Body and Soul | Emotional Distance and Spirituality
In the following essay, the author discusses the
themes of emotional distance and spirituality in
Body & Soul.
Distance is the ever-present element in Frank Conroy’s Body & Soul. There is a distance between Claude Rawling’s world and the world around him. While some critics have complained that Claude is a lifeless character with whom the reader cannot establish an emotional bond, it seems likely Conroy intended for there to be no link between reader and main character. Through the reader’s own difficulty in getting a window into Claude’s soul, it becomes apparent that Claude himself has never looked into his soul. Claude is totally self-absorbed, but there is no self-introspection....
[The entire page is 1653 words long]
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