Family, Marriage, and Dissatisfaction
Anthony, the protagonist of “Static,” is a man struggling to negotiate between what his family expects of him and what he wants out of life. While he longs for a supportive family and seems to like children, he feels trapped rather than excited by his wife, Marie’s, businesslike approach to marriage and conceiving a baby. He also has a fraught and unsupportive relationship with his mother, which readers see play out during…
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Communication and Authenticity
Throughout Anthony’s family Christmas party, it becomes clear that his relationships with his family members are far from close. The family rarely gathers together, and when they do, they’re emotionally closed off from one another. None of them say what they actually think: Anthony’s mother expresses herself through subtle passive-aggression and judgmental glances; his wife, Marie, has an entirely contrived personality and mannerisms; and Anthony and his father avoid conflict by keeping their…
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Happiness, Consumerism, and Guilt
Anthony’s family prioritizes money and what it can buy—large houses, fancy food, expensive gifts—over personal relationships. At the family Christmas party that takes place during “Static,” Anthony’s wife, Marie, and his mother talk and act in ways that suggest they look to material goods for happiness, and that they value what the media tells them they should. Yet Anthony is unhappy despite having achieved an affluent lifestyle and being able to buy anything…
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