Kamala's Post 12-3-07

Kamala Randjelovic
Post for Monday, December 3rd, 2007

In Truman Capote’s, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, we are introduced to Holly Golightly by “Fred”, who recounts that he became an authority on her existence by the mere act of “…observing the trash basket outsider her door”. Holly comes alive through Fred’s musings; her “… regular reading consisted of tabloids and travel folders and astrological charts; that she smoked an esoteric cigarette called Picayune's; survived on cottage cheese and Melba toast”(15). In this story, Capote perfectly illustrates the curious intimacy –and disengagement- between strangers which easily occurs in a city like New York. Perhaps the story is truly about Fred’s desire, and fantasy for Holly and his loneliness. Although New Yorkers live in close quarters, neighbors are privy to the most basic aspects of life. In observing the minutiae of their neighbor’s daily activities, they begin to think they know them –when in actuality they don’t –perhaps the core point of Capote’s story. When Capote describes Holly Golightly as “…such a goddamn liar, maybe she don’t know herself anymore” (30), he illustrates the illusion of her life and the potential for New Yorkers to live a life of illusion. The constant motion of Holly Golightly’s life and how she remains unknown to everyone illustrates Capote’s cynical take on life in New York. As Holly Golightly flits in and out of people’s lives, she charges in and demands that people pay attention, but only for a moment. When she leaves, it as if she wasn’t there to begin with and therefore a palpable loneliness permeates the story. Interestingly, the movie version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s glamorized the story and bypassed the loneliness of the book. On screen, it was more magical and accepted as a fantasy. New York City is essentially a small world comprised of many neighborhoods. Capote succinctly describes how its streets provide gateways for people to “run into each other” and yet also keep fantasy alive. Fred becomes a poignant character in the story when he notes that he’s “…been walking in the streets going on ten or twelve years, and all those years he’s got his eye out for one person, and nobody’s ever her”(9).