In How Fiction Works, James Wood, writing about character, quotes Ford Maddox Ford’s on Joseph Conrad’s notion of “getting a character in.” “Ford and Conrad loved a sentence from a Maupassant story, “La Renine Horteuse.” ‘He was a gentleman with red whiskers who always went first through a doorway.’ Ford comments: “That gentleman is so sufficiently got in that you need no more of him to understand how he will act. He has been ‘got in,’ and can get to work at once.”
Love this recap of the Girls characters “getting in”. And that scene where Hannah’s parents tell her they aren’t going to support her anymore not only told us everything we needed to know about them and their place in that world, it also held up a mirror to viewers of a certain age so that we encountered a perfect snapshot of our place in a certain moment in time. 💕💕💕
I've also just started re-watching "Girls" (I'm up to ep.5, season 1, as of last night) and I'm loving the writing all over again. I never saw the series to its end first time around so I'm looking forward to finally concluding it. I was also struck by how very Millenial they are - something that wasn't so noticeable at the time (maybe I wasn't so aware of this label.)
I secretly wish there was a cross over episode where Larry David from "Curb" visits New York and bumps into them!
I always read your substack and I always see something with new eyes. Thank you for sharing so generously.
How fun! I miss this show!
Love this recap of the Girls characters “getting in”. And that scene where Hannah’s parents tell her they aren’t going to support her anymore not only told us everything we needed to know about them and their place in that world, it also held up a mirror to viewers of a certain age so that we encountered a perfect snapshot of our place in a certain moment in time. 💕💕💕
How weird that I just watched the first episode last week! Still a cringe-fest for me, though. Your analysis opens the door to, maybe?, appreciation.
"Getting a character in"- brilliant-
Thank you!
Typo alert! Horvath not Horgath.
I've also just started re-watching "Girls" (I'm up to ep.5, season 1, as of last night) and I'm loving the writing all over again. I never saw the series to its end first time around so I'm looking forward to finally concluding it. I was also struck by how very Millenial they are - something that wasn't so noticeable at the time (maybe I wasn't so aware of this label.)
I secretly wish there was a cross over episode where Larry David from "Curb" visits New York and bumps into them!