Breakfast at Tiffany's Section 3
Summary
The day after Holly's party the narrator discovers that Mag Wildwood is still at Holly's apartment. He gets a strange Latin visitor looking for Mag, then sees the man carrying suitcases to the house. Later, the narrator hears Holly and Mag talking about the war. Holly tells about her brother being a soldier and how he's stupid. Mag is a proud American who is engaged to a Brazilian named Jose. Jose is a politician who wants to become the president of Brazil. Mag wants him to give up politics and live in America.
When the narrator went down to check his mail, he noticed that the card on Holly's box was changed to: Miss Golightly and Miss Wildwood were now traveling together. In his box was a letter from a university review who wanted to publish his story. He showed Holly, who told him not to let them publish if they can't pay. Then, when she saw how excited he was about it, she decided to take him out to lunch and celebrate. As she was getting ready, the narrator noticed the packed suitcases and says that her room reminds him of a girl's gym. The whole time, Holly is talking about Mag and her engagement, then finally congratulates him on the story.
Notes
- Totter (47)- To move unsteadily with a rocking motion.
- “Bully for him” (48)- An idiom used when something is said that a person does not think the other person deserves praise or admiration for.
- Indian summer day (48)-a period of sunny, warm weather in autumn, not long before winter that persist for a few days or weeks.
- Brazil (49)- Brazil is a formal colony of Portugal, located in South America and is now the 5th largest country in the world.
- censoriously (49)- Tending to censure, harshly critical.
- Portuguese (49)- A Romance language spoken mainly in Portugal and Brazil.
- conventional (50)- Ordinary; not unusual or extreme.
- argyles (51)- Knitted or woven socks in diamond shaped patterns of various colors.
- Complacently (51)- In a self-satisfied manner.
- Sun helmets (51)-a light-weight hat that is worn in tropical countries that protects one from the sun.
- Misconstrued (52)- To misinterpret or mistake the meaning of something.
Commentary
One could suggest that Capote had his own life experiences in mind when writing Breakfast at Tiffany’s and that he is the narrator. He modeled the character of Holly Golightly after six women that he was intrigued with, which were Phoebe Pierce, Gloria Vanderbilt, Carol Marcus, Doris Lilly, Anky Larrabee, and Oona O’Neill (Clarke 64).
In 1964 Capote had written a letter to Alvin Dewey III admitting that Holly was indeed a real girl, but the incidences he writes about her are mostly fictional (Clarke 401). In his later years Capote admits “It’s too bad I don’t like going to bed with women” and further states that he loves attractive and beautiful women only as friends, not lovers (Clarke 93-94). This would explain the basis of how he molded the character of Holly and the relationship between her and the narrator which never becomes sexual.
The narrator is characterized as having his nose pressed against the glass and wanting to be on the inside staring out (Capote 48). In a conversation with Lawrence Grobel, Capote admits “yes, looking in, seeing something that he wanted to be inside of” (Grobel 88). This is indicative of Capote/the narrator being fascinated with the life style of Holly Golightly.
In Cash's critical analysis he states that Mag is a character who is introduced as having many similar characteristics to Holly. She is tall and attractive, but has a stutter problem. She is engaged to Jose, a Brazilian, and when she talks about her future relationship with him she makes the comment to Holly, "Better you than me (Capote 51)." Holly responds back, "Yes. Better me than you (Capote 51)." This indicates that Holly is attracted to Jose, maybe even more than Mag.
Study Questions
1. How was Mag on the verge of pneumonia?
2. How does Holly describe her brother Fred?
3. Why was the narrator charmed by the Latin (Jose)?
4. Where is Jose from?
5. What language is spoken in Brazil?
6. What did Holly have to say about the letter the narrator got from the university review regarding his story?
7. Why did Holly suggest to the narrator that he not let a small university publish his work?
8. Why did the narrator even tell Holly of the plans of the university to publish his story?
9. Why does Mag think that it is a useless thing to be President of Brazil?
10. How is Holly's room described?
11. Why did Holly keep everything packed and ready to go as if she were running from authorities?
12. Why did Holly accept Mag as a roommate?
External Resources
- Cash, Matthew M. A-Travelin' Through the Pastures of the Sky. A Critical Analysis of Breakfast at Tiffany's. 1996.
Works Cited
- Clarke, Gerald. Capote: A Biography. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1988.
- Grobel, Lawrence. Conversations With Capote. New York: New American Library, 1985.
- Capote,Truman. Breakfast at Tiffany's. New York: Random House Inc., 1958.