Essay Questions

Show how Nicholson Baker’s brings out the superficiality of the interactions between Howie and his men in The Mezzanine.

Even though Howie makes an attempt at interacting with his work colleagues, the relationship with them is not only insincere and shallow but it is also quite artificial. For instance, this is brought out in the way that he interacts with Tina, not paying close attention nor wanting to be seen as investing too much in the relationship. The writer notes that he [Howie] "had been discussing light, dismissible subjects, and neither of [them] wanted to be perceived as having paid too close attention to them."

Howie is brought out as rather interested in the ideologies behind the creation of the everyday items that he uses. Show how this particular interest is brought out in the work.

In the novel, the character is portrayed as interested in the thoughts behind the creation of the everyday items that he uses and compiles the thoughts that the designers might have had. Before the creation of an item that is used in everyday life such as straws and shoelaces, there must have been someone who dedicated their life in their development. In the end, when Howie finds a paper with regards to this, he stops preoccupying about these thoughts.

Howie is obsessive. Is this assertion true?

Howie is essentially lost in his love or obsession for such items as shoelaces, milk cartons as well as straws and how they are made. Through the fact that he does not seem to get over his obsession with the mechanisms behind the use as well as the ideas behind their creation until he is able to find a paper on the same. In this way, the assertion that Howie is obsessive can be argued as true.