George Saunder’s look at Post-Modern love relations in The Barber’s Unhappiness

George Saunders’ “The Barber’s Unhappiness” is a story that explores the confusion about romantic relationships in a post-contemporary planet as its protagonist, Mickey, both recalls failed relationships and fitfully starts a new one particular. There are several symbols in the narrative that serve to encapsulate satirical themes and gently chide the low-cost and tawdry nature of our society’s degraded sense of romance, from the bikini clad 1-900-DREMGAL on late-evening television to the absurd PuppetPlayers at the wedding reception. But Saunders presents his audience with a surprisingly complex symbol in the rose that Mickey flicks with his finger at the end of the story when he is walking to his date with Gabby. It is simultaneously a symbol of Mickey’s rejection of classic romantic gestures and of his declared independence from his overbearing mother.

The rose is, of course, a classic symbol of adore. Absolutely nothing complex there. When he approaches the flowers on the trellis, he “considered plucking a rose for Gabby, despite the fact that that was fairly corny, he might appear sort of doddering, and rather, using the hand with which he’d been about to pluck the rose, he flicked the rose,” (609). At 1st glance this seems a straightforward rejection of standard romance and, probably, foreshadowing yet another of Mickey’s sabotages of a potentially rewarding connection with a lady. He recognizes the significance of the symbolic gesture of bringing a rose to their date, one that numerous readers believe Gabby would appreciate, and checks the impulse for fear he would seem absurd by engaging in his society’s standard game of present-providing in the pursuit of romance. Although Mickey perceives such participation as outmoded and foolish, Saunders paints the action as a modern desire to enjoy passionless gratification alternatively of obtaining the courage essential to be vulnerable adequate to let an sincere and open connection grow. This reading would be in line with the other symbols talked about earlier. But this symbol reveals another level of meaning when readers consider the rose’s association with Mickey’s mother.

Even though a middle-aged man, Mickey nonetheless lives with “Ma”, and Saunders tends to make confident to hyperlink the roses to her. As Mickey starts out for his date, he recalls that “every morning of his life he’d walked out between Ma’s twin rose trellises. When he went to grade college, when he went to junior high, when he went to higher school, when he went to barber college, he’d usually walked out amongst the twin trellises,” (609, emphasis mine). Saunders hammers residence the message that Mickey’s mother is a continual presence in his life by stating twice that he often walked by Ma’s roses and listing the stages of his life. The author’s style right here is overbearing to mimic this aspect of his protagonist’s life. Furthermore, Saunders lists the life stages as the a variety of schools he attends as he grows up. This list subtly reminds readers of Mickey’s sense of obligation to his mother she finances his education by way of her personal earnings if he attended private schools or her property taxes if public ones. And the narrator reveals, in one of Mickey’s stream of consciousness flirtations, that Ma had “paid his way through barber college,” (591).

Not only is Mickey’s mother a pervasive presence in his life, she is typically a negative one. She is his housemate who is “nearly eighty and went about the residence flossing in her bra,” arguably a passive-aggressive statement of domestic dominance, (591). When Mickey is trying to get to driving college, she manipulates him by asking for an omelet for her breakfast. “When he mentioned he was running late she said in no way mind in a tone that created it clear she was going to accidentally/on goal burn herself once more whilst ostensibly producing her personal omelet,” (592). When Mickey is invited to another of Mr. Jenks’ social gatherings she tells him he might not attend so he could wait on “the girls” who had been to come to their property for 1 of their typical visits.

Ma’s manipulations even invade Mickey’s prodigious fantasy life filled with sexually ravenous ladies who nevertheless have to bow to the will of his mother whom he can't maintain out of his imagination.

The evening prior to Mickey’s fateful flick, Ma sees a photo of Gabby, and nastily describes her as the “big 1,” passing judgment on her in a frightfully two-dimensional assessment, yet another satirical comment about the social tendency to do so. She is also attempting to dissuade Mickey from his objective. Ma increases her unfavorable stress as he prepares for the date as she strangely is “leaning heavily against the bathroom door,” even though Mickey bathes, she urges him to alter his plans:

“Do the girl a favor, Mickey,” Ma said. “Call it off. She’s also huge for you. You will never ever stick with her. You in no way stick with any person. You couldn’t even stick with Ellen Weist, for crying out loud, who was so great, you honestly believe you are going to stick with this Tabby or Zippy or what ever?” (608).

Saunders here reminds us that romance is scary simply because of the mystery, the not understanding with whom we will “stick.” But in Ma’s mind, the likelihood at enjoy is confident to fail. She fears becoming the second most essential lady in her son’s life and getting alone. She apparently can't locate the love and courage in herself to assistance her son and his chance at companionship and happiness. Mickey requirements to uncover the strength to place Ma second since she will not let him go.

For that reason, when Mickey flicks the rose he is rejecting a classic love-gift, but also his mother’s reign over him and his life. Quickly after carrying out it, “in his thoughts [he] apologized to the rose for ripping its skin,” (609). This apology means that because of his mother, he can not meet Gabby with a conventional enjoy or adore token. He is attempting to bar Ma from this date, and possibly from the partnership need to one particular develop, and the apology is also to her. For all of her manipulations, he still loves his mother and it pains him to leaver her, and he knows she as well is hurting. The rose rejection is considerable, but not absolute couple of real life decisions are so straightforward. Ma’s influence seems once more when he is tempted to flee when he sees Gabby and she looks really overweight to him. As he approaches and she waves to him he thinks, “Here was an alley, should he swerve into the alley and get in touch with her later? Or not? Not call her later? Forget the complete thing? Even though now she’d noticed him. And he didn’t want to forget the entire factor,” (610). Mickey’s fight to remember the night prior to when Mr. Jenks named him a sport and she had called him a attractive kisser is Saunders’ message that genuine romantic enjoy dwells in extended-term memory and in sustained work it is neither fast nor straightforward and that is why it is valuable.

It is simple not to like Mickey. He is a strange man trapped in a residence with an overbearing mother and a misogynistic fantasy life. He is a physically flawed man who nevertheless picks apart the imperfections of other people. If we are ever to pull for him it is probably since Gabby likes him and we want her to be content. But the satire suggests that we have fallen away from the romantic ages that have preceded our personal, when we picture males wooing their beloveds with ballads, sonnets, and, yes, roses. When Mickey joins Gabby, she presents herself with a shy smile and Mickey tells her he is glad to see her and readies to lead her into his barbershop, perhaps the spot where his mother is least on his thoughts and has the least influence. Though the shape of the rose trellises is not described, whether they grow up flat ladders on either side of the door or arch over the front walk, provided the close association with Ma and Mickey’s journey via them, either kind would suggest a birth canal. When we read that he has been emerging daily from this portal, and returning to it, for his entire life, we might see the residence itself as his mother and her control. Our final image of Mickey is of him unlocking the door to his barbershop, his domain, his freedom. If they have a possibility it is there. With out roses, yes, but also with out Ma.