The Moviegoer

After finishing “The Moviegoer,” it seemed to me that Binx had come to terms with the fact that his purpose was going to be hard to find and that it was a wasted effort to try to find it because your purpose is something that you do not search for, you find it without thinking or even realizing. In the Epilogue on page 237, Binx makes it clear that he is going to take life one day at a time and “plant a foot in the right place as the opportunity presents itself.” He seems to abandon his search because so far it has essentially led him nowhere and his home life is starting to get quite rocky with Kate and her difficulties. At this same point, I also feel that Binx has learned how to be content with the life that he has right now and decides to let things happen as they may.

Almost simultaneously with his new found acceptance, Binx realizes that he is to take charge of not only himself, but also of his new wife Kate. She needs him just as much, if not more, than he needs himself to survive. This presents itself on page 234 where Kate tells Binx that a marriage between them could work if he told her what to do, in which case she would never have to worry or be afraid. One could say that taking care of Kate has been Binx’ purpose all along and that he has instinctively been fulfilling his purpose without even recognizing it. He is so busy searching for the meaning of his life that it does not occur to him that caring for Kate could be his purpose to begin with. The way Binx and Kate interact certainly makes it appear that they are both each other's soul mates. They connect in a way that only two people that are meant for each other seem to. Binx makes it known whether he means to or not that he has commitment issues with women, judging from the fact that he not only dates his secretaries, but they also do not stay around personally or professionally for very long. He essentially loves them and then leaves them or the women move on to newer prospects. This does not manifest with Kate though. Maybe because she is family or maybe because they just get each other. Binx demonstrates that he knows how to handle her from the beginning of the novel and examples continue to appear throughout, including when Aunt Emily specifically tells Binx that he is one of the few people that knows how to calm her, Kate, down.

Altogether I feel that Binx did succeed in finding his purpose. It may not have been exactly what he was looking for or presented itself so clear cut, but life will rarely be so kind as to do that. Binx is very analytical with the world around him, but sometimes you have to realize that not everything has to mean something. Yes your life should be meaningful, but it is most definitely what you make it and you could essentially create your own purpose in life. After all, our lives are ours to make and define, so we must handle them with care.