A New Outlook

After having completed Olive Kitteridge by the acclaimed Elizabeth Strout, I have adopted a new philosophy concerning life.  One of the important lessons I learned from Olive and the residents of Crosby, Maine concerns the significance of human relationships.  Complex and deeply imperfect, connections between human beings have occurred since the dawn of mankind.  As history has shown, affiliation between persons can lead to fighting, animosity and depression.  Yet, even with these daunting risks, Strout proves that relationships act as the primary mode of sustenance in life.  The suffering of “deep…loneliness”, as Olive learned by the conclusion of the novel, exceeds the pain of any injury initiated by social causes (224).  Strout makes the assertion that people find true happiness through the interaction with others.  Therefore, effort and diligence must go into maintaining friendships and love interests.  Self-centeredness and an ignorance of others’ problems will inevitably push close persons away.  Part of the reason why Olive and her son Christopher drifted apart from one another stemmed from the fact that Olive turned a blind eye towards the treatment of her son. As Chris angrily dictated to his mother, a lack of awareness of the fact that “actions bring reactions” will never bring reconciliation between feuding persons (229).  Strout indirectly characterizes Olive as oblivious by underscoring her distorted sense of others’ troubles.  As the author thematically delineates at the end of the novel, if the chance for love presented itself, “one chose it” or neglected it (270).  Without a support network of loving individuals, optimism can easily extinguish itself.  Strout establishes logos by pressing the claim that isolation from human interaction builds bitterness and furthers insecurities.  The perils of the human condition certainly seem intimidating after reading of the tribulations Olive experienced.  But, as Olive discovered through Jack Kennison, hope exists in the hands of those that care for and protect you. 

Pulitzer Pathos

As I pour over the contents of Olive Kitteridge, I cannot help but take notice at the masterful writing style of Elizabeth Strout.  The abundant imagery of Maine’s gray landscape-- with its cold waters, prolific vegetation, and turbulent weather-- effectively pulls the reader into the story.   Strout generates a vivid and intricate setting that not only allows for imaginations to run wild with sensory details, but also permits a powerful story to take place.  While the descriptive talent of Strout plays a large role in her writing style, I think that her copious use of pathos serves as her most efficacious literary mechanism.  Throughout the novel, Strout writes about thirteen interconnected vignettes.  And within each short story, Strout explores the stretches of the human condition.  For instance, in one extended anecdote, Olive and her husband Henry get caught up in a drug heist at a hospital.  Shaking with the fear of imminent death, Olive and Henry exchanged words that caused them to change “how they saw each other” (124).  Strout spreads pathos by evoking an emotion of deep pity from those that have troubled marriages.  Olive acts as a synecdoche for quiet regret—a representation of the desire to change what has already happened.  Forever affected by remorse, Strout accentuates the potency of lamentation.  Within minutes of time, the lives of the Kitteridge couple “were changed” forever due to a small window block of extreme fear (118).  Months later, after Henry has a stroke, Olive's depression deepened when she contemplated how her and her elderly friends would soon “be dead”, noting the fleeting characteristic of life.  Strout furthers pathos by creating an emotion of sadness from those who lost an immediate family member.  Stressing the unexpected aspects of life, Strout makes the assertion that small moments can have far-reaching consequences.    In the blink of an eye, Olive fragmented the relationship with her husband after saying a few words.  And in another quick series of events, Olive lost the complete mentality and personality of her husband.  Such volatility epitomizes the preciousness of life itself. 

Reluctant Approval

In the novel Olive Kitteridge, author Elizabeth Strout portrays the titular character as obstinate and verbally impetuous.  Perceiving herself as always correct, Olive displayed a large degree of presumptuous behavior in the first third of Strout’s book.  Olive’s ability to candidly disclose her thoughts and opinions has caused me to have mixed feelings towards her actions.  On one hand, Olive’s treatment of others seems rude and out of line.  A character bubbling with cynicism, Olive does not strike me as particularly friendly or affable.  Prone to “stormy moods”, Olive frequently lashed out at her husband and neighbors (84).  So much so, Henry felt a “sickening need” for compassionate love from another woman, Denise (29).  The desperate diction of “sickening” helps Strout construct logos, forming the argument that Olive’s abrasive tendencies push her close acquaintances away from her.  Olive says what comes to her mind, and because of that, she at times unknowingly creates relationship carnage.  Yet, her rigid demeanor and firm system of values have some positive externalities.  With an unflappable personality and a plethora of fierce convictions, the retired schoolteacher affected a number of students during her time as an educator.  Olive preached what she believed in and exuded a confidence that showed she accepted herself.  Remembering the “feeling of safety” Olive maintained in her classroom after talking to her, a distraught Kevin decided not to terminate his life (40).  Strout indirectly characterizes Olive as stalwart in order to present the assertion that a person’s strength can contagiously instill resilience in others.    The familiar self-assuredness of Olive made Kevin re-examine his life, with Olive acting as an important, if somewhat unorthodox, link to his past.  To me, Strout appears to underline the point that while “not everyone” who crossed paths with Olive had “liked her”, she still left an imprint in the minds of all those she met (34).  While Olive certainly has lessons to learn in amicability, the impact she has on others affirms my belief that her societal significance outweighs her infractions of decorum.