Mosquitoes- Insane Reality

William Faulkner's second novel Mosquitoes is a pretty well written novel that completely captured the insane demeanor of the socially elite. The characters went about the streets of the New Orleans French Quarter with a sense of pomp and arrogance, but were hiding a treacherous insecurity that others were unaware of. Mr Talliaferro and Mrs. Maurier best exemplify the high stature of elite figures who possessed great insecurity . Both were infatuated with the sense of youth even though they were well into their adulthood. The characters were ridiculous in nature and bound by the duties of their status. Even though they were all financially stable, they seemed to be unable to live their lives freely. It would be assumed that with wealth comes peace of mind, but this is not so with the characters in Mosquitoes. I believe the most freely living characters were Gordon, though he was bound by his own arrogance, and Mrs. Maurier's niece Patricia who rejected her aunt's Southern belle frivolity.
Mr. Gordon is a very interesting character in that he completely rejects the absurdness of the other characters. Even though he's completely overwhelmed in the work of his hands, he doesn't take time out to bother in the business of nonsense. This bothered Mrs. Maurier when he rejected her invitation to the yacht trip. Patricia seemed to be the only character in the novel to grab Gordon's attention away from his art and into who she was. Upon meeting her, he was pulled from his one sided view of life, which only included himself and his art, to Patricia's point of view. These two characters seemed to be in a world of their own apart from the other characters.
Mr. Talliaferro represents the adult William Faulkner especially in his keen eye for taste and somewhat ambiguous sexual preference. He describes himself as being comfortable with women's clothing and possessions. This is a trait most heterosexual men do not possess. Despite Mr. Talliaferro's autobiographical persona, he represents the awkwardness of many artistic figures. He completely embodies that awkwardness Faulkner was trying to display through his characters.
All of the characters make up the insane reality that the story is based upon. Mrs. Maurier lived her life in the lap of luxury supporting the talents of the artists around her while the artists enjoyed the deep thought their mental faculties allowed them. They were often engaging in deep intellectual conversations while forming their upcoming projects. This is quite different from the normal day-to-day living many other New Orleanians were engaged in during their time. It most likely is not normal for a group of adults to randomly decide to take a yachting trip together. This very behavior was what Faulkner most likely wanted his readers to recognize.

-Kristen Francis