The Music School

A detailed Summary of The Music School

I am more interested in the so-called illogical impringements of the connotations of words on the consciousness (and their combinations and interplay in metaphor on the basis) than I am interested in the preservation of the logically rigid signification at the cost of limiting my subject matter and perceptions. --Hart Crane

Is life really full of logicality? Visualize yourself in a world where everything made "logical" sense. There is no creativity and individuality. "Oh, you cannot do that, it does not make logical sense!" Who cares? We, the people of this earth, are on the top of the evolutionary cycle. We are different from other living creatures because of our ability to think -- to be an individual by expressing your needs and wants. Our emotions contradict logical sense sometimes. For example, when someone is in trouble, but you have a plane ticket going back to your country that is only good for that specific time--what would you do? The most logical solution is just to go on the plane since you already have everything set, but you realize that saving the girl is more important--highly illogical. You have the plane ticket already--why would you risk losing your chance to go home? Illogicality! The same conce

Each moment I live, I must think where to place my finger, and press them down with no confidence of hearing a chord.

"The Music School" by John Updike is mainly about a man drawn to tears and fear of rejection by the occurrences around him. Such occurrences include the death of his friend, the computer expert, the music school where his child studies, the Catholic Eucharistic ceremony, the psychiatric visits and divorce to his wife. "I do not understand the connection but there seems to be one." Updike gives us all these details in single, detached paragraphs that does not quite possess logical connections. Every detail was hand-woven by Updike's unique writing style. Such "illogical impringements"--the detached details-- are brought together in paragraphs seven and eight. The last two paragraphs brings forth the reasons on why Alfred is afraid of rejection and/ or failure and also his reflections and thoughts on the world around him. Illogical connections are brought together to form a more meaningful impact on the story itself and its readers.

"Technique is vision--Von Ghent." Updike uses the illogical metaphors to further emphasize that the narrator is a confused man. Alfred is tackling a very rocky relationship with his wife and at the same time trying to live his life through others. For example, his daughter is learning how to play the piano. When Alfred was a child, he wanted to learn how to play the piano and read music, but he was frightened of the outcome. As he watches his daughter hit the ivory, he feels like he is the one doing the playing. The same situation applies to the murder of his friend, a computer expert. He is unable to cope with his murder because he though about the many things he has done, including success, and that wasting all that was just a waste of effort. He is confused about his life. "Our aim as poets is not representation but presentation--Marianne Moore."

The illogical connections of metaphors in The Music School add deeper meanings in the story. It reveals, in a vague manner, the significance of the narrator's thoughts and ho

Some common words found in the essay are:
Alfred Schweigen, Music School, , Ghent Updike, Catholic Eucharistic, John Updike, music school, computer programmer, John Updike's, logical sense, friend computer expert, understand connection, illogical connections, plane ticket, play piano, unable cope murder, coda urged, existentialist belief, music lessons,

Approximate Word count = 1418
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English