Introduction
Mr. Fox is one of the many novels written by Helen Oyeyemi. Through a set of short stories, the author explores a variety of different topics; however, the subject of violence against women seems to be the most prevalent. The issue is identified in the very beginning with the introduction of the main character, a successful American writer who is obsessed with killing female characters of his stories in brutal ways. It appears as if he has a taste for killing women, but he never acts out his vicious tendencies in real life. However, something makes him question his writing methods as his imaginary muse, Mary Fox, starts talking as if she was real and accuses him of being ruthless to women in his novels. After a brief discussion where Mary calls the protagonist a serial killer, they engage in a storytelling challenge. Two writers start to come up with a number of stories with them as the main characters where Mary exposes Mr. Fox to his brutality and misogyny.
Main body
The main point that the author of this book is trying to convey is that words have significant power over minds. They can inspire various feelings, such as love, joy, and confidence, but they can encourage hatred as well. Since Mr. Fox always kills off his heroines for different reasons, he supports violence against women. Appalled by his gruesomeness, Mary tells him, “you’re explaining things that can’t be defended, and the explanations themselves are mad, just bizarre – but you offer them with such confidence” (Oyeyemi 136). She argues that it is indecent to rationalize such actions and make them seem normal. The protagonist cannot understand her resentment as he tells Mary that it’s ridiculous of her to be so horrified by the deaths of his female characters. He does not see it as something serious because he considers fiction to be “just a lot of games” (Oyeyemi 8). Nevertheless, under the disguise of made-up stories hides his real hostility and disgust with women.
Besides, Fox’s misogyny is also present in a relationship with his wife Daphne, whom he manipulated into submission. As the protagonist states, “I fixed her early. I told her in heartfelt tones that one of the reasons I love her is because she never complains” (Oyeyemi 1). While never physically mistreating her, he makes her to never express discontent or any negative emotions, which is also a type of abuse.
The stories that Mary and Mr. Fox tell each other share different narratives, different characters (despite having the same names as their creators), but they also have the same topic. For example, in What Happens Next, the protagonist takes on the role of a violent father who not only killed his wife but also psychologically tortured his daughter. He made her read newspaper clippings that contained various stories of murders where girls were the victims. Then he questioned her, making sure she remembered every detail.
For instance, he asks her why one of the victims was drowned in a bathtub. Mary answers, “her father chose a man for her to marry, and she said she wouldn’t do it” (Oyeyemi 167). Moreover, it is explained later that two brothers also participated in the killing, holding the girl down while the mother watched. Another case that Mary recalls is the death of Charlotte Romm, who was shot by her husband. He also killed her children and her parents, but that fact is disregarded by Mr. Fox. When his daughter confronts him about it, he quickly suppresses her by telling, “Don’t answer questions you haven’t been asked” (Oyeyemi 168). Even after going to jail for killing her mother, her father continues to send Mary new clippings from prison, “as if to say, your mother wasn’t the first and won’t be the last” (169). There is no doubt that Mr. Fox’s intent is truly malicious; he is not trying to prepare his child for the cruelty of the world. Instead, he teaches her to be scared of men and be submissive, so she does not get killed.
Dr. Lustucru is another example of violence towards women; the main character beheads his wife because she annoyed him with her questions. However, after he realizes that without his wife, no one would care for him, he replaced her head, but quickly got irritated again (Oyeyemi 11). Even when the wife escapes, Dr. Lustucru never gets punished for his wrongdoing. This particular story implies that even when society sympathizes with criminals, there is no rational reason to kill another woman, as the reason for beheading the doctor’s wife was petty and nonsensical. Moreover, it also demonstrates how most of the perpetrators do not face the consequences of their actions.
Conclusion
It is evident that the author makes a straightforward statement on brutality against women, both in fiction and in reality. Oyeyemi does not set boundaries between fictitious and actual murders. By making Mr. Fox participate in stories as a made-up character, Mary shows that his stories are not just some games, but they represent his mindset. In conclusion, it would appear that the author brilliantly portrayed how some people normalize violence against women.