and half years difference in age. When she was twelve and he was eleven, they both had sex. During winter,

Walter’s mother passed away. Therefore, the couple went to attend the funeral. Joey and

Connie became too close at those days. Most the time they spend at Joey’s bedroom. When parents came back, Jessica informed everything to her mother. This made Patty to behave violently and she made lots of fuss about her son.

In the meantime, Carol had a boyfriend Blake, much younger than her. They both started to live together. Days passed. On his junior grade in high school, Joey decided to move on with Carol, Blake and Connie. This gave a “stunning act of sedition and a dagger to Patty’s heart”. Joey admired Blake and even learned some of his mechanical work too.

He inspired by the opinions of Blake, a republican. Everyone in the neighborhood accused

Walter for the things happened with Joey.

Years rolled on. Joey completed his graduation from high school in 2001. The year faced great national tragedy. Therefore, the Berglunds sold out their house and moved to

Washington D.C. Richard after many years released three albums with the traumatic. By this, Richard called as Katz. The first two did not go well. Third, one got some critics eyes.

25 Eventually, the band came to Minnesota on tour. Richard visited the house of Berglunds with his female band member, Molly. Both Walter and Richard came close once again.

Disappointed with his troupe Richard began a new band; an alt-country band called

“Walnut Surprise”. In June Walter, Patty and Richard moved to the nameless lake to spend some days together. Walter had meeting with the coal investors. After the meeting, he went for his fishing trip in Saskatchewan. On the house in the lake, Patty was all alone with

Richard. She tried to act normal, cracked jokes. However, all her activities irritated

Richard. They had few conversations about the marriage life of Patty. At last, they slept together and had sex. Richard wanted to leave the place, did so he. When Walter came back, Patty behaved in a very happy manner and had a great time out. Patty secretly planned to meet Richard. She started to send him mails.

After returned from lake, she visited him in a hotel room but withdrew herself of

Nervous. On her way back, she needed to spend some time with Jessica. Jessica and her boyfriend, William had other plans. Meanwhile Richard released a new album called

“Nameless Lake”, which became most popular one. One day, Richard received a voicemail from Walter about a new proposal, when he was about to visit the son of his boss, who asked help from Richard regarding a love affair. Richard’s plan was to sleep with the girl in order to take revenge on the boy. Actually, Walter was working for a super-wealthy big oilman named, Vin Haven, old school republican. As he had a heavy loss, he tried to merge with lots of friends in the coal industry. The real problem arises here. People were against the blasting of mountaintop to develop coalmines in West Virginia. Vin Haven had brought a whole bunch of lands and mineral rights in the area. When the government had passed the order for army resources and coalmines, Haven sold all the lands, which will be devastated soon. The project they were about to start was “Free Space”.

26 One major reason they gave to handover the land was population. Walter and

Lalitha, his secretary was working on a plan that will reduce the rate of population in West

Virginia. Richard had to produce a new album based on over population. He was assigned the headline “some sort of music-and-politics festival, may be in West Virginia with a bunch of very cool headlines, to raise awareness of population issues.” Both Walter and Lalitha met the officials and came out with a bright idea, as the impasse was an unexpected one.

LBI, a big oil services multinational, has a contract to provide body armor to troops in Iraq.

A deal made through the trust that will subsidize LBI to hire West Virginians to manufacture that body armor. The deal done and they were preparing for a press conference on Monday.

Walter and Lalitha decided to have a drink. Before the trip, Patty had told him that he had her “permission” to sleep with Lalitha. He wondered: “How many thousand more times…

Am I going to let this woman stab me in the heart?” By Walter, Richard came to know about Patty’s habit of consuming drug. Richard wanted to finish his affair with Patty. On the night, he arrived at house of Patty and founded Patty in upset. He enquired her about what troubles her and she blasted out that she could not tolerate Walter falling for Lilith. On hearing this, Katz left the place. The next day Walter happened to read the autobiography of

Patty and was very devastated. He carried it up to Patty’s room, where she was watching basketball highlights. She saw what he was holding in his hand and freaked out. She even tried to explain but it was all vain. Actually, it was her therapist’s idea to write autobiography to get rid of her mental sickness and frustration. Walter quoted some of the things she wrote about him to her. They were the most painful ones. She begged him not to read, but he did. In a rage, he blasted out as “I never to see you again. You have to leave the house today and never come back”. He even said “you did the worst thing you could possibly do to me… the worst thing, and you knew very will it was the worst thing and you did it anyway”. She wanted him to know how painful it is to see Walter falling for Lalitha.

27 Walter replied that Patty made him to do that, because he had lived his entire life not being good enough for her, knowing she really wanted Richard all those years ago. He even got angry with his daughter, who supported her mother to stay in the house. Disappointed with her husband, Patty left the place. When she left the house, Lalitha knocked on his door and they both had sex. He did not want Richard working on the Free Space project anymore.

However, Lalitha explained that was not possible- his name was the biggest draw they have.

After few days, when he came to know that patty was with Richard, he went up to their bedroom and destroyed the place, smashed Patty’s photos, bashed his head against the wall.

Then he had three of Patty’s sleeping pills and fell asleep. Lalitha tried to wake him up because they were late for the flight to West Virginia. In the function, Walter asked to say few words about their project. Instead, he gave a sarcastic and cynical speech. She gone to the apartment of Katz but he did not like her in his place.

On the other end Joey, who had gone to university rang Connie to come to his place.

She agreed. They spend time merrily. When she returned home, she had an affair with her restaurant manager. Joey to his part admired the beauty of a girl Jenna, his roommate

Jonathan’s sister. Jenna and Joey flirted with each other and even exchanged emails. Carol wished to spend the Christmas with Joey and invited him for the eve.

Patty felt bad for leaving her house. She started to check-in with her old basketball friend Cathy and her partner, who lived in Wisconsin in and had twins. She used to take care of the kids. One day she informed about her father Ray’s death. . Few days went on funeral. In addition, once Ray was gone, a bitter feud ensues over his estate. The estate inherited from his father. It was big country estate in northwest New Jersey. Now it became

Joyce’s property and the family decided to sell the house and share the money. Patty’s two sisters wanted to sell it and gave them some of the money. However, the problem was

Edgar; Patty’s brother was living there with his family. He had made fortune in stocks, and

28 then lost it. He married a young Russian Jewish woman named Galena. She insisted on spending lots of money on expensive clothes and things. Then she embraced Orthodox

Judaism and insisted on having many babies. Patty promised to take care of the matter. She visited her sister Abigail, who was self- involved. She wanted the money from the estate to start a female comedy troupe and tour Europe. She also explained that Galena recently hit a school crossing guard with her car. In addition, they did not have insurance, so they then owe lots of money to the insurance companies. Therefore, any income they have will go towards that debt. They should not get any piece of the house. Next Patty visited Edgar and

Galena. The estate was a strange sight: big pallets of wholesale food outside, donated by their local rabbi and synagogue. However, they refused to move from the farm. Patty visited

Veronica, her other sister, in Manhattan. She was a painter and dancer before. Then she worked as a secretary and she wanted money to quit working, because it became a big drag.

Finally, Patty herself devised a plan as “the estate will be sold and Joyce will give half of the money to Ray’s brother. Joyce will also keep some of the money herself, to dispense funds to Edgar and Galena, as they need them. Abigail and Veronica get the money they want”.

Joyce was surprised to see her daughter working independently. Patty accepted $75,000 herself, to help start a new life on her own. With worthy amount she worked as a teacher in private school, teaching first- grade students language skills and coaching softball and basketball in the middle school. She settled down in Brooklyn.

Walter though he felt sorry for his wife, never gave much care in searching for her.

He began to sleep with his secretary. He was oscillating between good and bad. He even confessed that, “I am tired of being Mr. Good and looking to become Mr. Bad.” Richard’s new album gained big success. In the music concert, Walter vigorously spoke about overpopulation and humans’ threat as “A CANCER TO THE PLANET”. People started to jump on Walter and kicked him. He spent some time in hospital with dislocated jaw,

29 bruised ribs. The conspirators thought the project was dead but all of a sudden, applications start pouring in like crazy. It attracted anarchists and other revolutionary activists. It seemed that Walter’s speech had gone viral and appealed to a completely different group of kids. After few days, Walter and Lalitha bought a van and spent weeks driving across the country, spending time in nature reserves and bird- watching. She did not care much about birds but she was happy that Walter is happy. They met Walter’s younger brother Brent at the Air Force in California. Walter asked her to come with him to see Hibbing and

Nameless Lake, and try to find his brother Mitch. However, she said that people had begun arriving at the festival in Weat Virginia. Situation became messy. Therefore, they decided that Lalitha would fly to West Virginia and Walter to drive soon. On his way, he heard the news about Lalitha’s death in a car accident.

Six years passed. Joey was hanging out with Jenna. He worked in a subsidiary of body armor factory LBI. His job had been “researching ways in which LBI might commercially exploit an American invasion and takeover of Iraq, and then writing up these commercial possibilities as arguments for invading”. When he informed that Connie was in affair he felt hurt and cheated but never realized his mistake. His relationship with Jenna did not last longer. Feeling lonely Joey again called Connie and they both engaged, while in the phone. He lived his life with Connie.

Walter moved to “Canter Bridge Lake”, which was named “Nameless Lake”. Jessica often pleaded her dad to accept Patty again. He ignored all emails from Patty and Richard.

One day Patty showed up. For a whole night, she was trembling in the car in cold. Walter never pays any head to her. In the evening, when he returned from walk, furiously opened

Patty’s mails but yelled at her. On seeing Richard’s package, which was a song, he totally moved and allowed her into house. The couple lived their life happily with loveable neighborhood. Years passed. They decided to move back to New York to live close with

30 their children. Their house made as a bird sanctuary. High fence built around the property and the small picture Lalitha hanged on the gate, after which they preserve the sanctuary.

The next chapter deals with the summary of the novel, The Corrections, and its images, America’s face of love and affection, pathetic life an American family and how it suffers of physical and mental dilemma between good and bad, surviving and living.

31 Chapter IV

Summary of The Corrections

The basic plot of corrections said as “Enid’s desire to have the whole family home for one last Christmas”. Story revolves around a family in the Midwestern Suburb of St.

Jude. Alfred and Enid were the parents and Gary, Chip and Denise. When the novel began, we came to know that Alfred was working in the regional company, Midland Pacific

Railroad. Enid was a homemaker. The novel has seven chapters, each expose life story of each character. When the novel begun, Enid was pregnant with Denise after Gary and Chip, because she always wanted three children. That happiness made her to be sloppy and to do the unthinkable like giving Alfred investment advice. It made him furious and he left home for eleven days never returned back. Actually, he was going for a business trip: Midpac was looking to buy the Ernie Belt railroad and he tasked with inspection. Enid did not aware of it, blamed her for being so insane. She was nervous for his arrival. When he did, he immediately scolded her for not cleaning and locked himself in his lab. With heavy heart, she started cooking. Chip and Gary hustled downstairs to Alfred to tell about their swimming lesson at the YMCA. Chip went to kitchen and disappointed with terrifying liver and bacon. The family sat for dinner but chip did not touch his food. Alfred ordered Chip to finish the plate or else he wills not any dessert. Being a child Chip and Gary played a lot.

Chip was the one left alone for dinner, and he hated food. Though the situation seemed to be tumultuous one, Alfred tried to tackle everything skillfully. When he was working in a company, he had a neighbor Chuck Meisner, who enquired him about the purchase of company. Soon Chip slept in the table itself. Enid was ironing the shirts and thought about the suitors she had before Alfred. She turned down multiple proposals from men who did not seem like they could provide for her. To be honest, she should had seen his statement that “Human beings were born to suffer” on their first dates as a clear warning sign of what

32 has to come. At night, she complained about him for being so rude to her. He tried to change the subject but she was totally into the issue. They had sex that night and next morning, he felt guilty for having sex with a pregnant wife.

Years rolled on. The family scattered to the various parts of the country. Alfred and

Enid became the old couple. On a fine day, Enid Lambert rummaged through the coupon drawer, searching for a letter from the Axon Corporation. There was a lot of tension between the couple because Alfred lost his mind and became a memory less old man.

However, Enid often compelled him to pick up some useful habits in retirement. The motive of the family revealed as the old couple was going to meet their children for one last

Christmas.

Gary Lambert, the eldest son, lived along with his wife Caroline and three sons

Aron, Jonah and Caleb. Along with his father, he too worked in Railroad Company.

However, the treacherous fate caught him too. Fortunately, he got a job and leading his life happily with family. One day he got a call from his mother about visiting home. When he was working in his personal darkroom, developing old photographs of his parents, he heard a sound that the soccer ball hit the garage. On the time Caroline was playing soccer ran inside the house. While talking with his mother he saw the shadow of his wife, over hearing the conversation. He yelled at her for eavesdropping but she meekly protested. When he called back, she informed him about the letter from Axon Corporation. Enid wanted them to double the offer to $10,000, but Gary thought that his parents would get more. Alfred got the line and tried to convince by Gary. However, Alfred denied it. It infuriated Gary, because he knew that the Midland Pacific that Alfred was so loyal to did not exist. All of his former peers had disappeared along the long string of buyouts and mergers. The buyers ended up bought: Orphic Midland acquired by Cen Trust and renamed OrficM. Trains were out, and instead, the company focused on “prison- building, prison management, gourmet

33 coffee and financial services”. It served as a winning combo. That night he found Caleb sitting outside his door, said his new hobby was to surveillance and wanted to set up security cameras in the kitchen. Gary was normally enthusiastic about his sons’ hobbies, but not that time. If Caleb placed camera in the kitchen, then everyone came to know how much he drank every day. In bedroom, Gary shouted at Caroline. Things were calmer when Gary joined for dinner at that night. Gary agreed but his wife stopped him from getting there.

Visiting St. Jude was the most loveable thing for Jonah, because he enjoyed both St.

Jude and his grandparents company. On that night, Gary cooked mixed grill but the meat plops. Unfortunately, the family had to eat the meal. After dinner he started his search in internet for Axon Corporation and found the homepage for Westport folio Bio funds. This happened because Denise insisted him on doing this. It turned out that Alfred’s patent used for something called the Eberle process, a supposedly revolutionary way to transform the human brain. Alfred found it as an uninteresting one, when Gary informed him about that.

Few weeks rolled on. Gary and Denise were in a hotel ballroom, watching a promotional video for the Axon Corporation’s initial public offering. In the video, Earl Eberle was pitching correck tall, a new drug that could renew and improve the hard wiring of an adult human brain. Gary wanted to invest in the company and he met the CEO of corporation,

Merilee Finch. Finch handed Denise her business card and walked away. Gary followed her and demanded that she offered him more shares, but she laughed at his face. The meeting did not go well. Denise and Gary argued over whether Alfred stayed during the

Correck tall trail. After Gary relented, Denise pushed him about coming to St. Jude for

Christmas. Gary gave shifty answers. One thing conformed was, Alfred will be diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s.

34 When he went to his office, his receptionist informed him that his wife had been calling over all day. The whole day he tormented by his wife, who said informed him that someone had broken into the house. When he rushed into the house, he found nothing.

Caroline and Kida were watching television as if nothing had happened. After staking a new security sign and tossing back few martinis, Gary started to prepare mixed grill. He went on another drink and forgot about the meal. On the night, Gary plopped out the meat. After dinner, he tried to cut down some limbs of a tree but had his hand on a blade. Although he knew he should go to a hospital, he stayed at home because he was drunk. He sneaked into the bathroom, bleeding profusely, and tried to fix the cut without others notice. He slept with the pain.

The next morning Caroline enquired about his hand and came to know that how depressed for about weeks of “accumulated tension”. Gary finally told her that only people who wanted to go to St. Jude had to go. The rest can stay at home. It was because Caroline found Enid as most irrigational one and got promise from Gary for not visiting the place again in her life.

The life of the second child, Chip, who had started his career as professor, but it, has gone after “an offense involving a female undergraduate”. As a teenager, he was a rebellion was to date feminists, study literary theory, and embrace left-leaning politics. He ended up teaching literary theory at college. While there, he lived in a small community called Tilton

Ledge, where he hosted many gatherings of his fellow professors and “the occasional precocious student”. One of his students Mellissa Paquette tried to bag herself with Chip.

She offered him roses and chocolates statuette of Michael Jackson. All these done stealthily, later it known that she was doing everything with her friend Chad. During the end of semester chip showed an ad about the life of young woman with breast cancer. That was an ad done by “Beat Psychology” ad agency. Chip neglected the idea of emotional norms of

35 manipulative tomfoolery. However, Melissa argued with him. Chip spent his summer holidays in backpacking through the United Kingdom. When he came back after summer holidays one day Melissa offered him a tray of cupcakes. Though he hated her, he had finished almost all of it because they were cupcakes. She changed to the class of Vendla

O’Fallon archrival of chip. Melissa’s was irony personified: a trust fund kid who once played in a small punk band. Her parents were working on Mutual funds. Few weeks later chip found an article by his rival O’Fallon and totally disappointed. In order to relax he rang his friend Jim Leviton but his friend was sick. Chip wanted to go for a road trip to Cape

Cod for thanksgiving break with Melissa. They consumed a drug Mexican A. at first Chip did not felt anything, but later he stopped the car suddenly and demanded to fulfill their sordid needs. At last, both settled in a hotel. At the night, they had fulfilled their sordid needs. Next morning he checked the luggage of her for more drugs. He stopped when she woke up for a call in phone and said that she was going to visit her father. He became furious. Few days passed and Chip realized his shameful act. Because of his vicious act, he lost his job.

Being bare handed he called Denise, sister of him, to lend some money, she agreed.

On the core, Chip was a playwright. Having this in mind, she offered him the contact of

Julia Vrias who worked in film industry in Manhattan. Later Julia became his girlfriend.

Meanwhile with the money he got, he had gone to work for “Warren Street Journal”. His relationship with Julia did not go well in addition all his money was running out. Chip moved New York, leaving Julia alone, bought leather clothes and got his ears pierced.

Alfred and Enid visited him, when Alfred was turning seventy-five. Denise too accompanied them. Through Denise Chip came to that Julia got married to a man named

Gittans, the deputy Prime Minister of Lithuania. However, they separated because Julia loved the city to her heart. Therefore, she lived in the city. Her husband rarely visited her.

36 Julia’s boss was Eden, who had asked Chip to write a screenplay. He started with a “six page lecture about anxieties of the phallus in Tudor drama”. However, it flopped.

Enid invited her daughter for Christmas Eve at St. Jude. She handed over the letter from Axon Corporation. It was an offer of $5,000 for Alfred’s “Therapeutic Ferroaetate-gel

Electro polymerization” patent. Eden never gave any importance for Chip’s screenplay.

On the contrary, Gitanas offered him a job. He wanted Chip to build fake websites extolling Lithuania’s virtues because the city was going through an economic crisis and international corporations had purchased much of the country’s infrastructure leaving government without resources properly run the country. His secret motive was to get all money in his pocket. Chip with great astonishment accepted the deal named his position as

Vice President of Willful portions misrepresentation. With several thousand dollars, he moved back to his apartment where his parents visited him and found it was empty. Alfred and Enid left on a sea voyage in the “Gunnar Myrdal” the cruise ship. Denise gave them a warm send off. On the other end, Gitanas was popup with an idea for his scheme. He created a parody website titled ‘Democracy for profit’ to protest “Plight of small debtor nations”. Gitanas suspended Julia for her relationship with another. He caught them on CD and revealed this to Chip, without the knowledge about their past relationship. Cleverly,

Chip got the footage and both proceed for flight to Lithuania. Denise compelled Chip to come for the Christmas Eve. However, he was busy creating fake websites to swindle rich investors out of their money. He and Gitanas build a Kick starter-style website that offered absurd rewards like “no-hassle adoptions of Lithuanian girl babies”. What was even more absurd was, it worked. Chip loved his work and feeling rich. It did not last long. People rose against Gitanas, which allowed other investors to take control of the Lithuanian parliament. The Lithuanian president refused to ratify the election results. Therefore, everything went bad. Chip woke up the following morning, surrounded by the mob of

37 natives. Gitanas handed an envelope to chip and asked him to go back to New York. The money was about $29,250.

Denise, the third child, worked with her father in Railroad Company, had an affair with Don Armour. They slept several nights. Keeping this relationship as a key for blackmail, Don Armour threatened Alfred, Regarding the job offer in the new company.

This made Alfred to left his job. Later she moved to New York and founded a new job. She married Emile Berger, when she discontinued her school. Things went well at first. When she met Becky Hemerling, everything collapsed. She started to have sex dreams about

Becky. With that, she informed Emile, as she was not interested in him and got divorced.

Robin Pansafaro was a native Philadelphian, descended from a long line of die-hard

Teamsters. Her parents were Nick and Colleen. Nick never got involved with the family business and instead became a “committed Socialist”. They adopted a year old boy named

Billy. Robin was after that boy’s adoption and got into an illegal relationship with a girl.

Brain Callahan was the husband of Robin, who had sold a piece of software to the W-

Corporation for almost twenty million dollars.

Billy, being a spendthrift, opposed the meeting of the corporation and broke the skull of Rich Flamburg, Vice President of W-Corporation. He demolished Flamburg’s nose, jaw, collarbone and most of his teeth. Despite the savagery of Billy’s crime, Nick supported his son’s politically- based defense. Robin visited Flamburg and his family to apologize for her brother’s action. He arrested for his vicious act. With the money Brain wanted to start restaurant, the first item on his agenda was to call up his favorite chef from his favorite restaurant in town. In addition, he chose Denise as its master chef. He was on some moves.

He blindfolded her and played music carefully selected to please her. Although she was not very attracted to him, she vicariously excited by his attention. They went a rocky road and stopped in front of an old “decommissioned dirty power plant”. When Denise visited the

38 house of brain, she attached to the beauty of Robin. In the first sight, Robin became shy of

Denise’s sight at her. Denise invited her to her house, when she got there; Denise disliked her for her “squeaky and oddly formal” demeanor. After Robin changes into swimsuit,

Denise’s bad vibes magically transform into attraction. They both had dinner together.

Later it became lesbian relationship. Brain was not aware of it.

Denise visited Paris, where she finally met up with Brain. He was all alone. His wife stayed in the city because it is the first zucchini harvest at the Garden Project. Denise got surprised, when Brain did not make any advances. Well actually, he did not make any advances for a whopping ten days, after which he finally pulled her into his room and kissed her. Denise to her surprise thought about Robin. When she returned, she got a call from

Robin, who knew the relationship between Denise and her husband. The Restuarant was named as “The Generator” and was about to finish. However, Denise fired from the job.

She spent some weeks in Julia’s NYC apartment. The little vacation made her feel a lot better. She fell in love with the city and all of the lovely young women. Though Robin was in her divorce proceedings, she became close towards Denise once again. However, surprisingly, Denise started being mean to Robin with a “deliberate, calculated form of cruelty”. She even refused to see Robin’s children. Denise’s affair got a breach.

Alfred and Enid set out for voyage. Denise noticed a change in herself as she watched her parents board the ship. She found herself feeling more sympathetic towards

Enid and more concerned about her father’s mental state. Alfred was sitting in his room on

German Myrdal and gone nostalgic. In the ship, Enid was with the company of Sylvia from

Pennsylvania. Different sets of couples were in the ship. As the fact, Enid was addicted to a drug called Aslan. He helped her to have some sleep. However, in America it banned.

Sylvia introduced Dr.Mather Hibbard to Enid. Doctor had given her some pills and she paid

39 $150. With that, she slept, woke up next morning and had breakfast. While they were talking, she heard a sound that something had fallen, from the window. It was Alfred.

The family gathered for Christmas Eve. Alfred had signed the new contract with

Axon Corporation and Enid had given up her habit of consuming Aslan. When he was fallen from ship, he admitted in hospital and given a shotgun in order to ease his problem. It was a “pump action shotgun”. In the due course of celebration, Chip called and gave his concern for visiting home. Gary visited home but said that he had left Jonah in the house, as he was too sick. In fact, he was not sick. Caroline bribed him to stay by buying him the computer game he was craving. In addition to that, Gary bought five thousand shares of

Axon and the stocks were already paying off nicely. Denise came home to celebrate the eve.

They went to Christmas land, St. Jude’s annual Christmas light show, later that night. Gary and Enid moved by the spectacle.

Gary had made everyone in the family their own “leather-bound copy of the All-

Time Lambert Two Hundred album”, which he gave them after the light show. By then, he moved to the new habit- building model trains. On a night, Denise offered Enid the pills but

Enid had thrown the pills in the garbage. During the eve, Gary controlled his mother from working on drug. The children got back to their work. After some time, Denise found the workshop door locked and freaked out. She thought that Alfred was going to kill himself.

However, when she opened the door, he was working on with his medicines. Enid rang her daughter, insisted to think about her future. Chip met with the group of mob at the airport and rescued by his boss. With the amount of $2000, he visited the house. The night the family sat down to eat. Argument broke out. Gary finally reached a breaking point, shouted at everyone and stormed out. Enid begged Chip to stay for a week but he meekly resisted.

Even Denise begged Chip to return her debt. In fact, Alfred was in his hallucinations as he is in prison yard intimidated by wardens and fellow patients alike; he hoped that Chip would

40 rescue him. He felt himself tied up but Chip arrived in time. Doctor Schulman, one of the caretakers of Alfred admired by Chip. The family again moved on its own path without considering about anything.

Everyone started to live his or her life independently. Alfred had passed away after spending two years in the center. Enid had felt a lot better. Denise moved to Brooklyn and worked a hip restaurant. Chip married Dr. Schulman, moved to Chicago, has twins, continued to write screenplay. Gary lost some of money, which he invested in Biotech

Company. At last, Enid was going to make some changes in her life.

The next chapter summarizes the story of The Discomfort Zone: A Personal History,

Franzen’s life at different places, his love for his mother, the American government and the agitation created among people.

41 Chapter V

Summary of The Discomfort Zone: A Personal History

Jonathan Franzen had spent his childhood days in western springs. His father worked in a Great Northern railroad company and his mother as a full time receptionist for a doctor, who later accumulating credits for a degree in child development. Franzen had two brothers Bob and Tom. Franzen’s mother had the habit of collecting old stamps. Counting had always been a comfort to her. She was not a collector of anything except Danish

Christmas china and mint plate blocks of U.S. postage. She maintained lists of every trip she had ever taken, every country she had set foot in, every one of the “Wonderful European

Restaurants” she had eaten in, every operation she had undergone and every insurable object in her house and her safe-deposit box. She bought a house in 1944, which meant a lot for her.

She used to note down all information, she got from the visits she had undergone.

Being a strict mother, she never gave up her principles. Her view on religion is; “There’s definite need for religion in the lives of man. I say it is right for humanity, but for myself I do not know. I am a firm believer in family life. I feel that the home is the foundation of true happiness in America- much more the foundation than the church or the school can ever be.” She stressed on a point that “A person’s character mattered more than his or her achievements and that the more he or she owed society”. People who impressed her were always highly able, never smart or talented or even hardworking, because people who thought of themselves as smart might be vain or selfish or arrogant, whereas people who considered themselves able were constantly reminded of their debt to society.

Franzen grew up in Missouri, the country’s cartographic linchpin. He described his days in Missouri as “Golden Age”. However, when he was ten, the era was collapsing

42 cultural traditions, bloated federal government, confiscatory tax rates, and socialistic welfare and retirement schemes.

On a visit to European countries, Franzen accompanied his parents and wished to visit Disney World on their return. However, he not allowed by his mother to wear the dress of his own choice. His mother controlled him badly. At the entertainment park, she had taken photographs of her husband and children.

Franzen loved peanuts when he was growing up. At his childhood, the original peanuts cartoons were far more existentially dark and satisfying than the fluffy snoopy and

Woodstock cartoons of the late 70s and 80s. Franzen loved early comics like Snoopy,

Narnia and A.A. Milne. However, he was fascinated more about Charlie Brown. One night when he was a young boy, his older brother Tom had a huge fight with their parents and stormed out. He faced the deadly generation gap sweeping through the country in the late

60s and early 70s.

In addition, this unsettledness also explained the popularity of the Peanuts cartoons.

Despite all of the differences between generations, everyone agreed that they loved Peanuts except Franzen’s parents, his dad never read the funnies, and his mom only liked a strip called “The Girls”, which sounded like a prototype Cathy. In fact, Charlie Brown was a loser but Franzen were a winner. He was the king of spelling bees in the school. In addition, when a new kid challenged him, he stepped up his game and made the kid cry. Later he felt guilty about the boy in his class, and about being mean to a frog as a kid and about the wash clothes at the bottom of the closet which didn’t got used enough and even about the stuffed animals who didn’t got cuddled enough. Charlie once said, “Everything I do makes me feel guilty”. In the comics, Schultz did not go to art school and always had an inferiority complex about his masculinity. He had good heart and did not like drawing caricatures

43 because he was sure people felt bad enough regarding their large nose or ears that he should not draw attention to them. Despite that kindness, Schulz could hold a grudge: “Here was a kid totally dedicated to what he was going to do. And to label then something that was going to be like peanuts was really insulting”. To the suggestion that thirty-seven years might have softened the insult, Schulz said, “No, no, I hold a grudge, boy”. What first made

“Peanuts” as “Peanuts” was cruelty and failure, and yet every “Peanuts” greeting card and blimp had to feature somebody’s sweet, crumpled smile?

His mother and father were fighting all the time, particularly hostile about the temperature in the house. His mom always too hot and his father were always too cold.

Finally, one night his father walked to the thermostat and saw that it was set to 68 even though a pale-blue arc between 72 and 78 degrees labeled “comfort zone.” His father wanted to be in comfort zone.

When he was ten, Elizabeth a young woman introduced German language to him.

However, he felt uncomfortable in sitting near to her, like a dental patient undergoing extended drilling. Elizabeth was the sister of a woman, who was the Austrain rail- equipment manufacturer, whom Franzen’s father helped to introduce American market. She came from Vienna at his parent invitation, to practice her English and experience life with

American family. She also privately hoped to explore the new freedom that European had heard were sweeping America. After some days, she left the house but he did not learn the language.

When he was a child, he was a member of a Christian youth group called Fellowship.

It sponsored by the First Congregational Church, with some help from the Evangelical

United Church OF Christ down the street. A local Republican lawyer’s son, Bob Roessel, controlled the congregation. When he visited soyhwest, he fell in love with Navajo culture

44 and decided to become a missionary. Franzen was around thirteen at that time and still small, squeaky and shy. Even the group was hard for him to accepted, he felt very snug and secure in the group. He described about the Christendom in Americas 70s. Through the fellowship, he got the friendship of many friends. The group had made collages about protecting the environment and did skits about navigating the emotional crises of seventh and eighth grade. They wrote haikus on the theme of friendship and read them aloud. His parents did not accept the tour in the group, Franzen felt badly irritated. When his parents gone out for European countries, for three weeks stealthily he gone for the tour. However, he reached the church, the situation was not the same, because people were smoking cigarettes and playing on their own. Unfortunately, he lost his lunch, when he informed it to his teacher, she consoled him by saying, “everyone in the class will offer some of their food, and don’t worry”. During the camp, the head of the group, Bob Mutton, influenced Franzen.

Bob was not afraid of tough people. He wore an army jacket and talked like a pissed-off tough person himself. Bob had over looked the entire Fellowship operation, with its 250 kids and several 12 advisors. In the seventies, the revolution started in the youth of

America. Though he tried to get close to girls, he was not succeeding in it. This was the time that he developed himself as a more confident young man.

When he was sixteen, he and his friends planned to play pranks for other people, especially at school. An organization made the students to go on with their first project.

Their first project was for example to tie around a flagpole. The flagpole, which was forty feet tall, stood on an apron of concrete near the high school’s entrance, on Selma Avenue. It was too thick at the base to shinny up easily, and a fall from the top could be fatal. None the boys had the ladder more than twenty feet. Therefore, Franzen and his friend Davis volunteered to build a device, consisting of ropes and a pulley and a long board that would convey a tire from the roof to the pole and drop it over.

45 After much effort, they managed to reach the flagpole. The object of their fixation was not more than twelve feet away from them. Its skin of aluminum paint matched the cloudy bright suburban sky behind it, and it was hard to see. They had a goal to reach and struggled to get there. However, it did not go well. They fell down distressingly.

In his tenth grade, Franzen wanted to build a refracting telescope by scratch with an equatorial mount and tripod. His father made it by himself, on seeing the struggle of

Franzen. His father cut threads in iron pipe for the mounting, poured concrete in a coffee can for the base of the tripod, and made a cunning lens mount out of galvanized sheet metal, machine screws and pieces of a plastic ice-cream carton. The only part build by Franzen was the eyepiece holder, which rendered the rest of it practically useless.

During that time, he realized, he was not anymore a kid driven by hundreds of fears and thoughts but just a stupid, thoughtless and happy teenager having fun with his friends.

He discovered poetry himself and encountered with a romantic experiences too. The experience served as the happiest time in his life.

Franzen studied German and had lot of love for language. He discovered his love for

Rilke and Kafka. Being a child in alien country, he faced number of embarrassments. When he was in Munich for his studies, he had his first experience of sexuality. He tried to found a girlfriend without any luck. His first girlfriend Merrell had dumped him. She was a brainy Fellowship girl with coltish corduroy legs and straight brown hair that reached to the wallet in her back pocket. He met her in the congregation. She had corrected his most egregious mannerisms and his most annoying misconceptions about girls. However, later she started avoiding him and got busy with other friends. She applied for transfer to a local private academy for the gifted and the well-to-do. Mystified and hurt, he renounced what

Fellowship had taught him to call the “stagnation” of romantic attachments.

46 When Franzen was depressed of his girlfriend, his father was the one, who stand beside him. He was the rational and enlightened ally, the powerful engineer, who helped him to act against the ever-invading sea of his mother. Though he loved his son, he had suspicion that adolescents were getting away with something: that their pleasures insufficiently trammeled by conscience and responsibility. He even commented on Franzen as “You have demonstrated a taste for expensive things, but not far the work it takes to earn them”.

When he was fifteen, his fellowship friend Hoener and Franzen struck up a poetic correspondence. She lived in a different school district, and one Sunday in the summer, she came to his home, spent afternoon with him. Both shared romantic views of childhood. He proposed, their parents controlled her but their friendship continues. Therefore, Franzen started to send more letters to her. He lived two lives as an official fifteen-year-old boy and the unofficial adolescent.

When his friend informed him about the occult of Mars, he made a confession about him and his connection with nature. He described nature as

“I was moved for the same reason that snow had moved me as a child, for its transformative enchantment of ordinary surfaces. The long rows of dark houses, their windows dimly reflecting streetlights, were as still as armored knights asleep under a spell”

(My Bird Problem, The Discomfort Zone: A Personal History).

At the same time, he got deep into the German literature and interested lots of pieces.

He often recited passages in German, analyzed them, wrote his thoughts, and registered how he felt about them. He referred the stories of the characters in the books to his own life, spent a lot of time figuring out their situation, and analyzed why they did certain things.

47 While in Munich, he gone out for parties, meeting with girls but never had luck with any one of them. It was a strange and interesting nature of Franzen, who connected the entire tragic hero in the books, with himself. Literature influenced him to that extent. Tom his brother was the best friend of Franzen and later started to watch pornography. However, his parents were disappointed with him. They did not like the way he led his life.

Years passed. Franzen became a writer, well-established writer. As a grown up man, he went on a trip with his friend Manley to watch birds. Franzen has become a fanatic birder who tried to spot out as many different species as possible. There was no better place for birds in February than South Texas. Although Manley had been down in the field for thirty years earlier, as a teenage birder, it was wholly new world to him.

In three days he had seen fetchingly disheveled anis flopping around on top of shrubs, Jurassic-looking anhinga sun-drying their wings, squadrons of white pelicans gliding downriver on nine-foot wingspans, a couple of caracaras eating a road-killed king snake, an elegant trogon and a crimson-collared grosbeak and two exotic robins all lurking on a postage-stamp Audubon Society tract in Weslaco. For him, it was boring part, with nothing happened except some spectacular birds he found. On their way back to Brownsville they stopped, to admire a lushly green-girdled blue Resaca with the setting sun behind them. The delta in winter was too beautiful to stay embraced in for long. Franzen got out of the car, and stood silent amid the shadowed side of the water, floating nonchalantly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The way magical creatures in nature behaved was more beautiful too see.

He was not a professional bird catcher. However, to his surprise, he started to worry about the environment and the problem with the global warming. He got married but it did

48 not go well. Later he got a girlfriend by whom; he wanted to have a baby. However, it too did not happen.

He often tried to get away from realty and got a bigger bird-fanatic. Often went on birding- trips to get the view of some more species. The ardent bird lovers in Texas referred to birds collectively as the resource. Texans liked to use the oxymoron wildlife management. They were comfortable with hunting and viewed birding as a nonviolent version of it. To be Texan was to take pride in the beauty and diversity of Texan wildlife.

In her last days, Franzen’s mother suffered from cancer. Several times, she had undergone surgery and at last moved to the Northwestern part of America. In the last two years of her life, she paid more attention to the sale price of other houses in her neighborhood. Franzen begin to love his mother when she was undergoing a year of chemotherapy and radiation and living by herself. Her bravery astonished him. His mother was his last living list to a web of Midwestern relations and traditions that he begins to miss the moment when she was gone. When she died, had made a clear pint that there was no better way to honor her memory and validate the last decades of her life than to sell the hose for a shocking amount of money. She passed away on an August morning, while major

American city destroyed by a hurricane. The calamities made by Katrina hurricane shake the citizens of America. The dreams of people were shattered down. Franzen added that

“why should I pay the money for the victims? It is the duty of government”. He even criticized the policies passed out by the then president, George Bush.

Franzen and his family wanted to sell their house for a considerable price. His mother wished to sell the house for about $35, 000, 000, and 00. When Franzen was in the house, three people, who came to buy the house, visited him. The first one was a 21th century women, who did not had the eyes of beauty in appreciating the house. The second

49 retailer was a women Pat and her daughter Kim, came to buy the house for Kim for her later life. The third one was Mike, middle-aged women, who loved and fascinated the traditional value of house. At last, they managed to sell the house for $3, 10, 000, and 00. The furniture of the house labeled for sale and it done so. Franzen had taken very few things from his house as kitchenware, photo albums, some pillows and a tool chest that his great grandfather had made and a painting of a ship that could have been the Dawn Trader. In addition to that, he took small objects like an onyx banana, a Wedgwood candy dish, a pewter candlesnuffer, a brass niello-handled letter opener, with matching scissors, in a green leather sheath. One major thing Franzen realized was that the house was the novel of his mother, which lost its zone of comfort after her death.

In eighties Franzen and his wife lived happily in Boston. They spent thrilling, superhuman amounts of time. When domestic atmosphere really did begin to overheat, they fled from New York to a Spanish village where that did not know anybody and the villagers hardly even spoke Spanish. They started to react for minor fights at breakfast by lying face down for hours at a time, waiting for acknowledgement of their pain. They had a car that did not last longer. Then, they bought a new one, which did not cause much pollution to the environment.

The summer of the year, had been hottest on record in North America and rural

Spain had been a spectacle of unchecked development and garbage-strewn hillsides and diesel exhaust, and after the dismantlement of the Berlin Wall the prospect of nuclear annihilation was receding somewhat. He ended up the story as “a real man’s life and in a real life you cannot just cancel some parts or change them to make it more interesting”.

Texans did not seem to lose much sleep over the division between nature and civilization. His life was full of difficulties, sometimes very unclear and confusing, with

50 many thoughts rushing in, sometimes happy with clear target in sight. A hard childhood, a happy adolescence, a complicated life as a grown up, full of turbulences and confusions made his life a more American piece of work.

The next chapter discusses the themes in the novels “The Freedom”, The

Corrections” and “The Discomfort Zone: A Personal History” in relation with the title for study “Apocalyptic Speculation” and the images traced in the selected novels.

51 Chapter VI

Jonathan Franzen’s Universal Apocalyptic Speculations

This chapter presents the universal apocalyptic speculations about American life as presented in the novels, The Freedom, The Corrections and The Discomfort Zone: A

Personal History, by Jonathan Franzen.

The novel, Freedom, deals with the life of a couple Walter and Patty. At the first reading, it seems to be simple narration; the gradual development of the story marks the significance of morality and principles in one’s life. The major crisis discussed is “Coal

Company and the corruption behind it”. Generally, people are so dump to the follies that happens around them. But once they got their mind, they will arise for the better change.

Similarly, the coal project of government signed an agreement with Walter. The land for coal has to be devastated. Without considering the resources of people and nation, government passed such an order. Coalmines have employment opportunities for the laborers but it costs life of people. If the space has to be devastated, the big question mark will be remain unanswered regarding livelihood and survived of the inhabitants. By calling the project as “Free Space”, people’s scope and space for surviving has shrunken. In the name of republican, Vin Haven, for his own profit, wanted to merge his company with coal industry.

Population is the major reason to ‘Free Space”. The bosses are clever enough to steal the hearts of people by music. Richard has been given the new assignment to create an album based on controlling population. In the current scenario, the major problem is over population. There is a vast difference between population and over population. The former is the number of people but the latter is the number of people exceeding the environment.

War and its calamities always leave deep scar to world. The painful thing is that still people are on the side of war. In the case of Iraq, people hardly breathe. Everywhere gun

52 shots and deaths. Every now and then bunches of people are losing their life of no reason.

Innocent common men are being killed for the benefits of evil masters. Walter has a deal with LBI a big oil services multinational, which wanted to “provide body armor to the troops in Iraq”.

LBI wants to hire the inhabitants of west Virginians to manufacture body armor. On the one hand, people are getting a life with income by manufacturing armors but on the other hand, those armors takes away the life of many innocents. It is ironical but pathetically painful.

According to the researcher, War is going to be a business and it will costs lives.

This is the major speculation of apocalypse. Leading life without morality has become a fashion. In the story, Joey and Connie at first seem to be friends but later they become lovers. Joey deceiving Connie leads another love life with Jenna. Cheating on partner and betraying the loved one has played a significant role in the novel. Patty to her part, slept with

Richard, several times after she got married. She does not consider about her husband and children. Being on her is what directs patty. She even left her home and step in to Richard’s house. Faith, loyalty, patience and love will not present in the upcoming days as projected in the characters life.

Each character in the novel loses its temperament out of various such as personal, economical and frustration. The vicissitudes of life marks the level of happiness to low standards. People will be more mechanism and wander for peace centers around such plots.

Another significant idea discussed in prophetic wave is “harassments against girl or women”. At her teen age as seventeen, raped by a boy and it is the “most wretched hour of her life”. Connie too is harassed by Joey both physically and mentally. From the beginning of the world, injustices for women are happening all over the earth. Nevertheless, by the advent of poisonous scientifically developments and evilness, the rate of harassment will attain its highest watermark. Malechuvanism also depicted by the novelist.

53 Importance to materialistic life begins in the last few decades of the century. To live a luxurious life people are ready to do whatever it costs. Patty’s mother does not reveal her daughter’s harassed state, because the boy who raped is from a wealthy family. Money does everything blocking for love and care. For the sake of money and selfishness, each character does what it wants. Neither the guilty conscious nor the social structure affects those persons.

When years passed, things begin to change. Joey spends his days with Jenna but once he comes know about Connie’s affair, he is disturbed. This shows typical mindset of people.

Who want others to be legal but not themselves? Joey works in a subsidiary of body armor factory LBI. “How to stop American invasion and takeover Iraq”-is the job given to him.

America’s insecure state of living and its cunning plan against other nations analyzed and highlighted on such parts of the novel. On the whole, it may seem that America is developing and considered the wealthiest country. However, on the superfluous stage, it is trying to build its nation by exploiting other. The most cruel part is “killing the people of the own nation, in the name of “Free Space”.

A lake that mentioned in the story as “Nameless Lake” but the actual name is

“Canter Bridge Lake”. After years passed, Walter moved to the house along with lake. When

Patty visits him at first he avoided her. Then he forgives and allowed her to step into the house. The novelist has presented the wandering minds of people at different levels. Anyone may go wrong in their decisions without thinking about the consequences. Forgiving takes its role in unifying families. Years passed. Both Walter and Patty decided to check in with their children and left the house as bird sanctuary.

According to the title Freedom, each character in the plot is stuck up with various problems like money, Loyalty, faith and responsibility. Everyone enslaved by some sort of iniquities or likings. They are over attached to their likings. America is in the decline of

54 spiritual and economical stages. Rather than being with God and family Americans are bounded up with insecularism. By the symbol of bird sanctuary, one idea is clear that

American people will go through chaos and crisis but at last, that will surrender at certain point either at the end or at the point of realization.

Memories always leave great impact. In the same way, the Berglund’s family is remembering Lalitha the secretary of Walter, who passed away in a car accident. High fence around the property projects the meanness of people and love of goodwill is in its last breathe.

The plot of corrections stress on various issues both mentally and physically. The couple Alfred and Enid’s love for their children draws the love of parents for their kids.

Enid’s wish is to gather all the family members for one last Christmas. Nation like America gives more significance to the eve of Christmas. However,unfortunately, each member of the family is scattered and no one wishes to visit St. Jude. The essence of family and its peaceful atmosphere lacks in American families. Characters are so mean and do not want to spend life for others than for their own.

The mindset of two different generations portrayed in the story. Alfred and Enid, who want their children to be loyal, good and responsible, When Alfred came to know about his daughter Denise’s affair with one of her co-worker, strived to save her by falling into false hands. He even quits his job. He wants to be a virtuous father. Enid too warns Denise not to do such a crucial action to Denise’s husband by getting divorced.

Gary, Enid’s eldest son, is also reason for old couple misery. Enid is eager to visit her grandson but it remains a dream. Regarding the work of Chip, her happiness is boundless but what Chip does and his bad state is not known to her. The younger generation

Gary, Denise and Chip does not have little amount of love or affection towards their parents.

For them, everything is burden and each time someone has to push them forward to do

55 something. Losing their mind even to silly issues they lead a bitter life that goes on like a wanderer. The novelist has given vivid picture of two generations that has small different in age but bigger difference in mindset. The present generation of America is going through such a dilemma of thoughts.

The devastation of railroads, building prisons, prison management, gourmet coffee, and financial services show the increasing rate of crimes. Railroads and trains are signs of connecting people. However, prisons are of isolating people for their errors or isolating people from the world. Crimes are happening all over the world, it is an undeniable facet.

Pathetically those crimes are at its highest rate in the modern world. There is a dilemma prevailing between whether to be happy for the developments or to be sad for the foils around world. A number of families depend on the railroad-laying project for survival. Once it is changed into prison, building company families, labors and common person become bare handed once again.

Alfred is suffering from Denise finds out that, there is going to be a new treatment for her dad’s disease. Correcktall will renew and improve the hard wiring of an adult human brain. On one hand, diseases are being invented and on other hand, medicines are readily available. This seems to be fishy. A new trend of medicinal business that is developing in a nation threatens or will threaten the mass.

In the past, medicines are the ones that save the lives. Contradictory nowadays lives are being taken by medicines and hospitals. The major reason behind this is that everything has become business. One should not deny the fact that all modern developments are solely for the upliftment and welfare of people. At the same time people’s ambitious minds too are developing. Alfred, though given good treatment, died. Then what is the use or significance of such developments.

56 Another sensational issue discussed by Franzen in prophetic vision is drugs. Enid is addicted to the drug called Aslan. Aslan is prohibited by the American government. Other than America, other countries have not banned that anyone can find Aslan in all countries.

But Enid to get peaceful sleep and being addicted always in want of it. On her voyage, she met different couples from various nations and reminded of Aslan.

In general, an illegal market of drug is becoming bigger and it tries to spoil the health and minds of innocent people. From the side of the government it takes plenty of steps to stop those kinds of bad markets but no plans of government can be successful unless people support. American people ignore the implements and do not want to get rid of drug. They are not only spoiling themselves, in addition, they are responsible for the decline of nation’s development.

Although drugs banned inside the state, no one looks into the area of banning it all bovver the world. Because, on the superfluous stage, even officials and politicians, support the usage of drugs through wealthy corporations. Each corporate company hides its treacherous face behind the mask of good. If servants of public begin to serve for their own selves what will be the state of public? One thing those corporate lack to notice is they too are public and can be affected by its consequences. This will be the condition if drugs are allowed.

Being spendthrift, Chip faces lot of difficulties in his life. When he got a job offered by Gitanas. Chip’s life turns upside down. The job given to him is, to build fake websites extolling Lithuania’s virtues. If he does so, the investors from other countries invest lots of money on Lithuania and the economical state of the city increased. The city is going through an economic crisis and international corporations had purchased much of the country’s infrastructure leaving government without resources to properly run the country. Inviting other countries to invest by fake virtues and websites is the most vicious act. Many of the

57 world’s nations are supporting such kinds of cunning activities. Bankruptcy is prevailing problem that forces everyone to involve in such actions.

Ironically, Gitanas wants to create fake websites for the welfare of the city. Behind the mask, he schemes to stuff all those money into his own pockets. The most ironical thing is gaining money out of wrong ways and saving it for his own sake. He is happy with his new idea of corruption, when new parody website “Democracy for profit” created to present

“plight of small debtor nations”. Another website is of kick starter-style one that offers absurd rewards like “no-hassle adoptions of Lithuanian girl babies”.

All of a sudden, everything goes bad. Investors come to know about their intrigues and rose against the company. Franzen gives an alarm to those evil doers, as people will rose up one day, if they do, no more intrigues will play its witchery. It is a warning to the future world’s welfare.

Franzen’s claim of giving significance to the talents of young ones is being stressed on Chip’s story. Chip has the ability of writing screenplays for dramas. If he gets proper direction, he may shine as a better dramatist or even a writer. But the society dumps him. No one is there to listen to his plot and appreciate his talents. A number of young ones are really gifted with plenty of talents. Unfortunately, no one is ready to offer those chances and life.

People with money easily get through all sorts of hindrances, but those who do not have money suffer. Again, this is a warning given to the government, to the world: If the government lacks to offer opportunities to the deserved they will turn or arise with mightier powers.

As per the wish of Enid, the family gathers for Christmas Eve. They are all happy and they converse a lot. Once the eve gets over, again family scatters up. The novelist’s earnest appeal is to be one with family. Because, Americans are following the principles of family and unity only in words. Whether it is present in their action or not remains

58 unanswered. The children go on their wish. Alfred passed away. Enid finally wants to makes some changes in her life. People’s quest for freedom is at their hands but them never tries to notice it. Based on the title, The Corrections, one has to be corrected, unless that are aware of what is to be corrected, corrections could not be made. “What are the things to be corrected in future?” is the major theme of the novel that explains the vices too, that will be going to happen.

An autobiographical novel that speaks more about novelist’s mother is The

Discomfort Zone: The Personal History. Education nowadays is being treated as business.

Franzen’s mother is receptionist for a doctor. She loves to visit various places. One can see her quest for adventures and travelling. She is fond of collecting stamps. By her character, one can find typical women whose interest is mainly to have a happy family. She gives lots of importance to family.

According to her, “Home is the foundation of true happiness in America-much more the foundation than the church or the school can ever be” (Franzen, The Discomfort Zone review). Having a family and living with it boosts up a person’s or individual’s life. Many children do not know the qualities of a family, what a family is and how it should be.

Because, some may be orphans or in workhouses. Such people do not know what a family is all about. Americans are running behind money and knowledge. But they are not aware of the fact that, they are getting away from their own family.

Even some Americans try to worship God, without considering the family. How will the individual understand the love of God, if he or she hates families? Generally, each human being wants to own a separate house. It is been a dream for everyone. One, who gets the fulfillment of the desires, realizes the true happiness. Overestimation about oneself is also one of the crises. Some are over confident and try to do different action but all are vain unless he/she loves others.

59 Whatever one may do, if it is not good, it will end in disrespect. One of the finest examples is politicians who think themselves as ‘smart’ are always selfish or of no use. They are not going to serve the public. Either they are useless or present in politics for their own sake.

Before a few decades, everything was pure and lively. Franzen even describes his staying in the place Missouri as “Golden Age”. However, it is all gone, once various schemes are implemented. A general theory is, Schemes, plans and welfare should develop the country, should not destroy it. Contradictory to this statement, America’s plans and schemes are collapsing cultural traditions.

If this state continues to followed, to be sure America will soon face its decline in the world’s ranking. The major issue is tax rates. Paying tax is acceptable but it becomes burden, once it exceeded the salary. A common man will start to suffer. Taxes are the way to corruption. Pathetic truth is that the government collects taxes only from the common man from his daily wages. Rich and luxurious people are enjoying the grace of government. This is a great injustice. This stage will prevail in America. Corporate, rich and fame persons will suppress the labor class, for their own developments.

At first people fought against racism. The discrimination between the black and the white was stopped. The present scenario is different. This will arise as an equality problem because it is being constantly denied to great mass of USA.

Boon of modern age is cartoons. Previously, people are entertained by dramas and clowns. By the advent of modern technology, cartoons came into existence. Everyone begin to love it. At first, cartoons are generally to amuse the audience. Later, lots of virtuous qualities too attached to it. All generation men love cartoons. One of the popular cartoons during 60s and 70s is peanuts. Franzen’s parents never have special liking for those amuses.

This shows the mindset of post-modern people, who are not interested in petty things.

60 Notable point that is apocalyptic one is children’s use of internet in wrong way.

Internet and websites are for the welfare of people. But it has evil side too. Franzen too mentioned those kinds of actions that cause evilness in the pure heart of a kid. Some countries have banned such websites in their country. America to its extreme never cares about, what will be the future of next generation or what good things are to be taught to children. In seventies, America was at its peak of Christendom. Fellowship was maintained.

Each member of the church are taken into account and given proper sermons. In the case of young people and children, groups are created and all the members of the group visit a place and preach God’s words.

They train believing in God and standing in faith. That could make new friends and close relationship with one another. Such camps even kindle believers to serve for God as a missionary. Lots of missionaries and pastors are seen through seventies and eighties.

Everyone hoped for a better future. On contradictorily, today’s world or America is in its worst part of believing God. Rather God they have different interest and ideas. No one is ready or willing to work for God.

Nature is God’s gift. Without nature, no living being on earth can survive. It has mesmerizing mighty power in its view. Ancestors live their life by being one with nature.

Twentieth century was at its high watermark of natural resources. But the upcoming days will be plundered of those blessings. Franzen’s love of nature shows his longing of blessed life in future.

A great tragedy faced by American people was Katrina. The Katrina cyclone destroyed everything they had. Life cycle was collapsed within a day. No one expected such a deadly calamity.

Power of literature throws more light on book and its importance. Number of books are written and each carries different sort of expressions and experiences. Probably, today’s

61 generation may be the last generation to read books. Because all fields of books has changed into e-format and the necessarily of books are partially reduced. If this prevails, future generation will miss the essence of reading. What is reading and books, how it be helpful will remain unknown to those people. The final chapter deals with the idea of universalism in the selected novels of Jonathan Franzen, the apocalyptic speculations presented in the novels and the prophetic visions of Franzen through literature.

62 Chapter VII

Conclusion

Universalism is a theological and philosophical concept that some ideas have universal application or applicability. A community that calls itself Universalist may emphasize the universal principles of most religions and accept other religions in an inclusive manner, believing in a universal reconciliation between humanity and divine. The idea of universalism is found in all selected three novels of Jonathan Franzen. He witnesses the vision of future that will happen in earth. On the surface level, each idea presented in the works expresses typical American life. The hidden morality is those notions are applicable to everyone among the earth. Complex but vivid raging of tumult clearly emphasize the last days are near. Believing in one truth that marks its worthiness is considered to be the universalism. The world is the same to everyone. It almost change until, one do.

Morality as universal truth lacks in the minds of people. One could not attribute this to any individual because, all similarly situated individual, regardless of culture, race, sex, religion, nationality, sexual orientation or any other distinguishing feature. All human beings in this universe are gradually coming out of moral boundaries. For instance, Gitanas from

“The Corrections” wants to be so rich by plundering others work. In the past, people are even afraid to do mistakes. There were mistakes and evil doers. One cannot deny that. But the rate of crimes was low. Nevertheless, nowadays, as the researcher views NOT SIINING

IS A SIN. The mentality of world has changed to this sort of level. Their hearts are numb to evils. Universally, this is the attitude of each being. Being selfish and living for their own makes one to do vices at its extreme. Individuals are building the nation. In the case, if individuals got deviated from moral path, definitely, the nation too will deviate.

Universalism is not only is a set of values, but a worldview to which any can subscribe if they observe and believe in the universality of the human experience and work

63 to uphold the principles, ethics, and actions that safeguard those fundamental things. While discussing moral ethics, one would not ignore universalism in Christian theology. It teaches that an eternal hell does not exist and is not what Jesus taught. Some of the early church fathers are Universalists and attribute the beginning of the idea of hell as eternal to mistranslation and as a later creation of the Catholic Church.

The beliefs of Christian universalism are compatible with Christianity in general:

1. God is the loving parent of all people

2. Jesus Christ reveals the nature and character of God and is the spiritual leader

of human kind

3. Mankind is created with an immortal soul which death does not end and

which God will not wholly destroy.

4. Sin has negative consequences for the sinner either in this life or in the

afterlife. All of God’s punishments for sin are corrective and remedial and

none of them will last forever, or result in the permanent destruction of a

soul.

Something that is common to “all people”, quality of universalism. Corruption as mentioned in the work does not belong only to America. It is a deadly disease, strengthens its foundation in all nations. From the lower level to the upper level, corruption is increasing tremendously. This will be a more painful reality about the future world. Sectors like government and official ones breathe in corruption. People’s life has exploited in the form of corruption.

Consequences are the reflection of what one does, whether it is correct or not. In today’s fast moving world, corrupted actions are happening as a day-to-day activity. People are not aware of its reflections yet. Franzen throws a warning in his novels as, the time for

64 consequences are not far, behold, the time has come. Better, come out of all sins and repent.

Corruption accepted as a universal quality yet No one realizes its consequences.

While looking at universalism through Franzen’s words, looking at tomorrow, it invites us to open a dialogue today, to look at the future. The future is made of present’s iniquities it is made of encounters, because life flows through individual’s relationship with others. Whether each nation is following this life cycle or not remains mystical. Because, country and nation has become more cunning and often shows more interest on destroying each other. In “Freedom”, manufacturing body armor for the troops in Iraq is the painful instance for prevailing situation. In the past, the nuclear attacks like Hiroshima and Nagasaki costs lives and wealth of the country. In the same way, two world wars left deep scars in the hearts of people. No other instances are required to know and analyze war’s deadly face.

Still people are in want of war and are ready to do whatever it requires. Countries like Iran,

Iraq, Russia, Pakistan stealthily gets weapons and armors from other nations. These activities not only encourages was but also black market of weapons. America is at its extreme of black market. In addition, many countries too support for this black market of weapons. Not only weapons other resources also purchased in black markets, for instance medicine, food and electronic particles. The major reason weapons are invented is to defend the self not to kill others. Unfortunately, its purpose has been misleading by cunning manipulation.

Life is, not time merely passing by life is about interactions. The world has to restore its connections to a healthy state. If nations lack to reconcile, the rancor that is only going to hurt everyone is all instances of a fight that happened between nations, a flare deep in heart that needs to be extinguished before it goes up in flames, leaving only ashes behind. All those iniquities and calamities can only be stepped, when their lives gift of harmony between the whole and each single component.

65 Scientific and technological developments are for the welfare of people rather than for their degradation of life. Chip from “The Corrections” tries to spy on other countries and creates fake websites. This is the ultimate level of crime nowadays. How wonderful would it be if the growth of scientific and technological innovation would come along with more equality and social inclusion? Franzen’s major claim through universalism is it would be wonderful if solidarity, beautiful and inconvenient word, not simply reduced to social work and became the default attitude in political, economic and scientific choices, as well as in the relationships among individuals, people and countries.

Only by educating people to a true solidarity, the future world will be able to overcome the “culture of waste”, which does not concern only food and goods but first and foremost, the people who are cast aside by new techno-economic systems, which are now placing products at their core, instead of people. The story of today’s humanity is that people’s paths riddled with suffering as everything centered on money, and things, instead of people.

Theologically many signs are responsible in marking the end. Nothing is confined to any single nation. Everything has become common to everyone. Significantly, signs like earthquake, cyclone, floods and famine are universal calamities that are applicable to each person. In “The Discomfort Zone”, the cataclysm of Katrina tornado screws up lots of lives.

From rich to poor, everyone become same. People lost their home, money and life too.

Victim rate was too high. Even after years, people are not able to come out of its afflictive face.

Such debacles make one to remember his/ her existence in this world. The researcher claims on the opinion that whatever one may be, one may do and whatever his/ her life’s path is on, nature will always remain potent.

66 Other areas like economic and science may confine to specific nations, to some extent.

However, in the case of natural disasters, universalism is highly acceptable.

In the past, a miracle performed by Jesus serves as proof to Christians that he is the

“one true God”, and that a miracle performed by another religion’s deity had served as a contradictory proof to its own adherents, the universalist approach resulted in any such miracle being accepted as a validation of all religions, a situation that has been characterized as “Miracle- workers of the world, Unite!” Creation is a miracle that speaks the glory of

God.

Everyone worship the same god, but under different names and in different ways.

Carried for enough, this modern technology would allow Christian miracles to support, not undermine, belief in the supernatural achievements of stone age witch doctors and medicine men and vice versa.

A significant and crucial issue is the presence of the nations in the visions of the new creation. They did not worship the beast and its image nor receive its mark. Hence, they are different nations than those judged in revelation.

The clash between government and the people is throwing more light in his novels.

To compensate loses of Katrina, government has implemented various steps and even asked other parts of the country to join hands in helping the victim. Nearly half of the population gave their support. However, on the other side, people denied to give their support. They believed that Government is of the people, for the people and by the people. Then why should people pay on money to help the victim. This shows the communication gap between both sides. Either people may dissatisfy with the government or government may decline the strike of people. Whatever, it may, once a person fed up with the government, everything collapses. The political, economic and philosophical state of a nation will not serve be peaceful one. Franzen records his heatedness for the then government. Still now,

67 governments are implementing plans for their sake rather than people’s. It has become more treacherous one. Life has been madea difficult task, nowadays.

Apocryphal writings that support Universalism is, it seems to be the apocalypse of

Peter, the apocalypse of Elias, the oracles and a work called “Acts of the Apostles”. To quote:

And unto them, the godly, shall the almighty and immortal God grant another

boon, when they shall ask it for him. He shall grant them to save men out of

the fierce fire and the eternal gnashing of teeth; and this will he do, for he

will gather them again out of the everlasting flame and remove them else

whither, sending them for the sake of his people unto another life eternal and

immortal, in the Elysian plain where are the long waves of the Acherusian

lake exhaustless and deep bosomed. (The Scarlet Thread of Redemption,

NKJV, 2009)

It might seem strange to discover universalistic themes in an apocalyptic writing devoted in large measure to divine judgment. Most discussions of a New Testament universalism center on certain Pauline or deuteron- Pauline texts or the natural theology embedded in acts. But contrary to what one might expect, the apocalypse of John may also be the bearer of a redemptive vision that includes all of human kind. In a pluralistic religious setting, where Christian claims for the finality of Christ rub shoulders with competing or different claims, Christians need to know what their own scriptures say.

From time to time, there are traces of universality in God’s love that reaches beyond judgment. Those who argue for an absolute universalism or some kind of universalism without judgment miss this profound point of the apocalypse, a point that can scarcely be overlooked in a book replete with judgment. Yet there is also the reality of the new heaven and earth and the vision of the redeemed creation- including the nations and their glory.

68 “John doesn’t envisage the salvation of a tiny handful and the destruction of the vast majority of mankind. He sees God as bringing “the gentiles” into His holy city. God’s purpose for man will not be frustrated” (The Revelation of Jesus Christ, The Author of

Revelation, NKJV).

The very structure of the apocalypse reveals a universalistic vision. The phrase “the universalistic possibility” is to be an appropriate and compelling summary of the evidence in the apocalypse. It neither shuts the door completely to anyone, even the rebellious kings and their deceived followers, nor does it automatically open the door to everyone, regardless of their conduct. It allows the possibility of god’s redemptive goal for all, yet leaves its actuality to God and God alone. “There is a wisdom in God’s mercy, like the wideness of the sea; there is a kindness in his justice which is more than liberty for the love of God is broader than the measures of man’s mind, and the heart of the eternal is most wonderfully kind” (The Last Things, NKJV, 2009). “The gates are indeed wide open; the invitation of the spirit and Bride is extended to all. God and the Lamb have some surprises in store. However, what these are for must be left to God and God alone” (The Last Things, NKJV, 1351p).

Overall, apocalypse and its qualities found largely in the selected novels of Jonathan

Franzen. The significant idea that Franzen stress on is

1. The things which you have seen

2. The things which exist

3. The things which will take place after this

Regarding Daniel and Revelation, foretold prophecies took place already. The world has seen it. Some apocalypses are yet to be happening. The world is waiting for it. In the same way Franzen’s novels are filled with apocalyptic events that will take place. Even some of the visions are already happening. Modern world is a prey for those seekers of vices.

69 Eschatology, the study of last things, must always keep two facets in focus

1. The incapability of man’s knowledge in foreseeing the future.

2. The absolute certainty of God’s accomplishing perfectly His Divine Will

In eschatology, there is both a forth-telling and a foretelling. The point is this “While there is certainty of the coming of the last things, they should not be studied in isolation of the present situation. While holding the hope of things to come, the last things should also inform one about God’s purpose for one now in living righteously” (The Last Things,

NKJV)

Hence, what today’s world is in need of is compassion, concern, contact and the avoiding of camouflage. Today is a day of substitutes. Everyone is substituting a reason for their vicious life. It is not only thinking high thoughts. How can one think high thoughts without even the presence of basic nature of humanity? The world needs salvation from its present life. To quote Joseph Addison Alexander lines

There is a time, we know not when.

A place, we know not where;

Which marks the destiny of Men

To glory or despair

……………………………………

Human feels perchance that all is well

And every fear is calmed;

They live, die, walk in hell

Not only doomed, but damned! (1-24, NKJV, 1350p)

Franzen’s predictions are yet to fulfill. There are plenty of chances for his apocalypses to take place. His universal apocalyptic speculations have the essence of verses from the Holy

Bible in the Second epistle of Timothy in Chapter III, verses 1 to 5:

70 Nevertheless, know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. Moreover, from such people turn away! (NKJV, 1234p)

71 Works cited

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