Intently Enraged

I’m someone who is not quick to anger and often slow to speak. Tom Rachmans novel The Imperfectionists though has infuriated me. In a day and age where woman are still trying to gain rights and are still making advances Rachmans complete dehumanization of them is sickening and infuriating at its most admirable moments. Rachman does this complete dehumanization most evidently with Abby Pinnoa, chief financial officer, or as her colleges call her Accounts Payable. When describing Abby getting out of a airplane row he states “She sucks in her tummy and squeezes out into the aisle”(234). Rachmans use of diction in the use of tummy indirectly characterizes Abby as childish. This word alone side with the word “squeezes” also indirectly characters her as over weight. The diction over all seems to come of as offensive and overly critical. The phrase only gains in offense when Rachman describes her plain partner Dave as “That twang and aw-shucks about him- it’s sort of exotic”(233). Rachmans use of diction in the use of the words “twang” and “aw-shucks” indirectly characterizes Dave as a down home country boy evoking the pathos of affection and admiration. These two phrases are not even placed a page apart. The placement causes a juxtaposition of the two people and the rag tag image of Abby falls short of Dave’s eloquent and impressive résumé. Rachmans image of this woman began to anger me at the begining and towards the end of his chapter just enraged me. In the process of my rage I discovered that Rachman has described ever woman as ether completely vulnerable Hardy, Abby, and Kathleen, or appears a complete and total jerk, Elzburger, Hermns wife, Zeina, Eileen, and Annika. Or the woman appears a complete lunatic as the case with Ruby and Ornella. Rachmans description of woman in ever chapter never lacks a discriminatory or down turned eye toward woman. As I read Abbys story it hit me as if a truck had come from the street with out me looking, Rachman seems to despise woman and can only describe them in hatred and a better then though light. As a woman the view Rachman has of woman infuriates me, and causes me to question him a little. Witch in its self appears slightly ingenious because Rachmans point of his book seems to want to make journalist more human and ask readers of news papers what they are reading? In causing me to question him Richman will later cause me to question other writers credibility and god like status. So maybe Rachman enraged me and causes a slight amount of hatred toward him, but the rage when put in perspective actually accomplishes Richmans goal. In all honesty that’s what makes a brilliant writer.