In chapter 10, during the first day of his Easter vacation, Michael wanted to surprise Hanna by meeting her in the streetcar. However, he experienced conflict with Hanna when he decided to sit in the second car rather than the car Hanna was in because he wanted more privacy and expected Hanna to come and greet him. Hanna interpreted his actions as trying to ignore her and not wanting to be seen with her in public. Although the causes of this fight may have just been a misunderstanding, its outcome spoke volumes because it triggered a Hanna who he hadn't seen before.
"And I became uncertain. Could she be right, not objectively, but subjectively ? Could she have, must she have misunderstood me? Had I hurt her, unintentionally, against my will, but hurt her anyway?" (page 48)This quote resonated with me because it emphasizes this pattern in Michael's behavior in which he constantly doubts himself and has the tendency to change his initial thoughts. Although it was clear he was hurt and emotionally destroyed to Hanna's dismissive behavior on the streetcar, he gives it a second thought and thinks to himself, "Oh, well maybe it WAS my fault EVEN THOUGH she hurt my feelings, maybe she's ALWAYS right."
"If she had just wanted to win a power game....It was if the actual cause of our fight had been meaningless. But its results had meaning. I had not only lost this fight. I had caved in after a short struggle.....I didn't fight at all.....I took all the blame. I admitted mistakes I hadn't made, intentions I'd never had." (page 49)I was intrigued by how Michael does happen to be aware of the "power game" in his relationship with Hanna because his actions make it seem as if he's completely oblivious to it. I think despite how naive we may think Michael is for giving into Hanna's possessive and manipulative nature, he pretty much has it all figured out in how he's always the loser and Hanna is the clear winner. This is interesting especially because in my very first analysis of chapter 1 ~ chapter 5, Michael explained how his behavior did not necessarily reflect his thought-process or reasoning in his decision making.
"The fight made our relationship more intimate. I had seen her crying. The Hanna who could cry was closer to me than the Hanna who was only strong. She began to show a soft side that I had never seen before.......we no longer merely took possession of each other." (page 57)
In chapter eleven, Michael and Hanna experience an even more abusive conflict to the point that Hanna hits Michael with a belt. The causes are similar to the first sight; lack of communication leading to misunderstanding. Seeing Hanna cry and yearn for his comfort allowed Michael to feel closer to Hanna. I think it's true in most circumstances that the more you "fight" with someone, the more closer you are to them because you see a different side of them or just in general getting to know them better and settling differences between each other. However, there should also be a distinct line between "healthy fights" and fights categorized more as violent and abusive.
At this point of the novel, their relationship can steer both ways, and it will be largely determined as to how Michael deals with incoming conflicts and differences with Hanna.
I also thought Michael acknowledging Hanna was winning the "power game" in their relationship was really interesting. It reminded me of when Michael talked about how Hanna "took possession" of him when they made love on pg. 33. It was weird how Michael didn't seem to mind Hanna being the dominant one in the beginning of their relationship up until she cried in front of him (after she had hit him) and exposed the weaker side of herself to him.
ReplyDeleteIt's also kind of scary how large of an effect Hanna has on Michael. She can make him question his own thoughts and doubt the sincerity of his actions just by being angry.
Their relationship definitely affect Micheal's psychological state of being and as we know that he's narrating from the past, he does convey the story in the way that he already gives away clues to the result of their relationship (like in the House of Spirits). He retells every moment as if he's in that present moment, omitting whatever he eventually finds out. It's like he's retracing his past......probably trying to find the root of when problems started to arise. Honestly, their age difference was already an indication of possible future problems.
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