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The House Of Mrs Zimmerman Analysis

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After leaving Auschwitz and coming to America, Sophie suffers from depression, often drinking away her problems. While in the process of being confined in Auschwitz, Sophie is presented with the dilemma of being forced to choose between her two children Jan, her son; or Eva her daughter. “‘Eva was taken away,’ Sophie said, ‘and I never saw her again.’” (Styron 389) Along with this, it was also revealed that her son Jan, had most likely died while being kept prisoner in Auschwitz, despite Sophie’s pleas for him to be placed in the “Lebensborn” program. This program was the arrangement for children “pure of blood” to be taken from their parents and educated by the Schutzstaffel , or protection squad(Jewish Virtual Library). “‘Sophie got this …show more content…

Zimmerman, where all three main characters reside (also known as the “Pink Palace”) is perhaps the first symbol of the common post WWII attitude and its pressures. The interior of Mrs. Zimmerman’s home is entirely pink. “...and [the Pink Palace] got its nickname because it had been painted roof to foundation in various shades of lox and rose, the legacy of Yetta's late husband, Sol, who had gotten a deal on Navy surplus paint. ” (Styron 134) The attitude of an American during the post WWII era functions in a similar manner: reflecting optimism, seemingly out of place (many suffered losses from what was one of the largest wars in history), and has much to do with being practical. The post WWII attitude was mostly optimistic due to the booming economy, which led to its practical nature. The attitude of needing to spend was popularized by the demand to keep the economy going along with modernizing one’s everyday life. And, much like the Pink Palace, societal pressures surround Sophie and Nathan. Sophie lives in the house in a much more complacent manner, showing how she is much more easily molded by society around her, which furthers the idea of Sophie’s vulnerability to outside influences, leading to her reliability on Nathan. On the other hand, Nathan storms out on the occasion, fueled by his volatile temperament, showing how his condition creates a desire for him to escape the throes of societal pressure. Styron especially emphasizes how Nathan feels the …show more content…

Zimmerman’s house is the first place where Nathan and Sophie are first introduced, and also, the first place where the dysfunctionality of their relationship is seen. The ideal of the late 1940s and the early 1950s was to get married and have children, essentially starting one’s life straight after high school. The roles delegated to husbands and wives were the generic stereotypes. Husbands were to be the providers of the family; they were expected to work and provide financially support. Wives on the other hand, had the role of the homemaker, with the duties of taking care of the children along with house chores like cooking and cleaning. Marriage was a highly idealized institution, with a divorce rate of only 23%, due to the idea that divorce was “deviant behavior and a public acknowledgement of failure.” (Gotay) Sophie’s and Nathan’s relationship strays from these standards. Nathan and Sophie are well beyond the “normal” point for marriage by the standard of the 1950s, both being roughly at the age of thirty. Not only are they not married, their relationship is dysfunctional at best, with Nathan being an abuser physically, and emotionally. From a physical standpoint, Nathan often takes out much of his frustration using violence. “[Sophie’s] all right. [Nathan] beat her up again, but she’s all right. He said he was goin’ to kill her.” (Styron 437).This is especially evident while Nathan is abusing substances, and, coupled with the symptoms of his mental illness, he

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