Beth's breakdown
Apr. 17th, 2021 10:35 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nrgburstOkay, TQG fans on the f-list, I have a question for you!
I've been talking tohumiliatedrook and it seems like fandom has vastly different interpretations of something that I thought was pretty clear?
So what do you think were the primary causes of Beth's breakdown in 1x06 (Adjournment)?
I'm shoving my meta under the cut, so please take the poll before reading! :D
I think that while the thing that tipped off Beth's Spiral was her repressed grief over Alma, the underlying cause was Beth realizing that she was utterly alone, which was her deepest fear coming true. I don't actually think Paris or Benny were big factors, although they probably contributed? But there's just not that much evidence during/before the breakdown for them, IMO. The only reference to Paris is in tiny lettering in the article Beth drips canned beans on, and her call with Benny prior seems amiable enough, even if it seemed like things were not resolved between them. Beth also doesn't flashback to either NY or Paris - if she's beating herself up about them, it's odd that the showmakers flashbacked to something else entirely instead.
As for the inevitability of a binge breakdown just because she's an addict: probably a big factor. But I think it's telling that despite telling Benny that she would go home to Kentucky to get high/drunk, she didn't actually do it until after going to the restaurant.
Grief over Alma.
Alma actually died months ago, so why would Beth suddenly be grieving intensely again? I think the answer is that she finally ran out of the (mostly chess) distractions she was relying on to compartmentalize her grief, plus she was reminded strongly of her at the restaurant she went to, perhaps on purpose.
She's actually been to the same restaurant with Alma before, which is probably why she knows exactly which appetizer she wants without looking at the menu. She also orders Alma's signature drink (a Gibson) before listening to the singer croon about remembering being loved while accompanied on piano. Boom, in the next shot: Beth's drinking wine straight out of the bottle.
Over the next bit of the Venus breakdown montage we see her doing a lot of things that Alma had done as if in homage: wearing soft pastel shades and a slip around the house, watching TV, smoking and drinking. Although I don't know that Beth herself is fully aware of this? She doesn't go to visit Alma's grave or cry to try to process her grief by grieving, she tries to numb her pain with alcohol and performatively revel in being able to do as she pleases and just be a total mess.
And at the climax of the montage, we see Beth flashback to Alice again ("Good girl.") and then her father driving away as she passes out.
Fear of Abandonment
We've seen Beth flashback to Alice in every episode, lecturing her about the importance of being strong alone. "Someday you're going to be all alone. So you need to figure out how to take care of yourself." (1x05) Or at the start of 1x06: "It takes a strong woman to stay by herself in a world where people will suffer anything just to say they have something." We've also seen how little Beth panics when she thinks she's been left alone for the first time:
and then Alice hugs and praises her after. Her first test of being left alone, and she "passed", even though she hated it. I think that is why Beth flashbacks to Alice saying "Good girl" right at her lowest point: because she's "being strong on her own" and not relying on anybody else, which is the yardstick Alice used to measure successfulness.
Despite Alice's "lessons", I don't think Beth actually likes being alone, although she wishes she could? In the book, Beth reflects that, "Mrs. Wheatley had been a good mother; she had not intended to die and leave her." Note how Beth self comforts in Ohio by using Alma's housecoat to hug herself as well.
x
Also note how she panics and immediately offers her place to Harry to stay for free when he says he'll be coming by less often, and how she's almost in tears when he decides to leave anyway.
Notably, the only flashback that repeats (besides the car accident/suicide) is this cornerstone memory of her father driving away. It comes up twice, in both 1x01 and at the climax of her breakdown in 1x06. Combined with all we know about men leaving in Beth's experience (Allston, Manuel, Harry, even Tim leaving her all alone after losing her virginity and her first alcohol binge following) this seems to be something she both expects and dreads.
Beth has been left behind time and again, usually deliberately, all throughout the series, and she was an orphan who was unwanted and unadopted for years. Now she's finally completely alone without any project or chess distraction, and it's clear that everybody has left her. So she drinks/gets high to ease that pain all on her own. (Good girl.)
In contrast, her recovery once Jolene reenters her life and sticks, despite living and working in Louisville (a two hour drive from Lexington) is pretty dramatic, illustrating just how necessary it was for Beth to feel connected to somebody. You can see how shaky she is as she talks to Jolene that first night, but the tremors and unhealthy pallor go away quickly as they spend more time together, as she opens right up about even the scary thoughts she's had and even cries on her shoulder. By the time she's leaving for Moscow, Beth looks healthier and happier than ever, and she stays clean even under tremendous pressure while alone in Moscow.
x
I first heard about how, "connection is the opposite of addiction," in this TED Talk, but I actually think TQG illustrates this concept beautifully, too. I think it's important to note that Walter Tevis, the author of the original novel, was an addict himself, and I find it really telling that he depicted recovery coming out of Beth rediscovering her connections to people, and not simply determined sobriety.
x
x
I know this is a simple "solve" for a very complex subject, but I thought that was the thesis/underlying theme of Beth's story. If you have thoughts/different ideas, please comment! I'd love to discuss this more. :D
I've been talking to
humiliatedrook and it seems like fandom has vastly different interpretations of something that I thought was pretty clear? So what do you think were the primary causes of Beth's breakdown in 1x06 (Adjournment)?
Poll #25549 What were the primary causes of Beth's breakdown in 1x06 (Adjournment)?
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 6
Grief over Alma's death
View Answers
Mean: 8.50 Median: 8.5 Std. Dev 1.26
Mean: 8.50 Median: 8.5 Std. Dev 1.26
| 1 | 0 (0.0%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 3 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 4 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 5 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 6 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 7 | 2 (33.3%) | |
| 8 | 1 (16.7%) | |
| 9 | 1 (16.7%) | |
| 10 | 2 (33.3%) |
Her loss against Borgov in Paris
View Answers
Mean: 7.00 Median: 6.5 Std. Dev 1.53
Mean: 7.00 Median: 6.5 Std. Dev 1.53
| 1 | 0 (0.0%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 3 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 4 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 5 | 1 (16.7%) | |
| 6 | 2 (33.3%) | |
| 7 | 1 (16.7%) | |
| 8 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 9 | 2 (33.3%) | |
| 10 | 0 (0.0%) |
Alice's (her birth mother) predictions that she would end up alone coming true
View Answers
Mean: 4.33 Median: 4 Std. Dev 2.62
Mean: 4.33 Median: 4 Std. Dev 2.62
| 1 | 1 (16.7%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 (16.7%) | |
| 3 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 4 | 2 (33.3%) | |
| 5 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 6 | 1 (16.7%) | |
| 7 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 8 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 9 | 1 (16.7%) | |
| 10 | 0 (0.0%) |
Not going to NY to be with Benny
View Answers
Mean: 3.50 Median: 3 Std. Dev 2.22
Mean: 3.50 Median: 3 Std. Dev 2.22
| 1 | 1 (16.7%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 (16.7%) | |
| 3 | 2 (33.3%) | |
| 4 | 1 (16.7%) | |
| 5 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 6 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 7 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 8 | 1 (16.7%) | |
| 9 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 10 | 0 (0.0%) |
It's just something that happens to people with addictions
View Answers
Mean: 5.67 Median: 5 Std. Dev 3.54
Mean: 5.67 Median: 5 Std. Dev 3.54
| 1 | 1 (16.7%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 3 | 2 (33.3%) | |
| 4 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 5 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 6 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 7 | 1 (16.7%) | |
| 8 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 9 | 0 (0.0%) | |
| 10 | 2 (33.3%) |
Other
I think that while the thing that tipped off Beth's Spiral was her repressed grief over Alma, the underlying cause was Beth realizing that she was utterly alone, which was her deepest fear coming true. I don't actually think Paris or Benny were big factors, although they probably contributed? But there's just not that much evidence during/before the breakdown for them, IMO. The only reference to Paris is in tiny lettering in the article Beth drips canned beans on, and her call with Benny prior seems amiable enough, even if it seemed like things were not resolved between them. Beth also doesn't flashback to either NY or Paris - if she's beating herself up about them, it's odd that the showmakers flashbacked to something else entirely instead.
As for the inevitability of a binge breakdown just because she's an addict: probably a big factor. But I think it's telling that despite telling Benny that she would go home to Kentucky to get high/drunk, she didn't actually do it until after going to the restaurant.
Grief over Alma.
Alma actually died months ago, so why would Beth suddenly be grieving intensely again? I think the answer is that she finally ran out of the (mostly chess) distractions she was relying on to compartmentalize her grief, plus she was reminded strongly of her at the restaurant she went to, perhaps on purpose.
She's actually been to the same restaurant with Alma before, which is probably why she knows exactly which appetizer she wants without looking at the menu. She also orders Alma's signature drink (a Gibson) before listening to the singer croon about remembering being loved while accompanied on piano. Boom, in the next shot: Beth's drinking wine straight out of the bottle.
Over the next bit of the Venus breakdown montage we see her doing a lot of things that Alma had done as if in homage: wearing soft pastel shades and a slip around the house, watching TV, smoking and drinking. Although I don't know that Beth herself is fully aware of this? She doesn't go to visit Alma's grave or cry to try to process her grief by grieving, she tries to numb her pain with alcohol and performatively revel in being able to do as she pleases and just be a total mess.
And at the climax of the montage, we see Beth flashback to Alice again ("Good girl.") and then her father driving away as she passes out.
Fear of Abandonment
We've seen Beth flashback to Alice in every episode, lecturing her about the importance of being strong alone. "Someday you're going to be all alone. So you need to figure out how to take care of yourself." (1x05) Or at the start of 1x06: "It takes a strong woman to stay by herself in a world where people will suffer anything just to say they have something." We've also seen how little Beth panics when she thinks she's been left alone for the first time:
and then Alice hugs and praises her after. Her first test of being left alone, and she "passed", even though she hated it. I think that is why Beth flashbacks to Alice saying "Good girl" right at her lowest point: because she's "being strong on her own" and not relying on anybody else, which is the yardstick Alice used to measure successfulness.
Despite Alice's "lessons", I don't think Beth actually likes being alone, although she wishes she could? In the book, Beth reflects that, "Mrs. Wheatley had been a good mother; she had not intended to die and leave her." Note how Beth self comforts in Ohio by using Alma's housecoat to hug herself as well.
x
Also note how she panics and immediately offers her place to Harry to stay for free when he says he'll be coming by less often, and how she's almost in tears when he decides to leave anyway.
Notably, the only flashback that repeats (besides the car accident/suicide) is this cornerstone memory of her father driving away. It comes up twice, in both 1x01 and at the climax of her breakdown in 1x06. Combined with all we know about men leaving in Beth's experience (Allston, Manuel, Harry, even Tim leaving her all alone after losing her virginity and her first alcohol binge following) this seems to be something she both expects and dreads.
Beth has been left behind time and again, usually deliberately, all throughout the series, and she was an orphan who was unwanted and unadopted for years. Now she's finally completely alone without any project or chess distraction, and it's clear that everybody has left her. So she drinks/gets high to ease that pain all on her own. (Good girl.)
In contrast, her recovery once Jolene reenters her life and sticks, despite living and working in Louisville (a two hour drive from Lexington) is pretty dramatic, illustrating just how necessary it was for Beth to feel connected to somebody. You can see how shaky she is as she talks to Jolene that first night, but the tremors and unhealthy pallor go away quickly as they spend more time together, as she opens right up about even the scary thoughts she's had and even cries on her shoulder. By the time she's leaving for Moscow, Beth looks healthier and happier than ever, and she stays clean even under tremendous pressure while alone in Moscow.
x
I first heard about how, "connection is the opposite of addiction," in this TED Talk, but I actually think TQG illustrates this concept beautifully, too. I think it's important to note that Walter Tevis, the author of the original novel, was an addict himself, and I find it really telling that he depicted recovery coming out of Beth rediscovering her connections to people, and not simply determined sobriety.
x
x
I know this is a simple "solve" for a very complex subject, but I thought that was the thesis/underlying theme of Beth's story. If you have thoughts/different ideas, please comment! I'd love to discuss this more. :D
no subject
Date: 2021-04-17 04:43 pm (UTC)Exactly this. When you feel abandoned by the world it's harder to feel like there's any reason to stop indulging. That's why new addicts feel like AA is so cult-y, they're simply trying to be really nice to encourage you to come back and make friendships. However, it would be so easy for someone to pin down an exact reason to fall off of the wagon. My fiancee is an alcoholic and the times I've seen him drink were when things were going really well. There's really no rhyme or reason to it sometimes. You can't pin it on any one thing. Being alone though is definitely not helpful.
no subject
Date: 2021-04-18 03:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-04-17 05:35 pm (UTC)I would definitely agree with this.
no subject
Date: 2021-04-18 03:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-04-19 12:19 am (UTC)(I'm so sorry for invading the DW heheh but I thought I'd clarify :) )
no subject
Date: 2021-04-19 12:46 am (UTC)And I agree that there were a bunch of factors, but I think the Borgov loss was not nearly as important as the abandonment issues/fear of being alone coming to roost at last, and nobody even seems to clock the latter?
LOL no worries at all, you know I always love your thoughts! Nobody can read comments unless they're already at the bottom of a post so they shouldn't bias the poll! I am sad that there is only a sample size of two, but so far, it seems like I have an Unpopular Opinion as usual. XD I think it's a logical Unpopular Opinion though?
no subject
Date: 2021-05-05 04:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-05-06 05:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-05-06 11:11 am (UTC)I agree that grief is driving most of the breakdown. In fact, I'd say the "breakdown" starts before the actual "Venus" scene and slowly builds until her loss in Paris, and that's when she finally allows herself to *feel* the loss, not just of the tournament, but of Alma, and Benny, and everyone else she's pushed away by that point. I hadn't thought about her mother teaching her that "being strong" = "being alone," but she's definitely internalized it by then.
I don't have any personal experience with addiction, so I won't comment on that. I really need to read the book though. I think my library has it.
no subject
Date: 2021-05-07 12:35 am (UTC)In fact, I'd say the "breakdown" starts before the actual "Venus" scene and slowly builds until her loss in Paris, and that's when she finally allows herself to *feel* the loss, not just of the tournament, but of Alma, and Benny, and everyone else she's pushed away by that point. Oooh, this is a good point. Yes, you can see her eagerly snap up distraction after distraction for all of that period for sure. Conceal, don't feel like an actualfax ice queen. LOL I do think the writers are trying to make a point by adding those specific flashbacks at the climax though, with dead silence in the background.
The book is quite an easy read! Warning about sexual abuse in it that I am really glad they cut from the series. I was also surprised by how faithful a lot of the dialogue was, even down to her internal thoughts in the book being voiced over by a "radio announcer" talking about her games! So even if you can't understand what she's doing on the board because you're not a chess player, somebody is talking you through her process/strategy. I thought that was so cleverly done!