Vermont by Ann Beattie
"Vermont" by Ann Beattie explores the complexities of intimate relationships through its characters, particularly focusing on emotional turmoil and self-realization. The narrative centers on a woman grappling with her husband's affair and her evolving connection with another man, Noel, who offers comfort despite his own insecurities. He embodies a sense of understanding and generosity, providing a stark contrast to her husband, David, whose physical appeal does not translate into emotional support. As the protagonist navigates her feelings, she confronts the realities of love and companionship, questioning her own capacity for affection and the implications of forming new bonds. The interactions between the characters reveal deep-seated vulnerabilities and the challenges of moving on from past relationships. The story culminates in a poignant moment of reflection as David re-enters the scene, showcasing his own struggles. Overall, "Vermont" presents a nuanced examination of love, loss, and the human desire for connection in the face of emotional upheaval.
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Vermont by Ann Beattie
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First published: 1975 (collected in Distortions, 1976)
Type of work: Short story
The Work
In “Vermont,” characters in a typical Beattie milieu are revealed in intimate relationships. Noel, whose wife, Susan, has finally had to tell him that she has been having an affair, comforts the narrator when her own husband, David, announces his imminent departure. Although Beattie seldom describes her characters physically, Noel, the more generous and understanding lover, appears to be physically awkward and unattractive compared with David, who, early in the story, pities Noel for his “poor miserable pajamas.”
Noel tells the narrator that she “will be better off” without David, and he does his best to take David’s place as a friend and a father to her young daughter. When he eventually suggests that she and her daughter move in with him, she considers and finally protests that she cannot say that she loves him. He answers, “Nobody has ever loved me and nobody ever will. What have I got to lose?” If the narrator really does not love him, however, she has much to lose. When she later reveals that she has been considering his comment carefully, possibly because she does not find him unlovable (and cannot accept the bleak outlook he has for himself), he comments, “Well, I’ve told you about every woman I ever slept with. Which one do you suspect might love me?” They are speaking by telephone, and the narrator whispers to herself, “Me!”
David appears again at the story’s end to visit his former wife and his daughter and to reveal the extent of his confusion in his current relationship; he is not happy with his new girlfriend.
Bibliography
Centola, Steven R. “An Interview with Ann Beattie.” Contemporary Literature 31 (Winter, 1990): 405-422.
Friedrich, Otto. “Beattieland.” Time 135 (January 22, 1990): 68.
Hill, Robert W., and Jane Hill. “Ann Beattie.” Five Points 1 (Spring/Summer, 1997): 26-60.
McCaffery, Larry, and Sinda Gregory. “A Conversation with Ann Beattie.” Literary Review 27 (Winter, 1984): 165-177.
Montresor, Jaye Berman, ed. The Critical Response to Ann Beattie. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1993.
Murphy, Christina. Ann Beattie. Boston: Twayne, 1986.
Plath, James. “Counternarrative: An Interview with Ann Beattie.” Michigan Quarterly Review 32 (Summer, 1993): 359-379.
Schneiderman, Leo. “Ann Beattie: Emotional Loss and Strategies of Reparation.” American Journal of Psychoanalysis 53 (December, 1993): 317-333.
Young, Michael W., and Troy Thibodeaux. “Ann Beattie.” In A Reader’s Companion to the Short Story in English, edited by Erin Fallon, R. C. Feddersen, James Kurtzleben, Maurice A. Lee, Susan Rochette-Crawley, and Mary Rohrberger. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2001.