Throughout the entire novel A Gate at the Stairs, Lorrie Moore incorporates race as an underlying issue. “The Impact of Racism in A Gate at the Stairs” goes into detail about the main character, Tassie, and different instances she has to face while realizing that the issue of race is more prevalent than she had ever known coming from such a small town. This essay allows the audience to focus on the true impacts that race has had in this world, especially in the Midwest following the impact of the September 11 attacks on U.S. soil.
“Gates: Hindrances of Progress and the Trauma Experienced by Tassie Keltjin in A Gate at the Stairs” brings to light the emotional and psychological changes found within adolescents in the months following 9/11 by analyzing the work A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore. Moore presents her main character in the novel, Tassie Keltjin, as a model for all the young men and women affected by the terrorist attacks on September 11. By presenting Tassie as a typical 20 year old and writing Tassie as believing herself to be just a typical adolescent, Moore shows the reader that the changes found within adolescents following the attacks on the WTC are subtle and unrecognizable even by those harboring the trauma. However, through Moore’s writing, she presents the readers with proof that, although the trauma experienced is elusive and invisible to most, the distress is dangerous and harmful to those who experience it. The essay aims to convince readers of a new way of seeing Tassie Keltjin, suggesting that she is more than just a quiet girl; rather, she is struggling to find her voice after the trauma of 9/11 has taken it away.
From a historical perspective, the cognitive dissonance towards minorities that the American people felt post-9/11 has been unmatched in times since. “A Gate at the Stairs: Post-9/11 Racial Tensions” argues that Sarah Brink exemplifies just how this dissonance worked. By setting up meetings and the hypocritical racism that she continued to go forward with, she shows just how the American people had a sense of hypocritical liberalism. The essay explores this idea in further depth using a historical lens of the times, specifically dealing with how people reacted to minorities as well as how they thought they reacted to minorities post-9/11. By drawing parallels between both Sarah in the novel, and the actual American people of the time, the essay suggests that she can symbolize the psyche at the time. This conclusion better illustrates the importance of this novel, and the fact that it is a necessary testament to the social and racial climates of the time in which the novel is set.
“The Modest Narrator” explores the impact of music on A Gate at the Stairs’ narrator, Tassie Keltjin. By applying the theories of music therapy to the methods in which Tassie copes with societal pressures and overwhelming tragedy, a case is made for how music has worked to shape her character. The essay analyzes the influence of a specific band, Modest Mouse, as well Tassie’s relationship to her bass and how performing enables her to express emotions that she would otherwise be unable to.
At its core, A Gate at the Stairs is a coming-of-age novel. The story shows the character of Tassie as she finds herself and learns some hard lessons about what it means to truly live. However, since the novel takes place closely following 9/11, it also shows Tassie as one of the first Millennials. From her apathy to her impulsivity, Tassie seems to be the quintessential Millennial. “Even 9/11’s Our Fault: Millennials and 9/11 Influences” explores how 9/11 contributed to many of the negative—and even the positive—attributes that Millennials are said to have through the characters of Tassie and Robert.
“Protecting the Innocence of Youth: A Natural Reaction to 9/11” explores the “coming of age” aspect of Lorrie Moore's novel A Gate at the Stairs, and its relationship to American cultural ideals of childhood in a post-9/11 world. While the events of 9/11 appear to serve as the backdrop for the novel, these attacks actually contribute a substantial amount to the understanding of the novel. Not only does this paper discuss the effect of 9/11 within the novel, it also illustrates the effect that 9/11 had on the culture of the United States.
“Inaction and Anxiety: Tassie's Maturation in A Gate at the Stairs” takes a psychoanalytic approach to Tassie's anxiety as she comes of age. The essay explores Tassie's view on her mother, her role model Sarah, and herself. Tassie is subject to many stressors as she attempts to mature after the 9/11 attacks, and this essay takes a look at how Tassie's continued decision not to act out might have been affected by an anxiety disorder or depression.
“The Tragedy of Loss: The Learning that Comes From It” is an essay that explores Lorrie Moore’s use of loss and tragedy in Tassie’s coming of age story in A Gate at the Stairs. It specifically focuses on the relationships of Mary Emma, Reynaldo, and Robert to Tassie and the effects that they have had on her, as she becomes a young woman. Each of these losses have been used to teach her important lessons.
For centuries, women have been expected to be domesticated and servant-like towards men and, to a certain degree, towards children as well. In Lorrie Moore’s A Gate at the Stairs, there is no exception. “To Be or Not to Be a Woman” highlights how Moore explores the difficulties of being of the female gender in various stages of life. Be it Sarah, Tassie, or future Mary-Emma, A Gate at the Stairs is a great representation of the difficulties encountered—physically, emotionally, and/or psychologically—by women in any world or society, and in every generation.