The Importance Of True Identity In Matt Ruff's Bad Monkeys

709 Words2 Pages

One of the most common things heard when interacting with others is: “Just be yourself”. However, is there truly a choice? Many may try to cover up their true identity for unknown purposes. In order to fit in, some may pretend to enjoy things they dislike, and dislike things they really enjoy. As demonstrated in countless books, stories, and movies, a person’s true identity will always be exposed one way or another. In Matt Ruff’s novel Bad Monkeys, the true nature of a person will always overshadow any disguised identity.
Matt Ruff uses the protagonist’s tragic flaw to show her true nature. After Jane Charlotte killed the Janitor in her house, she acts in a very unexpected way: “I got sleepy. I mean, the guy was dead- I kicked him a couple times to make sure- so it’s not like notifying the cops was urgent anymore,” (Ruff, 2008, p. 43). The actions …show more content…

Most people would have been completely shaken by the event, they would have called the police, they would not have decided to take a nap, and they would never just leave the dead body in their house. This scene in the novel gives the reader an introduction to Jane’s character: she is not like the average person. At this point in the story, the reader is unaware of Jane’s evil nature; however, this scene shows some her true personality emerging. Furthermore, when Dixon started questioning Jane’s past, she suddenly realized “he knew about the pet boys,” (Ruff, 2008, pg. 119). Jane’s “pet boys” were young boys usually under the age of 18 that Jane would bring home and have sexual relations with. Again, this is not something the average person would do; this is illegal and would cause someone to

Show More
Related

  • Lack Of Control In The Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    1394 Words  | 3 Pages

    The narrator finally achieves an authoritative position in her marriage, with John unconscious and her creative imagination finally free of all restraints. Her continual “creeping” over his prone body serves as a repeated emphasis of this liberation, almost as if the narrator chooses to climb over him to highlight his inferiority over and over again” (Harrison). John was a weak person, Jane suffered from a nervous disorder which was made way worse by the feelings of being trapped in a room. The setting of the nursery room with barred windows in a colonial mansion provides an image of the loneliness and seclusion she experienced. Periods of time can lead to insanity. Maybe her illness wasn’t that bad but he made it worse on her part because he was a sick husband. Some critics have argued “Is the narrator really liberated? We’re inclined towards saying “no”, given that she’s still creeping around the room and that her psyche is broken”

    Read More

  • The Progressive Era and Jane Addams

    1203 Words  | 3 Pages

    The misfortunes Jane was given early in life didn’t alter her passionate thinking. As a child she ...

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bornte

    924 Words  | 2 Pages

    When we first meet Jane she is a young and orphaned girl with little self-confidence and hope of feelings a sense of belonging and self worth. It is unfair that Jane already feels lonely and desperate in such a cruel world as it is. Jane is open with her thoughts during her narration, “…humbled by the consciousness of my physical inferiority to Eliza, John, and Georgiana Reed” (Bronte 7). Jane already feels as though she cannot participate in everyday activities because she acknowledges that she is a weaker person. By Jane believing she is weak she is succumbing to her own entrapment. The novel opens with Jane feeling inadequate about going on a walk with her cousins and the novel ends with Jane embarking on a journey of her very own, this is not a coincidence.

    Read More

  • The Dilemma Of Marriage Between Jane And John In Charlotte Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper

    717 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane is constantly looking for closure when she tries to talk to her husband “It’s so hard to John about my case” (652). But John turns her belittles her thoughts and calls her out as a little girl and nervous weakness. He refers to her as his patient and not his wife and this creates bridges between the couple. Jane also repeats her loneliness and longing for approval and acceptance from both society “if I had less opposition and more society”(648). and her husband “ it is so discouraging not to have advice and

    Read More

  • Theme Of Trauma In Jane Eyre

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    In chapter 20 there is a representation of violence and it is presenes as unpleasant and dangerous, however, it doesn’t haunt Jane so much that she is terrified, but it haunts her enough to feel danger; however she is able to deal with it. In this chapter Mr Mason gets stabbed in the arm and implications of words such as “snarling and “threatening” suggest danger like she felt in the Red room, these words link directly to the danger Jane is feeling in Chapter 20. The word “horror” implies that Jane is scared, shocked and feeling dread, she may also feel a shudder that reminds her of the fights she had with John Reed, where she had similar experiences of danger and shock. Charlotte Brontë also uses words that refer to the dead, for example “glazed” and “crucifix” these words make the reader feel danger and worry for Jane.

    Read More

  • Bertha Mason in Charlotte Bronte´s Jane Eyre

    720 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte took a surprising twist when Bertha "Mason" Rochester was introduced. Bertha leaves a traumatizing impression on Jane’s conscious. However, this particular misfortunate event was insidiously accumulating prior to Jane’s arrival at Thornfield. Through Bertha, the potential alternative dark turn of events of Jane’s past are realized, thus bringing Jane closer to finding herself.

    Read More

  • Gary Soto The Jacket Analysis

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    Identity is a sheltered, unchanging trait, right? Wrong. Identity is actually one of the most exposed, effected feature a person can have. But what factors contribute to what everyone is made of? An individual’s possessions and the society around them affect their identity. The short story, “The Jacket” by Gary Soto and the article “How Reality TV Works” by David Rupel both connect to the theme of what affects one’s identity. Belongings label a person’s identity and affect their confidence. The society around someone influences how one acts and what general public thinks of them. The two ways that most prominently change a person’s identity are their possessions

    Read More

  • The Yellow Wallpaper Marriage Analysis

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jane is constantly looking for closure when she tries to talk to her husband “It’s so hard to John about my case” (652). But John turns her belittles her thoughts and calls her out as a little girl and nervous weakness. He refers to her as his patient and not his wife and this creates bridges between the couple. Jane also repeats her loneliness and longing for approval and acceptance from both society “if  I had less opposition and more society”(648). and her husband “ it is so discouraging not to have advice and companionship”(649).

    Read More

  • The Search for Happiness in Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë

    729 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mrs Reed keeps Jane only because of a promise she made to her husband on his deathbed. This abuse and neglect from her relatives forces Jane to be resentful and full of hatred. Later on Jane begins to stand up for herself. Once Jane begins to rebel to the abuse done by John and Mrs Reed, it is as if an uncontrollable beast had been unleashed inside of her.

    Read More

  • Jane in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre

    2324 Words  | 5 Pages

    We learn that Jane is a young girl who is a victim of emotional and

    Read More

  • Identity

    1160 Words  | 3 Pages

    It has become evident that it is nearly impossible to repress one’s true self. Bruce Bechdel’s hidden identity gave him a distant life from his family and a tragic ending once revealed. Vladek Spiegelman, jack of all trades, could not escape his Jewish faith and was forced to live through the Holocaust. Marjane Satrapi, unable to contain her outspoken opinions and activism, moves to Austria for her own protection. As shown in these novels, maintaining contradicting personas can lead to trouble later on. Whether it be denying, discovering, or defying your identity, it is important to stay true to yourself.

    Read More

  • The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    944 Words  | 2 Pages

    When Jane arrives at the summer estate with her husband, a physician of some repute, she immediately begins to fantasize that the location is haunted, at the least strange, she can “feel it” (479). We begin to see that something is occurring with her mentally, that possibly she is the one feeling strange. “This is our first intimation that all is not right, though whether with the house, or with Jane, we have yet to be told. However, the fact that she tells us at the beginning that this is not a haunted house, suggests that the "queerness" will lie with her” (Kerr). This is again reinforced in the next lines when she confesses that she get “unreasonably angry” with her husband (479). She is sure that she “never use to be this way” (479). This is the effects of her suffering from postpartum depression, finally falling under a psychosis by story’s end.

    Read More

  • Family and Masculinity in Jane Eyre

    2584 Words  | 6 Pages

    The reader first learns of Jane when she is an inhabitant of Gateshead. At Gateshead, Jane was excluded from the rest of the family. She was merely an outsider looking in on a nuclear family, excluding the father, who had died. We know that Jane’s Uncle Reed, the father and dominant figure of Gateshead, when alive, was a kind man. He was the guardian for Jane and when dying made his wife promise to always care for Jane. After his death, his wife resented the little girl and did not want to care for her. Knowing what we know of family life in the nineteenth century, we know that Jane’s life would have been much different if her uncle Reed had not died. Being the master of the home one can assume that he would have made sure that everyone in the household would have treated Jane well and with love and respect. A father’s authority was unquestioned. Once Mr. Reed had died, the masculine dominance was somewhat given to his son who did not care for Jane and made her life miserable by all of his cruelty and abuse. Although he did not rule the home, due to his young age, his authority as seen by Jane was unquestioned.

    Read More

  • The Self: Clifford Geertz, Horace Miner, And Andrei Toom

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    Humanity is defined by one major factor: one’s understating of the self. By understanding one’s self, one can understand society and the world that surrounds themselves. There is one thing that can often distort one’s personality, one’s identity. By identifying as one thing a person can often change how they act or do certain things. This is often found to hide one’s true motives or intention, but it can also be used to hide hidden factors that aren’t as prevalent. One’s personality and identity are very closely linked, and tend to play off one another. This fact can be show in within multiple works. To name a few authors who demonstrate this fact: Clifford Geertz, Horace Miner, and Andrei Toom. Their works seek to dive deeper

    Read More

  • Jane Eyre

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the beginning of the book, Jane was living with her aunt Mrs. Reed and her children. Although Jane is treated cruelly and is abused constantly, she still displays passion and spirit by fighting back at John and finally standing up to Mrs Reed. Even Bessie ‘knew it was always in her’. Mrs. Reed accuses Jane of lying and being a troublesome person when Mr. Brocklehurst of Lowood School visited Gateshead. Jane is hurt, as she knows she was not deceitful so she defends herself as she defended herself to John Reed when he abused her, as she said “Wicked and cruel boy! You are like a murderer – you are like a slave driver – you are like the Roman emperors!” to John Reed instead of staying silent and taking in the abuse, which would damage her self-confidence and self-worth. With the anger she had gotten from being treated cruelly, she was able to gain ...

    Read More

More about The Importance Of True Identity In Matt Ruff's Bad Monkeys

Open Document