Immediately we are presented with the theme of R. Kelly’s mixed feelings toward infidelity. He scolds himself for being stupid and allowing him to fall asleep at the house of his paramour, but he seems to be more concerned with the danger of getting caught than with feelings of guilt over his own infidelity. He admits to Cathy that he has a wife, but only in an attempt to make her understand that he has to leave immediately.
While we are initially led to believe that Cathy wants R. Kelly to stay despite his brusque treatment of her, we soon learn that she is only trying to prevent him from walking out the door because he would be discovered by her husband, Rufus. Her decision to hide R. Kelly and to distract and deceive her husband is as much for her own protection as for R. Kelly’s. R. Kelly states that Cathy’s deception “deserves an Oscar,” implying that she is an expert liar. The theme of deception is prominent in this and subsequent chapters.
By the end of the chapter, R. Kelly is prepared to threaten Rufus with a gun in order to leave the apartment. Throughout the narrative, R. Kelly is presented as a thoughtless and thuggish man, set adrift on a sea of troubles of his own making. He often seems remorseless; what regrets he has stem not from the fact that he has hurt others, but from the fact that he has put himself in precarious situations. He urges God not to let Rufus open the closet, but offers no penance for his sins; seemingly, Kelly feels as if he is owed favors by God, despite the fact that he behaves thoughtlessly without regard to the feelings of others.
Immediately we are presented with the theme of R. Kelly’s mixed feelings toward infidelity. He scolds himself for being stupid and allowing him to fall asleep at the house of his paramour, but he seems to be more concerned with the danger of getting caught than with feelings of guilt over his own infidelity. He admits to Cathy that he has a wife, but only in an attempt to make her understand that he has to leave immediately. While we are initially led to believe that Cathy wants R. Kelly to stay despite his brusque treatment of her, we soon learn that she is only trying to prevent him from walking out the door because he would be discovered by her husband, Rufus. Her decision to hide R. Kelly and to distract and deceive her husband is as much for her own protection as for R. Kelly’s. R. Kelly states that Cathy’s deception “deserves an Oscar,” implying that she is an expert liar. The theme of deception is prominent in this and subsequent chapters.
By the end of the chapter, R. Kelly is prepared to threaten Rufus with a gun in order to leave the apartment. Throughout the narrative, R. Kelly is presented as a thoughtless and thuggish man, set adrift on a sea of troubles of his own making. He often seems remorseless; what regrets he has stem not from the fact that he has hurt others, but from the fact that he has put himself in precarious situations. He urges God not to let Rufus open the closet, but offers no penance for his sins; seemingly, Kelly feels as if he is owed favors by God, despite the fact that he behaves thoughtlessly without regard to the feelings of others.
Insight provided by Dr. David Thorpe