'Empire Falls' tells the story of Miles Roby, who runs the Empire Grill, one of the eating establishments of the town of Empire Falls. He is kept in this job by the promise of Mrs. Whiting, current owner of the restaurant, as well as most of the town, that he will one day own the Empire Grill. Miles' daughter, Tick, features prominently in the novel as she tries to befriend John Voss, the victim of many school bullies. Miles' ex-wife, Janine, also appears often; she is preparing to get married to Walt Comeau, who is a regular at Miles' restaurant. Most of the book deals with Miles as he deals with the things going on around him, as well as his search into his own, and his mother's past. The book also deals with a school-shooting, and the impact it has one people in the town, especially Tick.
More than anything this book is about the collapse of 20th century America. Empire Falls used to be a budding town, having several textile factories. When it is discovered the products can be made in Mexico for half the price the company is sold, the workers laid off. What was previously a blue-collar town with a good population has now turned into a ghost-town, a victim of greed.
Empire Falls, though a fictitious town, is a symbol for many American towns, and citizens. It is not only the loss of jobs, it is a loss of spirit. The citizens of Empire Falls remember what the town used to be and have given up hope that it will ever return to that. Many have lost their job, some their homes, all their way of life. Empire Falls has fallen hard, symbolizing how America, in real life, has fallen in some ways.
Another theme in this book is vengeance. Mrs. Whiting keeps Miles exactly where he is, managing the Empire Grill when he could be doing something else, as punishment for her husband's infidelity. Miles, of course, is innocent in all of this, but he is, nonetheless, victim to Mrs. Whiting's anger and bitterness. Mrs. Whiting claims to love Miles, but that is hard to believe considering she will not lift a finger to make the Empire Grill flourish. Nor will she let Miles to anything to improve upon his situation in life.
One can also clearly see vengeance in the actions of John Voss. In seeking vengeance for being bullied, as well as being abused as a child, John brings a gun to school and kills three people. It is hard to imagine the pain he is feeling inside, a pain strong enough to carry out such a horrific act.
Finally, vengeance can be seen in the act of Janine marrying Walt. It is clear, at times, that Janine does not truly love Walt. She is marrying him as much to get back at Miles as anything else.
What is evident in all three of these cases is that the vengeance is not entirely justified. Miles does nothing to Mrs. Whiting, and yet she punishes him. John Voss kills three people, none of whom hurt him in any way. Miles is partially responsible for the break up of his marriage, but he is not an evil person. And yet, Janine feels the need to punish him to making her life miserable.
This book is very good. I think Russo captures perfectly the struggles of Small Town USA, as well as the anger and pain we all feel from the way others have treated us.
No comments:
Post a Comment