When I read the short story the first time, I didn’t realize the whole context, because there were many unknown vocabulary. As recently as I read it a second time, I gradually understand it. The first thought, that comes up to my mind was a painting by Edward Hopper. Feelings of loneliness and melancholia prepossess me and I really could reproduce the situation in my imagination. Especially in the beginning of the text, when the author describes the solitary environment around the McAndrews and its coastline with all the “fury”, these feelings get even more intensive.
At this point, I think it’s expedient to point out some parallels to Edward Hopper. His themes are often interpreted as an expression of isolation and a phenomenon of exclusion of several individuals. The paintings show in most cases “the individual” in dinners, hotel rooms or waiting rooms. All the pictured people seem always to be immersed in melancholia or absorbed in thoughts. This matches exactly to the lyrical “I”. He even says himself that he missed the Irish twilight with its “half-wilful melancholia”, when he spent some time in West Africa as young man.
Based on the attitude by the lyrical “I”, I got the association of a requirement which you can find by every human. In my opinion such a retreat – like the McAndrews for the lyrical “I” – is necessary. I think everybody would understand if I say that sometimes it’s exactly such an atmosphere of loneliness, which we need in stressful moments of life.
The son of the lyrical “I” is called Edward, too. Hap?
