Stoner

Because he didn't want those things, that life, in the first place. He never admits it, but if you read between the lines you'll know

>>9816591
yeah of course he didn't want that life but every time he was confronted with a realisation where he could change what was happening he just says he can't do anything and concedes to either lomax or edith. fuck me drunk cunt this cunt just savaged himself

>>9816659
And that's the real tragedy. There was no other option. Confronting the truth would mean to admit he hadn't had a real purpose, leaving him in a meaningless void worse than the one he was living

>>9816674
What? How would helping his daughter while it was happening rob him of purpose? If anything it'd do the opposite.
I thought he was held back by mixed feelings of guilt, fear, and pity towards Edith. He put up some sort of silent resistance by being in the house but eventually got so worn down by her passive aggressiveness that he just left and let it happen. Which he did with a lot of things in his life. To me that was the tragedy.

>>9816757
I am of the opinion that he never should have married Edith but then again that was a different era where people Married because it was not a choice but an eventuality.
Women were less independent so all they had to look forward to was getting married.
When that fails to change their prospects they become bitter and passive agressive and shallow.
Lomax is a rival you can't avoid rivals beyond what stoner did.
He never capitulated to Lomax he just stopped giving a fuck, busied himself with a higher pursuit.

>>9816814
Yeah ofc he shouldn't have married Edith he was lonely and pretty ignorant of relationships, but the main failing would be not taking control in the endless negative bullshit he witnessed where history was repeating itself. If only he stood up to Edith when his daughter was dragged from his office, the only reason he didn't was because he felt like he owed something to his caged pigeon wife. theres so many levels to this book loved it thanks Lit for memeing this book btw

>>9816826
>he was lonely
yes
>and pretty ignorant of relationships
He just tried to see the good in people, his life would have been great if Catherine came into his life sooner and if he'd married her instead.

That all of "if" is Luck and from being born in a poor farmer's house to being an idealist and thus incurring the wrath of Lomax. Stone didn't have much of that elixir called "Luck".

>>9816814
Agree with you except
>He never capitulated to Lomax he just stopped giving a fuck, busied himself with a higher pursuit
He accepted a garbage schedule, which prevented him from seeing his daughter, and gave up on the only woman he ever loved. How is that not just giving up? Stoner had a lot of thing working against him, but he still had the choice to confront it.

>>9816856
>How is that not just giving up?
You aren't looking at things from his perspective, he is numb to notions of reciprocation.
>but he still had the choice to confront it.
He never had a very firm sense of belonging to anything thats what happens when you don't have roots, his father's farm was his roots.
English Lit couldn't give him purpose.
Wife,Child,home all those things were just tertiary.
By your arguments it appears you haven't the slightest idea what permanent depression is and I hope you never know it,

>>9816869
>By your arguments it appears you haven't the slightest idea what permanent depression is
I don't, maybe that's why I didn't really get the hype for this book. But honestly it seems like we're saying the same thing, just that I use harsher wording.

>>9816889
>But honestly it seems like we're saying the same thing, just that I use harsher wording.
You aren't harsh you haven't been in his shoes so you don't exactly appreciate his actions,attitude and the cause for it(i know this is very akin to how Normal people call out fat people for their bullshit "helplessness").
Getting /fit/ is a very tangible goal,dealing with bad luck not so much.

People simply relate to stoner there is no hype for this book and people generally are depressed by the shitload.