The character Wade Whitehouse from the book Affliction by Russell Banks is very complex. To properly analyze his character one must take into account all aspects of his personality. We must search and break down any information we may find about, the character’s background information, describe his personality, determine if any changes have occurred to his character during the novel, how he has affected fellow characters and finally the thematic significance that the author wishes to bring to the reader’s attention through his character.
Firstly we must look at the major factors that influence the character; background information surrounding the environmental factors of the town, the family relations and early life experiences that have dramatically affected the character. The town of Lawford is a rural community in New Hampshire having no natural resources for economic viability. Due to this poor flow of money the town lacks simple services and recreational facilities and therefore does not attract many tourists. Those who do visit the town are either merely city comers using their fathers cottage as a weekend getaway, or deer hunters profiting from the abundant wild life.
The only successful local man is Gordon LaRiviere who owns a well drilling company and who employs Wade and many other men of this town. Affliction is set in a winter scenery and throughout the book the weather is gloomy ” the sky clear as black glass”6, “Winter approaches…arriving with such ferocity and stunning relentlessness of purpose that you could give yourself over to it completely and at once” and is a reflection of the attitudes possessed by the characters. Secondly we must discuss Wade’s family background. His father is a severe alcoholic who regularly abused each family member.
Once under the spell of the alcohol he becomes extremely violent and cannot control his anger. His mother although very loving could not protect the children for she herself feared her abusive husband. On many occasion she had also suffered the trauma of abuse and tried to avoid any confrontation at any cost. Wade had four siblings, two older brothers Elbourne and Charlie, who were both killed during the Vietnam War specifically the Tet offensive. Wade also had one younger brother Rolfe, who left town for collegial studies, and a younger sister, Lena, who departed shortly after she realized she was pregnant.
Elbourne and Charlie running to Vietnam, where they died, Lena to marriage with the Wonder Bread truck driver and obesity and charismatic Christianity and five squabbling children of her own, and I, Rolfe, whom the others regarded as the successful one, to the state university 96. Thirdly as a young child he had to watch Elbourn and Charlie being beaten by his drunken father. Until the age of ten he thought himself invincible sean as his father had not laid a hand on him but this false self- image was cruelly brought to an end. As he obeyed his mother instead of his father, Mr.
Whitehouse became inraged and attacked his son, savagely beating him “slapping him again and again, harder each time, although each time the boy felt it less, felt only the lava-like flow of heat that each blow left behind” 102. Wade has an extremely distinct and complicated personality that at times can be hard to fathom. As we familiarize ourselves better with this character we can easily distinguish certain traits and connect them with past life experiences. The most obvious trait is a lack of self-esteem which leads to an overabundant abuse of alcohol.
His failed marriage to Lillian, the limited visitations allowed with his daughter and his monotonous job all lead him to believe that he is less of a man. Wade did not express his feelings openly instead kept them locked up inside which added to all the hardship already present in his life, ” Wade lived almost wholly out there on his skin, with no interior space for him to retreat to, even in a crisis or at a time of emotional stress or conflict” 215. All these aspects contributed to his abuse of alcohol which in turn led to his violence.
Wade was a violent and destructive drunk that gravily harmed other citizens, he had a reputation around town as a man who was dangerous when he was drunk, a reputation Jack knew the man deserved. He had seen Wade clock a few guys himself, and he had heard stories about him that went all the way back to when Wade was in high school 77. One can also see that Wade is a very impatient person. He does not like to undertake a task in which he is not specialized. As mentioned earlier he is employed by Gordon LaRiviere, Wade is in charge of mostly manual labour.
During the off seasons Mr. LaRiviere offers Wade some office work that needs attending to. Although Wade does not quit easily he gets very impatient after some time and eventually gives up. He does not try to ask for help but struggles there to no end until he can no longer tolerate his frustration. “Jack liked office work, whereas Wade felt worse than peculiar, he felt downright terrified”, “———-” 90 Wade can also be seen as somewhat stubborn. Near the middle of the novel, one of Mr. LaRiviere’s friends, Mr. Twomblay, arrives in town.
