Being messed up is a requirement in this neighborhood
For my second pick in the cannonball run, I decided to go back to an original favorite Little Children by Tom Perrotta. I was instantly hooked on this book when it first came out, something about the theme of it resonated with me so much.
I think the reason I felt a connection so much, was because I could relate to the un-sureness of the main character Sarah. She is a woman who had all the dreams in the world to explore life, to study novels, to engage in the mind of others. Somehow, however, that is not her current life, as she has ended up in dreary Suburbia, slowly becoming one of “those” women. It’s the struggle she faces, being in a lost marriage, almost losing her identity right before our eyes, is what scared me the most from this book. She is determined not to become a clone, to stand out and be an individual, yet society casts a disapproving look everywhere she turns.
It is during this confusion, that she meets Todd the “Prom King” of the playground. He is a stay at home dad, while studying to take the bar exam, while his wife is the breadwinner making documentaries. Beneath his perfect skin, and flashy smile lies a sadness in his eyes, almost as if he is aware of Sarah’s confusion and is drawn to her because of that.
They start out as friends, almost allies amongst the other clones that surround the neighborhood, but once the attraction is let out of the bag, is where their seedy romance begins. Sarah can’t help but fall in love with this man, who normally would not give her a second glance, while I believe he is falling for someone who normally wouldn’t care to discover his true side.
There are other characters in the book that are just as engaging, most specifically Ronald a convicted sex offender who lives with his mother in the neighborhood. This is a man, who may be trying to re-start his life, but his creepy demeanor and loner behavior does not help convince the other neighbors around him. Specifically retired cop Larry, who makes it his mission to make Ronald feel very unwelcome in the area. The taunting and the violence hit a high mark in the end, with Larry soon feeling remorse over the pain he put this villain through.
The reason I related to this book so much, is because my biggest fear in life is becoming a clone and subjecting to society standards of what an adult should be. I would never have children, just to have them and I would never say I Do, because it is what you are supposed to do. These are all the things Sarah never wanted in her life but somehow got. My greatest fear is becoming and doing the things Sarah does in this book
