Much like most of the other narrators for these stories, the narrator of this one has a dry and judgmental personality. There’s this certain hyperfixation that he has with playing roles or noticing the roles that the people around him had. There’s his brother, MJ, being the “man’s man.” Then there’s him being “refined” as he self-ascribes; it doesn’t take a lot to see the arrogance that Charles has about himself, and describing yourself as refined is one of the most pretentious things that I can imagine. Regardless, it’s just ironic, because there’s hardly one thing that you would imagine a refined and successful man would stereotypically do that he does in the short story. He smokes, he drinks, he sleeps with the girl who shows up despite being a married man, etc. He undoubtedly has a warped perception of life, the fact that his relationship with his wife is so easily ignored hardly bothers him, and even in his reflections about his future are morbid at best. I also think that it’s ironic considering a lot of the delinquent activities that he did with his brother as kids, such as breaking into houses and stealing things, he participated in. So why did he and his brother go down such different paths? Other than getting into that private school and maybe some different parenting, they don’t seem much different from the descriptions Charles gives to us.
He seems to already know what life has in store for him, and it’s nothing good. His own son being frustrated with him, his grandkids “not worshipping me,” and him whining about the “sacrifices” that he’s made. It’s all so repetitive, not that that’s a gripe against the story; it was interesting. It’s hard to say that I enjoyed it because the narrator was so infuriating, and because those self-entitled characters who always thinks that the world owes them favors due to their own miserable existential dread and lack of character are irritating.
I cannot agree more with how much this story irritated me. You brought up an interesting point of how he and his brother seem so different other than maybe the different parenting or education they received, but I think it may just be his judgement and not necessarily take it for truth. I think that despite he may have had a better education, he dislikes himself for seeming like his brother and puts his brother on a lower platform to make himself better (as most narrators in these stories) but I think the way he tells this story is meant to show us that he isn’t any better only thinking he is.
I absolutely loved your post. I completely agree with the complex feelings of frustration towards the narrator. I personally love a good unreliable and narcissistic narrator. It gives the piece a sort of grit and spice that most pieces lack in my opinion. Of course, this is just a personal preference but the feeling of absolute malice I formulated while reading through all his incessant wining is such a hard feeling for an author to get right. I think Ottessa Moshfegh’s ability to draw out hatred while still having a very realistic character depiction is her main draw in these stories. Overall, a gorgeous depiction of a horribly distasteful man.