The Hidden System

Picture a system. What does it look like? What is it doing? How would you describe it. When I think of a system I think of one sort of, complex whole with multiple parts that make it work. Some things that may pop into your mind are system such as systems in the body, or systems that work in a car.  In Celeste Ng's  Everything I never Told You, Ng takes this idea of a system and uses it to portray some of the major events and relation ships in the story. As in, we see how certain things develop between characters and events.  A great example of  a system is the relationship between James and his teaching assistant: Louisa. Like all systems there must be multiple parts working together to reach a complex goal or in this stories case, a tipping point or as I like to call it, "a point of no return."

From their first interaction in the novel its easy to see the chemistry the two of them share and the obvious affection for each other. But to understand how these parts work together, Ng is very particular about her writing. It's not so much these interactions as a whole, but the little things that we, as readers, need to key in on to understand the complication of their relationship. The subtle hints that Ng leaves in her writing to pave the way for these parts to eventually lead to that point of no return.  We see how the relationship between James and Louisa grows and their previous interactions which include blushing, and strong sexual tension, work together until their casual workplace relationship turns intimate. I have only read as far as chapter 5 so I have not been able to see how this system will continue to function. As I continued searching effortlessly for more examples of these systems that Ng has laid out I realized that the most important system was the entire novel itself. From the title name to the storyline, Lydia's disappearance and death is the output of the biggest system in the story. I guess I knew all along but It wasn't until I really started to ponder the hidden meanings in the framework of the novel that I came to realize this. As I continued reading the novel I focused on the life of Lydia and what may have caused her disappearance. These clues of sorts were mostly vocalized by Nath and they weren't anything major but subtle hints, similar to the relationship between James and Lydia these " parts" led to Lydia's death. Things that Nath described like Lydia having no friends, and pretending to be on the phone. Lydia was a loner, she felt ignored and had no true friends. When she passes there nothing left of her not even in her empty diaries. She left a trail of pieces that her family is now trying to put-together.  The same as finding the pieces of a system and connecting them together.

The hidden meanings in Ng's writing are prevalent all throughout. The idea of a system in writing is so intriguing because I found myself searching for things, and making connections to things I have never done before. Making these connections not only draws me to other conclusions but makes the reading more enjoyable and it a it easier for me to understand Ng's intentions. Ng is very intentional in her writing in that each minor detail tat you probably never picked up on is key in the development of major characters and their relationships. I have uncovered all this only by reading the first 5 chapters! I cant wait to see what else there is to uncover in Ng's path.