I've decided, that while I have a lot to say on each specific chapter, I would be better off, for the sake of time to group short chapters together.
In these two chapters, we see Kathleen grow up. She is no longer a little girl anymore, but a savvy, cheeky and witty young lady. In the previous chapters, we have heard Kathleen's singing voice being compared to that of a bird. Also, in James and Maternia's respective jobs, they have compared many of the things they hear to the chirping of birds. Here, we see the comparison made again: "...Kathleen, goes to Holy Angels, sings like a bird" (MacDonald 51). The birds in this story represent freedom and a sort of mystique. One would watch a bird, though not get very close, as birds are very shy. This must be how outsiders feel when they observe the Piper family. However, Kathleen herself is more like a caged bird, put unfairly on display for others to watch. For now, this is fine for her because she is young and does not know of the outside world. I predict there will be a day that she will tire of her cage.
The reliability of James is also called into question in this chapter. He has described Maternia as being completely incompetent and not able to even play simple songs on the piano. However because of her playing at the theatre, "Maternia became a bit of a celebrity, especially among the young folk" (MacDonald 52). Up until now, we've only heard of Maternia's competence from James. How could she be a celebrity if she was as terrible as he describes? Are other things James say correct, or is he so biased that the reader cannot rely on his opinion anymore? In fact, when Maternia gets so popular that it makes James uneasy, and he forces her to quit, the narrator comments that "How unhappy are they who have a gift that's left to germinate in darkness. The pale plant will sink invisible roots and live whitely off their blood" (MacDonald 55). Maternia's gift is an unused seed, becoming dark and wasted. What a shame.
We see Maternia struggle with herself once more in this chapter. She thinks of all she has done, mostly on the basis of defying her religion: "I have to go to confession, she thought, but then...in order to be forgiven I must be heartily sorry but to be sorry for eloping means to be sorry for everything that came with it" (MacDonald 55). Maternia feels awful for disobeying her parents, not loving her own child, still wanting her husband, but mostly for not feeling sorry at all. I can absolutely relate to this. It's a nagging feeling, not being able to feel sadness or remorse for something you know you are expected to feel for. I completely understand Maternia's position right now.
As always, MacDonald makes a lot of allusions in this chapter. James wants to inform Kathleen of Aesop's Grasshopper and The Ant. Basically this story is about an ant that works hard, while a grasshopper wastes his time. At the end, the grasshopper asks the ant for food and doesn't get any. The grasshopper dies. In the context of the story, this is James wanting to install the value of hard work and preparation in Kathleen, so she will not turn out like the miners he so very detests.
AND, right in time for another page of water imagery, I have a chart to decipher it's symbolic reference. Maternia often goes down by the sea to think, as mentioned in other chapters. In this chapter, the sea "talks" to her: "'Give it to me, my daughter. And I will take it and wash it and carry it to a far country until it is no longer your sin; but just curiosity adrift, beached and made innocent'" (MacDonald 56). Here she is talking about the sea taking her guilt and making it not sinful, I think. The water is her place to think, as water represents emotions and intuition. She also looks to the future, while she's by the water, which could represent her life potential.
This chapter interested me. It was fairly predictable however, and I hope something exciting will happen.
Interesting Vocabulary:
-Gawping (Stare openly in a "dumb" way. Obviously used to describe Maternia by James)
-Swarthiness (Having a "dark" skintone; also used to describe unwanted qualities in Maternia by James)
-Picaninny (Derogatory term for black people)
-"Scab" (Australian term for freeloader. How does James know this term?)
-Gumption (Resourcefulness)
-Galling (Annoying)
-Garett (An attic)
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