When the Guise Disappears
Peter was an ordinary male who worked in the grocery shop. He was about thirty years, but his face told that he had witnessed many misfortunes in his life. Wrinkles started to cover his face slowly, which added to his overall gloomy appearance. Moreover, he was wearing some untidy clothes, and people never perceived him seriously. Peter was hard to imagine in some decent position as a director because his image was highly sorrowful. Others could think that there was some tragedy in Peter’s life; however, they would be correct.
Peter had divorced his wife, Ann, about two years ago. It happened because financial issues arose in their family. Peter and Anne used to be a beautiful couple, as if they came from the magazine’s glossy cover. Indeed, today Peter is a bachelor; his most enormous interest is eating chips in front of the TV in the evening. Peter’s life was like the rusty mechanism of some old car; everything stopped. However, he used to be a brilliant singer, and he even created a music band in his youth. His comrades were crazy guys, who were fond of spending nights and days in the garage, driving an old Cadillac, and living the life of a punk. Indeed, it was about ten years ago; now, the ways of these men separated slightly after graduation from college, and they all created families and ended up as exemplary husbands.
It was a typical July day when Peter came to his work and started his ordinary day. In general, the man hated this job; deeply in his soul, he knew that fate was preparing something special for him. But he could never imagine that this ‘special’ is trying to steal two cans of beer right in front of Peter’s nose. Peter saw the man dressed extravagantly, wearing ripped green jeans like in those movies of the 90-s, an old leather jacket, and high-soled leather boots. The man’s hair was sloppily stacked into the tail, and Peter could hardly see the tattoos on the man’s forehead covered by dark wavy hair. “Some problems there?” – asked Peter, seeing that the man was trying to push something in his jacket. “Alright, man, no problems” – it was an answer from the man, who continued to deal with beer cans.
Some seconds later, Peter could not stand the cans’ noise and came out from behind the counter to find out what was happening. He saw the frightened eyes of the extravagantly dressed man who still did not manage to shove the cans. “What are you doing? I will call the security if you do not stop it,” – Peter said. “Hey, man, you know, here is the case…” – the man hesitated. He continued: “Someone has stolen my money this morning, and I am extremely sorry…” – he started to falter even more. Peter was perplexed; he had never dealt with such cases. Usually, Peter called the security; these men knew how to dispose of thieves. Indeed, something made Peter petrified this morning; he stood in front of the caught man and did not want to blame him. It seemed that Peter saw the echoes of his recklessness in this man.
The extravagantly dressed male took the badge of Peter, where his name was written, and said: “Peter, I do not want some problems, my friends are waiting for me, and I have to go.” He rummaged in his pockets and pulled out two crumpled dollars, which he gave to Peter. Peter stood like a statue, having no understanding of why he was interested in the regular thief. The man noticed this misunderstanding and claimed: “Hey Pit, today’s evening our garage band is giving the concert on Fifth Avenue. Come in case you want this gloomy face to disappear. By the way, I am Aaron”. The man took his beer cans and went away. Peter observed the old massive Land Cruiser out of the shop’s windows and the company of Aaron’s friends.
Peter was confused by Aaron’s offer, but he waited until his working day was over and went to Fifth Avenue. On his way to this place, he encountered various people dressed similarly to the morning’s males; they listened to the music, danced, and had fun. Peter heard the heavy sounds of the bass guitar; someone had practiced before performing the concert. Fifth Avenue was the heart of the nightlife; Peter visited this place in his college years. Suddenly, memories flooded; he even felt as if his youth had come back. He saw someone nervous, who was screaming, and tried to figure out some problem. “Where is Bryan?! Where is he?” – Peter recognized Aaron in the crowd.
Peter decided to approach him and ask what was happening. “Hey, Pit, I am happy to see you, but WHERE IS THIS BRYAN?!” – Aaron screamed. Aaron said that Bryan, the singer, did not come to the concert, probably because of a hangout. Aaron was desperate to find the new singer and said to Peter: “I am even ready to take you as a soloist.” Surprisingly, Peter recalled about his youth and music band; he agreed.
Something fulfilled Peter’s heart, and he returned ten years ago when his spirit was crazy and reckless. Aaron quickly guided him on what to sing and gave the song lyrics. For the first time in an extended period, Peter realized: he had nothing to lose. He trembled for a minute, but then he amazingly accompanied the performance of the rock band. Although Peter confused some words, it was fantastic; the crowd applauded.
After the performance, Aaron approached Peter and thanked him endlessly. “Man, I could not imagine you were singing so good,” – he continued. Peter was flattered; he was happy to plunge into his rock years. The wind of changes blew; it turned the ordinary grocery shop seller into a rock star. Aaron offered him to take the position of the second singer of his band. Peter hesitated for some seconds, but he again recalled that there was nothing to lose. He had dreamed of it since his college years, and now there was a possibility right in front of him. Peter agreed with Aaron’s offer. It was how this night was over; Aaron and Peter stood on Fifth Avenue, talked to people around, laughed, and discussed their plans.
Reflection
John Berendt’s book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a fascinating story about an antique man convicted for the murder of a male prostitute. The book was published in 1994 and received many reviews and commentaries. Some people argue that the book reads like a novel, which gives this writing the name of a non-fiction novel. It is essential to examine how Berendt organized his text and what techniques he used to acquire the essentials of good writing.
It is essential to understand that any text should be organized in a specific way to catch the reader and involve him in reading. There are many examples of excellent writings, and they are united by the author’s ability to report his feelings and deliver a good message to the reader. For instance, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil catches the first glance at the title. It makes the reader digress the notion of ‘good’ and ‘evil,’ which are highly subjective.
Moreover, the book’s plot is based on real-life events that were happening in the 1980s. The two main characters are Danny Hansford, the male prostitute, and Jim Williams, the antique dealer on trial. What is essential is that the book reveals sensitive social topics such as sex, violence, and gender. It also provides the readers with lady Chablis, the transgender woman, emphasizing the role of gender within Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Moreover, the title of the book might seem to interact with some spiritual notions. For example, ‘midnight’ is the most appropriate time for doing magical practices. The reader might think about mysterious things happening in the book. Therefore, even the title can speak about many things, and it should be catching. In addition, the writing style of John Berendt is fascinating. The writer successfully describes the events as if they are happening to the reader (Berendt). “We walked to the crest of a low bluff overlooking a broad” is a quote from Berendt’s writing, which provides readers with one more detailed description of the surroundings and allows presentation in the story (Berendt 93). While reading his book, the reader participates in events because of multiple shifts between narratives.
There are many characters in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, who differ from each other, and the reader is free to judge who is good or bad. It is why I tried to create it in my fiction about Peter, an ordinary seller in the grocery shop who reveals his true personality. I attempted to generate two opposite characters – Aaron, the reckless rockstar, and Peter, a usual shy male. These two men meet to help each other; Peter helps Aaron create the performance, while Aaron facilitates Peter to recreate his spirit and true desires. In my opinion, the game of contrast would facilitate the flow of the story; in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Berendt created contrasting personalities (Berendt). It became an excellent way to reveal many themes, and it is why I have chosen to generate two opposing characters.
I tried to reveal concepts of ‘good’ and ‘evil.’ They are reflected in the title of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and in my fiction. At first glance, it might seem that Peter is the protagonist and Aaron is the antagonist, which identifies the evil. However, with the flow of the story, the reader should understand that Aaron is not as devilish as it seems in the beginning. I did it to show that evil and good are interchangeable and complicated notions that may confuse the reader. In addition, I strived to undermine some stereotypes about a person’s appearance. For instance, Peter, who is shy and seems to be untidy, manifests as a rock star at the end of the story.
One more language technique of Berendt is a thorough description of the character. For example, “he wore a light blue shirt open at the neck, chinos, and brown-and-white saddle shoes” is an effectual depiction of the man (Berendt 123). It seemed an attractive way to interest my readers, so I decided to use this method to be realistic. I used the description of both characters for the reader to understand the difference between the two males.
What is more, I strived to take the omniscient point of view. In Berendt’s work, it is seen that the author sometimes comments on the events happening. It is possible to trace the first-person narrative in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, for example: “I glanced at her, not sure I’d heard correctly” (Berendt 86). The first-person narrative is essential to guide the reader and provide significant insights into the events of the book. However, I wanted my reader to be a witness to all events without the author’s intervention. I want my readers to observe all situations and judge them from their point of view.
In addition, I liked that Berendt described the events thoroughly. For instance, in Midnight in the garden of good and evil, the author provides readers with substantial descriptions of surroundings, people, and places. For example, John Berendt writes: “fine furniture, the paintings, the silver” and provides a detailed description of the surroundings (Berendt 14). I tried to create this atmosphere when Peter was invited to the concert by Aaron. It was a fascinating event for Peter himself, as when he came across Fifth Avenue, he recalled his youth.
Moreover, I wanted my reader to hear the rock music, which adds to the atmosphere of what Peter experienced that night. It becomes one more technique of Berendt; he describes the music in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: “music made an agreeable background sound” (Berendt 104). The reader grasps that the music is not in the center of events, but it takes place and adds to the overall atmosphere.
John Berendt seemed to like using various literary techniques. For instance, in his book, he described William’s eyes: “eyes so black they were like the tinted windows” (Berendt 12). The eyes are usually perceived as the windows to the human’s soul; in this case, these windows are tinted, which means they are dark. This literary technique calls the simile, and it enables readers to understand the essence of the character. Berendt explains William’s hardness and lack of discernment; he is an impenetrable person who is hard to understand. I attempted to use similes while describing Peter’s life, which was similar to a rusty mechanism. It might give the reader a hint that the main character did not want to improve his life, and everything stopped.
Overall, there are many examples of the fascinating usage of language and literary techniques in Berendt’s book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I tried to create a story that would involve the readers in reading it till the end. In general, I think that a good text is desirable to read entirely. Many of the methods that John Berendt used guided me in writing, and I attempted to use them reasonably.
Work Cited
Berendt, John. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Van Haren Publishing, 2010.