Tom

Who is Tom Outland? Initially, the reader is only familiar with Tom through what the other characters in the novel mention. Although he is dead even before the novel begins, it is odd how much the reader feels like he or she already knows about him as a person within the first few pages and even before his “Southwest section” begins.

St. Peter seems to miss and identify with Tom the most. It seems to me that Godfrey thinks of Tom as a son. He repeatedly mentions that Tom was his star pupil and sporadically thinks to Tom during the course of the novel. He seems to be upset that Rosamond and her husband are living off the wealth that was made possible through Tom’s scientific discovery. He does not like how Rosamond flaunts her new-found wealth by buying expensive dresses and furs. He is also noticeable displeased that Rosamond and Louie will name their new house after Outland and how Louie treats Toms as if he was “his affair.” I took this to mean that he acted like the two of them had a personal relationship based on the way he speaks about Tom at the dinner party when instead he had never even seen him.

During the middle passage, the reader learns the most about Tom and his motives. Before, the reader was forced to rely on the opinions of thoughts of the other characters in the novel to obtain a picture of Tom. Through the “Southwest” portion of the novel, Tom is initially portrayed as a Romantic. He worked from a young age and encountered Rodney when he walks him home drunk after he wins at a night of poker. Tom seems to be the more practical of the two, especially when he picks up Rodney’s money that he with such “low regard for its value” dropped. The two begin a close male relationship that takes them to the abandoned Cliff City. The two work to excavate the remains of the village. Rodney sends Toms to Washington, with the money that he had won during that fateful poker game, to attempt to arouse governmental interest in the artifacts. After multiple failed attempts to secure the proper authorities to look at Cliff City, Tom returns defeated. This Washington journey in my opinion made Tom jaded and took away from of his dreamer qualities and made he more of a realist. Upon his return, Tom learns that Rodney sold the artifacts from Cliff City to a German collector at a very cheap price. Tom seems to take his very hard and acts like Rodney had stolen something from him. It was like he had lost a part of himself. After his, Rodney feels that he has betrayed Tom and abandons the friendship. Tom takes this very hard but after a time he journeys north to obtain an education where he encounters the St. Peters.

Tom was an interesting character. He seemed to be a brilliant student and a kindhearted boy. However, he also seemed like he was redeeming himself for pushing Rodney away by going off to fight in the war, which he later died in. It is strange how connected I felt to Tom although I guess technically he was not a main character in the novel.

for the love of money

There seems to be a clear battle between those who favor material things and those who would rather have a greater happiness among the characters in The Professor's House. Material possessions are an issue in the fist part of the book, and are placed in contrast through the very different marriages of the professor's daughters, with the professor and his wife in a kind of middle ground.

Rosamond and Louie have a relationship that is almost wholly based on money. It is kind of suggested that Louie marries Rosamond in order to get at Tom Outland's legacy, and that Rosamond allows this because he can market that legacy and make money off of it. When they talk they talk of nothing but money and what they are planning to do with their money. Often, Louie is the one to make the grand reveals whenever they complete some project, and especially whenever they do something nice. Rosamond seems to be a little more protective of her fortune, and she is less likely to share it, as we see with Augusta and the Cranes. They both appear to be superficially happy, but I don't think that either is really in love with the other.

Kathleen and Scott appear to be in love. Indeed, at one point they even tell each other “I love you,” something that we never see the other couples do. They are also the least well off of the family marriages. Kathleen seems to resent her sister's wealth, and especially the way it was acquired. She doesn't seem to resent the fact that Rosamond is wealthy, but that her wealth has changed her and was gained in a way that seemed to deny Rosamond's true sense of self and her love for Tom. Kathleen doesn't mind that her sister is wealthy, but she doesn't want that money to be held over her head.

Mr. and Mrs St. Peter are a middle ground. They are well-to-do, but not as extravagantly wealthy as Rosamond and Louie. Mrs. St. Peter seems to like the idea of being extravagant and having the best of everything, while Godfrey seems to recognize the utility value of money, but prefers stability to extravagant change, although many aspects of his opinion on money are unclear or undecided. They are a couple that has worn thin with time, but they still have some affection for each other, as is evidenced by the theater scene.

Even Tom Outland is not left untouched by quarrels over whether there are more important things than money. He loses his best friend, Rodney, over the sale of the Indian relics that they found on the mesa. Rodney was the closest thing that Tom ever had to a father or a brother, but when he sold the relics Tom was so mad that he did not stop Roddy from leaving. Tom clearly thought that there were more important things than money to be had in the world, and I don't think that he would have liked the way that Rosamond has turned out since she got the profits from his gas. Because Tom is portrayed as such a heroic character, I think that it is safe to say that this view of money is the one that Cather wants us to come away with, but it will be interesting to see how the rest of the book plays out, and what kind of view the professor ends up with.

The Professor's House: An Ode to Working Parents Everywhere?

In this particular novel, it centers on a professor in his fifties named Godfrey St. Peter, and follows his transitions from a new house to having new son-in-laws, and ultimately to his near death. I think what is so captivating about Godfrey is how completely normal he is. Unlike the other novels we have read in class, Godfrey's character is simple and his dissatisfaction with is life stems from its normalcy and separation of his family members. I feel that Godfrey could be anyone's father, and that the events that occur in his life are things our parents can all relate to.

After Godfrey's daughters marry and he starts his life in a new house, it seems that Godfrey has lost all interest in his life. He re-evaluates his life and sees no more pleasure,which could be because his daughters moved out, in addition to the death of his favorite pupil Outland.

I think that "The Professor's House" is really quite an interesting novel in terms of its ability to relate to modern day middle-age society. It never fails to surprise me that even some ninety years ago, family organization (or disorganization in some cases) has not changed much. I think that these events are all quite typical, and the feelings that Godfrey experiences are certainly not new to adults going through a mid-life crisis. I think that once the "last bird leaves the nest" most parents reevaluate their lives, because it has changed so much. Although Godfrey's reaction might be a little extreme, it is certainly not uncommon.

Ending of Wonder Boys

This book was truly an insight to the entire writing process. Even though it took place over such a short time it showed the creativity and the struggles a writer has to go through while writing a book. It sows how sometimes an idea is completely wrong and just needs to be thrown out or how easily it is to be sidetracked from working on one's piece. Chabon creatively mirrors Tripps work ethic to his life and illustrates through the situations GRady comes across how it effects or illustrates the way he is as an author. From the chaotic experiences and the never ending pathetic yet sadly comical situations he finds himself in throughout the novel shows how he is not able to find an ending to a 2000 page novel and how chaotic that book has become. this truly has been my favorite book we have read in class because of the way it was written and the way Chabon related Grady's life experiences over a weekend to a 2000 page book he has been writing for a while now, and how crazy his weekend was and it still seemed realistic. This novel was truly a pleasure to read and I'm ecstatic Professor Newman put this in the curriculum because it is a must read and I cannot wait to see the movie!!!!!!

Disjoint and disconnection leaves me befuddled

I rarely encounter books such as this where the plotline leaves me baffled, utterly lost for words. I have had to re-read every page more than once to grasp its content, yet still feel disconnected from the characters and plot. The first few pages of the novel initially lead me to believe that the book was literally about the Professor’s House, with its extended descriptions of the house. I was relieved to soon discover this was not the case, slowly absorbing details about this mysterious St. Peter, whose reason for being called a saint I am curious to know, as with other characters who addressed similarly.

So, we know that the Professor leads a busy life juggling family life and lecturing students. He loves teaching the youth, and plans his time carefully around his family. His Spanish Adventures, which he spent 15 years working on, gave him some commercial success. We’ve been introduced to his two daughters and his wife, provided intricate details of their physical appearances. But what does this contribute to the novel? Each chapter introduces new characters, but the linkage between the chapters confuses me, as it seems to be unrelated to the previous chapters. I have yet to discover the purpose of the novel, or what the character or plot developments are.

St. Peter is a most intriguing character. I find him overly critical, pushing the limits of acceptability at times. There is a particular instance in the second chapter where the narrator comments on how he even goes as far as criticizing the physical appearance of his eldest daughter, despite the fact that the rest of the world stares in awe at her beauty. This reoccurs in the seventh chapter when he again comments on the flaws of Rosamund. Should he not be proud of her beauty and be able to see beyond her stooped shoulders and tall frame, like a normal being? He seems a bit too involved in his work, almost robotic in the ways he isolates himself from the world. He is undoubtedly selfless though when it comes to his family, spending his entire earnings from his Oxford prize on buying a house for his family.

The focus of the novel is unclear in my eyes. With all of the separate plotlines revolving around his daughters, his son-in-laws, rivals such as Langtry, random swimming adventures with McGregor and company, I am unsure of who or what to focus on. It seems to be a month-by-month account of snippets of Godfrey’s life. Some scenes seem utterly pointless, such as the one where Kathleen asks Godfrey to help her choose furs. Where is this conversation heading? What is its purpose? The themes of the novel are not so obvious to me either. Marriage and wealth seem to be a prominent issue in the book, especially with the circumstances of his daughters, and Godrey’s reluctance to accept money from others such as Louie. But this does not stand out to me as the primary theme of the novel.

Character Breakdown

I find that this novel is more about the characters than it is the actual story. I am very interested in the development of the characters and how their true colors show through very vividly. Godfrey St. Peter especially intrigues me because he seems to have very distinct sides. Half the time, he seems disconnected from the world and his family. As a creature of habit, he only likes to write in one location, being the attic of his former house. He appreciates his alone time and also enjoys the lake, which, in its stillness, is a comfort to him. He is considered by many to be erudite and even thinks himself much too smart for his student. However, he is portrayed as being a source of comfort for his students, peers, and family. Many have come to him for help and advice and he always tries his best to accommodate their needs. I am interested to see where his story ends up at the conclusion of the novel.

Another character that makes me think is Louie Marsellus. I do not care for him because it seems as though he also tries to boast and put himself higher than everyone else. He is constantly grabbing the attention of Mrs. St. Peter and other people of status. I think that he is simply attempting to climb the social ladder more than he already has. I believe that he does not deserve the wealth he has come into due to Tom’s hard work. I also think that Rosamond, his wife and daughter of the St. Peter’s, is annoying. Her actions make one believe that she has actually convinced herself that she did something to gain the wealth she has because of Tom. I do not think that she deserves the money any more than Louie does and that they should use the money to help those in need, rather than doing with it “what Tom would want” and buying stuff for themselves. They seem to be completely oblivious to the fact that everyone sees them as snoods and unworthy of the fortune. They seem to be too wrapped up in their own affairs to look around at the people that actually need to money. The Marselluses are seen trying to “give back” by sending the St. Peter’s to the opera and to give them a nice life, but when it comes to the important events, they are unreliable. It seems to me that they are more in love with the money than they are with each other.

However, on the other hand, the other St. Peter daughter, Kathleen, and husband Scott to be so in love with each other. They are my favorite couple in the novel and they seem to by truly in love. Even if they are not as affluent as the Marselluses, they have each other and that makes them happy. Although Kathleen can be seen as jealous of Rosamond, I believe that she is truly the happier of the two sisters.

Unappreciative and deceitful individuals and the naivety of young love

A feeling or annoyance has begun to grow over me in response to the character of James Leer. Initially I was fooled into sympathising for him and the tales of his unfortunate family circumstances and upbringing. The revelation of the true nature of his history makes us lose all faith in the credibility of everything he states, and the discovery of his numerous thefts also make us dislike him more. It is obvious that even Grady Tripp is fed up with his lies, declaring saying that he merely wants to know “once and for all what the truth is about the little bastard”. In my opinion, Leer is fortunate to have someone like Tripp care so deeply for him and go to the extents that he does to protect him. Leer seems to show little gratitude for all that Tripp does for him.

I am intrigued by the mystery surrounding the true identity of Leer’s biological parents. I speculate that given Leer’s age and accounts from Tripp it is definitely a possibility that Amanda and Fred Leer are his true parents. I feel as though there is something important that is being kept from us at this stage in the story, something shockingly revealing about Leer and his past. Leer seems to be the pivotal character at this point in the novel, and despite the fact that I am not too favourable of him I feel that he will have a significant role later on in the novel.

There are also interesting developments between Grady and Hannah Green. Sexual tension exists between them, but given the age difference, which spans around two decades, I don’t see any serious relationship will result from this. Green acts flirtatiously around Grady, luring him to dance with her and waiting for him in his office. This leads me to believe that she desires Tripp more than he desires her. Tripp is much more interested in her opinions, on Wonder Boys specifically, than her as a person. Tripp seems to accept her advances but does not push for the relationship to advances. Green’s physical attraction seems to be the primary draw for Grady.

Grady and Green’s relationship is the opposite of the obscure relationship between Leer and Crabtree. Crabtree seems to almost molest Leer at every possible opportunity. I am disturbed by the nature of their relationship. Leer, given his youth, is at the stage of his life where he is sexually confused and Crabtree takes advantage of his confusion. Crabtree cares about Leer, as demonstrated when he immediately followed Grady to save Leer from his so-called parents, but whether or not the feelings for each other are mutual remains to be seen. Their relationship was so unexpected, I was not even aware of Leer’s sexual orientation towards men. I was under the impression that he desired Hannah Green up until the point of their public display of affection. Crabtree seems to have varying tastes when concerning individuals of interest, from young boys to transvestites. I draw a blank on the future of the relationship between Leer and Crabtree.