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The Cuckoo's Calling, Professional Success, and Happiness
The following is a quick writeup I had submitted for my AP English Lit class last night. It ended up being more introspective than I had anticipated, and I thought I'd share it here.
Although The Cuckoo’s Calling is a crime fiction novel at its core, and the inclusion of commentary regarding anything besides the investigation at the heart of the story is incredibly sparse, the characters’ situations and interactions have made me consider a commonly repeated concept that I had previously not put enough thought into. This is the idea that perceived success and happiness only rarely correlate with genuine happiness in one’s life.
This is seen in nearly every prominent character featured in the novel. High-ranking war veteran Cormoran Strike cannot find satisfaction in normal life (Galbraith 132), wealthy supermodel Lulu Landry leads a troubled personal life (Galbraith 119), and even newly engaged Robin Ellacot is unhappy with her fiance (Galbraith 12). Each is wholly dissatisfied in the way they conduct their lives, but each maintains a facade of success or happiness. And much to my surprise, one of the few moments in the novel when Strike truly experiences happiness is when he chooses to ignore his responsibilities as a detective and spends his time reading a newspaper instead: “Seagulls cawed, wheeling overhead, and Strike, happily aware that he was due elsewhere, settled to read the paper from cover to cover on the sunny beach” (Galbraith 121). Simple pleasures, like reading a newspaper in the sun, are often something I overlook when considering what I want from life in order to be happy. This book has made me question a number of my core beliefs. Is perceived success within my career and relationships truly the only thing that will make me happy? How would I define success in my career? Will I ever be truly satisfied with it anyway, considering that it is in my nature to always aspire for something greater?
After reading this novel I came to the realization that I, like many of my peers, are quick to venerate people who maintain a facade of satisfaction with their lives. We aspire to lead lives like those who hold executive level positions at large corporations and firms; we want to be at the forefront of the development of cutting edge technologies and to be associated with headlines that feature phrases like “Groundbreaking Discovery” and “Revolutionary Idea”. But we very rarely stop to consider our idols’ personal lives; are these people happy? Analyzing the characters in this novel helped me realize that professional success and personal happiness do not necessarily go hand in hand. Even if I were to attain my professional goals, there is still much room for inner dissatisfaction and unhappiness, and this is often something that I neglect. The crowd and competition in our school district breeds a mentality that professional and scholarly success are the be-all and end-alls, and we very rarely pause to enjoy small successes and beautiful moments as a result―we are too busy chasing the next big thing. Although I cannot say that my career goals have changed after reading this novel, I must admit that it has convinced me of the importance of cherishing my relationships with people and relishing the moments when I am able to find inner peace.
- Aparna