Return To Empire Falls Analysis

Empire falls, By Richard Russo, is dominated by the theme of betraying one’s heart, and suffering because of this. This theme is shown throughout part one by Miles Roby’s academic decision, and C.B Whiting’s return to Empire Falls. Miles Roby’s choice to leave college is a clear example of betraying one’s heart and suffering because of it. Miles as a boy was very intelligent, and grew up wanting to go to college and live the life of the mind. When he did go to college, his mother, Grace, became sick with cancer and was dying. Miles decided to leave his passion for academics and all hopes for the future he had envisioned, to go and comfort his dying mother, as well as in the hopes of finally getting to be with his dream girl, Charlene. Years

C.B, or Beau, as he was known then, happily lived abroad in Mexico while he was in his twenties. He painted and wrote poems, and desired to remain there as an artist for the rest of his life, even though he knew his father would one day call him home to take over the family businesses. When he was summoned, C.B thought that, “Returning to Empire Falls and taking over the family businesses might be a violation of his personal destiny as an artist…” (pg. 6) Nevertheless, he returned home, took over the businesses, married a girl named Francine Robideaux, and lived a life that eventually made him so unhappy that he shot himself in the head in a Gazebo his wife made him build. This shows C.B Whiting betrayed his heart, by giving in to his father and giving up the life of an artist in Mexico. This led to C.B suffering, as he never was truly happy in Empire Falls, and Let his wife make his life miserable, as was the tradition of Whiting men. It also led to his eventual suicide. This betrayal shows that C.B was a man who was submissive to his father and his wife, and this caused him to not listen to what he wanted in his