What seemed delicacy in him was usually a way of avoiding trouble; what seemed like sympathy was the instinct to prevent trouble before it started. It was hard to see what growing older would mean to such a person. His emotions, from lack of exercise, had disappeared almost altogether. Adaptability and curiosity, he had found, did just as well.
The character in Penelope Fitzgerald's "The Bookshop" presents a façade of delicacy and sympathy, which often serves as a mechanism to sidestep conflict rather than an authentic emotional response. His tendencies reflect a deeper instinct to avoid trouble before it arises, leading to a life where genuine emotions are stunted and feelings have become largely absent due to neglect. This raises questions about his future development as he ages.
As he...
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All the things you can talk about in anyone's work are the things that are least important.
Race of Cain, ascend to heaven, And cast God down upon the earth!
