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Jeremy Pauling, the main character of Anny Tyler’s novel Celestial Navigation, is a collage artist who is agoraphobic and lacks the ability to cope with everyday matters. Tyler once remarked that this novel was her favorite work and a parallel between the author and the central character can be observed. The solitude Jeremy requires for his creative activity is threatened when he meets Mary and has children with her. He feels the house is too crowded and retreats to his studio. When Mary and the children leave him after he lets go the occasion to legalize his tie to her, he realizes that he has detached himself too far away from them for the sake of his art. Tyler, who divided her time between writing and domesticity, knew how it may be difficult for an artist to satisfy creative desire and at the same time meet one’s domestic responsibilities. Her insight into artistry and her interest in human relationships, particularly within families, work together in this novel. She shows how artistry and domesticity may not be compatible for an artist.
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