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Why does Claude come when Edgar has already left for school and leave before Edgar arrives back home?
How is it possible that Edgar has had this bruise on his chest -- presumably for months -- yet he hasn't noticed it until Trudy makes him unbutton her shirt for her?
When Trudy talks about not wanting to try another pregnancy after her last miscarriage, what point is she trying to make?
How does the setting change in this chapter? What does the new setting symbolize?
What do you think is causing the dogs to bark in the middle of the night?
Edgar sees Claude's car at 1:30am. He must know he is sleeping with Trudy. Why doesn't he comment on this?
7 comments:
I think Claude is coming home and leaving around Edgar's schedule because he wants to be alone with Trudy. Obviously something is up between the two of them, and neither Trudy or Claude want Edgar knowing. So when Edgar sees Claude's car at 1:30 a.m., he doesn't say anything because he doesn't want them knowing that he knows what's going on. Also, I think that Edgar believes if he doesn't acknowledge what's going on between his mother and Claude, then it isn't really happening.
Edgar has not seen the bruise on his chest because he cannot see what he doesn't look at: he didn't want to see it. The bruise on his chest is visible proof that he is still disturbed. He keeps blaming himself, his inability to speak verbally, as the cause of his father’s death. When she brings up the miscarriage, Trudy is trying to advise Edgar to stop fighting the past and seek out a better future. She might also be hinting that she has started to move on with Claude. Edgar doesn't comment on Claude spending so much time alone with his mother because he doesn't want to make things worse.
Something is going on between Trudy and Claude because of all the sneakiness. Claude visits only when Edgar is gone, and leaves before he comes back. There is obviously a reason why Trudy isn’t telling Edgar and if they have to sneak around to do things it’s usually not a good sign. One day, Edgar sees Claude’s car parked at 1:30 in the morning! However, he doesn’t say anything because he doesn’t want to know what is going on. I think he ignores it for his own sake.
It is obvious that Trudy and Claude are having an affair. Why else would he need alone time with Trudy? The dogs barking symbolizes the disturbance in Edgar's life. Nothing is right for him any more. He lost his father and his mother is moving on. Edgar doesn't comment on the car because he either refuses to believe it, or he just blocks it out of his mind so he doesn't have to deal with it. Also it may be hard to confront his mother with such a discussion and it would only worsen the atmosphere. Lastly, I think Trudy may be trying to hide Claude from Edgar by saying she doesn't want another pregnancy. She believes by telling Edgar this, that he will think she isn't sleeping with Claude because she doesn't want another baby. Edgar is not that naive though.
I think when Trudy mistakenly called Claude by his brother's name, Edgar felt like his mom was betraying Gar. Claude is wanting to be alone with Trudy, that's why he is there when Edgar is not. Edgar knows this but does not comment because he doesn't want to make things worse.
Edgar knows everything that is happening with Claude and his mother but he doesn’t really want to believe it, avoiding the subject all together gives him a sense of false security. The point Trudy is trying to make when telling Edgar about her miscarriages, is that sometimes you have to overcome what has been haunting you and something good may come out of it, for her Edgar was her something good. The bruising on Edgar’s chest is a sign that he is still blaming himself for his father’s death. He is obviously dealing with everything in his subconscious since he doesn’t want to open up to anyone.
When Claude and Trudy are talking and she accidentally calls him Gar, Trudy doesn't even notice until she's already spoken a few more sentences, and when she does notice, she just passes it off as a simple mistake. When Claude hears her mistake, he stands up straighter and adjusts his posture. I think he was possibly trying to suppress a smile, and I think he secretly felt proud that he had subconsciously replaced Gar in Trudy's mind. Edgar, however, feels embarrassment and fear because he can sense what Claude was feeling and became afraid that Claude really did replace Gar.
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