Yellow Case
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Yellow
The impression of the modern western society is generally considered to be nearly impeccable with a few exceptions. As a human in this society you deal with a great amount of expectations not only from others but also from yourself. We have a certain need for proving to others that we are worth something and not just a passé. Confidence has grown to be a keyword in the understanding of how you interact in the modern society. Without confidence it is very difficult to make friends and create a large social network. A lack of confidence often leads to inferiority, and in worst case scenario – suicide.
The main character in the short story Yellow by Peter Carty, suffers from this particular problem.
Jon is a second-string writer on a London listings magazine. He has been sent to Egypt to scuba dive and then write an article about it. The first thing Jon does when he arrives at the hotel is lock himself up in his room and tuck into his duty-free. Jon is in his late-thirties, a bit overweight but in good condition in general. He has not volunteered for the trip, but felt obliged to do so by his editor. Jon has a tremendous fear of diving. That is also why he consumes a great amount of alcohol at night to calm his nerves. “He poured more gin, but no matter how much he swallowed it was never enough. Next morning he retched down the lavatory, skipped the buffet in the hotel restaurant” (Page 3, line 56-57)
His diving instructor is an Italian man named Berto. There are only one other student in Bertos group, a retired brewer called Brian. Jon finds it hard to concentrate on the things Berto is teaching them. He knows that it is critical to listen to the instructions and that it could save his life. Instead he cannot stop thinking about sitting in his room with at drink in the hand. The reason of his somewhat drinking-problem maybe also be caused by his relationship at home.
He is actually glad that the magazine has not paid for his girlfriend to come. “They hadnt paid for his girlfriend his girlfriend to come either. Mind you, the way things were going that was probably a plus. The silence between them had multiplied, then lengthed into an empty continuum.” (Page 3, line 53-55)
Another reason is that Jon feels that he is being pressured by his editor to take the trip. Jon suffers from inferiority and is constantly hearing voice in his head saying yellow. Yellow is the color of the coward. Because Jon does not stand up for himself, he subconsciously sees himself as a coward.
While diving Jon philosophies over the possibility of drowning. He is terrified of switching mouthpieces underwater and when he looks at Bertos shades he sees the reflect of himself staring wide-eyed. On the walk back, he again hears the voice saying yellow. This is when Jon realizes, that he has to do something about his cowardness. In the painting The Sea of Ice