The Moviegoer

I quite enjoyed The Moviegoer. Though Binx is a bit out of the norm, I have read characters similar to him before, and I have to admire his search. I think, for Binx, he found himself often disconnected from the world and his search was his way to stay level.

I believe that Binx is as honest and as caring as he can get to Kate. They have a history of an awkward relationship, but besides his aunt, Kate is the only woman who remains constant in his life. Kate knows that Binx isn't as well off as people think he is. His aunt believes he should be in research; Sharon never understands him,and always asks if "[he's] kidding." Perhaps his proposal is both is way in trying to help Kate as it is to help himself. He admits that he's selfish, but he also cares about Kate. He knows her ups and downs and stays aware of her actions, as opposed to other people.

I liked the relationship between Binx and Lonnie. I think Binx enjoyed his company because they are a lot of like. Both tell the truth and both are devout in a goal. Binx is devot in his search while Lonnie is devout in his religion. There was also the parallels between Binx and his father. Binx's father appears to be on a search like Binx, and it was his reasoning to going to war. He also seems to be misunderstood like Binx; everyone believed he should have gone into research and Binx's mother didn't seem to understand his actions. Even their responses to women are similar, Binx goes after his secretaries while his father rashly decided to marry whoever his nurse was going to be.

I believe Binx did find resolution at the end of the story. I believe that changing moment was when Binx was on the phone with Joyce and he sees Kate and says that "only after the end could the few who survived creep out of their holes and discover themselves to be themselves and life as merrily as children among the viny ruins" (231). I believe he doesn't so much give up on his search as he gives up on trying to be so aware of it. In the epilogue he doesn't say that he gives up on his search. What I interpreted in that section was that he realizes he can't logically explain things. That would be a leap of faith, he doesn't give up on his search even though he has no found logic to discuss it. He can't talk about the things he does not fully comprehend and cannot force that on others. Binx says that he is part of his mother's family so he shys alway from religion; I see that as acknowledging his new found religious ideals, because he wouldn't have to previouly talk about something he didn't believe in. Before he would just draw a curtin when God was mentioned, yet now he is choosing not to discuss it.
There's the argument that Binx settled in the end. However, he does seem content in the end. What he's doing works for him. I think its more that Binx is settling down rather than settling in a life he does not want. Even Kate seems a bit more resolved at the end, she can walk to the office on her own, even if she needs to be told step by step of what to do.

Things don't have to be picture perfect and romanticized to be resolved. Binx and Kate aren't the most typical people in the world, and I think the story would be rather disappointing if Binx became more down to earth, emotional, and sympathetic or if Kate became less manic depressive.