ZVI LITVINOFF: Surprise! There is a new character we are introduced to in this section through yet another shift in point of view. Zvi, an immigrant from Poland, lives with his wife, Rosa, and often reads The History of Love. Contrary to what we previously thought, the book displays his name as the author. Interestingly enough, he often reads the book as though the words are not his. We, too, get to read excerpts of The History of Love titled The Age of Silence and The Age of String through his chapters. In addition, he has this “hacking cough that [shakes] his whole body, causing him to bend over double…[but] it [isn’t] so much because he [is] ill, as that there [is] something he wishe[s] to say” (Krauss 110). We begin to get the sense that something strange is up. This feeling only intensifies when he goes to an apartment looking for his childhood friend. He ends up reading this now grown man’s writing, who we later come to find out is Leo through one of the pages titled The Death of Leo Gursky. Zvi’s character begins to create some turmoil and gives readers a glimpse at how the stories intertwine.
ALMA SINGER: Her communication, or rather her “mother’s” communication, with Jacob Marcus continues. They send letter back and forth, each one getting a bit more personal with less focus on business. Through this we continue to see Alma’s desire to help her mother as well as a growing interest in what makes The History of Love so special and who exactly Alma is. Meanwhile, a relationship is also forming in Alma’s world with a Russian boy named Misha who recently moved to the United States. This sparks a discussion between Alma and her mother about cultural backgrounds. Her mother shows her all the possible of ways of classifying her background, but she prefers to think of herself as American. Her brother, Bird, a steadfast believer in God and religion, eventually chimes in and says, “‘no, you’re not. You’re Jewish’” (97).
LEO GURSKY: He tragically finds out about his son’s death while reading the paper at Starbucks. Interestingly enough the obituary is written by Zvi and we yet again see the stories start to come together. We continue to feel sorry for Leo as he recalls painful memories of Bruno and Alma (including her death), and attends his own son’s funeral only to be asked if he is a fan. At the same time, we have become more aware of his quirks, such as how he talks to people’s ghosts and named a bird after Chinese food. Also, we are beginning to question his credibility. With any first person narrative, you always have to keep in mind that bias and untruths may be present. Between the storytelling that Leo does and the number of times he uses the word “maybe” when recalling events, we are starting to think that we cannot believe everything he says.
Now that we have caught up on what’s going on, I want to dig a little deeper and talk about how it’s all going on. In previous posts I have talked about here and there about the style of the book. However, the unique manner in which the book is written demands some attention of its own.
As I mentioned, the book is written as a story-within-a-story and is broken up into chapters, each from one of three characters’ perspectives. Without even reading the first sentence of each chapter, you have a sense of who wrote it based on the tiny image next to the title and the structure of the writing.
For Leo, there is a picture of a heart, which reveals his emotional nature and the heart condition he has. His chapters contain very short, simple sentences and almost a stream-of-conscious style of writing. There are never quotations, only italics, except for when he is recalling a conversation with Alma in which he uses quotations, but they are separated by parenthesis. This symbolizes the distance he tries to put between himself and these painful memories of his past. Another way he shows himself trying to move on from the past is by his frequent use of abrupt transition phrases such as “And yet.” or “But.” His loneliness is also evident through his writing in how he sometimes addresses readers using “you” while employing a storytelling-like writing style
For Alma, there is a picture of a compass, which reveals her love for nature and the outdoors as well as exploration. Her chapters contain information that is revealed through a numbered list. This shows her organized, logical mentality and also separates her from the other two who are characterized by a more free form writing structure. Alma also frequently uses flashbacks in her sections, but they are much more cohesive than when some of the other characters use them.
For Zvi, there is a picture of a book, which reveals his love of writing and the book that he (supposedly) wrote. His chapters are often filled with longer sentences and lists along with excerpts from The History of Love. Most importantly, his chapters are written in the third person, though they do reveal his thoughts and give insight into his character. This puts the reader in the position of glimpsing at him without becoming too attached. If my hunch that I have alluded to throughout this post is accurate, then this style is carefully chosen for his character.
Finally, I want to note a few prominent devices that have been used throughout the novel. Allusions are prevalent in the form of names, especially in Alma Singer’s family, literary references such as Kafka, and historical connections, as in to Europe during World War II. Each one provides a basis for the themes of the novel. Since they are still in the developmental stages, I will save their analysis for a later post when I am closer to the end of the book.
In addition, there is repetition throughout of certain elements that may tend toward motifs. These include birds, glass, locks, names, language, and writing. Again, I will have more insight into these as the novel comes to a close. For now, I will just simply acknowledge their potential significance and leave you wanting to know more...
Great character discussions and ideas about the motifs and devices in the novel.
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