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Motifs
Definition of Paradox
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar Wilde's famous declaration that "Life is... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel of truth or reason. Oscar... read full definition
A paradox is a figure of speech that seems to contradict itself, but which, upon further examination, contains some kernel... read full definition
Part 4: New York City
Explanation and Analysis—Measures of Distance:
As an adult living in New York City, Jeannette uses paradox when she describes the difference between her luxurious Park Avenue apartment and Mom and Dad’s rundown squat on the Lower East Side:
I actually live on Park Avenue, I kept telling myself as I hung my clothes in the closet Eric had cleared out for me. Then I started thinking about Mom and Dad. When they had moved into their squat—a fifteen-minute subway ride south and about half a dozen worlds away—it seemed as if they had finally found the place where they belonged, and I wondered if I had done the same.
The phrase “a fifteen-minute subway ride south and about half a dozen worlds away” seems inherently contradictory—how can something be so close and yet so far? While the first distance is literal, the second is metaphorical. In this way, paradox expresses how despite their close physical proximity, Jeannette and her parents are living under drastically different circumstances. Metaphorical distance shows how much Jeannette has grown and changed from childhood to adulthood, while literal closeness shows that, for better or worse, her mother and father are still an integral part of her life and the person she has become.
Related Themes:
