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In The Lake Of The Woods - Online Essay

In The Lake Of The Woods

John Wade is by far the most intricate and perplexing character examined throughout the novel . His character hinges on the brink of order and chaos; on one hand, he is defined as a man who is obsessed with controlling the events and people around him. It is this obsession with control and order that lies alongside the central idea of the novel; that John Wade does not really know what happened to his wife. His blackouts and tendency towards spurts of violence highlight the chaos that lies beneath the surface of his life. The image of the mirrors demonstrate this aspects of John's life; the mirrors represent both his attempt to control his world as well as a sanctuary from the reality of ...

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need to take on a different persona:

John had all kinds of different names. I remember his father used to call him Little Merlin or Little Houdini, and that Jiggling John one. Maybe he got used to it. Maybe he felt- maybe it sort of helped to call himself Sorcerer. I hope so. (p268)

Ultimately, John's feelings of helplessness lead to a hunger for control. As a youngster, John is presented to the reader as a would-be magician who tries desperately to achieve the greatest trick of all - gaining his father's love. At the same time, the magic helps John to take control of his life in times of helplessness.

His father's death accentuates his reliance on magic to the point where John begins to do the tricks "in his mind"(p31)

Long ago, as a kid, he'd learned the secret of making his mind into a blackboard. Erase the bad stuff. Draw in pretty pictures. (p135)

The need for love and control is carried over into his adulthood and later, his relationship with Kathy. He spies on her ...

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In The Lake Of The Woods. (2006, July 15). Retrieved January 22, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/In-The-Lake-Of-The-Woods/49179

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 7/15/2006 06:56:05 PM
Category: English
Type: Free Paper
Words: 1129
Pages: 5

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