Third Critical Summary

My third critical review was published in the Studies of Candian Literature Journal. In this lengthly article, Joel Baetz makes the initial comparison of Fall On Your Knees to a ghost story. The haunting first lines of the novel accelerate this theory. Baetz also argues that the very reason this book is as well respected and critically acclaimed as it is, is for the reason that it paints Canada as being a very exciting place, full of suspense and mystery, rich culture and racial conflict; this is a polar opposite to the usual tame and friendly Canada that readers are used to. It also adds interest to the Candian population, a spectrum of people that is often disregarded by its American neighbours, and thought of an inferior by Europeans. This novel gives Canada itself an edge, and therefore some credibility on a global scale. The author also points out that the geography of Cape Breton, being isolated and gloomy only adds to the chilling eeriness of the story, making it that much more haunting. Indeed, much of Canadian literature is taking a turn for the more haunting, which leads Baetz to ponder, "What kind of ghosts do we have?" (Baetz 66).

Baetz makes another interesting conclusion in regards to MacDonald's novel. The presence of the teachings of Freud in MacDonald's Fall On our Knees is also apparent. It is directly referenced to in many occasions. However the plot line contains many topics that Freud would find interesting, if not completely applicable to his own science. Baetz sums up the list perfectly: "Phallic imagery, incest, unconscious responses, automatons, repressed childhood memories, alter egos, doppelgangers, apparent deaths and reanimation of the dead" (Baetz 67). Further into Freud's theory, the paradox of the "strange and familiar" comes into play in this novel. The word "Uncanny" is used by Baetz in almost rhythmic repetition; it is a good adjective to describe the events of Fall On Your Knees. Generally, the themes of the novel are very Freudian, a trend in many of MacDonald's works.

Another major theme in the novel is the merit of past, present and future, as well as the impact of memories and history that may even be dead and buried. We have two histories at work here: The history of the Piper family within the story, and the nonfictional history of Canada as a country, that bears many ugly time periods and viewpoints we may want to forget we once had. This parallel look at history is obvious in the book, but both have very different effects.