Quarter 3 Life Class Final

As Paul was finishing one of his paintings, I was finishing the book.  As the novel draws to a close the last development of the character unfold. The war has done many things for Paul both good and bad, he has returned to his distant self, but he has started a new chapter in his art life. He has finished two works of “war art” and ahs become a completely different person. Elinor character comparably is the same as in the beginning. She is stubborn and continues to refuse the idea of war: “ This war destroys so much” (283). The idea that war destroys so much only brings up the steady theme that war effects people in different ways. For Paul, it drove him away from the familiar world and it took Elinor away from the world.

Life Class a Pat Barker novel written to show the different classes in life. For Paul there was painting and the War, those were his major and minor. Elinor Brookes majored in only art, seeing as she was constantly painting throughout the book. Neville favorite class was human anatomy and Richard Lewis minored as a medical operator. Each character majored and minored in their own specific classes during their life i.e. Life Class.

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Keeping in touch with Paul, Elinor finally begins to express the slightest amount of feelings for him. Writing to him she says: “ I carry your photograph around with me everywhere. It’s on the bedside table where I can see it when I wake up, but I sometimes have to keep it hidden in the drawer in case mother comes in” (183). Keeping a hidden photograph of him at her bedside table, Elinor is showing us obvious signs f lust for Paul. By doing this Elinor is portraying the theme that people often want what they can’t have. In this case Elinor desperately wants what she can’t touch or feel, she want Paul even if he is one hundred miles away. Other than sharing her love, Elinor also shares her experiences: “ her work and parties” (184). In response Paul is grateful: “You should never be afraid of telling me about your work and your parties. The thought that there are some people out there still painting and drawing, still thinking art matters more than anything else is one of the few things that keeps me going” (184). St like a tired athlete needs encouragement; Paul needs encouragement to keep “fighting” for his country. Paul trying to manage a suicide case is only reminded of his mother, who was also a suicide victim. It is no wonder Paul feels as though he needs Elinor, he is looking for a distraction and who could blame him? Paul is seeking hope in a hopeless time.  The forever-remaining theme is that whe faced with a difficult choice people often take the easy way out.  This is shown through Elinor in not wanting to pay attention to the war. The war is all around her but she repeatedly refuses to acknowledge it because she fells it will only bring her more suffering. 

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After not being able to enlist in the war, Paul takes a position working in a WWI “ hospital.” Keeping in touch with Elinor, is allowing him to stay connected with the world outside war. As a reader, you feel as though you have enlisted with him as he describes the setting: “ On either side of Paul as he cuts are two long rows of  feet: yellow, strong, calloused, scarred where blisters have formed and burst repeatedly” (161). Paul’s world is no longer filled with sunny skies and Café Royal; “ In bad weather, the rain pelts down on the corrugated-iron roof with the rattle of machine-gun fire” (162). The novel had turned to depressing rather than interesting; each page is like open fire, the bullets hitting my heart as I hear about the terrible things he is exposed to. However, there is still hope and kindness lurking, it comes in the form of Richard Lewis, his new “hut” mate. Lewis becomes Paul’s new distraction from the war, although he still keeps in touch with Elinor. Compared to Paul Elinor has stayed at a constant throughout the novel. Still at home and painting the countryside Elinor shares her world with Paul, his only glimpse to the outside world.

Pat Barked has done a miraculous job of portraying the two sides of life during WWI. She has developed the theme that Their can be contrasting element in one solid. Her example of this is the war verses life in the city. Although apart of the same world, there are two very different things occurring simultaneously. I hope to become more involved in Elinor and Paul’s characters as I continue reading. 

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Following my previous reading, the author, Par Barker, ahs chosen to focus on the life of Elinor Brookes. She is a minor character but just recently become a bigger part of Paul’s life after the departure of Teresa. The Romeo, Neville has also become a focus in the coming chapters. Setting the stage at Elinor’s house we begin to see new developments in the characters. Paul has become more outspoken and full of fantastical ideas; much different from the shy, precocious Paul we were introduced to. As WWI begins Paul feels the need to join with the forces. We are also introduced to Neville’s strong affections for Elinor as he becomes increasingly jealous of Paul. Neville shows his jealousy: “he was too afraid of being packed off to bed, leaving Elinor and Tarrant together” (122).  Elinor, however, did not fell the same way: “ Elinor had avoided being alone with him ever since he’d sent that letter three weeks ago suggesting marriage” (113). Refusing Neville and Paul, Elinor is becoming a stronger and independent character to look at. Although she may appear grown-up and able to carry her self, Elinor is also very childish. Moving further into the novel, Barker shifts reading styles once more into letters. The exchange is between Pail and Elinor, talking about the struggle of enlisting for war. While receiving news he can’t join the army the MO told Paul: “ The best thing I could do to serve my country was joint eh German army and cough a lot” (142). This book is great because it brings up a large assortment of themes. The theme most expressed through this book is mostly gender as well as race based. WE are continuously exposed to the obstacles of a women, German and ill characters. Elinor for example is a woman and therefore cannot divorce her husband without a “reasonable reason.” Paul can not apply for the army because he is ill, and a German cannot stay in a hotel because he is German. Barker has done a great job of capturing the ear in which these characters are living!

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As I continue to read, Life Class the author’s style of writing becomes more obvious. It is very similar to In the Time of the Butterflies in that the author chooses to pick certain characters for chapters. So far the novel has been focusing on the character of Paul, an artist at Slade art school. Paul Tarrant has demonstrated to the readers how relationships can be deceiving and often full of pain. At this point in the novel, Paul has befriended a model named Teresa, as their relationship thickens Paul finds out about her abusive husband. Listening to her talk about how much pain he causes her has gotten Paul side tracked. He has become more focused on Teresa’s relationships rather than his schooling. In the following chapters we have the chance to meet Teresa’s “ex” Jack. He proves himself to be as abuse as Teresa explained him to be, shown when he abuses both Paul and Teresa. Paul receives cracked ribs and Teresa a bloodied up face.  Meeting at her house, Paul gets the first-hand look at what jack has done to her:

  Her face was in the shadows. He caught her arm and pulled her across the lamp. She had a bruise on her cheekbone and a cut on her lower lip. “Jack?"

      “Who else?” She laughed (94).

The sad thing about this confrontation is that Jack is the only one who would do something like that to her. An even worse thing is that she is laughing about it. In Teresa’s situation with Jack also brings up another important issue; fighting back. Due to the fact this took place during the early twentieth century, women did not have a large say in their marriage. Divorces were not often herd of; it would also be hard for Teresa to convict her husband of anything, as she has said in previous chapters. Instead of waiting for another death threat Teresa decides to run away from her problems leaving, even the people she loves, behind. Paul stands and watches her leave: “ the cab turned to corner. He went and stood in the empty living room, looking around him at the bare spaces” (97). This description creates a perfect image of Paul and how he must feel. The words bare and empty specifically make him appear more alone and isolated than he really is. The drama of this book is definitely the most interesting aspect; I look forward to see how Paul and Teresa end up, whether it be together or apart. 

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The novel, Life Class by Pat Barker is the book I have chosen to read and comment- e novel is set in the spring of 1914, with a group of students at the Slade School of Art. Among the class is Paul Tarrant, an easily distracted by a fellow classmate, Elinor Brooke. Paul is first introduced to us while storming out of his College life class. Frustrated with the fact that his drawings will never be good enough. Before storming out of his class, Paul makes one last remark: “ If, I knew how to draw I wouldn’t need to be here at all, would I ” (6). This smart- aleck response is one of the first bursts herd from Paul.  Obviously feeling he can do no more Paul dashes out of the room, leaving a confused professor and students behind. Further into the novel Paul runs into Elinor Brooke: “ with her copper hair and straight shoulders she looked like a young soldier striding along” (16).  Paul also makes similar remarks when he met the lovely Teresa, a model at Slade: “ she was dark, with short, shinny hair, high cheekbones, and red, painted, pouting lips”(18). After seeing Paul with different women it became apparent that he was some-what if a womanizer.  Whenever Paul is in the presence of women he seems to focus on their looks instead of trying to get-to-know them. I think it will be interesting to find out where this attitude of his takes him, later in the novel.

Pat Barker has done a great job of developing the character of Paul. She uses setting and other characters to develop his character. Paul was first introduced to us through setting. In his art class, one is able to see a normal day in the life of Paul. The reader observes his surroundings and the ways in which he interacts around others. I hope that the reader to come will prove to be similar. 

Sean Wilsey's life still in pieces returns home from Cascade, the treatment center. Rejecting the world Sean's sits in his room and looks out to the San Francisco Bay recalling: " Mom was depressed and humiliated and suicidal. Mom experienced brief spasms of superhuman energy to save the planet, to shop,to be pampered to escape, to combine all of these desires. Dad was hardworking, ambitious, a striver, a social success at last. I had escaped from St. Mark's, Woodhall, Cascade. I was home" (314). Remembering his home, although not great, it was home. If someone were not to read this memoir but instead only read this quote, a person could almost say they have read the book. Sean describes his mother and father to a T! In a way he also describes himself by the way he speaks of his parents. There is one major change however in Sean's feelings. Through this quote we are beginning to see signs of Sean's compassion for his father. In the beginning of the memoir Sean spoke poorly of his father; but now he has shifted his opinions. Maybe this shift was one shift to soon. Later in the memoir Sean and his mother, Father and Dede, Sean's "step-mother," had been attending and opera when sean made an attempt to greet his father: " When he was two feet away I smiled and said, Hey Dad! he brushed by without a flicker of hesitation giving me half a second of eye contact. I ran after him and grabbed his shoulder and said, Hey dad it's me! He nodded absently then looked over my shoulder"(324). It was to soon to be favoring his father. It seems as though his father could care less that he was back from the treatment center. Maybe Coming home wasn't such a good idea after all.