In Nicholas Mosley’s prose piece Impossible Object,” he depicts the life of Hippolyta, a mother who is separated from her husband and has one child. Mosley’s portrayal of Rome as a city, along with his depiction of Hippolyta herself and her relationship with her husband and child, illustrates his main idea that happiness and love are unattainable for affluent members of society.
The opening sentence of the prose piece introduces Hippolyta overlooking the Borghese gardens. This image sets up an atmosphere of regality, where Hippolyta is described as looking over gardens that are natural and beautiful. This image sets up a contrast to Hippolyta’s life, which is not very natural or beautiful since we later find out she is separated from her husband. Following this sentence is the introduction of wealth: “Hippolyta was rich.”
Hippolyta is described as a large, thin” girl with eyes “half closed” and “hands pushing behind her as if she was in a gale.” The descriptions of her eyes portray her as if she is not awake or close to being dead. Her arms pushing behind her depict the stance of an authoritative figure, displaying a contrast between her and her husband. Right after Mosley depicts Hippolyta’s physical appearance, he introduces her husband who is an “Italian Aristocrat.” This immediate reference to money continues the theme of wealth.
When the author describes the frenzy that Hippolyta works herself up into, he first portrays her as somewhat barbaric by saying, she would hit her fist against her body like a parachutist searching for a failed ripcord.” This presents a stark contrast to the lavish lifestyle that is uncovered. The simile of the parachutist helps depict the fact that Hippolyta is not only confused but also on her way to self-destruction. A parachutist with a failed ripcord will lose their life.
Although Hippolyta is described as imposing and superior in physical appearance, she is also portrayed as dependent on her husband. This is evident when it is stated that “Hippolyta seemed still attached to her husband by the umbilicus of the telephone; although separated no one cut her free.” This symbolizes that despite living a lavish lifestyle, she remains bound to her husband and unable to fully enjoy life. Additionally, Hippolyta’s relationship with her husband and child further emphasizes this constraint as she must fulfill the role of nurturer for her child due to her relationship with her husband.
Hippolyta is depicted as a wife who tortures and traps her husband, like a trapped fly,” working him into a frenzy and showing her friends. The narrator also compares Hippolyta to Caligula, an illegal torturer who once held a lot of power in Rome and watched men being kept alive in tiny cages. This is parallel to what Hippolyta is doing to her husband. She even engages the narrator in her torture methods when she holds out the phone, saying “She did her slow laugh into the receiver…”
The first paragraph describes Hippolyta as being separated from her husband. This reference indicates that she no longer lives with him, but it also establishes a contrast to her current situation. Additionally, the paragraph presents contrasting images of Hippolyta and her husband.
He is described as a minor Italian aristocrat, while she is described as powerful and matronly. This image is juxtaposed with her being bound to her husband financially and through their child. Hippolyta, in fact, is bound to her husband through their shared child, which they use as a weapon to fight and keep themselves going. The dysfunctional relationship with her husband portrayed through various images affects her relationship with her child.
The narrator states that Hippolyta’s child was sitting in a high chair while its parents failed to communicate. This suggests that Hippolyta does not communicate with either her husband or her child. This lack of communication is further demonstrated during Hippolyta’s conversation with her husband, where she pays no attention to her child who is spilling soup on the floor.
The child has a face like a war-leader, battling the war between her neglectful parents. As the narrator pours more soup, the child watches to see what her enemies, specifically her mother who neglects her, would do. When Hippolyta notices that the child has spilled the soup, she lunges with either love or violence; either reaction may have pleased the child.
However, Hippolyta was unable to move far due to the telephone cord. This suggests that the child is being neglected in their relationship with Hippolyta, as they desire any form of attention even if it is violent. Hippolyta’s relationship with her husband hinders her ability to love and care for her child, which is a crucial aspect of family values. The narrator must clean up the mess.
Instead of introducing the narrator to Hippolyta’s child, she instead says, Do you like my kid?” almost addressing the child as an object. Later on, she continues to say, “I’d be dead without that kid.” This brings to the surface the reality of her situation: she is using her child as a means of getting money from her husband.
The state of Hippolyta’s family and relationships within the family helps to depict the state of disorder. Hippolyta neglects her child and has a broken relationship with her husband, which in turn reflects the fact that her life is absent of love – one of the most fundamental emotions needed to be happy. The broken state of the family emphasizes that love is one of the impossible objects Hippolyta is unable to attain.
The setting of Rome, as well as the environment described, emphasizes Hippolyta’s cruel leadership style. She is portrayed as an authoritative figure who is unable to experience happiness due to her obsession with money and material possessions.
When the author writes about his visit to Rome, he draws parallels between the city and Hippolyta. He describes Rome as a place where cruelty was once considered normal and notes that Hippolyta’s flat is located near where Caligula once walked and watched men being kept alive in tiny cages.
The conflict between Hippolyta and her husband serves as a contrast to the lavish lifestyle she lives, which is presented in the opening remarks. Her flat, overlooking Borghese gardens, was full of poets, drug-addicts, and hairdressers who symbolize the fashionable world. He also describes her flat as a crenellated building around which traffic swam in a moat. This portrayal sets Hippolyta apart from commoners.
She is once again depicted as an authoritative figure who owns her fortress. This separates Hippolyta from the rest of the people living in her flat. The narrator reinforces this idea with the image, Rome lay beneath us with its rooftops and turrets.” This description of Rome being closed off with rooftops and turrets parallels Hippolyta herself, as she is closed off and will never experience love or happiness. This connects to the title of the prose piece because happiness for Hippolyta is an “impossible object,” something she will never attain.
During the narrator’s discussion of Hippolyta’s childhood, he mentions that she was raised in Los Angeles and came to Rome as a young girl. In doing so, he provides insight into both cities. The narrator describes Los Angeles as a place without a center, spread out like split milk. This description is ironic because despite living in Rome, Hippolyta herself is split from her husband. Additionally, the narrator characterizes Rome as the center of law, order, and religion. However, this description is also ironic since Hippolyta does not lead a life of order.
In fact, it is quite the opposite. This is later elaborated in the closing remarks when Hippolyta’s drawing is described to have silk-covered chairs” and “high windows looking over the garden.” The narrator also mentions, “There were children riding on ponies. Lovers lay on the grass.” These two images emphasize what Hippolyta lacks in her life: a happy child and love. This lack of fulfillment is explicitly stated when the narrator says, “I thought – Hippolyta has health, money, good looks, a child; so she wants to hurt other people and destroy herself.” This alludes to the fact that despite Hippolyta’s affluence, it does not buy her happiness; in fact, it seems to only contribute to her corruption as a person.
During the narrator’s encounter with Hippolyta, he expresses his disappointment by saying, I thought we would get on well.” This flashback conveys a feeling of opposition. Although Hippolyta is portrayed as a nurturer who provides him with a home, bed, food and communication, it is clear that she does not fulfill his needs because material possessions alone cannot satisfy the human spirit.
Conclusion:
In Nicholas Mosley’s prose piece The Impossible Object,” he conveys the idea that money and wealth cannot buy love or happiness through the characterization of Hippolyta and her relationships. Although Hippolyta is torturing her husband, she is actually the victim because her search for happiness and love will never be fulfilled. She neglects her child, which is the only possible source of love for her. Mosley critiques wealth as a poor replacement for fundamental human values such as love and happiness.
