Oh, the Wonder! by Jeremy Larner
"Oh, the Wonder!" by Jeremy Larner explores the psychological struggles of Willie McBain, a college student in a state of emotional turmoil. As he grapples with significant academic pressures, including overdue term papers and preparation for a Ph.D. program, Willie also faces personal challenges regarding his engagement to Sarah. His feelings of panic and confusion, often described humorously as "senior psychosis," echo common experiences among students. Willie's character is further complicated by his fascination with existential questions and his troubled relationships, including a brief, loveless encounter with a promiscuous woman.
The narrative delves into Willie's insecurities, jealousy concerning Sarah’s potential infidelity, and a violent confrontation with another student, Roger Stennis. This culminates in a bitter argument with Sarah that reveals the complexities of their love-hate relationship. The story encapsulates themes of commitment, identity, and the paradox of love, illustrating how deep emotional connections can coexist with feelings of fear and self-doubt. Ultimately, "Oh, the Wonder!" invites readers to reflect on the perplexities of life and love.
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Oh, the Wonder! by Jeremy Larner
First published: 1965
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: The 1960's
Locale: New York City and Philadelphia
Principal Characters:
Willie McBain , a young graduate student in philosophy at Columbia UniversitySarah , his fiancé, a college student in PhiladelphiaLickens , his best friend, another graduate studentRoger Stennis , a graduate student whom Willie envies and dislikes
The Story
Willie McBain is experiencing the psychological turmoil that typically afflicts college students at one time or another to some degree. He is feeling panicky because he finds himself unable to study. Like William Shakespeare's Hamlet, he feels that he is reading nothing but "words, words, words," and sometimes finds himself staring for hours at a single page. It is a psychological phenomenon so familiar to college students that it has been humorously labeled "senior psychosis."
Willie now has only one week to write two overdue term papers and three weeks to write his master's degree paper and study for language examinations that will qualify him for the Ph.D. program. He is also engaged to marry a woman named Sarah, but he is not sure that he really loves her. He phones his friend Lickens and tells him he thinks his problem is that he feels afraid of everything. At one point he says, "Oh, the wonder of it all. Life is unbearable." Later he calls his fiancé and starts a pointless argument.
Although Willie is a difficult person to get along with, he manages to keep the affection of Lickens and Sarah, who appreciate his intelligence and honesty. His studies of the world's major philosophical systems have contributed to his confusion. He is fascinated and terrified by life's unanswerable questions: Who am I? Why am I here? Where am I going?
Willie engages in loveless sex with a promiscuous young secretary nicknamed Luscious Louise. Afterward he storms out of her apartment and borrows Lickens's car without permission. On his way to Philadelphia, he stops for coffee and nearly gets into a fight with five teenage boys. Because he has no money, he siphons gas out of another car, which turns out to belong to the teenagers. They follow but run out of gas.
Willie is driving to Philadelphia partly out of jealousy. He suspects Sarah of having an affair with Roger Stennis, an insufferable young graduate student who obviously has a brilliant career ahead of him. He hopes to catch them in bed together so that he will have an excuse for breaking off his engagement. When he reaches Sarah's apartment at 6:00 a.m., he is both pleased and disappointed to find her alone. Sarah makes it obvious that she wants nothing more than to be Willie's wife and the mother of his children. He feels suffocated by her love, afraid of a lifelong commitment and the responsibilities of fatherhood.
That evening they go out to dinner and run into Roger Stennis on the street. Without provocation, Willie hits Roger in the mouth and bloodies his shirt. Afterward, this confrontation leads to a bitter quarrel with Sarah, who calls Willie immature, self-centered, and self-destructive. He in turn accuses her of being obsequious, conventional, and unimaginative. Their argument escalates until Willie knocks Sarah down, then lands several more blows on her head and ribs. She locks herself in the bathroom, screaming that she never wants to see him again.
At the height of their quarrel, with both screaming and cursing at each other through the door, Willie realizes that they are really and truly in love and will be together for the rest of their lives, hopelessly locked in a complex love-hate relationship that is part of the mystery and the "wonder" of life.