Commentary on “Clarity”

            There are countless themes in literature that transcend time and attempt to both understand and emulate human behavior. Writers in the Renaissance period attempted to do this through examining the works of the ancients directly and by using self-examination. The purpose of a work of literature is usually to express some kind of knowledge of the nature of the human being, both in external actions and internal thought processes, and this is what the Renaissance writer attempted to do. By examining the ancients, they were able to develop relationships in contemporary human behavior and the behavior the ancients wrote about that served as models for the extension of ancient ideas into the Renaissance. To develop their ideologies further, Renaissance artists attempted to examine their own thought processes, and essentially, they themselves served as models for the multitude of famous characters that were produced in the period. By creating modern characters using timeless themes, the Renaissance artists bridged the gap between the reader and the emotion experience the artists has when creating a work, allowing the reader to enter the mind of the characters and develop a deep understanding of the nature of the work.

            In creating Clarity, I began as the Renaissance did and examined in great detail the nature of the work Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. After careful examination, there were several themes that were evident. Although they existed within a different historical context, it was through thinking of Don Quixote as a modern character that I was able to articulate situations in modern society that allude to the themes that Cervantes discusses explicitly in his work. In this way, I was able to not necessarily create but exemplify the modern disillusioned businessman who considers himself essential to the preservation of society, is misunderstood continually due to the withholding of his personal thoughts, and is not aware of his extreme pride. Focusing on these themes, I emerged myself in the life of this fictitious member of the New York elite, and attempted to enter the mind of the person I was trying to create. Soon, the development of themes that Cervantes explored was more a byproduct of my emersion into the life of my character than the intention of my writing.

            Don Quixote explores several themes that are essential to its connection with my work, Clarity. On several occasions, Don Quixote is misunderstood by those around him. His extreme actions in the context of the society into which he was placed seem alien and quite simply, stupid. Although in his mind his actions seem completely rational and necessary, those around him do not gain insight into his thought process. The worthiness of a person based on class is also a theme Cervantes explores in detail. Through situations in which Pancho exposes his thoughtfulness and sympathy towards those who are dealt injustice and situations in which the aristocratic class shows disdain and nonchalance, the author examines the prevailing belief in the time period was that a person’s worth is related to his rightful place in society. However, the reader is able to find more merit in Pancho the merciful than in the Duke and Duchess, who show indifference and impulse action. Don Quixote also demonstrates extreme pride in his mission, even though it might seem ridiculous to those around him. Cervantes demonstrates that the effectiveness and usefulness of pride is relative through the comical actions precipitated by Don Quixote’s deeply rooted pride. The most prevalent theme, though, is that of reality versus disillusionment. Don Quixote is extremely disillusioned and examines everything in a literal sense rather than interpreting things rationally. However, he finds happiness and purpose in his disillusionment, which can be interpreted as positive or negative, depending on the reader.

            The first theme I chose to explore in Clarity in a modern context was misunderstanding. The main character is not only misunderstood, but misunderstands much like Don Quixote. The only time he is misunderstood in the short story is when he is on the date at the Italian restaurant. When he chooses not to open the door for his date, his date takes it as a lack of courtesy or possibly even indifferent. She is probably correct in assuming the latter; however, it is not that the main character is not courteous, but that he simply does not believe he should be subjected to such practices considered acceptable or proper by modern society. The main character also continually misunderstands the people and things around him, most often because of his disillusionment. On his date in the restaurant, he mistakes the lack of a complaint about his tardiness to the restaurant as a show of respect. Although the reader is not given insight into the thoughts of his date, it can be assumed that she simply had an agenda and did not wish to compromise it.

            The main character also has a warped understanding of the relationship between worth and class. In the case of both the taxi driver and his date, he questions their intelligence based on their level in society. The taxi driver is perceived as unintelligent and unworthy because he is a taxi driver, and his date is perceived as unintelligent and unworthy of his company because her business has not been as successful as his. In both instances, the main character makes assumptions based on outward appearance and judges each person based on their occupation or lack of success when none of these characteristics define a person’s worth. In this way, the main character can be thought of as a representation of modern social class and prejudice.

            Pride is another theme I chose to explore, albeit more indirectly. It is extremely obvious that the main character is prideful of his powerful position in advertising in New York from his continuous bragging and assurance of his own intelligence compared to that of those that surround him. The article published in The New York Times, however, shows that his self-confidence is inflated beyond measure and that his pride is worthless; it only serves to validate himself within his own mind. Portraying the main character in this way, the dangers of pride and the self-ridicule that pride can cause are evident.

            The theme that runs through Clarity in its entirety and interlocks all subsequent themes is that of disillusionment. The main character is disillusioned in a variety of ways. First he is disillusioned about his importance to the society of New York. Although he feels that he is essential to the advertising business in New York, he is exposed as an heir to a financial foundation provided by his father. This disillusionment is further demonstrated by his dealings with those around him. He feels that he is of such importance, that other members of society should be subservient to him and cater to him, while the fact is that he is ridiculed for the way he conducts himself and the way he thinks so highly of himself. His reality is different than that of the taxi driver or his date. The taxi driver sees him as just another businessman that needs to be transported through the busy streets of New York and his date sees him, perhaps because of his discourteous actions at the restaurant, as just another one of “those” guys. This idea is demonstrative of thinking of reality as relative. The reality of each person varies greatly. To bridge this gap, communication must occur, and this is something that the main character lacks because of his pride sense of worth of those around him.

            The use of symbolism in Clarity is also prevalent. There is a general sense of fogginess or obscurity that is evident in the work that represents the main characters oblivion and misunderstanding of his surroundings. Not only does the main character die because of the fog, representing his self-articulated death as a result of his pride and disillusionment, but he is immersed in the fog of his misunderstanding. Extenuating on this idea, I purposely chose the name of the Italian restaurant to be Appannato, meaning “cloudy” or “tarnished” in Italian. I also chose the nature of the main character’s death purposely. In dying in the same taxi where the reader first encounters him exposing his prideful and arrogant nature, he dies in his own pride and arrogance. It is also purposeful that he dies with the taxi driver. He judges the taxi driver’s worth and competence based on his occupation, and in dying together, they are essentially equated, showing that the taxi driver was no less important or less of a valid member of society than the main character. In fact, they were both mentioned in the article in The New York Times and the main character was exposed for who he truly was. While the taxi driver was a servant to those who needed to be transported through New York, the main character was a servant to pride and ego.

            The process of creating a work of literature seeks to present some sort of culmination or summary of the thoughts of an artist on a particular subject. In creating Clarity, I looked to the classics much like the artists of the Renaissance did, for inspiration. Once I found that inspiration, I placed Cervantes’s Don Quixote in a modern context to create a contemporary character related to the famous one Cervantes created decades ago. My purpose in creating the disillusioned modern businessman was to warn against the dangers of misunderstanding, equating worth and social or economic standing, having excessive pride, and allowing one’s reality to be distorted by a variety of the aforesaid themes. Everyone, including modern politicians, company executives, and consumers, can relate to the situations in which my character is placed, and this provides the merit of my work.