English 015 - Americans Abroad
Mysterious Actions, Appearance, and Pasts
Mysterious Actions, Appearance, and Pasts
Category: 06B: The Sheltering Sky | Eric Robinson
In Paul Bowles The Sheltering Sky, the Lyles develop into extremely creepy characters primarily due to the strange modes in which they conduct themselves and dress, as well as their puzzling history. Soon after Eric Lyle’s character is introduced, he visits Port, who describes how the man “glanced about the room in a strangely surreptitious manner,” (Bowles, p. 63) hinting at Eric’s odd behavior. This particular scene is also rather ominous with reference to the sky, as observed when Port notices “the first clouds he has seen since the mid-Atlantic,” and then describes Eric’s face as “suffused and puffy.” (Bowles, p. 63) Eric continues to act mysteriously later in the work when he again calls on Port and “tiptoed into the room” with “a conspiratorial look on his face.” (Bowles, p. 121)
The appearance of the Lyles also contributes to their weirdness. An example from the text can be found when Kit states how “they’re really Englishmen dressed for a masquerade.” (Bowles, p. 119) Furthermore, Kit is threatened by these two individuals, as demonstrated when she refers to them as, “those monsters!” (Bowles, p. 62) Even the unknown past of the Lyles is bizarre, hinted at when Kit describes their passports: “she’s [Mrs. Lyle] down as a journalist and he [Eric] as a student. Isn’t that ridiculous? I’m sure he never opened a book in his life.” (Bowles, p. 96)
Another means by which both Port and Kit are threatened by the Lyles is with regards to travel. While the Englishmen enjoy moving around constantly, Port declares that “the only way to travel, at least for us, [Port and Kit] is to go when you feel like going and stay where you feel like staying.” (Bowles, p. 61) However, the Lyles encourage the couple to tour with them, pressuring Port and Kit to act in accordance with the Englishmen, rather than on their own intuitions.
Posted by on November 06, 2003 at 02:09 PM