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On to week two, but we're not done with Richard Matheson
just yet, folks! This week the text in question is the short story “The
Funeral.” At an easy to handle ten pages (in my Tor second addition mass market
paperback), I read it more than once for this class.
Why? Because it’s a delight.
While I Am Legend
was, in my humble opinion, a decent and thought-provoking novel, I wouldn't use
the adjective delightful to describe it. Once the reader works through all of
Robert Neville's issues of alcoholism, potential insanity, and the struggle to
keep it in his pants, what's left is the theme of isolation and the crux of the
story: Neville was the monster the entire time, not the vampires.
Not exactly a list that gives me the warm-and-fuzzies.
Even though "The Funeral" deals with the theme of death, it makes
light of it, which I find refreshing. Part of how Matheson does this is through
tiny, but amusing, details. The best example is the funeral director, Morton
Silkline. Matheson did a wonderful job telling the reader about his character
without info dumping. And in Silkline’s case, there's everything to a name.
Those who know a little French might recognize "mort" as the
word for "death." The first dictionary definition of mort is "a note sounded on a hunting horn when a deer is killed";
the second is "a great quantity or number." It's no secret that Silkline
is a greedy man from how he reacts to a customer requesting the most expensive
funeral furnishings. Even the name Silkline evokes the image of the silken
lining of a casket. Silkline's name is the only one that has this many layers
to it, but it's the first one (and the first words of the story for that
matter) given to the reader. It fits his role in the story and is undoubtedly the most memorable of all the
names.
Shortly after being introduced to Silkline, the
reader meets Ludwig Asper, the first of the many monsters to make an
appearance. Asper was turned into a vampire and never had a proper funeral.
Silkline doesn't realize that his client isn't human until Asper explains that
these funeral arrangements are for him. Yet rather than run away screaming,
Silkline arranges the funeral—not because he is exceptionally brave, he faints
after seeing Asper turn into a bat, but because he is exceptionally greedy.
All hail Silkline's character flaw, because
without it there would be no story.
The big day of the funeral arrives, and so does
Asper's friends—a motley array of the most easily recognizable monsters in
modern culture. There are several vampires, a werewolf, a witch and her cat,
and a small waxy-skinned man who has a taste for flesh.
Even Silkline takes on a monstrous description
after the guests arrive. He becomes "zombie-stiff" with fear.
It is these monsters that drive the story forward.
Nothing much happens plot-wise in "The Funeral." The monsters trash Silkline's
funeral parlor during the service, Asper leaves Silkline the money and a note
of apology for his friends, a tentacle monster arrives to arrange a funeral on
the recommendation of Asper, and Silkline doesn't turn the creature away
despite his fear. Yet Matheson makes his monsters so wacky and interesting that
I wanted to read more. I loved that a vampire wanted to attend his own funeral,
and he invited all the best… people
to attend. Matheson gave them personalities and gave them a human twist. They're
not just blood-thirsty monsters intent on killing, they care about their friend
enough to attend his funeral. They tease each other, praise Asper on his fine
taste in his choice of coffin, and the witch tries to make a move on Silkline
(which I thought was hilarious). Even the Count who gives the sermon tries to
sound impressive with his extensive vocabulary, which is something so typically
human I have to laugh.
Funerals are notoriously somber affairs, from the
planning to the ceremony. Yet by spinning something familiar on its head and
making it a parody of itself gives new life to it. Pun intended.
Now I want to attend a vampire’s funeral….
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Thanks for analyzing Silkline's name. I would never have realized how much detail could be gleaned from that name alone. Makes me want to look up the character names I have in my WIP.
ReplyDeleteI also didn't notice our MC's name. How silly of me! Makes me wonder what the significance might have actually been in the name choices in I am Legend, which I didn't pay attention to on first reading.
ReplyDeleteThe significance of Silkline's name flew right past me. You could almost say his name is a pun!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite thing about the story was how the stereotypical monsters were so human. Your description of the Count makes me think of people who toss about fancy/technical words without actually knowing what they mean, or people who go on and on without actually saying anything.
It's an interesting point, about the Count's fancy word choice being a humanizing characteristic. It is just the sort of thing a vain person would do, and who is more vain than Count Dracula?
ReplyDeleteIs that a pun? If not, I disagree. The Count isn't vain, he's lonely and out of place after living through centuries without the company of others. Eternity = loneliness. In fact, he's a better example of loneliness that Robert Neville.
DeleteI love your analysis of Silkline's name. Just the sound of it made me instantly think of a shady, perhaps slimy character. One that would try to sell you that gold-plated coffin in the same breath as sympathizing for the death of your mother.
ReplyDeleteMorton Silkline IS the perfect name for the character, for all the reasons you pointed out. Silk-lined coffins were the first things I thought of, followed by silky/oily salesman tactics--and then his first name hit me. (Have I mentioned that I love this story?)
ReplyDeleteHail the character flaw! I totally agree. This entire piece was held up by Silkline's greed alone. It's a good example of how a simple motivation can drive a plot.
ReplyDelete