The Driver's Seat Rhetorical Analysis

This theory of father and son as caretaker counterparts is all but confirmed in the characterization and actions of Mrs. Gurney, who is essentially the broad and encompassing personification of all that have come before her: she is sad, confused, and dysfunctional. By definition, her last name literally means a hospital stretcher. As the two begin to trek across the beach towards her home, it does not take long before she lives up to it. Soon, Mrs. Gurney has her arm “strangled” around Kurt’s neck like a fallen soldier as the boy shouts commands, “Keep your head down, Mrs. Gurney! I’ll guide you!” This portrayal from the protagonist’s point of view aims to mimic the intensity and feel of a war zone.
Supplementing the hectic nature of the wind,
the darkness of night, “sharp, and alive with shadows,” works to produce an environment that is ripe for action to take place. It is here that Mrs. Gurney and Kurt become a part of a space that is “thicker” as Kurt describes it, and drift between reality and the motivations of the unconscious.
As the surrounding conditions get stronger, the situation quickly becomes overwhelming for the two as they both are struggling to keep themselves grounded in the real world. While Kurt’s usual methods for completing his task continue to fail, Mrs. Gurney seems to be edging closer to the end of her wits as evidenced in her speech and demeanor. As Kurt watches, he compares her struggle to that of “a trapeze artist up on the wire.” However, the more Kurt invests himself into dragging Mrs. Gurney out of her stupor towards home, the more he seems to get pulled deeper into an emotional abyss with her.
Soon, Kurt starts to expand on his own theories of the unconscious, elaborating on a “black hole” that follows people around once they hit middle age.
He tries his best to avoid this phenomenon, noting the best method to be a conscious avoidance of awkward silences, however at this point it is evident that this walk is no ordinary trip for either party. In fact, as the story progresses it seems as if Kurt actually relishes opportunities to look into the darkness and surround himself with it, even more so than Mrs. Gurley: “the deep, black shadow of Hat Island…was remarkable, the way that darkness carved itself out of darkness.” This professed comfort of dwelling in twilight and shadows symbolizes Kurt’s growing ease with the unknown, a sort of embrace with the world of uncertainty he has come to know so well. More importantly, the confession speaks to Kurt’s budding personal evolution, underlining a new way of thinking and acting upon his
surroundings.
This analysis of Kurt’s pedagogical transformation is best exemplified in the climactic scene with Mrs.
Gurley, where Kurt finally gives into the black hole of silence as she asks him to look at her naked breasts. Kurt briefly pauses for a moment of internal conflict and “into that empty space rushed the wind,” an energy signifying the surrender of his childhood innocence, forcing the subconscious balloon from his finger. Now, Kurt is free to see, feel, and do, as he desires, which is almost immediately acted upon. The urge to “Fuck, poke, screw,” overriding all rational thought and morality previously exhibited by the protagonist. Darkness sets in and Kurt recalls, “A voice told me I could get away with it.” With this in mind, it is apparent that D’Ambrosio intended to portray a pedagogical transformation in “The Point” through the contrast of darkness and light and the distinctions between youth versus maturity and morality versus impulse. However, as the story moves on, the reader is left to question if the transformation of Kurt into maturity is truly
authentic.
After completing his mission to return Mrs. Gurley to her home, Kurt finally enters back into his mother’s party still roaring with guests. The light stings his eyes. In order to try and make sense of all that has happened, he returns to his room and seeks out something familiar: his father’s voice, in the form of a letter to his mother. In it, his father describes in great detail the horrors he experienced as a medic in the Vietnam War, and how it has changed his life and outlook irreversibly. It’s in this way that the characterization and experiences of Kurt’s father once again parallel that of his son. Although the severity of circumstances is different, both have had aspects of their persona taken from them due to traumatic factors outside of their control. At this point in his life, Kurt is following directly in the path of his father, now he has lost his balloon just like his dad. In addition, while Kurt has experienced expedited growth from childhood into relative maturity, it is obvious that this is due to necessity rather than preference. As can be inferred from the closing sequence of the letter, Kurt is still very much lost in a world without a father figure. Although he seems adept enough to mask his emotions enough to manage life on his own, he is a mess ”all on the inside.”