The main theme of the book, Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant, by Roz Chast, is a memoir of Roz’s own parents and the relationship she shares with them. It revolves around their lives and is communicated to the readers through cartoons and conversations. The narrative of the story is both factual and funny. It describes the ups and downs of the good old days as well. There are sketches that makes one laugh, and also sketches that leaves one in tears. The narrative is engaging and moving as well. The important theme that is depicted in the book is the “parent -child relationship”. Some of the lines from the book like, “One thing my mother told me as I was growing up was you have to dust! If you don’t’, the dust gets into the interstices of the furniture and breaks it apart” (Chast 16). Such lines, throws light into the everyday anxiety and obsession that parents carry as their child grows up. The obsession and anxiety that a person treasures as an adult, does not concern them at later stages of life. The transition that happens with age is depicted through events, photos and illustrations. Growing up, Roz wanted a life away from her parents. But, after their demise, she finds it difficult to fill up the longing she feels for them.
The story revolves around the lives of two elderly couples: George and Elizabeth. They have been married for 63 years and continue to live in the same old grimy apartment, where they brought up their only child. They have very few relatives and no friends. Roz is the most important person in their life. The couples live a lonely life, not wanting to part with the home they have nurtured and built together.
Elizabeth, a woman who was once obsessed about keeping the home clean, is no more concerned about such things. When Roz visits her parents’ home, she finds it filthy. The fridge is filled with broken Tupperware that are held together with tape. Neglect is a common problem of ageing. Roz’s remark, “It was clear that she has stopped worrying about that”, describes her observation about the changes she notices in her aging mother (Chast 16). Her parents live in Brooklyn, while Roz stays in Connecticut. Roz dreads visiting her parents. However, Roz recognizes that her parents are declining with age and they need support.
The story also outlines certain grim faces of sending ones aging parents to care homes and the burden of handling their bills. The sensitivity of discussing care homes and death with once elderly parents, can be felt through the dialogues that Roz has with them on the couch, “So do you guys ever think about . THINGS?” (Chast 3). Roz’s fears that her parent’s bills would leave her without any inheritance. Roz was never at home with her parents’ distraught personalities. This comes in the way of taking responsibility. Illustration, dialogues and photos help to depict the exactness of the complex and unique relationship that children share with their parents.
Work cited:
Chast, Roz. Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? New York: Bloomsbury, 2014. Print.
