The Appointment By Herta Muller - 1615 Words

ISU Novel Study #1: The Appointment by Herta Mà ¼ller Question: In some literary works, memories and recollections are used to give insight on a character or the society in which they reside. Choose a novel and assess the use of shifting between the present and past as it contributes to the understanding of the work as a whole. Hook: 40th President of the United States Ronald Reagan once stated, â€Å"Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.† Transition: Nicolae Ceausescu was a Romanian Communist leader who was a member of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989. While his time in office began with a relatively moderate rule, he quickly became both brutal and tyrannical. His firm stance on controlling speech†¦show more content†¦The whole book and her internal monologue add to the torturous feel of the appointments and getting the insight on her thoughts on and experiences with Albu helps a reader understand the daunting Securitate of Communist Romania. Quote 2: â€Å"He [Paul] took the brandy into the kitchen and locked himself in.† This is a quote in reference to a time when the narrator’s husband Paul’s tools and tubing were taken away. Paul enjoyed making things and two men came in and took away all his things because of â€Å"black marketeering.† This prompted Paul to locked himself in a room with brandy. This shows again the control of the state, and how abruptly they can take away things you love. This is particularly important because it explores a more emotional aspect, of the government not only instilling fear within you, but keeping you away from things you enjoy. Not only that, but they can prompt such a response from you causing you to isolate yourself and resort to forms of escapism such as alcoholism. This alcoholism causes a strain on the relationship between the narrator and Paul. Compare this to the first few pages of the novel â€Å"whenever Paul’s out on the town, barhopping late at ni ght, I’m afraid he’ll never come home again.† Showing no progression in his drinking over the course of the time he is being controlled and his wife is being constantly questioned. He even says he does it to â€Å"protect his soul.† It consumes a majority of his time so that he can forget about the