Roy, from a working-class family in Louisiana, is now an ambitious entrepreneur in Atlanta. Celestial is an artist from an upper-middle-class family. Andre has been Celestial's friend since childhood. Roy and Celestial have been married for a year at the start of the story, still some newlywed happy haze over their relationship, but some problems, as all couples have, too. In a sudden turn, Roy is accused of and then convicted of a crime that both Celestial and the reader know he didn't commit, and is sentenced to 12 years in prison. Soon, the couple has spent more time apart than together, and Celestial tells Roy that she can't be married to him anymore. In fact, she falls in love with and soon becomes engaged to Andre, who (not surprisingly) has been in love with her for years. Unexpectedly, Roy is released after only 5 years. Celestial hasn't divorced him, and he plans to return to Atlanta hopeful that he can continue in his marriage. But it's his father that picks him up from prison, and before he leaves his Dad's in Louisiana, an old high school acquaintance invites him to dinner and one thing leads to another, Roy saying he "needs" this and that this time with Davina makes him a man again or something. He does return home and Celestial won't tell him that she loves him, nor will she tell him she doesn't. Roy figures out that Celestial is with Andre, and Celestial makes it clear she doesn't want to make love to Roy. Roy gets ready to leave. Andre shows up, and then there is a scene in the front yard as once again Roy asks Celestial whether she cares for him and she doesn't answer, and Roy starts chopping down the tree in their front yard that means a lot to Celestial, and Roy and Andre have a fist-fight. Roy despairs, "My key works but you won't let me in" and this seems to be what changes Celestial's mind, and makes her feel some sense of responsibility or duty to be a wife to Roy still. She goes home with Roy, tends to his wounds, and offers her body to him. He can tell, though, that though she is willing, she is not eager, just acting out of obligation. When Roy realizes this, he leaves. The epilogue is letters between Roy and Celestial, reminding us of the form of the story, all epistolary during Roy's imprisonment. We see that Roy and Davina are together, and Celestial and Andrew are together and expecting a baby.
What I liked
~The story was character-driven. You got to know each person's perspective and motivations really well. No character was perfect, but I could understand the motivations of each so that I found each likeable enough
What I didn't like, but maybe what made it good...
~The exception may be Celestial. I liked her and I empathized with her situation, yes, but I was very impatient with and judgmental toward her. How could she not empathize with the situation that Roy was in? As bad as her situation was, she should know that his was worse, and that should have motivated her to remain loyal, wholeheartedly devoted. I mean, I guess I understand that if she had done that, there wouldn't have been much of a story. And maybe, that is the story of "An American Marriage," where we value loyalty and institutions but only to a point. Maybe that's what I'm supposed to be left to grapple with--what is that point? At what point is it okay to say, I value love and loyalty, but I need to take care of myself and do what I want/feel I need?
What I'll keep thinking about
~This idea of what a man needs, what a woman owes a man, what a man owes a woman, etc. Certainly marriage is based on some standards around these ideas, and marriages fall apart when people have different expectations as to where the lines are truly drawn. But the book makes it clear that going through the motions of doing what one "owes" another without any heart in it is clearly not desirable.
~I
know this was the whole point of the story, to ask the questions of
when is unshakable loyalty demanded, and when is it okay to follow your
heart or needs or whatever? But when Roy went to Davina right after he
got out of jail, obsessed with what he "needs," and still had no
sympathy with what Celestial needed for 5 long years? Maybe his
hypocrisy is so affronting to me because deep down, I identify with it.
Same thing with my frustration with Celestial.
~Olive. Undoubtedly an incredible woman. But when Celestial drops that bit about how her physical abuse has characterized their relationship, I felt the sting. And I wanted nothing to do with her!! But it does make you think. People are so complex. So flawed. Even when we mean well, we often end up sabotaging things for ourselves.
~Olive. Undoubtedly an incredible woman. But when Celestial drops that bit about how her physical abuse has characterized their relationship, I felt the sting. And I wanted nothing to do with her!! But it does make you think. People are so complex. So flawed. Even when we mean well, we often end up sabotaging things for ourselves.
What I'll keep thinking about
~This idea of what a man needs, what a woman owes a man, what a man owes a woman, etc. Certainly marriage is based on some standards around these ideas, and marriages fall apart when people have different expectations as to where the lines are truly drawn. But the book makes it clear that going through the motions of doing what one "owes" another without any heart in it is clearly not desirable.
More of What I Liked
~This was a story about race, inequality, mass incarceration, and the injustice of the criminal justice system, but it wasn't focused on those things, if that makes sense. Rather, this was a world where those things were understood, just implicitly there. Instead of explaining them, Jones could just show us their effects. This was so powerful.
~The epistolary format of this was very well-done. The whole pace of the novel was perfect to me.
~I did really like Davina. She seemed real, self-possessed, strong. She was the only one that seemed idealized to me.
I've already talked about my feelings about Olive. Still, this quote is wise. Choosing a beautiful quote from a character I have some respect for but also don't want anything to do with is perfect for this book! "Get on your knees when you talk to the Lord. Do not call yourself praying by lying in the bed thinking. Thinking and praying are two different things, and for something this important, you need prayer."
AFTER RE-READING THE ENDING....
I see that Roy's incarceration has more to do with the story than I originally realized. The meanings and lessons from the story I had previously drawn are really secondary to this... one of the reasons the injustice of Roy's incarceration was so horrific is that it took more from him than can be realized. It's easy to see that it took years of his life, and that it probably traumatized him and his family. It was apparent to me that it contributed to the downfall of his marriage, but I was eager to read it as only providing the opportunity for the people to do the true destroying themselves. On re-reading it, it became apparent that the truth is, Roy's conviction and incarceration made Celestial think of him as a criminal. Though she knew he hadn't committed the crime, because he was treated for so long as if he did, it was truly impossible for her not to start to do the same. She undoubtedly would have denied this. But now I think the book is about the phenomenon of
I've already talked about my feelings about Olive. Still, this quote is wise. Choosing a beautiful quote from a character I have some respect for but also don't want anything to do with is perfect for this book! "Get on your knees when you talk to the Lord. Do not call yourself praying by lying in the bed thinking. Thinking and praying are two different things, and for something this important, you need prayer."
AFTER RE-READING THE ENDING....
I see that Roy's incarceration has more to do with the story than I originally realized. The meanings and lessons from the story I had previously drawn are really secondary to this... one of the reasons the injustice of Roy's incarceration was so horrific is that it took more from him than can be realized. It's easy to see that it took years of his life, and that it probably traumatized him and his family. It was apparent to me that it contributed to the downfall of his marriage, but I was eager to read it as only providing the opportunity for the people to do the true destroying themselves. On re-reading it, it became apparent that the truth is, Roy's conviction and incarceration made Celestial think of him as a criminal. Though she knew he hadn't committed the crime, because he was treated for so long as if he did, it was truly impossible for her not to start to do the same. She undoubtedly would have denied this. But now I think the book is about the phenomenon of
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