When Esther figures out that Buddy had slept with the same waitress for almost a whole summer, Esther is shocked. She feels as though he has tricked her into believing that he was pure, and she had been with so many guys. Esther feels betrayed and her reaction is to call him a hypocrite and try to break things off.
Looking back I don't think Buddy was a hypocrite. I think he may have played her a little bit, but I don't think he deserved to be called a hypocrite so many times. I think her reaction to this is pretty normal, as she feels like Buddy violated her trust. After this I can see where she would start questioning their relationship, but I don't think Buddy actually lied about his virginity. When she asked him if he had ever been with anyone, he tells her the whole story. It would have been easy to lie, but he didn't.
Although I think that Buddy may have purposely tried to make Esther feel like her sexual maturity was above his, I don't think he deserved to be repeatedly called a hypocrite.
I think that Esther calling Buddy a hypocrite is quite similar to how Holden describes Mr. Spencer. That way, we don't take their words nor actions in an objective light; the narrator works to make sure that we dislike or at least feel a bit apprehensive towards the characters in question. Hypocrite is definitely a harsh word, but I'm agree that Esther felt at least some part cheated by Buddy's actions.
ReplyDeleteI too believe that Esther over-reacts to Buddy's actions.However, he still doesn't seem like the type of dude I would want to marry, were I so inclined. I think that he does have a lot of issues, and reasons for Esther to dislike him. However, it does seem to me that she misinterprets his actions. I think that it is reasonable for her to decide not to marry, especially when she sees that a male can be up-front about his sexual life and expect nothing bad to happen, whereas if she had been in the same situation there would have been a lot of trouble for her. It is understandable that she would be turned off marriage after witnessing the sexual double-standards so blatantly. However, saying that she would marry Buddy if he were the last man on earth is still extreme. It seems like Esther has a problem with her society, and takes it out on Buddy, or at least places the blame on him.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree that her issues with society are taken out on Buddy. He seems to be the physical representation of everything she hates in society, therefore her emotions get the best of her around him.
DeleteI think that Buddy isn't really a hypocrite but I do think that what he does is slightly wrong. He leads Esther on and if it hurts her than it is wrong for him to do. I think we can assume that Esther is also not the best judge of character but I also believe that this should not push people away from her perspective completely.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting aspect of this for me is when he asks if he was the cause of the crazy in the end. It shows just how fully he is engaged in the system that he cannot understand the suicidal tendencies of the women in it. He never questions the system like they do. He seams so oblivious. This makes me consider him less of a hypocrite because he is not trying to mess with him. The hypocrisy comes with the system, not Buddy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you point completely. Society is to blame, not Buddy. And I think that Esther gets that pretty early on. That's why she's not mad at Buddy for having sex with another woman, but by society for allowing this double-standard mentality.
DeleteYes I agree somewhat with Esther's interpretation of Buddy's language as making her seem more sexually experienced but I also think that it wasn't his intention to deceive her. I don't believe that Buddy deserved it as he was very open and honest about his previous sexual encounters.
ReplyDeleteI think Esther is more disappointed in herself for falling for Buddy rather than being disappointed in Buddy. I think she's also just really angry at what Buddy represents: the fake guy who thinks he's so great. One of her first experiences with a guy didn't end up so great. That can really affect a person, whether their anger is deserved or not.
ReplyDeleteI agree that he didn't seem like a hypocrite, he only was in Esther's eyes because she was holding him to her own standards. In a way, she was using him as well because she enjoyed the social standing she got when telling people she was out with him.
ReplyDeleteI'm not even sure I see Buddy as "playing" her--he seems not quite sharp enough to be so in control of the situation. He behaves with this wide-eyed innocence, and it seems genuine in a lot of ways. The point being, this fling with the waitress didn't actually do anything to hinder his innocence--such behavior is "allowed" (but not talked about) for a healthy young man in his time and place. So Buddy experiences no deep conflict over his affair--the air of innocence he retains is genuine.
ReplyDeleteWhat sickens Esther is, perhaps, the mere fact that he can go down this "deviant" path while still completely maintaining his golden-boy image in public. The "hypocrisy" is not his personally so much as society's.