"Never love a wild thing, Mr. Bell," Holly advised him. "That was Doc's mistake. He was always lugging home wild things. A hawk with a hurt wing. One time it was a full-grown bobcat with a broken leg. But you can't give your heart to a wild thing: the more you do, the stronger they get. Until they're strong enough to run into the woods. Or fly into a tree. Then a taller tree. Then the sky. That's how you'll end up, Mr. Bell. If you let yourself love a wild thing. You'll end up looking at the sky."
This universal quote from Truman Capote's beloved classic novella Breakfast at Tiffany's is from the distraught voice of the mysterious, lonely young girl called Holly Golightly. Living an exciting and stylish New York lifestyle, Holly earns her money as a companion to some very wealthy men. She lives alone in a simple apartment from which she meets Paul, the writer that moves in one floor up, and like many others, falls madly in love with her. Only Paul see's Holly for what she truly is: a wild thing. The quote above is a good representation of the girl behind the chic, the fear behind the protective wall built to keep her from getting too close and too hurt. Before she became Holly Golightly, her name was Lulu Mae and was a very poor little girl living from man to man that would take of her along with her brother Fred that eventually left to join the army. Fatefully though, Holly ended up in New York, amid a great variety of interesting characters including the frustrated old Japanese man who lives upstairs. This chaotic world of charm and style is Holly's impulsive creation, her idea of a happy life. She imagines a life in a world similar to that of Tiffany's where she is surrounded by beauty and everyone is happy to talk about it each and every day. Ultimately, Breakfast at Tiffany's is a lighthearted romantic comedy that brings a story an honest and vulnerable story to the glitz and glamour of downtown Manhattan.
Breakfast at Tiffany's, like it's ever so appropriate setting, connects very well to the time it was written. In the 1960s, something extraordinary happened to popular culture world wide. Films and television programs began to be a bit more provocative, music was overwhelmed with the concept of truth and honesty, and fashion began to really reinvent itself. People everywhere adopted a style that transformed them into a greater version of themselves. Hair styles were wild and makeup was heavy, and that didn't neccesarily coincide with what was happening in the world of folk music for instance. Holly Golightly, or Audrey Hepburn from a visual perspective, embodied a model of the era. Complete with Ray Ban sunglasses, big hats and ribbons, the simple black dress, and a french cigarette, Holly mirrored a model that would grace the cover of Vogue, straight-faced and perfect head to foot. Capote however, took this image and gave it a troubling past and a disfunction life. Eventually, Holly learns of her brother's death and breaks down. Tears began to stream down her face along with her mascara, and perhaps a stereotype was broken. Another connection that could be made to the story is to the liberation of women, another common topic in the 60's. Soon before, a woman's character in a story would often be a conventional, simple minded one. Nothing like the unpredictable Holly Golightly who picked up a ran off one day simply because it's what she wished for. A girl who kept a bleak, untidy home and never cooked was another uncommon notion. Certainly, Capote broke down several barriers with such a simple little story as this one and such a simple girl. The last connection that I can make from Capote's work is to other artists like Woody Allen and Frank Sinatra for example who incorporate the city of New York as a title character in their stories or art pieces. In Breakfast at Tiffany's, the jewelry store on fifth avenue is most likely the most notable, but the infamous Sing Sing prison makes its way into the story as a comedic aspect, Central Park shows up on a sort of date during a romantic scene, and even Holly's apartment building is classic New York style, complete with a large fire escape. The concept of Manhattan helps shape this story and like many other stories before it, would fall short without it as a muse.
Breakfast at Tiffany's, like it's ever so appropriate setting, connects very well to the time it was written. In the 1960s, something extraordinary happened to popular culture world wide. Films and television programs began to be a bit more provocative, music was overwhelmed with the concept of truth and honesty, and fashion began to really reinvent itself. People everywhere adopted a style that transformed them into a greater version of themselves. Hair styles were wild and makeup was heavy, and that didn't neccesarily coincide with what was happening in the world of folk music for instance. Holly Golightly, or Audrey Hepburn from a visual perspective, embodied a model of the era. Complete with Ray Ban sunglasses, big hats and ribbons, the simple black dress, and a french cigarette, Holly mirrored a model that would grace the cover of Vogue, straight-faced and perfect head to foot. Capote however, took this image and gave it a troubling past and a disfunction life. Eventually, Holly learns of her brother's death and breaks down. Tears began to stream down her face along with her mascara, and perhaps a stereotype was broken. Another connection that could be made to the story is to the liberation of women, another common topic in the 60's. Soon before, a woman's character in a story would often be a conventional, simple minded one. Nothing like the unpredictable Holly Golightly who picked up a ran off one day simply because it's what she wished for. A girl who kept a bleak, untidy home and never cooked was another uncommon notion. Certainly, Capote broke down several barriers with such a simple little story as this one and such a simple girl. The last connection that I can make from Capote's work is to other artists like Woody Allen and Frank Sinatra for example who incorporate the city of New York as a title character in their stories or art pieces. In Breakfast at Tiffany's, the jewelry store on fifth avenue is most likely the most notable, but the infamous Sing Sing prison makes its way into the story as a comedic aspect, Central Park shows up on a sort of date during a romantic scene, and even Holly's apartment building is classic New York style, complete with a large fire escape. The concept of Manhattan helps shape this story and like many other stories before it, would fall short without it as a muse.
The image that I chose above is of a popular super model of the era named Twiggy. I was reminded of this image because I was always fascinated by this image of her more that any of her other photos. The image of the television, a newborn fad at the time, the access people now had to other people, to stylish people like Twiggy, didn't necessarily mean that people understood each other better. The look on her face in the television screen speaks volumes when you look closely at it. This reminded of what Capote accomplished with the character of Holly. I girl who gets by on her looks and charm, but has a story that isn't quite so glamorous behind her.
Discussion Questions:
How might our perception of Holly be different if the novel was told from her point of view?
Why do you think the narrator is unknown to the reader?
Which secondary character do you thing is most important to the story?
Why doesn't Capote break up the story into such sort, quick chapters?'
Why is important for Capote to tell us that Holly is 19 so persistently?
As I expected far before picking up this book, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Truman Capote has already won me over before with his story In Cold Blood and the film version of this story has been one of my favorites for a long time now. I have always really enjoyed the setting of the book. I just relate to the pop culture of this time and place rather well, and the title character is a protagonist that is difficult not to enjoy. Above all, Breakfast at Tiffany's offers a wide range of moods. A lighthearted comedy throughout most of the book, the story takes a silly but exhilarating turn of events later on, with romance and drama in between on the way. This is a story that is essential precisely because it doesn't take itself to seriously. I certainly recommend it to all those who identify as an “old soul”.
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