Flawlessly Imperfect

After reading Alice Munro’s Axis, only one word came to mind: remarkable. Munro has her own distinctive style, and is both profound and courageous in her writing. What I love most about this particular work is that Munro (in just a few pages) manages to tell the life of every human in contemporary America.

Before we get into a deep, philosophical discussion, let’s sum up the story. For anyone who has not read Axis, there are three main characters I want to focus on: Royce, Grace, and Avie. The story starts when they are all in college. Grace and Royce are somewhat happily dating, and Avie intends to marry her boyfriend Hugo. So throughout the story —blah blah blah— and by the end Avie and Grace have grown apart in passing years. Avie is widowed and rethinking her own happiness. Royce left Grace (humiliated) and devotes himself to his work. And poor Grace is betrayed and never really mentioned again.

If you are still confused, read the story. Seriously it is probably shorter than this post.

So let’s pick on the boys first. Royce is a cocky, indifferent individual who manages to live up to the standards (or lack thereof) of the typical “teen guy” we see today. As I mentioned, Royce is dating Grace; however, Royce is really only after one thing when it comes to this relationship, and it is the one thing Grace will not let him have. *If you don’t know what I mean by that, ask someone else. Royce plays his part, and almost even likes Grace, but ultimately he wants to fulfill that base need. After finally getting what he wants, Royce leaves; later on he has to stop and “wonder [before] remember[ing]” who she even was (132).

For anyone who feels offended after reading this…chill. There is more here than the simple “all guys are nothing but perverts.” Although that is sometimes true.

Royce knows he can’t have something, so naturally he wants it more. Then, once he has acquired what he has been after, he suddenly loses interest. Also, like all humans, he fears obligation; he worries he will make the wrong decision and end up trapped. He is a confused, lost little boy. He doesn’t know what he wants, but always wants what he can’t have; he’s so afraid to “make a commitment” (126). As hard as we try to make ourselves the best we can be…every person is like Royce to a certain extent. We are all human.

To be fair, we will mention the females as well. Personally I think the main issue concerning Avie and Grace is that they both are so determined to find a husband. True, Avie is more interested in fulfilling her social role than falling in love (unlike Grace), but still the need is there. Each girl hooks a boy the way they think is best; Avie believes “sleeping together” will keep Hugo around, and Grace thinks refusing to go to bed with Royce will “keep him interested” (124).

Both girls are in search of love and companionship; they crave a sense of security. However, as I mentioned, by the end of the story neither one is necessarily happy. So what is Munro getting at? Maybe she is saying happiness doesn’t exist. But I doubt it. Unlike most amazing writers this author is actually still alive, so you can always ask. But I think (as if you care) that Munro is highlighting that, at the core, we are all nothing but instincts. The girls want husbands and children because it is in their physiological nature to do so. They can’t help but be what they are: “women.”

I love this story because it tells the tale of humankind. We can all relate to one (if not all) of the characters. We all want happiness, security, and we all fear unknowns. Munro is not accusing society of being imperfect, she is stating a fact: we are all simply human.