Despite the Axiom of Equality, This Life Was Definitely Not Little: A Gut-Wrenching Analysis of the Heart-Rending Brilliance of Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life
- vicedooo. karl
- Apr 16, 2024
- 8 min read
Note: Trigger Warning! This analysis and novel contain sensitive themes that might not be suitable for some readers.
Novel: A Little Life
Author: Hanya Yanagihara
Year of Publication: 2015
Genre: Drama, Coming-of-Age, Romance
Novel Word Count: 375,000 (Estimated by Yanagihara)
Number of Pages: 814 (Paperback)
SYNOPSIS
When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their center of gravity.
Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome—but that will define his life forever.
REVIEW
Book Review Word Count: 1,874
Contrary to the ideas of the axiom of equality, the critically acclaimed, best-selling novel A Little Life was not written about a little life. Despite the novel's title, one could argue that individuals who wandered Lispenard Street had a whole life. In the novel, the axiom of equality is the assumption that an abstract product, x, must always be equivalent to itself. Nevertheless, the title of this work fails to adequately describe the lives shown in this exquisitely devastating, gut-wrenching story. This 800-page drama, romance, and coming-of-age novel, published by Hanya Yanagihara in 2015, is regarded as a modern-day classic due to its length and boldness in dealing with difficult and delicate subjects. The New Yorker (2015) hailed the book as a remarkable investigation concerning the depths of human cruelty, offset by the healing powers of friendship. As the novel delves into themes of mental health, friendship, and love, it monumentally depicts the beautiful yet poignant trajectory of human emotions. Notwithstanding its long format and highly sensitive subject matter, A Little Life is a transcendent, cathartic novel that one must read at least once throughout their lifetime, preferably in a state where one can wholeheartedly digest the harrowing facts of life to appreciate Yanagihara's ingenious storytelling.
Four young men, all graduates of the notable New England University, set out to forge adulthood for themselves in New York City: Willem Ragnarsson, a waiter who yearns to be an actor; Malcolm Irvine, an associate of a European architect; JB Marion, a receptionist at a downtown art magazine; and Jude St. Francis, a lawyer and mathematician whose upbringings remain largely unknown, even to his three friends. Yanagihara examines numerous issues through intense emotions that are echoed to the readers, forcing them to sob uncontrollably while being happy for a brief moment. This is accomplished in a way that opens up discussions about these sensitive topics that require knowledge, such as mental illness, ableism, and sexual abuse. A Little Life is noteworthy for its experimental, distinctive narrative style, in which Yanagihara frequently employs flashbacks, slow pacing, reiteration, and fragmented narratives to demonstrate the complexity of time in ordinary lives and to keep the readers intrigued. Furthermore, the book adopts a character-centric narrative framework laced with evocative imagery and emotional intensity to freely express each character's unique story, asserting the real world's veracity. Yanagihara dives into the long-term repercussions of childhood trauma and how it might influence one's entire life. She also analyzes the complexity of friendship, emphasizing how friends may help and maintain one another during life's trials. On top of that, despite the characters' professional triumphs, A Little Life shows that true happiness and satisfaction are tricky to achieve, especially for individuals dealing with deep-seated trauma and emotional scars. Lastly, despite the gloom and sorrow that pervade much of the work, Yanagihara claims that it inevitably celebrates the capacity of love and compassion to change lives.
"Friendship was witnessing another's slow drip of miseries, long bouts of boredom, and occasional triumphs. It was feeling honored by the privilege of being present for another person's most dismal moments and knowing that you could be dismal around him in return." This prose exemplifies how A Little Life depicts the beauty of friendships and brotherhood through the bond formed by the gang—Jude, Willem, JB, and Malcolm—who witnessed one another's failures and deepest wounds and stayed no matter what. Nonetheless, the novel also highlights the fragility of relationships, demonstrating how even the most exquisite bond can be shattered by one unacceptable mistake. Yanagihara perfectly expressed the sensation of going through "friendship break-ups" and the hardships that accompany them.
Malcolm Irvine is an architect who specializes in developing small interior spaces. Fear of failure is illustrated through his character, as he frequently internalizes prospective judgments and constantly questions his own decisions. Malcolm is not an ideal friend since he is continuously doubting himself. Nonetheless, we recognize that people like Malcolm want to be present but are continually motivated by the fear of failure in life, careers, and relationships. I felt drawn to his character despite his infrequent appearances as he highlights the truth of people drowning out connections for personal reasons while striving to be an excellent friend.
Jean-Baptiste "JB" Marion demonstrates an extraordinary understanding of human nature, frequently interpreted as the opposite of Malcolm's character. Unlike Malcolm, JB is egocentric and selfish, leveraging his knowledge to advance his job rather than being an empathetic friend. He is one of the novel's only flat characters, allowing others to miss his integrity because he enjoys being around influential individuals, believing they make him shine brighter. The only thing he didn't understand was that the light he was looking for was right in front of him, yet he chose to dim it in the bleak lives of others. JB expertly elicits readers' frustration, but he isn't considered an antagonist because he demonstrates narcissistic conduct typical of a strong-armed, toxic household. This book helped me comprehend JB's character but did not drive me to sympathize with him—which I did not expect.
Willem Ragnarsson (A.K.A. the love of my life) is an outstanding actor who lacks an unwavering sense of identity, which he takes as a chance to grow in the soil of his choices. When questioned about his best qualities, he mentions his friends and his generosity to them. Willem is genuinely the greatest and most sincere of the four friends. He always wants the best for his audience, director, coworkers, friends, and Jude (wink, wink). Willem has withdrawn from the sorrow and loss that he has experienced in the past, yet he is connected to the realities of the present without animosity or lament. He continually strives to be the most idealized version of himself without cracking under pressure. He understands how to balance the value of his profession and his friends, whom he considers family. Willem exceptionally shows the concept of loving and nurturing, as he wishes to offer attested love and receive it in return but never complains when he does not. Ultimately, Willem is a good friend. Isn't it lovely to receive true love from someone like this?
Saint Jude is regarded as the patron saint of lost causes. Thus, it's suitable that Jude St. Francis (my love) considers himself the same. The most devastating aspect of his character is that he never escapes this idea despite receiving unconditional affection from his family and friends as an adult. His desire for stability, protection, and happiness derives from a traumatic event in his childhood, which shaped his personality as an adult. This supports Yanagihara's thesis that the past can influence one's present and future. Trauma is long-term, especially when it remains unrecognized and neglected, as Jude's experience demonstrates. He even claims he deserves to be downgraded since he was born insignificant, a belief he associates with "the axiom of equality"—he wasn't shown love and affection as a child, so he must not receive them as an adult. Despite his friends and family's attempts to reach out to him and break him out of his seclusion, Jude rejects them. He refuses to listen to his loved ones and continues to damage himself in increasingly life-threatening ways. His character throws into focus a variety of essential subjects, including trauma, depression and self-harm, self-pity and self-sabotage, sex and intimacy, gender identity, and resilience in the face of disability. Jude represents the hardships that people encounter in the real world. As someone who has experienced part of what he has, I find it refreshing to read a literary piece addressing these issues to raise awareness among the general public. Jude St. Francis is, in my opinion, the most multifaceted, authentic character with the most heartbreaking past I've ever encountered. I want to give him the warmest hug I could give. I understand that it is a fictional book, but wherever you are now, you are Jude St. Francis. You were treated horribly. You came out the other end. You were always yourself. We will never let you go.
Each of their narratives shines insight into how they live their lives and examines a variety of subjects that we, the readers, may connect to. The ongoing questioning of Jude's identity and self-worth underscores the reality that we will never be enough because what constitutes "enough" differs depending on our perspective. The novel's different connections demonstrate the strength of love and the sorrow of sacrifice, which can be linked to humankind's natural need to exhibit love even when suffering. Jude's pain experience is a continual reminder that no matter how difficult things become, we will always persevere. The stark reality of grief and loss provides us enlightenment that death is relentless, waiting in the shadows to take its fortunate, unlucky humans. Grief remains within us; it will not fade within our inner soul. In truth, we are the ones who will grow until our hearts can no longer perceive or feel grief. The relationship of Jude, Malcolm, JB, and Willem and their differences explore the value of connections, which serves as the book's emotional focal point. Friends can help and sustain one another through life's successes and hardships. We must be present as much as we can. Nonetheless, the sense of impermanence pervades these enticing ideas. We must recognize that some things, if not all, eventually come to an end. Despite this, A Little Life is an exquisite celebration of love and friendships, a tragic exploration of human emotion, and a provocative perspective through ingenious writing that is best appreciated with an appropriate outlook and emotional preparation to face all of the hopelessness in this modern-day classic.
This analysis demonstrates that it is, in reality, not a little life. Life is immense and extends throughout the entire cosmos. Hanya Yanagihara created a pragmatic book packed with values that the eye cannot discern. This book will be remembered as one of the most outstanding modern-day books. It is a magnificent composition that captures life's wretched beauty and exquisite tragedy. It has scholarly significance because it explores dynamics, allowing scholars from psychology, sociology, literature, and ethics to analyze the depiction of trauma's impacts on identity, friendship dynamics, and moral considerations when representing sensitive topics. Its nonlinear narrative structure and lyrical language style make it suitable for literary analysis and inquiries into postmodern literature. Furthermore, the representation of LGBTQ+ experiences and ethical problems surrounding sensitive topics provide new options for gender and culture studies. Reading this book depleted my daily enthusiasm, especially given its length and level of detail. It may need a shorter version in which they live a little life. In this way, no tears would be spilled. Hearts wouldn't be broken. Guts would not be wrenched. I gave this novel an excellent 10/10 rating. Also, I understand you are waiting for my recommendation. Interestingly, I sincerely don't recommend it (if you want to remain mentally sane). Still, if you are an exemplary individual who aspires to be bold for a brief time, I recommend reading this book with caution and emotional capacity. A line in A Little Life says, "What he knew, he knew from books, and books lied, they made things more beautiful." Yet, this book didn't. And in some ways, that is beautiful.
“You won’t understand what I mean now, but someday you will: the only trick of friendship, I think, is to find people who are better than you are—not smarter, not cooler, but kinder, and more generous, and more forgiving—and then to appreciate them for what they can teach you, and to try to listen to them when they tell you something about yourself, no matter how bad—or good—it might be, and to trust them, which is the hardest thing of all. But the best, as well.”
Rating: 5/5
Reading Format: Physical Book
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