A fusion of nihilism and escapism, Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation tells the story of an isolated, unnamed narrator living in New York’s Upper East Side neighborhood. To escape her mundane and seemingly meaningless responsibilities in life, the narrator takes strong doses of prescription psychopharmaceuticals day by day, until her waking experience of the real world is reduced to a hazy consciousness. Fortunately, the orphaned narrator has a substantial sum of wealth left by her parents that covers the bills and expenses she needs to hibernate through the year.
From her professional occupation in an art gallery to her superficial relationship with a social-climbing friend named Reva, the narrator’s self-induced coma results in the disintegration of previously crucial aspects of her life, as well as an emotional and physical metamorphosis towards the end of the novel. The narrator’s cynicism, formed by layers of deep and unresolved trauma, is a reflection of existential ennui and alienation.
Reading the novel for the first time, I was conflicted by my feelings of frustration towards the shallow characterisation of the narrator, and my sympathies for the events leading to her depression. The narrator’s desire to be isolated from a society she perceives as superficial, contributing to the overall atmosphere of existentialism, is relatable for readers. Her relationship with her abusive ex-boyfriend, as well as with her unloving and absent parents before they both died, provide the reader with insight into her cold, detached attitude towards intimacy. However, her reckless and often demeaning behaviours and mentalities are also a poor reflection of the way she acknowledges her privilege.
Moshfegh enhances the narrator’s shallow characterisation, particularly through her relationship with Dr. Tuttle, her psychiatrist. In a conversation where Dr. Tuttle asks if her sedatives have been effective in improving her supposed insomnia, the narrator answers “parenthetically speaking… I probably need something stronger”. By consistently lying to Dr. Tuttle throughout their consultations, the narrator abuses her financial privilege that could have been used to access the proper medication and treatment instead. Additionally, before quitting her job at the art gallery, the narrator sabotages an exhibition by leaving a pile of human secretions behind. Her flagrant disregard for the hard work and time sacrificed to procure the exhibition, as well as her disrespect to her former boss, convey a sense of entitlement, proving that the narrator views her job merely as an auxiliary occupation.
While reading the novel, I also found parallels in the narrator’s attitude to those of main protagonists in both Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar and J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye. The protagonists in each novel are portrayed through the use of a pessimistic and cynical voice, interweaving dry humour and sarcasm to ease darker underlying psychological issues. These characters are also prompted by their existentialist ideas to alienate themselves from their communities.
Moshfegh effectively plunges readers into the intricate mind of the narrator, and pushes readers to question existentialist themes and questions that speak to their personal values.