“I have always had a problem with the shoeshine business, and even on the rare occasion when I wished to have my scuffed shoes cleaned, some egalitarian spirit kept me from doing so; it felt ridiculous to mount the elevated chairs in the shops and have someone kneel before me. It wasn’t, as I often said to myself, the kind of relationship I wanted to have with another person.”
This idea of having someone kneel before you gives me royalty vibes because it reminds me of the kind of relationship that Nigeria had with America during times of war. Nigeria expected the United States to be their savior and help them but when they never did it was confusing because they thought they would have their back. Nigeria thought that they could depend on the US because they have the resources and the power to do so. This act of kneeling does feel kind of weird because you feel like you are someone who is in power and a sense of entitlement because you on a pedestal. The US was put on a pedestal because of their successful succession from British rule, so Nigerians looked up to them since they were in the same boat. Nigeria thought that since they were in the same boat at some point they could get help from from.
Hi Sharielly,
I didn’t know about this kind of relationship between Nigeria and the U.S. so that’s interesting to use as historical context for power dynamics in Open City. I wonder what it means, then, that Julius considers himself egalitarian and above having those kinds of unequal relationships. When I read that, I also felt a bit of condescension from Julius and I found it odd he took it from a service he is paying for to the symbolic relationship between himself and the shoeshiner. By pointing out his fear of coming off as superior to another person, he does sound a bit hypocritical.
I agree with your analysis of his thoughts. I also wanted to add that, as discussed in class last week, Julius may not be the most reliable narrator. Right after mentioning his supposedly high moral values, we see Julius accepts the service from the shoeshiner. So, it seems like he is putting on this facade only for the reader and doesn’t really feel that way. For me, this type of behavior puts the integrity of many of Julius’s observations into question, something that can completely alter the reading experience.