Good Morning, Midnight

by

Jean Rhys

Mr. Blank Character Analysis

Mr. Blank is a British man who owns a clothing store in Paris. Sasha used to work as a greeter at this store and had an embarrassing encounter with Mr. Blank because his awful French accent led to a misunderstanding. Instead of pointing out the root of her own confusion, though, Sasha acquiesced to Mr. Blank’s power and asked to go home, ultimately losing her job instead of standing up for herself.

Mr. Blank Quotes in Good Morning, Midnight

The Good Morning, Midnight quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Blank or refer to Mr. Blank. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Sadness and Vulnerability Theme Icon
).
Part One Quotes

Well, let’s argue this out, Mr Blank. You, who represent Society, have the right to pay me four hundred francs a month. That’s my market value, for I am an inefficient member of Society, slow in the uptake, uncertain, slightly damaged in the fray, there’s no denying it. So you have the right to pay me four hundred francs a month, to lodge me in a small, dark room, to clothe me shabbily, to harass me with worry and monotony and unsatisfied longings till you get me to the point when I blush at a look, cry at a word. We can’t all be happy, we can’t all be rich, we can’t all be lucky—and it would be so much less fun if we were. Isn’t it so, Mr Blank? […] Let’s say that you have this mystical right to cut my legs off. But the right to ridicule me afterwards because I am a cripple—no, that I think you haven’t got.

Related Characters: Sasha (speaker), Mr. Blank
Page Number: 29
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Three Quotes

‘I’ve got some money,’ he says. ‘My God, isn’t it hot? Peel me an orange.’

‘I'm very thirsty’ he says. ‘Peel me an orange.’

Now is the time to say ‘Peel it yourself’, now is the time to say ‘Go to hell’, now is the time to say ‘I won’t be treated like this’. But much too strong—the room, the street, the thing in myself, oh, much too strong....I peel the orange, put it on a plate and give it to him.

Related Characters: Sasha (speaker), Enno (speaker), Mr. Blank
Page Number: 129
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Good Morning, Midnight LitChart as a printable PDF.
Good Morning, Midnight PDF

Mr. Blank Quotes in Good Morning, Midnight

The Good Morning, Midnight quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Blank or refer to Mr. Blank. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Sadness and Vulnerability Theme Icon
).
Part One Quotes

Well, let’s argue this out, Mr Blank. You, who represent Society, have the right to pay me four hundred francs a month. That’s my market value, for I am an inefficient member of Society, slow in the uptake, uncertain, slightly damaged in the fray, there’s no denying it. So you have the right to pay me four hundred francs a month, to lodge me in a small, dark room, to clothe me shabbily, to harass me with worry and monotony and unsatisfied longings till you get me to the point when I blush at a look, cry at a word. We can’t all be happy, we can’t all be rich, we can’t all be lucky—and it would be so much less fun if we were. Isn’t it so, Mr Blank? […] Let’s say that you have this mystical right to cut my legs off. But the right to ridicule me afterwards because I am a cripple—no, that I think you haven’t got.

Related Characters: Sasha (speaker), Mr. Blank
Page Number: 29
Explanation and Analysis:
Part Three Quotes

‘I’ve got some money,’ he says. ‘My God, isn’t it hot? Peel me an orange.’

‘I'm very thirsty’ he says. ‘Peel me an orange.’

Now is the time to say ‘Peel it yourself’, now is the time to say ‘Go to hell’, now is the time to say ‘I won’t be treated like this’. But much too strong—the room, the street, the thing in myself, oh, much too strong....I peel the orange, put it on a plate and give it to him.

Related Characters: Sasha (speaker), Enno (speaker), Mr. Blank
Page Number: 129
Explanation and Analysis: