In Leon Edels short story The Eternal Footman Snickers, the language of the story exposes Myras ambition to forever remain a part of history.

Authors Avatar by mpvader900 (student)

By Neel Patel

The Desire to Attain Uniqueness in a Monochrome World Leads to Desolation

In Leon Edel’s short story “The Eternal Footman Snickers”, the language of the story exposes Myra’s ambition to forever remain a part of history. By exposing such an ambition, the story critiques individuals who want to feel unique in a monochrome world; in an attempt to become immortal, they lose their potential to experience the wonderful world around them. The story beings with the line “COCKTAILS…turn over the layers of one’s consciousness,”(1) which foreshadows that the story is about Myra’s journey into her inner mind. Using the third-person omniscient point of view, the narrative is able to convey the sense of insanity presented by the protagonist. The dull tone of the story amplifies Myra’s state of depression and suggests that her book is the cause of her problems.

Myra’s attempt to switch from writing poetry to a novel represents her desire to achieve something even greater than what she already had in hopes of being remembered. This is evident in her thoughts, “The average life of a skyscraper…is thirty years…it rises higher and higher until it stands proudly…then a quick tearing down and a building up again.”(2) When skyscrapers are new, they stand out as opposed to other ordinary buildings. People actually take the time to look at them, but as time passes by, they tend to blend in and become a common sight. The skyscrapers symbolize the life of a poet who “rises higher… [and] stands proudly”(2) when they are at the top. This period however, lasts only for a small amount of time, as the fame and the recognition do not last forever. The symbolism in the passage suggests that Myra’s downfall is inevitable and that there will be someone new and better to take her place. Myra’s attempt to write the “great[est] Canadian novel” (1) symbolizes her attempt to remain memorable over an extended period of time. She does not realize that in an attempt to become unique, she is losing out on the idea of being mortal and enjoying life.

Join now!

Myra’s perception of what makes individuals unique depicts her insanity. She believes that it is not the personality but rather the accomplishments that remain engraved in history. Many symbolic interpretations arise from the quote “An ant underfoot, a single step, and there is just a dark spot in the dust.”(2) The ant symbolizes the insignificance of life. Myra compares the ant to herself, fearing that if she is not able to finish writing the book, then her death will also be similar to the “dark spot in the dust,” and as time passes, she too will be forgotten about. ...

This is a preview of the whole essay