Published in the late 1950's, Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's received much criticism for the controversial topics covered in the novella. At the time, the ideal woman was a stay at home mother. Women were expected to marry at an early age. Main character, Holly Golightly, had the complete opposite image. Truman Capote's past family issues strongly influence many of the events and characters in the novella. In Breakfast at Tiffany's, Capote addresses the importance of balancing individualism and freedom using his character, Holly Golightly, as an example of pushing personal boundaries to reach self-knowledge.
Many of the events and feelings of the characters in Breakfast at Tiffany’s come from Capote's personal experiences throughout…show more content… The complexity of Holly’s character comes from her search for a stereotypical lifestyle, while actually living recklessly. She seeks stability yet cannot bring herself to attach herself to something emotionally. Even though she has an apartment room she goes back to everyday, she never refers it as her “home”. Additionally, she always claims the cat she lives with and takes care of isn’t hers. When throwing the cat to the streets, she states that they “just met by the river one day: that’s all. Independents, both of [them]. [They] never made each other any promises” (Capote 85). Soon after, she realizes she actually loves it and regrets her actions which shows she is just afraid of committing. Commitment and attachment towards something increases the chance of getting hurt. After being wounded in the past and losing her brother, she finds it even harder to devote herself to something. Holly lives the way she does because of her fear of getting hurt. Freedom allows one to live without strings, yet it lacks a certain feeling of comfort commitment provides. The theme of freedom also relates to individualism and transgressing societal norms. Holly establishes herself as a character who acts on her own want rather than her needs. She doesn’t fear the judgement and has charm in her ability to hold herself up. When the narrator writes a “typical” story, Holly shows disappointment in his work and states that she thought he could better. The narrator is then inspired by Holly and begins to write a more risky story that could potentially receive
