• Engelsk
  • Uddannelse: STX
  • Karakter: 12 tal
  • Ord: 1009

Indledning
A utopic small town, a beautiful pebbly beach, the loss of individuality, the loss of life, the story of Eastmouth.

The story feels like a psychological horror story, grounded in a realistic world, but with elements of surrealism, not unlike the writings of Haruki Murakami and other surrealist writers. A story of youth, and the feeling of entrapment.

Sonia, a woman used to big city life, goes with her boyfriend Peter to visit his hometown of Eastmouth. Eastmouth is a fictional English town, in which everyone knows everyone else, and mundanity is seen as a virtue.

On the way there, Peter keeps referring to Eastmouth as home, which makes sense to do for himself, but also refers to it like Sonia’s home, already subtly indoctrinating her into the town environment.
[L14-15]

[...] all the way from the station he’s been saying things like that: “We’re almost home,” and, “Won’t it be nice to be home?” as if this were her home too.

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Uddrag
Peter’s father starts commenting on Eastmouth being a suitable replacement for Las Vegas, as Sonia mentions it.

Peter’s mother suddenly begins to, just like Peter himself, refer to Eastmouth as Sonia's home.
[L49-54]

“It’s nice to have you home,” says Peter’s mother, later, when they are clearing the Table.
“I think Peter’s glad to be home,” says Sonia.

“And what about you?”
“I don’t live here,” says Sonia. She is surprised that Peter’s mother does not know this.

We feel increasingly like Sonia is being choked by the family, and the town itself.
As soon as Sonia mentions she isn’t planning on spending too long in Eastmouth, Peter’s mother leaves the room.

Throughout the story we keep coming back to this feeling of mundanity and unspoken danger. They go to a restaurant, and Peter orders without looking at the menu, and comments on the wallpaper not having changed;

Sonia overhears Peter’s mother on a phone call, saying she has changed her mind on something, and subsequently doesn’t get a call-back about her job interview;