Wise Blood, Chapter 2

“Peanuts, Western Union, Ajax, Taxi, Hotel, Candy” gives the time period is which Hazel is living with away. When I read across these lines, I immediately thought of a bustling economy. Our main character is a lonely man and he’s reaching out there to connect with someone, anyone but Jesus. If Hazel Motes had facebook I would suspect that he would be someone with a sad and lonely facebook status. He has seen the horroes of war, although they are not talked about, yet he is naïve. When he sees Mrs. Watts’ name written on the bathroom wall (a sense of defilement already) he is eager to meet the woman with the friendliest bed in town. When Hazel rides in the taxi cab to her house he is trying to assure the driver that he isn’t a preacher. The driver thinks that Hazel is a preacher, but that all men sin, that Hazel would understand what he was lecturing on if he knew the sin himself. Hazel gets out and searches for Mrs. Watts’ room. “ The door to the left bwas cracked and let out a narrow shaft of light. He moved into the light and looked through the crack.” To me this is symbolic of a choice that is dark being disguished by light. Mrs. Watt’s is a prostitute although O’Connor never includes exchange of money. Perhaps as suggested in class she is a bad business woman. She’s described with words such as “white” and “pink” so I know something is up with the reversal of light and dark, good and evil. I think she smokes. Everything around he is yellowed, which leads me to think of aging and cigarette smoke. She’s too cheap to buy a piar of propper toenail clippers. There is a lack of hygene for she keeps cutting her nails when Hazel comes in and O’Connor fails to mention where Mrs. Watts is placing her clippings. “He drew a long draught of air through one side of his nose and began to run his hand carefully along the sheet.” This brings to mind images of cocaine and drug use. Mrs. Watt’s licks her lips in slow motion with her pink tounge. Her tounge is pink background set behind her pointed and speckled teeth. Mrs. Watts must not brush her teeth…or she is a crack whore. It is evident at the end of the chapter that Mrs. Watts reprsents temptation in the flesh. She is seductive and is very skilled at the game. I am not sure how old she is, but she’s seducing a young man. Something about the comment, “ That’s okay son, Momma don’t mind if you ain’t a preacher” makes me a little sick to my stomach.