Breakfast at Tiffany's Section 5
Summary
The protagonist begins working a nine to five job and, as a result, sees less of Holly Golightly. One day, he sees Holly walking into a library. He observes her without her knowledge, and then he examines the books on her table after she leaves. He discovers that she is reading up on Brazil. Watching her read, the narrator compares her to a girl he knew in school, Mildred. They were totally opposite each other, yet like Siamese twins. The very thing that makes them so alike is that they are so different from anyone the narrator has ever met, and that "they would never change because they'd been given their character too soon" (58). One is intraverted and practical; the other is extraverted and impractical.
The narration shifts to a party on Christmas Eve in Holly's apartment. The narrator is asked to come over and help trim the Christmas tree. Holly gives the narrator an expensive, antique bird cage for Christmas; he gives Holly a St. Christopher's medal from Tiffany's. The cost of the bird cage is three hundred and fifty dollars. Holly is not excited about the cost, she makes just a few more trips to the powder room so she could afford the bird cage.
In February, Holly, Rusty, Mag, and José take a trip to the tropics. In Key West, Mag becomes severely sunburned, and Rusty is injured in a fight with some sailors. Both are hospitalized, so José and Holly travel to Havana. Mag becomes suspicious that José and Holly are sleeping together, so Holly tells Mag that she is a lesbian. Holly recounts these events as the protagonist gives her a back massage. Mag goes out and buys an army cot to sleep on so she will not have to share the bed with a lesbian. Holly informs the narrator that she has given O.J. Berman a copy of the narrator's story without his consent. Bernam publishes the story in the University Review. They become engaged in an argument, the protagonist is tempted to hit Holly, and Holly throws the narrator out of her apartment: "It should take you about four seconds to walk from here to the door. I'll give you two" (63).
Notes
- hither (55) - to this place (seldom used except in poetry and legal papers).
- yonning (55) - distant but in sight. From yon.
- overhaul (58) - a major repair or revision.
- Rockefeller Plaza (59) - A place where people gathered to celebrate the biggest, brightest Christmas tree of all. Celebrated since 1933.[1].
- tinsel (59) - a thread, strip, or sheet of metal, paper, or plastic used to produce a glittering and sparkling appearance in fabrics, yarns, or decorations.[2].
- baubles (59) - Christmas ornaments that are decorations (usually made of glass, metal, wood or ceramics) that are used to festoon a Christmas tree.
- St. Christopher's medal (59) - a small medallion depicting the patron saint against lightning; against pestilence; archers; automobile drivers; automobilists; bachelors, etc.
Commentary
Self-deception is not one of Holly's failings, although she is an extraordinary liar. It doesn't trouble her to beguile others when it suits her purpose. She constructs a world around her to make things as pleasant as she can, inventing stories when the truth is too painful to discuss. Berman, who calls Holly a "phony", modifies it to "a real phony," because, he claims, "she believes all this crap she believes." The narrator doesn't think of Holly that way (Garson 82).
Since her moral code differs from that of society, Holly has no qualms about lying. To protect herself or to keep people form getting too close, or from knowing too much about her, she fabricates. She fictionalizes when reality is grim and threatens to bring on the "mean blues" (sadness), or the "mean reds" (fear). Unwilling to share her memories of her early life. Holly invents a beautiful fantasy childhood for herself when the narrator tells her of his own unhappy boyhood. Holly also lies when a situation is not to her liking. At a party, when an acquaintance, Mag Wildwood, barges in and draws the attention of all the men, Holly retaliates by insinuating that Mag has a terrible social disease. Another time, to keep Mag from learning that she has slept with Mag's lover, Jose', Holly breezily pretends she is a lesbian, partly to deceive Mag and partly for the humor of the deception (Garson 82,83).
Study Questions
- Why does Holly pretend to be a lesbian?
- What makes Holly an extraordinary liar?
- Why is Holly unwilling to share memories from her childhood?
- Is Mag Wildwood really a lesbian?
- Do the sailors beat up Rusty Trawler because he is a homosexual?
- Does the narrator believe Holly is a prostitute?
- Why does Holly surround herself with gay men?
- Why is Holly only able to show emotion when her sunglasses are off?
- Because the narrator makes numerous comments on Jose attributes, is he attracted to him?
Works Cited
Garson, Helen S. Truman Capote. New York: Ungar, 1980. 82,83.
Pugh, Tison. "Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's." Rev. of Breakfast At Tiffany's, by Truman Capote. Explicator 61.1: 51. 19 Mar. 2006 <http://www.explicator.com>.