In “Everything I Never Told You” Ng shows
contradicting sides to an object to let the readers have a broader perspective.
These elements of objects are similar to how mechanisms function. All
mechanisms serve a purpose but unfortunately, have their flaws. Ideas and
objects such as the lake, the Lee family dynamic, and the cookbook both serve
as a benefit and as a disadvantage. People heavily depend on mechanisms to
better their lives but some mechanisms have defects that cause issues. The
lake, a place for play, is where Lydia’s corpse was found. The Lee family,
progressive and diverse, also have their issues and secrets. The cookbook that
belonged to Marilyn’s mother addresses controversial messages but still
motivates Marilyn to attain her goals. Similar to any mechanism, the lake, the
Lee family dynamic, and the cookbook have qualities that prove there are two
dimensions to every object.
The lake is no longer a place for fun. The Lee
family as convinced to buy the house near the lake when the realtor made the
point, “and think of it the lake practically at your doorstep” (Ng, 104) and it
would be like having a private beach. The children and the neighbors have
played in the lake every summer and have made fond memories. It was a place
they visited to relax and to enjoy time with the family. The lake had
especially been Hannah’s favorite place as expressed, “all her life, Hannah has
loved this lake” (Ng, 104); however, it would be indecent to treat it as a
place for fun now. The lake is viewed differently now. After Lydia’s body was
discovered in the lake, no one visits the lake to enjoy their free time.
Similar to mechanisms, the lake is supposed to serve for the enjoyment and
benefit for the neighbors but also have their downfalls. Ng utilizes irony to
create a creepy feeling towards the lake. Even though the lake was a pleasant
place where the Lees created fond memories, they now avoid it since the
discovery of Lydia’s body.
The Lees have an interesting family dynamic that
influences the progress of the investigation. James wants his children to fit
in, because he was never able to do so. Marilyn wants her children to excel and
frequently offering to sign up for extracurricular activities. Although the
parents wish the best for their children, their version of the best isn’t the
healthiest when they make that their main concern. They have created an
atmosphere to keep your feelings private. They do this by example and by openly
disregarding their children’s feelings. When Marilyn ran away from home, she
wrote, “I have kept all these feelings inside me for a long time.” (Ng, 100)
Even an adult of the family doesn’t know how to openly communicate. When
Marilyn shared the news with James about her mother’s death, they didn’t speak
about it because “he understood: they would into talk about it.” (Ng, 80) James
has also disregarded Nath’s feelings when he was teased at the pool by saying, “he
needs to learn to take a joke.” (Ng, 92) Even though, James understood how Nath
felt, his habit of denying difficult emotions overpowered the empathy he felt
for his son. It can be assumed that James and Marilyn were emotionally
disconnected because James had to seek emotional support from his assistant,
Louisa. On the surface, the Lees seem like a normal family; they lived
together, ate together, and enjoyed the weekend together. The parents set the
tone for the children to internalize their personal. Even the youngest, Hannah,
is aware of this rule because she reminds herself, “don’t talk about Lydia.
Don’t talk about the lake. Don’t ask questions.” (Ng, 106) The family’s bleak
communication is proven when Lydia lies to her parents about her social life
when she actually had no friends. It’s confirmed again when Nath doesn’t share
what he knows about Jack Wolff to his parents even when he insinuates that Jack
has information. The dysfunction in communication amongst the Lees becomes an
obstacle in the investigation because the family doesn’t actually know anything
about Lydia. Family is supposed to be a group that one feels safe and supported
but the Lees were unable to create this environment.
The cookbook Marilyn’s mother lived by had
different purposes for Marilyn and her mother. To Marilyn’s mother, it was a
guidebook to embrace that told her how to live. The cookbook’s purpose was to
provide a woman instructions on how to be the ideal, traditional woman, who
puts the man’s desires before hers. The cookbook was the only thing Marilyn
kept of her mother’s. Although the ideals and messages in the cookbook are
flawed, Marilyn still keeps it because it was the only thing that represented
her mother’s true self. Marilyn uses it as a reminder to never end up like her
mother as she tells herself, “there will be more to your life than this.” (Ng,
97) She now remembers her goal to be a woman that achieves beyond society’s
expectations. The book that is supposed to be a guide on how to be a
traditional woman is used in the opposite way by Marilyn. Similar to how
updated versions of mechanisms are made, Marilyn is the newer model of her
mother. The cookbook is multipurpose because it functions differently depending
on the person reading it.
The Lees never expected for such pleasant things
to also have awful effects. Ng uses irony to reveal characteristics of the lake
and the Lee family. Similar to a mechanism, there is an objective and purpose
for something but there are also flaws. Sometimes the advantages conquer and
other times the bad overpowers and causes obstacles. Ng’s writing develops as
she creates contradicting feelings towards an object. Exploring the elements of
the lake, the family dynamic, and the cookbook, these objects work together to
allow the readers to see both dimensions of an object. On the surface,
situations seem mundane; however, if you look further, the flaws are revealed
and helps readers analyze the story.
No comments:
Post a Comment