Recently, I read Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates for my English Lit class. Currently, I have mixed opinions on the book. After a group discussion with a few of my friends, I have come to the conclusion that I did enjoy the characterisation in the book. I liked the portrayal of April and Frank’s complex characters and relationship, however, I was not a very big fan of the plot. A discussion with my friends concluded that I want to read this book again when I’m a little older. I think by then I will have a more defined and admirable perspective on the book, as now I found the plot a little boring.
Besides this, however, I did enjoy the complexity and realistic portrayal of the characters and the relationships. Through reading this book, I would like to unpack the question, ‘Can literature reveal human truths, and if so, what kinds of truths?’
In my opinion, I believe that, yes, literature can definitely reveal human truths. Taking Revolutionary Road, for example, the book shows a very complex relationship between April and Frank. Despite the book being narrated by Frank’s perspective (apart from the bit near to the ending), Yates does a brilliant job keeping April’s insights still present and visible. April’s character is very dynamic, constantly changing her emotions. Throughout the course of the book, we learn that April suffered from absent parents and parental neglect, this most likely influencing who she is and the decisions she makes. This in itself represents a human truth, how significant our childhood memories and experiences play a part on who we are as individuals and the choices we make, no matter what age. We see how hard it is for April, how inadequate she feels in the neighbourhood and position she is in, how she feels like no one understands her, these being the key reasons for her to pursue moving to Paris. Through her character specifically, we as an audience are able to empathise with the character, as many of us are familiar with her thoughts and feelings. In this way, literature can reveal human truths. April’s suburban hardships aren’t censored, the audience sees a complex and real character. Frank, on the other hand, is another complex character with his own complex thoughts. Because this book is narrated in Frank’s perspective, his motives are easily picked up by the audience. We see the choices he’s made, regarding his affair with Maureen, his job, etc, and why he’s made them. The reasoning adds a layer of complexity to his otherwise plain character.
A scene that convinces me that literature is able to reveal human truths was towards the end of the book when first we see an experience in Frank’s perspective, then that same experience in April’s perspective (April’s last day). This scene shows us how the different characters have different perspectives, motives, thoughts and feelings. In this book, there isn’t a clear protagonist or an antagonist. There is only one human relationship, and the hardships shown are an example of a dull human truth; difficult marriages. Although the audience may see one character as a victim, in the end, that is done by the audience’s own personal opinion crafter by their own experiences and ability to relate to a character, not because it was made clear in the book. This is because we see in the book that the characters are too complex for labels, just like real human beings. This book shows a real, complex human relationship, one that is deteriorating. Like this, literature has the ability to mirror society and its elaborate problems, thereby revealing human truths in the form of having its raw, uncensored and unedited portrayal on text, as Frank and April’s relationship was by Richard Yates.
