“Show, don’t tell.” Isn’t that the golden rule of creative writing?
However, Sally Rooney is heralded for being the genius of today’s literature. She definitely does not show. She tells you exactly what she wants you to take from her writing. She tells us why her protagonist does what she does. She tells us what the protagonist thinks of Nathan, aka Mr Salary. She tells us exactly what happens between them in a strangely dissociative manner. Is this why today’s readers find her so refreshing?
We, as readers, are so used to building an emotional connection with the protagonist, yet Sally Rooney never asks for empathy. She does not offer us the room to wonder. Rather, she forces an understanding upon the reader.
While this is a weirdly comfortable way of reading – you will fly through any of her works – it is also disconnecting and will result in the reader putting down the book and asking themselves, “Did I care?”
And maybe that’s the point that Rooney is making in her literature? Mr Salary focuses on a young University student delving into an unorthodox sexual relationship, while juggling an equally tumultuous family life. Rooney emphasises the life of a young person today. And, perhaps, is suggesting that apathy is as much a part of youth culture today as anything else. The reader, alongside the protagonist, joins in on the journey and does not care which way it turns out.
Is this the way youth culture is going?
I’m not sure how much I loved Mr Salary, but it manages to tell a rounded and intelligent story within a very short amount of time. And I think my indifference towards this short story could be exactly what Rooney is looking for. If so, Rooney is a master of the short story.