Overview of "Weather"

Jenny Offill's 2020 novel, "Weather," is a work of psychological fiction set in modern-day America. It centers on Lizzie Benson, a librarian, as she navigates personal insecurities, family responsibilities, and existential dread stemming from climate change and political tensions. The narrative builds to a climax when Sylvia, Lizzie's mentor, retreats into reclusion and abandons her foundation.

Key Characters

Lizzie Benson: The first-person narrator, a librarian and primary caregiver, grappling with anxiety and a sense of unfulfillment.
Ben: Lizzie's husband, a former classics PhD now making educational video games, increasingly anxious about global events.
Eli: Lizzie's young son, largely unaware of his parents' anxieties, enjoys playing Minecraft.
Henry: Lizzie's brother, a recovering drug addict with a co-dependent relationship with Lizzie, whose relapse is a significant plot point.
Sylvia Liller: Lizzie's former supervisor, hosts a climate change podcast ("Hell and High Water"), hires Lizzie to answer listener emails.
Catherine: Henry's proactive new wife, works in an ad agency.
Will: A war journalist with whom Lizzie develops a platonic flirtation, a survivalist.
Margot: A Buddhist meditation teacher at the library, acts as a therapist for Henry and Lizzie.
Lizzie's mom: A devout Christian who relies on Lizzie for emotional support.

Literary Style and Fragmentation

The novel employs a fragmentary form, using short paragraphs and unusual separations, reflecting the information overload and distracted nature of modern life and digital communication. The first-person perspective provides a cohesive, confessional tone.

Parataxis

A poetic technique of juxtaposing dissimilar images or fragments without connecting words, creating abruptness and forcing reader connections.
This style is seen as fitting for contemporary reading habits influenced by digital media.

Literary History of the Fragment

The fragment form has roots in 16C-18C French aphorisms, 18C German Romanticism, and early 20C modernism (reflecting a fractured world).
Contemporary fragmented novels, like "Weather," are described as "holistic and coalescent," resisting disunity despite their structure.

Central Concepts

Doomscrolling/Doomsurfing: The act of spending excessive time consuming negative news online.
Hyperobject: A concept by Timothy Morton referring to objects or events of such vast scale in time and space (e.g., climate change, black holes) that they are difficult for humans to fully grasp.
Solastalgia: A form of homesickness experienced while still at home, a feeling of dislocation and loss of value in the present due to environmental change.
Climate Despair: A psychological state where individuals realize the severity of climate change and feel a sense of hopelessness or paralysis.

Major Themes

Climate Change: Explores the impending global disaster and humanity's struggle to confront it, manifesting as Lizzie's constant anxiety.
Capitalism: Examines how consumerism and industrial practices contribute to climate change, highlighting a societal unpreparedness for the future.
Politics: The novel uses the backdrop of the 2016 US election to amplify Lizzie's anxiety, illustrating how political inaction and inward-looking global leadership hinder climate solutions.

Lizzie's Transformation and Community

Lizzie's journey evolves from fatalistic despair to seeking collaborative survival. Initially, traditional community settings like church do not resonate with her. She eventually finds alternative forms of community through "sudden alliances" and shared survivalist interests, particularly with Will. This shift involves acknowledging the reality of climate change without succumbing to chaos, moving beyond a fatalistic narrative. The novel suggests a "climate therapy" that validates climate anxiety as a rational response, transforming survivalism from an individualistic, capitalist mindset to one focused on collective "loss-proofing."

Weather: A Brief Summary of Jenny Offill's Novel

Weather: A Brief Summary of Jenny Offill's Novel