The Elite Framework in Sally Rooney's *Beautiful World, Where Are You*

 

Sally Rooney is a rapidly rising Irish author whose previous works include Conversations with Friends (Commonwealth Publishing, 2021) and Normal People (Commonwealth Publishing, 2022). Her latest Chinese translation is Beautiful World, Where Are You (Commonwealth Publishing, 2022). What propelled her to overnight fame was undoubtedly the TV series adaptation of Normal People by BBC and Hulu. It portrays the intricate and passionate love affair between two protagonists, from their teenage years into their twenties. Their multi-year relationship, both emotionally and physically, defies traditional notions and has captured the hearts of millennials worldwide with its fluid emotional dynamics.

©Enda / Element Pictures

Sally Rooney has cultivated a unique style, boasting several critically acclaimed and commercially successful works, establishing herself as a new-generation "successful" author. Observers might describe her as having refined her craft, with a distinctive writing style that allows readers to immediately identify her work. The qualities she showcases to the public cleverly align with society's expectations of a successful author: beautiful, young, vibrant, and incisive.

Her chosen subjects often delve into recent emotional relationship issues that are frequently overlooked in everyday life, topics that only the latest generation can observe and articulate. These include the sense of powerlessness in relationships that seem to flow endlessly, the endless uncertainties about the future, the intimacy of communicating through text messages in the digital age, and the anxiety and fear of being unable to love. In this regard, she is quite perceptive, and not every generation of authors can respect these diverse emotional values without judgment.

Beautiful World, Where Are You unfolds through an epistolary format, with the two main characters, Alice and Eileen, corresponding regularly. They recount their lives in cities far from each other, discussing their dating experiences, contemplating their careers and the contemporary nature of literature, and critiquing the prevalent societal values. Through their lengthy exchanges, they articulate their individual perplexities and confusions about life. Both protagonists share a literary background and political concerns, showcasing an intellectual disposition.

Upon closer reading, an intellectual exchange develops between Alice and Eileen through their letters, but they also disclose numerous details about their respective sexual encounters with their dating partners. This pattern of intimacy, characterized by a steady, intense, and emotionally charged nature, is not uncommon in the author's other works. I would describe it as perhaps the author's ideal conception of intimacy, deeply affectionate. (And it's difficult for me to assess whether this is purely an expectation or the author's understanding of reality.)

I won't delve into the plot further. While I was once a fan of Sally Rooney, I can now see her tendency towards self-replication. In her new work, the author, as before, strives to convey a certain unrealized elite taste and perspective through the characters' interactions, even a somewhat flat sense of indignation, directed at capitalism, climate change, and their own life's perplexities and sorrows. Reading it, I couldn't help but feel a sense of weariness. Perhaps I, too, am trapped in a perilous situation, pondering without a way out, or perhaps I secretly believe that the protagonist merely complains to feel a momentary relief before returning to life with a clear conscience, which annoys me even more.

The narrative pattern of two intelligent protagonists who understand each other but struggle with life's inequalities has appeared repeatedly in her works. While reading, I occasionally feel that she is trapped within an "elite" imagination, continuously casting a disdainful gaze upon the world. I don't know if this projection has an end or what concept the author intends to convey.

Perhaps readers hope authors can maintain humility and self-reflection in their works, but sometimes this is merely a detached fantasy, or at times, a flawed moral demand. For Sally Rooney's characters, or even the author herself, being exceptionally intelligent and maintaining perceptiveness seems to be of utmost importance. However, I later found myself unable to find a synonym for "smart" beyond that in Sally Rooney's books. It's as if, stripped of the elite identity, she and her works have no other image. And I've begun to wonder if intelligence might actually be a stumbling block to a person's growth.

Aside from that, Beautiful World, Where Are You is still a good read, flowing smoothly and light to consume, like cotton candy that instantly vanishes the moment it hits your tongue. Compared to Normal People's reflections and confusions on class, I think I still prefer her earlier works, but I can't say for sure.

©Madison Grosvenor

However, Alice's self-narration in Beautiful World, Where Are You also reveals much of the author's own doubts and disquiet about her identity as a writer. Here, I hope she won't experience the so-called withering away of her talent too soon.

Writing is a long journey.

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