Hernandez 1 Carlos Hernandez Anne F. Walker Writing 10-17 24 April 2012 Isolation in Breakfast at Tiffany s A great book is usually created through the use of various details and symbols. These details and symbols usually re-appear many times in order to create a special meaning. Often, the use of these literary devices can create an overall idea. Capote s novel, Breakfast at Tiffany s, utilizes these devices in order to create a specific reoccurring theme. Throughout the novel, Capote uses details and symbols to illustrate the theme of isolation. A significant detail in the novel is naming of the characters. Naming itself plays an important role in emphasizing the theme of isolation. Each of the character s names carries a symbolic meaning, especially those without a name. The first character introduced in the novel is only known as the narrator. He is never given a name and is referred as Fred by Holly since he reminds her of her brother. And you looked so cozy. Like my brother Fred By the way, do you mind if I call you Fred? (Capote 17). Capote intentionally omits the narrator s name in order to break the bond between the reader and the character himself. By doing so, the narrator seems more distant, an outsider. This is important since the reader s attention will be focused more on Holly s mysterious life. Another nameless character that appears in the novel is Holly s cat. Poor slob, she said, tickling his head, poor slob without a name. But I haven t any right to give him one: he ll have to wait until he belongs to somebody (Capote 37). Just like the cat, the narrator s lack of a name suggests he does not belong to anyone and is a foreshadowing to the ending. Holly s own name is also significant. As the novel progresses, her real name,
Hernandez 2 Lulamae Barnes, is revealed. Holly s name change is meant to isolate herself from her past. Because Holly wanted to know about my childhood. She talked of her own, too; but it was elusive, nameless, placeless, an impressionistic recital in short, happy in a way that she was not, and never, certainly, the background of a child who had run away (Capote 51). Holly s attempt of escaping her past demonstrates her instability and need to escape from things. A significant symbol which appears multiple times throughout the novel is the great birdcage. The birdcage first appears when the narrator is walking around town during the night. Another night, deep in the summer, the heat of my room sent me out into the streets. I walked down Third Avenue to Fifty-first Street, where there was an antique store with an object in its window I admired: a palace of a bird cage, a mosque of minarets and bamboo rooms yearning to be filled with talkative parrots (Capote 15). Even though it appears to be a beautiful, enormous, birdcage, Holly seems to disagree. This is not a birdcage for her, but rather a huge confinement for animals. As the novel progresses, we learn Holly s hatred of caging animals. We ate lunch at the cafeteria in the park. Afterwards, avoiding the zoo (Holly said she couldn t bear to see anything in a cage) (Capote 51). The reason she cannot bear to see anything trapped in a cage is because she herself cannot stand being stuck in a fixed place; a metaphorical cage. She is described as a spontaneous person, who lives an extravagant life with various people. Holly is accustomed to doing whatever she pleases, such as going out every night, seeing different men and women. If she lived a stable, caged, life, it would be impossible to do all of these things. Holly represents freedom itself and never wants to feel limited, as if she cannot go anywhere whenever she is in the mood. When the narrator shows the birdcage to Holly one night, She enjoyed the point, its fantasy: But still, it s a cage (Capote 52). Holly admires the structure of the birdcage, but does not appreciate its function, keeping anything in there from
Hernandez 3 being free. She fears the concept of a controlled, predictable life. It can also be noted that Holly is described as a wild and untamed person, someone who cannot be caged. One of the most significant symbols is Holly herself. Holly avoids any type of commitment and isolates herself. Throughout the novel, Holly reveals a major part of her personality by describing her relationship with her cat. I don t want to own anything until I know I ve found the place where me and things belong together (Capote 37). She places the excuse of not having a place where she belongs in order to avoid the commitment to something, or someone. Since Holly is described as a wild, thing, it makes sense for her to constantly escape things and people, which demonstrates her fear of a stable life. It is until the end of the novel that Holly comes to a major realization: Independents, both of us. We never made each other any promises. We never Oh, Jesus God. We did belong to each other. He was mine (Capote 102-103). Even though she is describing her relationship with her cat, it signifies her relationships in general. She realizes the mistake she has made throughout her life, abandoning things and people; ultimately, isolating herself. Details and symbols are utilized by Capote in order to illustrate the theme of isolation. The use of naming, a symbolic birdcage, and the descriptive details that construct Holly s character, have all been crucial in order to create this theme. The narrator s lack of name isolates him from the audience, which is an important aspect to the novel. The birdcage symbolizes the confinement of objects, which is something Holly despises. Finally, Holly s own personality leaves her isolated, like a wild animal who roams alone.
Hernandez 4 Bibliography Capote, Truman. Breakfast at Tiffany's: a short novel and three stories. New York: Modern Library, 1994. Print.
Hernandez 5 I chose this topic because Breakfast at Tiffany s has many underlying themes, isolation being one of them. My 3 rd essay dealt with the comparison between the novel and film, and after close analysis, I found a surplus of information which would be perfect for this final essay. This topic interests me since there are many components that go into creating this isolated theme. Just like the writing process, there are many components that go into creating a clear and crisp final draft. In this essay I focused on keeping my thoughts controlled, having an academic vocabulary, and made sure both my thesis sentences agree with each other. I also verified that my topic sentences gave an overall summary on what I wrote.