Introduction
Jealousy occurs when a person longs for something they do not possess, whether it is a relationship, talent, or a material object. People may choose to control the natural reactions regarding this feeling or exhibit them freely regardless of the consequences. Jealousy could occur toward other humans, dead or alive, or time-consuming activities, for example, work. In the latter case, one might be spending most of their time perfecting the job instead of caring for a lover or family member, thus causing them to feel neglected. Most of the time, jealousy is a negative emotion that leads to bitter reactions people often regret in the future.
The Memoirs of Casanova
In The Memoirs of Casanova, I read about his attitude toward the numerous lovers. In the beginning, the main character shows an emotionally distant appreciation of the women representing his romantic interest. The famous lover proudly talks about Cate, Ilda, Dirce, Tullia, and Sofia, almost as if they were a remarkable collection in his mind. Jealousy as a concept does not bother Casanova when he describes the women’s schedules of visiting him, preferences in conversations, manners, and sense of humor. They willingly come to see the narrator, although the romantic hero prefers to separate them in time to avoid unnecessary conflicts (Casanova, 2008). I believe that most of the women knew about Casanova’s reputation and did not expect to be his exclusive lovers, but a direct confrontation with each other was not desirable for them.
The narrator’s attitude changes significantly when he realizes that Fulvia, one of his passions, would soon be seeing other men. Casanova becomes possessive and expresses his disapproval in losing the temper. This scene demonstrates double standards, as the hero seems proud of his numerous romantic relationships but becomes angry when there is a possibility Fulvia might have them too. According to his memoirs, the narrator quickly calms himself, apologizes, and admits that the woman’s behavior is reasonable (Casanova, 2008). This relationship shows that even free-minded polygamous people may lose the temper when thinking about the potential partners of their lovers.
The Blue Film
The Blue Film is a short story about a married couple, the Carters, on vacation in Thailand (then Siam) in the middle of the twentieth century. I understand that the spouses do not feel much passion for each other as they do not show any love or care. Mrs. Carter implies that she is bored and considers illegal activities instead of enjoying tourist entertainment. She convinces her husband to search for sexual pleasures available for the foreigners, and both of them agree to watch “blue” films, erotic videos that they could see after paying the local swindlers (Greene, 2009). In the beginning, none of them is jealous because they are detached from the actors emotionally and see the service as purely entertainment to break the routine.
The attitudes change when the spouses start watching the second film, as the male actor is Mr. Carter from about thirty years before. Recognizing the scene, he suggests they leave, but his wife insists on staying. Despite Mr. Carter’s explanations that he was helping the actress financially, and it was all in the past, his spouse becomes jealous of the young girl on the TV screen (Greene, 2009). I see this reaction as biological as opposed to conscious, as blaming the husband for something he has done years before marriage does not seem reasonable. Perhaps, Mrs. Carter needed an emotional release to compensate for dissatisfaction with her life at the moment. Jealousy tantrum was a convenient option for her, even if directed at her husband’s behavior before marriage.
The Legacy
In The Legacy, the main character, Gilbert Clandon, shows jealousy toward the dead person. After his wife, Angela, passes away, he starts reading her journals and discovers the secret life she led. Having the warmest and most pleasant memories of the married life, Gilbert is shocked when he finds the lines about Mrs. Clandon’s private meetings with B.M. The jealousy starts stirring even before the romantic interest between Angela and the mysterious stranger becomes obvious.
Finally, Mr. Clandon calls Sissy Miller, his wife’s secretary, and a close friend, to reveal the name of the mysterious lover. The action is impulsive as Gilbert does not fully control his actions. Sissy says that B.M. was her brother, who died several weeks before, which causes an uncontrolled shouting reaction from the main character (Woolf, 2014). This time jealousy mixes with bitter realization that Angela committed suicide to follow her lover.
Albert’s story shows that people’s feelings do not always fade after the death of their passion objects. Angela is no longer available to talk, which could make the discovery of affaire more painful for her widowed husband. If she was alive, he could demand some explanation; if B.M. was not dead, Albert could express his anger toward him in a conversation or a fight. Not having any possibility of contacting either of the lovers, Mr. Clandon is trapped in his feelings. He forgets how easily he considered a romantic interest of Sissy Miller toward himself when she came to receive the present left for her by Angela (Woolf, 2014). Jealousy can be unreasonable and blinding when cheating is discovered.
Conclusion
I believe that jealousy is a natural negative reaction people feel when their loved ones have an affair or neglect them. As the examples of Casanova, Mrs. Carter, and Gilbert show, it is impulsive and is often directed at those that participated in the act of cheating. The reasons and explanations are usually not considered and even perceived as undesirable, as the victim wants to express anger and frustration.
Despite the negative effects, jealousy is typically unavoidable in relationships as the feelings of belonging and acceptance by the object of love are expected by humans subconsciously. Even if there is no reason to suspect affairs and the bond is firmly supported on both sides, the possessive emotions may surface as other members of society could express feelings toward the object of passion. In my opinion, the only way to keep the jealousy level healthy is to exercise self-control and honesty in relationships.
References
Casanova, G. (2008). The Memoires of Casanova. Italo Calvino in China.
Greene, G. (2009). The blue film. A post in Livejournal by Peter McLachlin. (Original work published 1954). Web.
Woolf, V. (2014). The legacy. Bibliokept.