The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker is a novel that gives the reader a
thorough insight to a man's thoughts throughout his day working at an office.
The man, Howie, seems like an average man living an average life yet the way he
thinks is aberrative. Howie thinks in a method called defamiliarization which
goes into great detail about objects someone would normally not even think
about. One instance of his extensive description of mundane details is Howie’s
detailed explanation of a door handle in chapter 3.
“What a beautiful invention!—the
door handle, first of all in itself, which through use of the cylinder of the
spindle caused the relatively modest pressure of your arm to multiply as force
on the latch, retracting it against the bias of the spring that held it out.
And then the smoothly hemispherical escutcheon plate that covered up the works:
what a clean, well-formed world lay in store behind this door, a world of
practical and effective shapes and design decisions, no less considered than
the classical decision of the Greeks to cap a column shaft with a ringed torus
instead of the simple doughnut shape that our ordinary and vulgar minds would
have settled for."
The quote illustrates Howie’s
fascination with objects we would never think much about in daily life. His
fascination with the design and mechanics of everyday objects is on display as
he meticulously describes every minute detail of the door knob. A normal person
would most likely simply grab and turn the door handle with muscle memory and
not even think about it: especially if it is a door handle they use daily.
Instead, Howie defamiliarizes himself with the object as if he is seeing it for
the first time. Howie’s depiction of the door handle is almost as if he is at a
museum and the door handle is on display on a pedestal where he is exhaustively
examining it as if he were an art critic.
After reading the mezzanine I have
found that I have picked up on Howie’s unique method of defamiliarization. I
find the method particularly useful as an escape from boredom. Many times in
class I have found myself looking at my pen as if I were Howie: putting it on a
museum pedestal and becoming an art credit. I have even started to compare my
pens looking at the sleek design and seeing how smoothly they glide across my
paper. Even on my walk to Kenney after lunch I find myself thinking about the
door handles of DCL as I enter it for a brief minute of air conditioning.
Great post Ross, I really like how you try and use Howie's defamiliarization techniques into your own life. I think that out of the many subtle advice that he gives the reader, this might be one of the more important lessons the reader could learn throughout the story. Slowing down and taking everything moment by moment is a really important life skill and I'm happy you touched on this in your blog. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteThis was a nice analysis of how Howie used defamiliarization as a recurring theme throughout the book. Since this book is told from the perspective of Howie, and since this book is supposed to put in words the things that Howie thinks about, as random as they are, I think that defamiliarization is something that we all do, as we all have thoughts that are exclusive to ourselves, no matter how bizarre they are. He does go into detail about things that people wouldn't normally think about, and that's what make this book very unique.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Ross! I love how you describe Howie's defamiliarization and its current impact on your life. It's also important to speculate why Howie thinks in this manner. I believe he is bored with his office job and defamiliarizes daily objects to cope with his boring work life. If you have also started thinking like Howie by defamiliarizing yourself with daily objects, I wonder why your thinking has changed.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really fascinating interpretation/analysis of how defamiliarization is used in The Mezzanine to great effect! I agree with your ending anecdote especially, noticing the exceptional craftmanship and ingenuity in the so-called "mundane". I think its awesome we both had the same takeaway!
ReplyDeleteThe doorknob example of defamiliarization is particularly interesting because it poses a question about the frequency of defamiliarization occurring in Howie's subconscious. Being a high utility object, doorknobs are undoubtedly something that Howie interacts with on a daily basis. With this in mind, would it be logical to extrapolate that he marvels at the intricacies of doorknobs each and every time he interacts with one? Logically, this seems unlikely, but it is nonetheless an intriguing thought experiment.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post! I really enjoyed your analysis of defamiliarization in The Mezzanine. The book has also had a similar impact on me, as I've started to think about a lot of the same stuff Howie does. It certainly does help with boredom!
ReplyDeleteNice post, Ross Your attempt to apply Howie's defamiliarization in The Mezzanine strategies to your own life is truly inspiring. This, in my opinion, is one of the most significant aspects the reader may take away from the story—among the numerous subtle tips he offers.
ReplyDelete