While Normal People may be Sally Rooney’s most popular novel, it’s become deeply polarizing. A majority of readers are moved by Rooney’s style and feel deeply connected to the novel’s protagonists, Connell Waldron and Marianne Sheridan. However, they have one major complaint: miscommunication, arguably one of the most hated tropes because of the drama and confusion it brings, and something Normal People is full of. Miscommunication is a reason why many people hate the book. While it is frustrating to read, it’s one of the greatest parts of the book, but that’s if you understand why the miscommunication occurs.
As most people recognize, a part of their miscommunication is their different upbringings. While Connell has a loving mother, Marianne grew up with an abusive brother and mother, which left her with low self-esteem and depression. So while Connell can actively and openly communicate how he feels about Marianne, Marianne can not do the same or fully accept what Connell says. This disconnect lingers throughout the book but isn’t the only thing feeding the miscommunication.
A large part of it is fueled by their differing social classes. Connell isn’t open about his negative emotions about himself, the majority of these feelings are connected to his working-class background. Connell is intelligent and interested in literature, a subject historically associated with the wealthy. In high school, this leaves him feeling like an imposter among his working-class classmates who don’t care much for academics. This pushes him to unhappily conform to what he thinks they expect. When he gets into the prestigious Trinity College, his feelings get worse as he is unable to fit in with the metropolitan, wealthy crowd. To some extent, he belongs to both worlds but is unable to find his place in either. This leaves him depressed and anxious. And sadly, Marianne realizes none of this.
Marianne comes from a wealthy family. She struggled with making friends in high school, but thrives among her peers at Trinity College. She has no basis whatsoever to understand what Connell is feeling, and he is unable to explain it to her. She has no idea Connell is struggling with these emotions because it’s something she will never experience. What she sees is Connell unable to fully integrate himself into parts of her life, and she takes this as a sign he doesn’t want to be with her.
It’s a brilliant detail from Rooney. As a self-proclaimed Marxist, her leftist ideology is clear: social class is a barrier to human connection. But by exploring Connell and Marianne’s lives so deeply, she shows us all the possible ways class may have affected our relationships. Both platonic and romantic. She is prompting us to reflect on our own failed relationships, and wonder if it was just circumstance or was there something much larger we just couldn’t understand. While not every former friendship or relationship we had could be the result of this type of miscommunication, it would be a lie to say that none of them were. In this way her beliefs aren’t only interwoven into the narrative, she is passing them onto the reader.
Rooney redefines the concept of miscommunication in Normal People and shows us a way to rethink the disconnect we may feel with certain people in our lives. Connell and Marianne feel real and relatable because she understands this is something we’ve all experienced in life, regardless of whether we realize it or not. They’re just like us. Their miscommunication is just like ours. This is what Rooney wants us to see.
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