The Cold Silence
My brief explanation of Intermezzo by Salley Rooney
Intermezzo wasn’t my first of Rooney’s books. I’ve been in love with Conversations with Friends, Normal People, and Beautiful World Where Are You. Thus, I understood how she arranged her words. Just a little information, for those who are not familiar yet, with her book, she’s kinda person who never puts quotation marks (“) on every conversation. She’s also put every little word (even a whisper) of the character within. So, I think it’ll be challenging for u to differentiate between narration, conversation, and internal monologue.
Shortly, there are Peter and Ivan, two brothers who lost their connection after their dad passed away. This book explained each character very well. Ivan has melancholic, soft, and sensitive feelings, while Peter is tough and egoistic.
This book doesn’t have so much conflict. It’s just mundane things in our days, to be honest. So, I think the chance of being distracted when u read through the pages is getting larger. The minor conflict is balanced by the complexities that show in each character’s inner voice, by the way. Sooo, this book is very simple, yet really complicated. But don’t worry, Sally Rooney offers us a very warm and beautiful ending as the sedative, tho.
To keep it brief, I would summarize mine in the points below.
First Born Syndrome
It’s actually “first daughter syndrome, I think Peter’s character is related enough to associate with this term. But anyway, as the firstborn, too, I kinda feel Peter’s side. Through the early pages, I honestly think that he’s a mean and egotistic person. It’s shown in the cold, short conversation with Ivan, and in how he doesn’t appreciate him. Peter is also someone who never shows his affection, while Ivan badly needs his brother’s support.
It’s not a bias by the way, because I spotted Peter’s communication to Ivan. He never seeks the reason behind every conflict. He simply looked into himself. He’s not considering Ivan’s decision that wanna be heard.
But, through the monologue, I slowly understand that Peter is a firstborn who wants to protect his brother. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know how to show it well or deliver his worries tenderly. Thus, it is no wonder there is greater misunderstanding between them.
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Peter’s disposition is revealed through the dialogue during the climax. He said that,
“Okay, you want to tell the truth. That’s fine. The truth is that i’ve spent my life trying to protect you both. From the age of hat, twelve, fifeteen, I was the one who had to be adult… but i learned my lessob. He didn’t want me to be his son, he wanted me to be his protector. And yours. So that’s what i was.”
The Melancholic Ivan
The first issue is sparked when Peter reads his father’s eulogy. Ivan thinks that Peter wasn’t close enough to her father. Ivan cared for his father during his illness. Then, it’s getting worse when Ivan met Margareth and dated her. Peter’s disagreement with Peter leads to resentment. Ivan feels his decision is neither appreciated nor honored. Well, he’s mature enough to make his own decision.
By the monologue, I really love Ivan’s effort to fix everything. He reached out to Ivan first. He always makes a call and makes a reservation for both of them. He is just trying his best. He also shared everything that had happened in his life, hoping his brother would cheer for him.
For Ivan, Peter is the cold person who always speaks in silence; it’s really hard for Ivan to understand him, and maybe for others too.
“You didn’t respect him. You never respected either of us. And your eulogy was horrible, by the way. It was embarrassing. You always think you’re so good at everything, but you’re not. People just flatter you because they’re scared to give criticism.
On the other hand, I also noticed that Ivan has a very melancholic character, which makes his emotional state feel unstable. It’s a hot take, by the way. I just feel that Ivan often feels disappointed with his own expectations. Like, he has a certain expectation of how ppl would treat him (which isn’t bad), and he’ll eventually fall short of it. Thus, he often feels offended.
Emotional Contentment
Through the pages, I see that Ivan and Peter are captivated by their own utter feeling. The problem may be complex, but the way they just silence and cover it all makes everything worse.
Peter is the older brother who doesn’t realize enough that his brother is growing up. He already has his own life. While Ivan also has to realize that his brother has always lived to protect him since his very young age, he’s never shown his own deep feelings, so his affection never comes across well.
This novel brought me into a monologue that grief could be different for everyone. Peter and Ivan were actually grieving. Their new episode of life feels terribly hard because their father’s death has made them a very different person. All of a sudden, things just broke him and unintentionally rearranged everything in their life.
