Conflict arises between the sisters, when Lily smashed Mercedes's doll on account of Frances's taunting. Mercedes also shows interest in Ralph, Mrs. Luvovitzes son, but his mother does not want them to elope, because of the conflict of religion. Because of her insolence and attitude, James beats of Frances brutally, to no avail. She is not afraid of her father. After the incident, Frances takes Lily to a secret cave. rumoured to be the Old French Mine. Lily, scared of dear and the dark, passes out, resulting in the breakdown of Frances. Meanwhile, Mercedes prays for her family. Lily gets sick again, and has more lucid visions of Ambrose. Miraculously, she is revived, even after being found down by the creek, in which her twin drowned. Frances, overcome with angst, runs away for the day to Sydney, where she becomes a regular at a shady speakeasy. Frances spirals downward, performing naked in the speakeasy while James thinks she is at Girl Scouts. The section ends with Frances being overtly drunk often, and sexually assaulting a young boy in the washroom at school. She is promptly expelled. Frances is the only catalyst to the conflict in this section.
I'm having difficulty deciding if Frances is my favourite character or my least favourite character. She has told Lily that her own mother has tried to drown her, because she hated her, which makes her a pretty despicable character. She constantly holds her authority over Lily's head
Mercedes poses a very formidible thought in this section: "For what have we to distinguish us from the beasts of the field? besides, of course, an immortal soul? Manners and a suitable attitude" (MacDonald 253). It is interesting that the theme of defining humanity comes up now in the book. Are we born into the rights of society, or do we earn them? Furthermore, why do we treat animals lesser than humans, when all we have above them is attitude and manners. We are selfish, instinctive and have a survival sense, much like animals. In a way, this tory has had a very large "Survival of the Fittest" tone. Emotional and even physical strength have come into play many times throughout the chapters. This also exposed a lot of things about Mercedes; she knows the human race is not so different from the animalistic kingdom of the beasts.
Allusions are used, again, in this chapter to create a sense of darkness. When Mercedes is playing the piano after Lily breaks her doll: "Lily always wonders what happened to Clementine, the miner forty niner's daughter, 'lost and gone forever,' where?" (MacDonald 259). The main attraction in MacDonald's writing, I've concluded is her ability to make comments in the voices of the innocent characters, but in that innocence allusion, a very eerie tone is set to the novel. She has a way of writing in this innocent, creepy way that is quite enthralling.
In a somewhat disturbing moment, Frances is beaten up by James, for being insolent. The narrator describes this event like a dance: "The next two bars are like the first, then we're into the second movement, swing your partner from the wall into the workbench, which catches her in the small of the back, grace-note into stumble because she bounces, she is young" (MacDonald 263). The way the author portrays this horrible abuse is almost sing-songy; It is a kind of black humour. In fact, a lot of events that are actually horrific and very damaging are kind of played off like a humourous situation, in a bitter "C'est La Vie" fashion. Chilling and eerie are the only ways of describing this technique.
Some references to good and evil are often made around the character is Frances. The narrator comments that: "Saints and satanic vessels tend to start out the same way" (MacDonald 277). This alliteration helps to somewhat point a finger at Frances; she could have gone either way. It's also pointing out that many qualities, such as maybe leadership, authority, passion and ambition are shared between very good people and very bad people. Maybe the line is not so definite? Frances herself makes a very impactful statement in this section. After tricking Lily into getting in the cave Frances proclaims through her tears: "'I am the Devil'" (MacDonald 270). This indicates that Frances is not unknowingly bad; she is fully aware of her actions, and it seems like it the knowledge of this haunts her inside.
Kathleen herself teases the reader with a journal entry from her when she was alive. She addresses the journal, claiming she can't wait to tell everything that's happened to her. She is also teasing the readers; this use of suspense and mystery is making us wonder what missing pieces we are soon to discover regarding Kathleen's life.
Frances grows up a little bit more in this section. She escapes on her father's boot-leg truck to attend a night at a speak-easy. The image of the tavern is very well constructed: "Wallpaper strips with traces of lords and ladies flap from ceiling corners dingy from nicotine and neglect" (MacDonald 284). In this bar, Frances becomes a wreck. Unfortunately, but probably for a reason, we aren't often let into the thoughts of Frances, much like Kathleen was sort of a fleeting mystery to us. I'm not sure what her motivation is in most of this section, especially when she sexually assaults a boy in his school. Frances is generally leaving me confused. I think the author wants us to see this section, somewhat like an outsider, much like the people at the speak-easy or her classmates might see her. Maybe acting out as a teenager? Maybe somethings happened to her that we don't know about? Maybe its guilt? Maybe she's mentally unstable? Like always, the motivation of characters in this novel is questionable. Most people have made their judgement however: "If there was any lingering faith on anyone's part that deep down Frances was good, it had been obliterated" (MacDonald 291).
I, however, still ahve faith in Frances. Later, we learn that Frances has become a sort-of prostitute. However, she keeps a fair amount of dignity (she is still a virgin, despite her promiscuous behaviour) and although she loves to drink, she puts all the money she makes away for Lily. Lily is almost like her little project, just like James made Kathleen the target for all of his doting. An interesting analogy is made regarding Frances: "Frances is a sealed letter. It doesn't matter where she's been or who's pawed her, no one gets to handle the contents no matter how grimy the envelope" (MacDonald 293). This idea that Frances is still saving something for herself, while medicating a need to escape her life, or make some decent money to her cause.
Interesting Vocabulary
Enervated; To make tired, to be made exhausted; When Mercedes learns that Valentino has died, she is enervated.
Comestibles; A food item; Mrs. Luvovitzes store has comestibles
Scoins; A young shoot or twig; There are none of this metaphorical young shoots at the speak-easy.
Palpable; A feeling of intensity and heaviness; the air in the speak-easy was palpable.
Gallivanting; Travel for fun; Frances doesn't have time to travel for fun to Sydney.
Gussied; To make more attractive; Frances makes enough money to keep herself in sure a state.
No comments:
Post a Comment