I think an important theme in In Country is escapism. Throughout the book, Emmett and Sam are continually seeking escapism in many ways. The main way Mason illustrates the ongoing thread of escapism is by alluding to pop culture.
The most prominent pop culture reference throughout the book is that of television. Instead of being a responsible adult and getting a job, Emmett watches M*A*S*H. This show, in particular, seems to have a resonating effect on Emmett. He never misses it, even though all of the episodes are now re-runs. The fact that this series is about war shows us a lot about what is going on in Emmett's head. He is similar to Krebs in "Soldier's Home." Emmett used to tell Sam war stories when she was little, but Irene stopped Emmett, hating the constant reminder of the war (Mason 51). Likewise, Krebs "felt the need to talk but no one wanted to hear about it" (Hemingway). Watching M*A*S*H is his way of dealing with what happened in the war. He sees similar situations and is able to think through them and accept them, which he was unable to do while in Vietnam. He is also able to see the resolution, which helps him cope.
The main way that Sam copes with her life is with music. She is always looking for certain songs on the radio. "[Sam] turned the radio on, hoping to hear Bruce Springsteen. Somehow, there was a secret knowledge in his songs, as though he knew exactly what she was feeling" (Mason 138). She always alludes to songs to explain certain situations. "That was like an old song, the Beatles singing 'I'm fixing a hole where the rain gets in/And stops my mind from wandering.' That's what Emmett was doing with his hole, trying to stop the rain" (Mason 139).
Another way that both Sam and Emmett use to escape is drinking and getting high. At the beginning of the book, Emmett spikes his and Sam's Coke with whiskey to "feel better" as Emmett puts it (Mason 18). This is not unlike Frederic Henry's habit to turn to alcohol. The alcohol makes him "feel civilized" (Hemingway 245). It makes him forget that he is a soldier and he is at war. Emmett is the same way. It makes him forget. Sam gets high after her night with Tom. She feels the need to block out the things she didn't do right. "She would say the right things this time" (Mason 137).
There are so many allusions to escapism through pop culture in this book. It's really incredible how many connections you can make. There are so many more, but I'm going to have to save that for another post. I'll continue with escapism in my open topic post for this week.
2 comments:
I think the idea of pop culture as an escape for the characters is definitely something thats essential to the book. From Michael Jackson tour references to playing Pac Man, there are a lot of very 80's elements. And its also interesting that Irene used to like her 70's music until Lorenzo Jones and her were together and she stopped caring about it. Sam is kind of a bridge in between the two decades because she likes music and tv shows from both.
I really did not realize how much pop culture played a role in their escapism. After reading this post, I know see all these forms of escapism and I am suprised I did not catch it. I am glad you brought this topic up in our blog.
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