I feel like this section constitutes as the climax of the novel, especially Via Dolorosa (Babylonian English for the street that Jesus walked down before his crucifixion.) Frances learns the Teresa has been fired, as Mr. Mahmoud despairs over his losses, especially of his deceased wife. Frances continues to follow Leo Taylor around, much to the concern of his wife, Adelaide. It is evident that Leo is also curious about Frances, as he tries to follow her home too. Also following Frances home nightly is Boutros, her cousin from the nightclub, who believes he can help her. Leo eventually tells Adelaide who Frances really is, and decides to quit his boot-legging job with James Piper. James, infuriated, replaces Leo with Boutros, and goes to find a bayonet so that he can kill Leo, as Boutros and Jameel have informed him that Leo spends time with his disowned daughter Frances, and that Frances works at teh speak-easy. Mercedes sees James trying to leave the house with the bayonet, and pushes him down the stairs. A few hours back, Frances arrives at Leo's house, begging for help. She says she needs to escape James, so he goes behind Adelaide's back and drives Frances to an abandoned mine where she can hide. On the way to the cave, Jameel and Boutros see Leo on the road, and Boutros is so enraged to see Frances with Leo that he crashes the car, killing Jameel and himself. Frances and Leo arrive at the cave and end up having sex. Soon after, Mercedes and Lily arrive with James's car (who is at home, still passed out and drunk). It is only then that Frances confesses to Leo that this was all a ploy to get her pregnant, and that her father had not brutalized her on this specific occasion. Leo is left having to confess what he has done to his Adelaide, who has been up all night with Teresa, waiting for him. Also a flashback from the eyes of Mercedes is given, on the night of Kathleen's funeral; James rapes a very young Frances. What a chapter!
An interesting use of repetition is used in the thoughts of Mr. Mahmoud, regarding his daughter Camille, who is filling in for the fired Teresa. Camille has many faults, and does not do her job the way Teresa did but: "He forgives her because he does not love her" (MacDonald 338) and, "Mahmoud thanks Camille because he does not love her" (MacDonald 340). This brings up an interesting point. Is it easier to forgive someone that we don't love? Is it easier to thank someone we also do not love? I feel like this theory could be very true; love makes people take things for granted, and we feel as if the love is enough to justify being thankless and unforgiving towards them. When one does not love someone, they feel almost more obliged to be more empathetic towards them.
This section is abundant in light and dark imagery, as well as moon imagery. As Frances sneaks back into her house, "The moon may drive men mad but it can calm a savage girl" (MacDonald 351). Instead of symbolizing danger and craziness, the moon symbolizes tranquility and Frances's level head at the time. Its almost as if the moon helps her focus, and let her plan out her scheme for Leo Taylor that she is about to perform. When Leo takes Frances to the mine, he ponders, "He can't just leave her here, in the dark, can he?" (MacDonald 370). This is symbolic; Leo wants to save Frances from her own darkness. However, within Frances's dishonest darkness, she has a plan to exploit Leo. The ways of Frances cannot be reversed, she will most likely stay in her own personal darkness forever, as anyone that tries to help her out ends up getting lost as well.
Again, truth is a major theme in this section. Previously, Frances believed that when she laughed at her mother's funeral, everyone was convinced it was a cry. However, "Teresa went to the mother's funeral and saw the girl Frances laughing" (MacDonald 355). This plainly states that the truth comes out eventually, and even if one thinks they can bury some certainties in their life, it will always come back to haunt them. The idea of retribution and undying justice is very prominent throughout the book, which almost ties into the religious aspect: You can't hide from your sins, they will always come back to haunt you. Frances calls Ginger (Leo) by his secret name, that is never actually mentioned in the book: "Ginger's private name must not be written down. It's bad enough that Frances knows it" (MacDonald 372). This leaves mystery and allure to the story; since we are no more than voyeurs looking in, there are some things that we are not allowed to know. It also, obviously, makes the reader wonder. Lastly, the narrator comments, "Surely truth can be borrowed across time without perishing. Shelf life, sort of" (MacDonald 379). This quote relates to the situation in which Lily omits the truth to Mercedes. She figures that is James hit Frances once, its okay to say that he did it twice. Is it? Probably not. The ideas of how individuals, specifically children here can stretch and mould the truth to fir their own conveniences is brought up here.
The presence of mines in this book is also very symbolic: "'Then forget fighting and concentrate on schooling and you'll beat the lot of them, 'cause sweetheart, most of them are going nowhere but underground'" (MacDonald 357). Mines are dark, dangerous and cold. They provide no light, and if there is a problem, they are virtually inescapable. This pertains to the family life of the Pipers. The three girls, and before them, Maternia and Kathleen are stuck in the mine of their home in Cape Breton. Because they are women in this time period, and because their father is who he is, they cannot escape. Just like generation after generation of young men go down into the mines to work, generation after generation of Piper women must endure the toils of their own metaphorical mines. The narrator comments that "Men are so innocent" (MacDonald 355). Finally, I am seeing the feminism entwined within this novel, as promised by several book reviewers. Men suffer the physical battle in the mines, but women fight a different, perhaps harder battle within their families. Maternia, Kathleen, Frances, Mercedes, Lily, Camille, Teresa, Mrs. Mahmoud and Adelaide have all suffered because of the men in their life.
Frances is described by Boutros, who truly cares about her, as being, "A diamond, passed from filthy paw to paw but never diminished. The men who handle her can leave no mark because her worth is far above them" (MacDonald 361). One might think that this comparison is one of comparing the girl to a beautiful perfect object. In my opinion, it is just characterizing her further as being cold, hard and unbreakable, something she has had to be in the wake of her family life. I admire Frances's character for being so cruel, so bitter and hardened at such a young age. It was either toughen up, or not survive.
The somewhat shocking twist of Mercedes pushing james down the stairs opens another theme that hasn't been discussed yet throughout the book. The narrator remarks that "The necessity of sin itself is a cross we must bear" (MacDonald 372). This could have a very religious meaning, pertaining back to the idea of the Via Dolorosa, but it could also have a more practical meaning. Often, bad things have to be done for good reasons, therefore sin is necessary, such as Mercedes pushing James for the greater good of the universe.
It is interesting to see how history has repeated itself with Frances mimicking Kathleen's actions. All for different reasons, most likely, but with the same result. The idea of a vicious cycle.
Questions:
-Will we ever know how Kathleen got pregnant?
-What will become of Frances? Will she be pregnant?
-How will James react to all of this? I'm hoping James died at some point soon.
-Will any retribution come to Leo Taylor?
Interesting Vocabulary
Gabled: To have gables, or canopies over the windows of a house; the Piper's house is gabled.
Skeins: A knotted length of yarn; Mercedes dreams of skeins on a loom. Symbolic for how she wants to keep the family weaved together?
Mitigated: To make less severe or painful; Mercedes thinks about making sins less severe and painful.
Callow: Young and foolish; Leo feels callow in the presence of a very grown up Frances.
Nonplussed: Surprised, confused and embarrassed; Leo Taylor is nonplussed when Frances asks him to go away.
Sacristy: The room in which a priest prepares for a service; Mercedes cleans this room.
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