Jill McCorkle's Creatures of Habit - Literature review Example

Jill McCorkles Creatures of Habit The Creatures of Habit by Jill McCorkle is a collection of twelve stories and the through the stories, hasattempted to provide a symbolic implication of the universality both in the conditions of animals and human beings. Each story of the book elucidates life of one or a group of animal, in association with human counterparts in the modern social backdrop. Use of imagination, elements of fancy and inclusion of picturesque from mundane social existence in the stories have provided an impression to audience that present social condition has equaled the situation for both animals and human beings. The humans and animals cannot anymore be differentiated anymore on the basis of their respective entity: in a symbolic manner, stories of the book emphasize on this theme. The title, Creatures of Habit also carries a deep connotation. According to common understanding, animals are known as creatures of habit as they develop a sense of instinct through following certain regular course of actions. Contrast to their human counterparts, as animals cannot depend on their faculty of intelligence for the purpose of survival, dependence on habits and development of instinct are sole ways for them to lead their lives. The most remarkable stories of the book are, perhaps, “Billy Goats” and “Cats”. Through these stories, the author has not only emphasized over the element of similarity between existence of human beings and animals in the same plain of modern situation but through these stories she also has attempted to show how human beings have gradually became creatures of habit; rather than being recognized as creatures of intelligence. However, research of psychologists, modern sociologists and outlook of great artists of literature suggests that human beings cannot be judged as entirely as creatures of intelligence; rather they have certain strong traits of reacting as creatures of habit, especially in the context of social interaction. Depending on this habit, often, people interpret new range of social interactions as repetition of their past experience (Legg 21). Ilene Segalov, in the book, 40 Days and 40 Nights: Taking Time Out for Self-Discovery, has observed clearly, “Humans are truly creatures of habit. We invent our day and before we know it slip …. Then, we fall into the inevitable numb zone of habit and feel depressed, uninspired or tired” (139). Even great 18th century writer and philosopher Charles Dickens has observed in his novel Dombey and Son, that “They soon grew into a habit; and we are creatures of habit – creatures of habit” (425). During an interview with Jill McCorkle, Sherry Ellis asked her the reason for revisiting Fulton, the fictional city. While answering, the author mentioned that elements of fiction and fancy have always been integral parts of her work and the fanciful outlook provides her with the impetus to look at the affairs around from the perspective of a child (Ellis). Such observation has finally evolved as a major inspiration to reflect her creative aspiration in the “Billy Goats”. She has mentioned in the interview that during her childhood, along with her fellow partners, she used to do several things that would have offended or scared their parents, “It was a time when children went out until the street lights came on, and if our parents had known where we were and what we were doing they would have had heart attacks” (Ellis). The “Billy Goats” actually have become manifestation of innocence or meekness, “We used to all come outside when the streetlights came on and prowl the neighborhood in a pack, a herd of kids on banana-seat bikes and minibikes. The grown-ups looked so silly framed in their living-room and kitchen window” (McCorkle 1). However, such restrain on spontaneity of childhood and desperate quest to experience the unknown never diminish. Despite there are situations of danger and possibility of being lost within the ambiance of materialism but the meek nature always inspire them to lose themselves within the realm of fancy and pure ecstasy, “We rode behind the big gray truck, out laughter and scrams lost in the grinding whir of machinery, our vision blurred by the cloud of poison. We were light-headed as we cruised our town – the dark deserted playground of the elementary school …” (McCorkle 1-2). Description of the entire situation provides a reader with the impression as if a hoard of Billy goats is stuffed into a truck, which is heading towards their slaughter. Setting of the town, with its poisonous gas, machinery and oppressive parents has become representative of the slaughterhouse but finally it fails to kill the childhood, innocence and meekness, which are essential virtues of human existence. Like the creatures of habit, it was their instinct that led them to come out despite all sorts of adversities and such nature of the kids equaled them with Billy goats that also sneak out irrespective of strict supervision of their owners. Mention of the girl, whose parents were out of town, is remarkable in the context. She could have enjoyed a night of serenity and sensuality like others as she had no one to dictate her about action; but she rather preferred to join other kids and enjoy the night to the best extent as she can (McCorkle 4). What the author has tried to focus that presence of such spontaneity or dependence on instinctive survival is universal and people who refuse to respond to the creature of habit living inside, they end up either murdered or suicidal (McCorkle 4-5). The connection between animals and human beings in terms of movement, features and experience receives another dimension of authoritarian treatment in the story “Cats”. While asked to reflect over issues of commonalities, the author has suggested that she never actually had any preconceived notion in her mind regarding these aspects; rather these have evolved during the course of her writing, “I didn’t begin this collection with the idea of all the animal connections; it evolved as I was writing. I often think there are natural thematic connections when you have a whole litter of story ideas at the same time” (Ellis). Like the story “Billy Goats”, the “Cats” also include a comprehensible amount of autobiographical elements (Ellis) but the author has used those elements with an aim to elaborate a specific dimension of human life, relationship between two human beings and family politics, “Cats Abbott is out there again and ... Anne hears his feeble attempts with his key at a lock long changed ...” (McCorkle 91). Such description clearly provides an impression of a cat that is trying to make it way towards its destination, but failing with every attempt. Here the male gender has been compared with the cat that is always in search of coziness or sensual pleasure. The sense of void which has developed in the protagonist since she has lost her cat, receives a fulfillment through the male counterpart and his desire to search for coziness, “He pulls her closer, burying his face in her neck, his breath warm ...” (McCorkle 105). It becomes clear from narrative of the story that a creature of habit always remains within every individual and it requires a proper situation to be exposed or explored. In the conclusion it can be said that no matter how much human beings claim themselves as separate entities of intelligence but in the social context they all are similar to that of creatures of habit. The stories of the book elucidate that there is a thread of universal connection between animals and human beings. Circumstances often expose the creatures of habit that remains dormant within all human beings and it would be natural if people learn to accept this trait of their existence, which is integrally associated with their very entity. Works Cited Dickens, Charles. Dombey and son. Boston: Ticknor and Fields. 1867. Ellis, Sherry. “Creature of Habit: An Interview with Jill McCorkle”. N.d. Available at: http://www.bu.edu/agni/interviews/online/2003/mccorkle-ellis.html. Retrieved on: 25.02.2010. McCorkle, Jill. Creatures of Habit. New York: Shannon Ravenel (Workman Publishing). 2008. Legg, Charles R. Psychology and the reflective counselor. New York: Wiley-Blackwell. 1998 Segalove, 40 Days and 40 Nights: Taking Time Out for Self-Discovery. New Jersey: Andrews McMeel Publishing. 2004 Read More