I'm getting pretty fed up of the antics of the Piper family. Adelaide attempts to confront Frances, while Teresa ends up shooting her, but fortunately for the characters in the book (maybe not so fortunate for the reader) Frances ends up surviving. Meanwhile, Teresa is arrested and also ends up pregnant, even though everyone thought her crippled husband would be sterile. the last of Kathleen's affects are given to James, in a letter from her old caregivers in NYC. Frances is somehow still pregnant (she believes Teresa's bullet impregnated her), while James has a stroke and begins to get a little nutty. He is constructing something secret in his shed, but no one has figured out what it is yet. Mercedes tries to tell Lily the facts of life, only to become aware that Lily is closer to Frances, who has already had this discussion with her. The family is "happy" and act more like proper kinsfolk than ever before. James and Frances become friends, while Mercedes gets upset. Mercedes also wishes for Lily to have counsel with a higher authority, presumably so James can be put to justice. Frances leaves to have her baby.
I'm noticing that the image of purgatory or an in between state has reoccured throughout this novel: "Finally, Mercedes is neither saint nor sinner. She is somewhere in between. She is why purgatory was invented" (MacDonald 388). I like this quote, only because it speaks to the whole novel. Most of the characters are lost in a transition stage. They have many good qualities, but most possess a fatal flaw that eventually dooms them. I think MacDonald is trying to say that the whole human race is in purgatory; we are neither here nor there. Life is not so black and white. And like this book, which goes on and on and on and every character has so many aspects that could of (in my opinion) be left out completely, it is important to this theme that they are present, because they help shape our very detailed perception of these characters who are anything from the stereotypical "Good guys/Bad guys" roles. I feel both compassion and anger towards almost everyone in this book, but maybe that's just me. The shade of grey is mentioned often: "Frances stays looking at the sky in fifteen shades of grey" (MacDonald 434). Grey seems to be a purgatory-ish colour.
The empowerment of women is also more prominent as we reach the end of the book. In the beginning, Maternia, Kathleen and the daughters were passive, polite and obedient to a certain extent. Now they're gun-toting, manipulative, improper people: "She's not running like a lady. She's running like a champion" (MacDonald 403). This quote regards Teresa, after she shoots Frances. Really, I think the sudden change in attitude is a commentary on the men in this book. James and Leo all did horrible deeds. However, the women in their lives became destructive and, while a lot of good choices were made, I believe they are stronger women now. Teresa's shooting people, Frances has elaborate schemes, Mercedes pushes her father, Adelaide takes more control of her fertility. In the face of trauma, women are able to defend their own.
(Poor) James is becoming old and crippled. Though, since he has "gone off the deep end" slightly, he has become a better person. Still, he is haunted by the ghosts of his past: "He was a pit full of memory" (418). This metaphor highlights the fact that crazy James is tortured by the thoughts of how he has lived his life. Also, he falls to his knees, which is notable, for obvious reasons: "In the falling dark, she saw him descend slowly to his knees" (MacDonald 420). I think that James is finally submitting to the women of the house. While natural order return for anyone in this strange family?
I find it funny that MacDonald chose to include James reading Dante's series of books: "Having gone through Inferno years ago, he has decided to skip over Purgatorio eager for the beatific vision and the reunion with Beatrice" (MacDonald 428). I think its symbolic that James would skip over the book about purgatory, and read the book about paradise instead. James has a desperate divide over good and evil. Sometimes he is good; often he is evil. The last thing he'll ever be is bland and "in the middle". It also suits his personality type very well. He is a very hot or cold sort of individual; never in the middle. Until, perhaps his old age sets in.
The theme of jealousy and perhaps even sibling rivalry takes shape in this section: "Mercedes knows that she ought to be glad but this strange new peace between Daddy and Frances unnerves her" (MacDonald 430). Frances feels left out, and wronged. She has a very thankless job in the family, much like Maternia. I wonder if her internal sadness will manifest itself in some other way by the end of the novel. Also, Mercedes is feeling as if she is losing her place in Frances's life: "For she knows that once Frances has a child, Frances will no longer need a mother" (MacDonald 437).
I like the island imagery used here. In the beginning, the island was isolated and full of despair. Now, the feelings have shifted and, "Outside, the whole world is hungry and forlorn. But in here is a little island of contentment" (MacDonald 431). It is interesting to see the contrast between the barren lonely rock and the shelter of the newly perceived "safe" island.
Interesting Vocabulary
Compunction: The feeling of guilt from doing something bad; Mercedes feels this way when she lies to James about what he's done.
Executrix: A female executor of a will; Miss Morriss is conducting the will for Kathleen's caregivers.
Genuflecting: Bending a knee to the ground in worship; Mercedes watches a car that is genuflecting.
Halcyon: A happy period of time; These are the halcyon days of the book.
Concubines: A woman who is second to a man and his wife, but lives in their family; The novel mentions South African concubines.
Tantamount: The same in seriousness; Mercedes dream for marriage is tantamount to wishes her family was dead.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Harem Scarem, Thief in the Night & Via Dolorosa
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.
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.
Lady Bountiful, The Ginger Man, Don't Whine, Dark Ladies & Salt
In this section, changes are made rapidly. The three girls are starting to lead very separate lives, which results in several different subplots that are evident through these pages. In the Mercedes subplot, Mercedes graduates, and is very much attached to Ralph Luvovitz. However, Mrs. Luvovitz is not particularly pleased; she wants Ralph to marry a Jewish girl. Eventually, Ralph rejects Mercedes, sending her into a whirl of control, where she cleans and cooks as a response to heartbreak. Lily stops Mr. McIsaac from drinking, with her seemingly otherworldly healing powers, or perhaps just the power of her inspiration and good nature. As Frances draws a bigger crowd to the speak-easy, she receives a new piano. The Ginger-beer deliverer, Leo Taylor sees her and thinks poorly of her. Frances breaks into the house of the Mahmoud on almost a weekly basis, stealing things for Lily. Mr. Mahmoud fires Teresa the maid, as he thinks she's stealing.
A lot of very tragic changes are made in this section, especially surrounding Frances. As Leo Taylor enters the speak-easy, the narrator reveals: "He dislikes drunks, and the prostitutes dismay him-they are all someone's daughter" (MacDonald 304). This is dramatic irony, because the reader knows that Leo is not aware that the "somebodies" daughter is actually the daughter of someone that he knows. It also gives the reader something to think about as we learn of the debauchery of Frances's world.
This particular "book" of Fall on Your Knees is entitled "The Diary of a Lost Girl". Presumably, this lost girl is Frances: "She is a commando in training for a mission so secret that even she does not know what it is" (MacDonald 307). The reader is reminded that Frances is still lost and unsure, like a child. I think her girl guide uniform is an obvious symbol for innocence; she loses her innocence when she takes it off to perform. Alternatively, Mercedes thinks of her like a cat, "Mercedes has ceased to worry when Frances disappears like a cat for days" (MacDonald 319). This is notable, because Frances has a pet cat, and the ways of a cat are very much similar to hers; uncaring, unfeeling, comes and goes as she pleases.
There is a lot of fog imagery in this section, both metaphorical and realistic: "It's as though a window has ben left open inside his head, admitting a draft. He can't get to it to close it. But he can look out it, even though all he sees is fog. It rolls into his mind, obscuring his ease, setting him to shiver" (MacDonald 323). Fog represents unclarity, doubt and a kind of sinister presence. Most of the characters of this novel are currently going through a mental fog as they travel through a real one as well. Things happen quickly in the fog; one cannot see danger approaching, or an accident waiting to happen. I see more of the characters at this point in the story like a ticking time bomb, a potential deer in the headlights, especially Frances.
I've come to realize that MacDonald often doesn't expose her character's motivation in a logical sense. For an example, a character will do something shocking and unexpected, usually completely untriggered. It is only later that we learn of their thoughts and feelings at the time, and why they made the choices they did. Often important details are not stated directly, but implied later. I'm trying very hard to enjoy this book, but its getting quite slow again.
Interesting Vocabulary
Balustrade: The French Word for banister; Mercedes gripped the banister.
Eldritch: Sinister or ghostly; Frances wants to leave a sinister gift on the pillow of Mr. Mahmoud when she sneaks into his house.
A lot of very tragic changes are made in this section, especially surrounding Frances. As Leo Taylor enters the speak-easy, the narrator reveals: "He dislikes drunks, and the prostitutes dismay him-they are all someone's daughter" (MacDonald 304). This is dramatic irony, because the reader knows that Leo is not aware that the "somebodies" daughter is actually the daughter of someone that he knows. It also gives the reader something to think about as we learn of the debauchery of Frances's world.
This particular "book" of Fall on Your Knees is entitled "The Diary of a Lost Girl". Presumably, this lost girl is Frances: "She is a commando in training for a mission so secret that even she does not know what it is" (MacDonald 307). The reader is reminded that Frances is still lost and unsure, like a child. I think her girl guide uniform is an obvious symbol for innocence; she loses her innocence when she takes it off to perform. Alternatively, Mercedes thinks of her like a cat, "Mercedes has ceased to worry when Frances disappears like a cat for days" (MacDonald 319). This is notable, because Frances has a pet cat, and the ways of a cat are very much similar to hers; uncaring, unfeeling, comes and goes as she pleases.
There is a lot of fog imagery in this section, both metaphorical and realistic: "It's as though a window has ben left open inside his head, admitting a draft. He can't get to it to close it. But he can look out it, even though all he sees is fog. It rolls into his mind, obscuring his ease, setting him to shiver" (MacDonald 323). Fog represents unclarity, doubt and a kind of sinister presence. Most of the characters of this novel are currently going through a mental fog as they travel through a real one as well. Things happen quickly in the fog; one cannot see danger approaching, or an accident waiting to happen. I see more of the characters at this point in the story like a ticking time bomb, a potential deer in the headlights, especially Frances.
I've come to realize that MacDonald often doesn't expose her character's motivation in a logical sense. For an example, a character will do something shocking and unexpected, usually completely untriggered. It is only later that we learn of their thoughts and feelings at the time, and why they made the choices they did. Often important details are not stated directly, but implied later. I'm trying very hard to enjoy this book, but its getting quite slow again.
Interesting Vocabulary
Balustrade: The French Word for banister; Mercedes gripped the banister.
Eldritch: Sinister or ghostly; Frances wants to leave a sinister gift on the pillow of Mr. Mahmoud when she sneaks into his house.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Let Me Call You Sweetheart, We Are the Dead, The First Miracle, Baby Burlesque & Cheat Women and Cheatin' Men
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.
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.
Porridge, Water Babies, A Child's Prayer for a Happy Death, Lest We Forget & Sweet Sixteen
As time moves on, the Piper family of four tries to move on too. there is a definite theme of "Life goes on, no matter what" in these chapters. Frances and Lily plant a tree where Ambrose is buried, though they do not know this. James wonders if Frances remembered what really happened to Ambrose; he is nervous. We see the beginning of a potential ghost story; Ambrose's "ghost" visits Lily in the night. Later, as the miner's go on strike, James receives a letter from Kathleen's well-wisher, Lillian Gish. We also get to see the letter that shocked James into retrieving Kathleen from New York, finally. At the end of the section, Lily hurts her foot in the Remembrance Day Parade.
A line of repetition is used throughout the first half of the story: "Who will save Frances?" (MacDonald 221). It is clear that Frances is heading down the so-called "wrong path"
The world of dreams is very heavily explored in this section. Lily, who is established as a sort of "main" protagonist dreams of Ambrose. The author makes an interesting point: "Here is the place called awake. On the other side of this line is the country of Asleep. And you see this shaded area in between? Don't linger there, it's No Man's Land" (MacDonald 226). The area that the reader is in right now is No Man's Land; we rarely know if what we are reading is a dream, or a reality. It is often difficult to distinguish Lily's waking moments from her sleeping moments. The relevancy of dreams and nightmares is questioned. What is reality? When Lily wakes up from a nightmare, Frances comments: "Nothing...I don't remember. Go to sleep. It was just a dream" (MacDonald 225). The reader is forced to question perception. Is the truth what matters, or does it just matter the way you remembered it? I feel as if this story is told from a different perspective, or narrator, we would feel very differently about each of the characters.
The miner's strike has, again, hit hard in Cape Breton. A sort of plague has taken over the towns: "At New Waterford General Hospital children lie parched amidst the new outbreak of all the old diseases with the pretty names" (MacDonald 228). I cannot help but think of our class work with King Lear. It seems almost of if the "Great Chain of Being" is yet again, out of order, due to the sins and transgressions of the Piper family. As the world around them mimics their internal family chaos, order must be eventually restored. How can this occur? By ending the lives of pretty much everyone in the family, excluding Lily and perhaps Mercedes. I feel as though James and Frances cannot be saved.
A lot is exposed about Mercedes in this section. Dealing with the theme of perception, Mercedes is the kind of person who cares a lot about what people think of them and their family. Knowing that everyone in town hates James, Mercedes: "Will have Lily give all their old story-books and clothes, as well as several pies that Mercedes will bake, to the poor children suffering upstairs. Then people will see...What a good man..." (MacDonald 233). One feels sorry for Mercedes; it is very unfortunate that she is subjugated to such cruel treatment, just because of her family name. Thus is life however, especially in a small town, bored with itself.
The idea of living on the island of Cape Breton is also explored in this section. The narrator quips that "the working poor looking to get off this cursed godforsaken rock that they love more than the breath in their own lungs" (MacDonald 241). This hyperbole emphasizes then paradox that all the characters in the story face: What they love, they also deeply despise. James loves Kathleen so much that he eventually hates her. Mercedes feels similarly towards Lily. Maternia, when she was still alive, loved James so much, but also secretly wished death upon him.
As predicted, Frances is emotionally unstable. She varies between angst and anger, and regret and sadness. She feels almost no remorse to exposing Lily to secrets that she shouldn't know about. It is unclear whether Frances is in a momentary state of disarray, or if she really is a mean and tortured person at heart.
I find it ironic that the family is attending a Remembrance Day Parade, when there is an obvious huge number of things that they would like to forget, especially James.
We still don't know a lot of things in this story:
-Who's baby was Kathleen pregnant with?
-Is the ghost of Ambrose real or imagined? Does it matter?
-What happened when James went to find Kathleen in New York?
-Who was the anonymous well wisher, so concerned for Kathleen's safety?
-What details of the "miscegenation" stated in the letter from the well-wisher pertained to Kathleen's ultimate fate?
Interesting Vocabulary
Viaticum: A communion to someone given to them when they're dying; Frances says that this is a holy word for clean underwear.
Miscegenation: Basically, an interracial couple. Kathleen's well-wisher used this word to describe Kathleen's lifestyle.
Exodus: A mass leaving of the area; People in Cape Breon are leaving the area, to go to Boston for a better life.
Camaraderie: Friendship; Lily feels friendship with the men at the Remembrance Day Parade, an uncanny parallel to how Kathleen was only friends with the male sex.
Rudimentary: Basic; Lily has a basic understanding of Arabic.
A line of repetition is used throughout the first half of the story: "Who will save Frances?" (MacDonald 221). It is clear that Frances is heading down the so-called "wrong path"
The world of dreams is very heavily explored in this section. Lily, who is established as a sort of "main" protagonist dreams of Ambrose. The author makes an interesting point: "Here is the place called awake. On the other side of this line is the country of Asleep. And you see this shaded area in between? Don't linger there, it's No Man's Land" (MacDonald 226). The area that the reader is in right now is No Man's Land; we rarely know if what we are reading is a dream, or a reality. It is often difficult to distinguish Lily's waking moments from her sleeping moments. The relevancy of dreams and nightmares is questioned. What is reality? When Lily wakes up from a nightmare, Frances comments: "Nothing...I don't remember. Go to sleep. It was just a dream" (MacDonald 225). The reader is forced to question perception. Is the truth what matters, or does it just matter the way you remembered it? I feel as if this story is told from a different perspective, or narrator, we would feel very differently about each of the characters.
The miner's strike has, again, hit hard in Cape Breton. A sort of plague has taken over the towns: "At New Waterford General Hospital children lie parched amidst the new outbreak of all the old diseases with the pretty names" (MacDonald 228). I cannot help but think of our class work with King Lear. It seems almost of if the "Great Chain of Being" is yet again, out of order, due to the sins and transgressions of the Piper family. As the world around them mimics their internal family chaos, order must be eventually restored. How can this occur? By ending the lives of pretty much everyone in the family, excluding Lily and perhaps Mercedes. I feel as though James and Frances cannot be saved.
A lot is exposed about Mercedes in this section. Dealing with the theme of perception, Mercedes is the kind of person who cares a lot about what people think of them and their family. Knowing that everyone in town hates James, Mercedes: "Will have Lily give all their old story-books and clothes, as well as several pies that Mercedes will bake, to the poor children suffering upstairs. Then people will see...What a good man..." (MacDonald 233). One feels sorry for Mercedes; it is very unfortunate that she is subjugated to such cruel treatment, just because of her family name. Thus is life however, especially in a small town, bored with itself.
The idea of living on the island of Cape Breton is also explored in this section. The narrator quips that "the working poor looking to get off this cursed godforsaken rock that they love more than the breath in their own lungs" (MacDonald 241). This hyperbole emphasizes then paradox that all the characters in the story face: What they love, they also deeply despise. James loves Kathleen so much that he eventually hates her. Mercedes feels similarly towards Lily. Maternia, when she was still alive, loved James so much, but also secretly wished death upon him.
As predicted, Frances is emotionally unstable. She varies between angst and anger, and regret and sadness. She feels almost no remorse to exposing Lily to secrets that she shouldn't know about. It is unclear whether Frances is in a momentary state of disarray, or if she really is a mean and tortured person at heart.
I find it ironic that the family is attending a Remembrance Day Parade, when there is an obvious huge number of things that they would like to forget, especially James.
We still don't know a lot of things in this story:
-Who's baby was Kathleen pregnant with?
-Is the ghost of Ambrose real or imagined? Does it matter?
-What happened when James went to find Kathleen in New York?
-Who was the anonymous well wisher, so concerned for Kathleen's safety?
-What details of the "miscegenation" stated in the letter from the well-wisher pertained to Kathleen's ultimate fate?
Interesting Vocabulary
Viaticum: A communion to someone given to them when they're dying; Frances says that this is a holy word for clean underwear.
Miscegenation: Basically, an interracial couple. Kathleen's well-wisher used this word to describe Kathleen's lifestyle.
Exodus: A mass leaving of the area; People in Cape Breon are leaving the area, to go to Boston for a better life.
Camaraderie: Friendship; Lily feels friendship with the men at the Remembrance Day Parade, an uncanny parallel to how Kathleen was only friends with the male sex.
Rudimentary: Basic; Lily has a basic understanding of Arabic.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Bootleg, The Demon Rum, Little Women, Cat's Cradle & The Family Tree
This section exposes the rapidly developing relationships between the three girls. We also learn of James's changing character, and his new job which seems to pay most of the bills in the Piper household-bootlegging during the time of prohibition in the United States. As Mercedes grows older and holds more responsibility she begins to grow apart from her two younger counterparts. She is also hastily becoming a "little woman" and is having duties thrust upon her at a very young age. One night, Mercedes thinks she sees a ghost, possibly the ghost of Ambrose in the house. The section ends when Lily finds Mercedes's precious family tree, and colours it in, much to the enragement of Mercedes.
The character of Mercedes is developed vastly in this section. though only a year older than immature Frances, "Mercedes is twelve going on forty" (MacDonald 185). She is sensible, and motherly, responsible for cooking and taking care of the house. It is clear that while she has a close friend, she feel perpetual loneliness in the household of her father. I feel as if Mercedes feels wronged by her father: "She ponders Daddy's love for Lily. And his anger at Frances. She picks up her fork and feel lonely" (MacDonald 189). Lily is greatly favoured in the household, presumably because she reminds James of Kathleen. He also spends a lot of his time and energy on disciplining unruly Frances, so Mercedes gets quite lost in the mix. The reader feel sympathy for her, forced to be mature beyond her years: "Mercedes is a pillar. And Lily is precious. And they make up for Frances" (MacDonald 188).
We are able to see the times in Canada that we know will lead up to The Great Depression. In a way, this is moment of dramatic irony; this audience knows what the dirty thirties will bring, but the Pipers do not. We can also view this as foreshadowing perhaps: "No one knows it yet, but Cape Breton is the dress rehearsal for The Great Depression" (MacDonald 192). What will be in store for Canada and the Piper family through these times? To me, the Pipers are sort of a metaphor for all of Canada: struggling to find an identity and a place to settle comfortably.
James is showing more and more signs of weakness. He has completely given up on his life, even more so than when he was in the trenches of the First World War. He thinks that, "He cannot believe in a life hereafter. Not for himself anyways" (MacDonald 195). James has given up on God, and given up on being saved.There are many reference to the story of Little Women during the chapter entitled the same thing. This is ironic, because the young motherless girls, more specifically Mercedes, have to actually be little women, in the sense that they must take on the loss of innocence much earlier than many young girls have to. Many of the allusions made in this novel dictate a character's ultimate fate. When the three girls roleplay as the characters in Little Women, Lily plays the character that dies. I wouldn't be astounded if in time, Lily followed suit. In fact, Frances plays Jo, the unruly protagonist, while Mercedes plays the eldest one, Meg, who is proper and motherly, much like herself. Very clever that MacDonald should reference a novel with characters so like her own. James also has a very sad moment towards the end of the section: "For no reason his throat tightens. His eyes sting but he isn't going to cry, this time" (MacDonald 219). While the reader doesn't particularly like James, it must be difficult to lose a daughter, a granddaughter and a wife in a few short days. The reader feels like this immense amount of pain will change James, but in what way we cannot know yet.
We also learn that Frances keeps a cat as a pet: "Trixie comes. She always does when Frances calls. She found Frances three years ago" (MacDonald 205). To me this represents Frances and her devilish ways. i feel like this black cat is a bad sign, especially in a novel that revolves very much around superstition. I also cannot decide how I feel about Frances. I like her because she is rebellious and a genuine free-spirit; I dislike her older sister's conventional nature. However I am deterred by her ability to lie seamlessly to anyone, without so much as batting an eyelash. I feel as if Frances and potentially her cat, will get into trouble; this may end in her untimely demise?
A quote that I believe sums up this book rather well is: "'It leads into the past. it tells us where we came from. But it doesn't tell us where we're going. Only God knows that'" (MacDonald 208). This is spoken by Mercedes, as she proudly presents the family tree. However, it speaks to the merits of one's memories and history. The past can be certain, depending on the perspective one has; and does the truth really matter if it's in the distant past? However, no amount of family trees, photographs or 552 page recounting of an event can ever be reassuring whilst looking to the future. the future cannot be certain, no matter what's already transpired.
The reader has to admire Lily's innocent sense of good-doing. She draws a chest under the ground in the pictures of the Piper family tree. When Frances asks her what kind of treasure is in the chest, she responds with, "'Ambrose'" (MacDonald 216). This haunting innocence that Lily exhibits gives the readers chilled; the theme of innocence versus the harsh reality of the world is forever present in this novel. Its a very bittersweet moment, that quietly parallels the plot of the story. I see a direct connection between the relationship of Lily and Mercedes, and the doomed relationship of Kathleen and Maternia in the previous pages. They share many similarities; I feel as if they will end up in similar fates.
Interesting Vocabulary
Perturbed- Unsettled or upset; Lily gets a bump on her forehead when she's perturbed.
Errant- Guilty; Mercedes tels a story in which an errant frog gets turned loose in the classroom of her school.
Teetotal- Stern Prohibition; There are many of these in Sydney.
Paramours- Lover or significant other; Helen and Valentino marry respective paramours.
Stratagems- Strategies or Plans; Frances steals money from Lily so that she does not have to live a shameful life full of stratagems, or so she describes it.
Fervour- Passion; The three girls pretend to be Saints, and plan the rolls with great fervour.
Beguiled- Charmed, entranced by; The Family Tree has all of its right angles beguiled into serpents by Lily, who thought she was being helpful
The character of Mercedes is developed vastly in this section. though only a year older than immature Frances, "Mercedes is twelve going on forty" (MacDonald 185). She is sensible, and motherly, responsible for cooking and taking care of the house. It is clear that while she has a close friend, she feel perpetual loneliness in the household of her father. I feel as if Mercedes feels wronged by her father: "She ponders Daddy's love for Lily. And his anger at Frances. She picks up her fork and feel lonely" (MacDonald 189). Lily is greatly favoured in the household, presumably because she reminds James of Kathleen. He also spends a lot of his time and energy on disciplining unruly Frances, so Mercedes gets quite lost in the mix. The reader feel sympathy for her, forced to be mature beyond her years: "Mercedes is a pillar. And Lily is precious. And they make up for Frances" (MacDonald 188).
We are able to see the times in Canada that we know will lead up to The Great Depression. In a way, this is moment of dramatic irony; this audience knows what the dirty thirties will bring, but the Pipers do not. We can also view this as foreshadowing perhaps: "No one knows it yet, but Cape Breton is the dress rehearsal for The Great Depression" (MacDonald 192). What will be in store for Canada and the Piper family through these times? To me, the Pipers are sort of a metaphor for all of Canada: struggling to find an identity and a place to settle comfortably.
James is showing more and more signs of weakness. He has completely given up on his life, even more so than when he was in the trenches of the First World War. He thinks that, "He cannot believe in a life hereafter. Not for himself anyways" (MacDonald 195). James has given up on God, and given up on being saved.There are many reference to the story of Little Women during the chapter entitled the same thing. This is ironic, because the young motherless girls, more specifically Mercedes, have to actually be little women, in the sense that they must take on the loss of innocence much earlier than many young girls have to. Many of the allusions made in this novel dictate a character's ultimate fate. When the three girls roleplay as the characters in Little Women, Lily plays the character that dies. I wouldn't be astounded if in time, Lily followed suit. In fact, Frances plays Jo, the unruly protagonist, while Mercedes plays the eldest one, Meg, who is proper and motherly, much like herself. Very clever that MacDonald should reference a novel with characters so like her own. James also has a very sad moment towards the end of the section: "For no reason his throat tightens. His eyes sting but he isn't going to cry, this time" (MacDonald 219). While the reader doesn't particularly like James, it must be difficult to lose a daughter, a granddaughter and a wife in a few short days. The reader feels like this immense amount of pain will change James, but in what way we cannot know yet.
We also learn that Frances keeps a cat as a pet: "Trixie comes. She always does when Frances calls. She found Frances three years ago" (MacDonald 205). To me this represents Frances and her devilish ways. i feel like this black cat is a bad sign, especially in a novel that revolves very much around superstition. I also cannot decide how I feel about Frances. I like her because she is rebellious and a genuine free-spirit; I dislike her older sister's conventional nature. However I am deterred by her ability to lie seamlessly to anyone, without so much as batting an eyelash. I feel as if Frances and potentially her cat, will get into trouble; this may end in her untimely demise?
A quote that I believe sums up this book rather well is: "'It leads into the past. it tells us where we came from. But it doesn't tell us where we're going. Only God knows that'" (MacDonald 208). This is spoken by Mercedes, as she proudly presents the family tree. However, it speaks to the merits of one's memories and history. The past can be certain, depending on the perspective one has; and does the truth really matter if it's in the distant past? However, no amount of family trees, photographs or 552 page recounting of an event can ever be reassuring whilst looking to the future. the future cannot be certain, no matter what's already transpired.
The reader has to admire Lily's innocent sense of good-doing. She draws a chest under the ground in the pictures of the Piper family tree. When Frances asks her what kind of treasure is in the chest, she responds with, "'Ambrose'" (MacDonald 216). This haunting innocence that Lily exhibits gives the readers chilled; the theme of innocence versus the harsh reality of the world is forever present in this novel. Its a very bittersweet moment, that quietly parallels the plot of the story. I see a direct connection between the relationship of Lily and Mercedes, and the doomed relationship of Kathleen and Maternia in the previous pages. They share many similarities; I feel as if they will end up in similar fates.
Interesting Vocabulary
Perturbed- Unsettled or upset; Lily gets a bump on her forehead when she's perturbed.
Errant- Guilty; Mercedes tels a story in which an errant frog gets turned loose in the classroom of her school.
Teetotal- Stern Prohibition; There are many of these in Sydney.
Paramours- Lover or significant other; Helen and Valentino marry respective paramours.
Stratagems- Strategies or Plans; Frances steals money from Lily so that she does not have to live a shameful life full of stratagems, or so she describes it.
Fervour- Passion; The three girls pretend to be Saints, and plan the rolls with great fervour.
Beguiled- Charmed, entranced by; The Family Tree has all of its right angles beguiled into serpents by Lily, who thought she was being helpful
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The Adoration of the Body & The Official Version.
In these two chapters, we revisit many of the dramatic events from the last couple of chapters. We learn that it was in fact James that destroyed the scarecrow after he found the drowned baby with Frances. We also learn that a distraught Maternia visited Mrs. Luvovitz shortly after Kathleen died. James continues to unravel after Kathleen's funeral. Back into present day, Spanish Influenza has taken over the town. Fearing that a sick baby Lily will die, James gets the priest to attend a baptism of the young baby, not knowing that Frances already did the deed. Here, Mercedes is named Godmother. The two young girls pray for Lily, who miraculously gets better. James buys Mercedes a doll after Lily recovers. We also get a flashback into the New York life of Kathleen, and her first sexual experience that ended up in her pregnancy.
When James discovers Frances and the two babies (one alive, one dead) in the creek, the narrator compares it to the war that James came back from: "There is a water filled trench. There is an unhappy man with bleeding hands. There is the body of a boy" (MacDonald 158). To me, this metaphor says that life is always a war. There is always a battle to be fought, and a greater evil to kill. I feel like the depressed and unhappy James is realizing this currently in the plot.
There is a lot of tree imagery in this section, which creates several different effects. On the night after Kathleen and Ambrose die, a shadow is said to have appeared from a tree: "It's a figure that comes out from under the branches and onto the street. It stops, drifting in place like a plant on the ocean floor. Then it travels again all the way down the street to the graveyard...It looks straight out to the sea that stretches four thousand miles and sings" (MacDonald 161). I feel as if this particular tree/plant image represents the dying Maternia. Later in the section, Frances experiences a moment of weakness over the death of her mother, "She turned her limbs into strong little tree branches. She made her spine into a springy switch and her skin into new bark" (MacDonald 174). There is a contrast between the new, strong tree of Frances and the old ghostly tree of Maternia.
An insight to Maternia's mental state is given when she returns to the Luvovitzes' house one final time. Maternia is broken and helpless, much like the child she was and probably always has been. MacDonald adds that Mrs. Luvovitz "Washes her gently, as though Maternia was a newborn" (MacDonald 162). Maternia is not so different from the helpless, naked babies that Kathleen gave birth to. the reader feels an extreme amount of pain for Maternia, for she is a passive, likeable character, that meets her untimely death, simply because she is not an overtly strong person.
In The Official Version the theme of truth is extended. MacDonald plainly states that "One child was born" (MacDonald 165). There is no truth to this of course, as the Piper's had another child. The reader sees that truth is a powerful thing: It can alter perception dramatically, and it can completely erase the history of a person, specifically, baby Ambrose. The idea that seeing is not always believing has been fuelling this story (which is completely based on the recounting of the narrator,) and is present again in this chapter. It is unsettling and upsetting that the truth is hid so easily and without guilt.
Most importantly in this section, is the transformation of Mercedes from young girl to mother in a very short amount of time. After each death in the family, James summons Mercedes: "'I need you to be a big girl, Mercedes'" (MacDonald 163). These exact lines are spoken every time that James discovers a death. This repetition makes the reader understand the amount of emotional and physical responsibility that is being placed in the head of a very young girl. When Lily is being "officially baptized," Mercedes becomes the Godmother: "Thus, along with her father, and at the age of almost seven, Mercedes assumed the responsibility for the soul of Lily Piper" (MacDonald 171). Mercedes also later tells Frances that she is her mother now. This makes the reader wonder how Mercedes's character will be defined by her role as a seven year old mother, and how it could possibly effect our plot.
Water plant imagery is used in almost every metaphor in Fall on Your Knees. As we journey back into Kathleen's life in New York, MacDonald describes the act that ended up in her pregnancy: "The invisible ocean holds the room and the bed and the lovers suspended and treats them like aquatic plants" (MacDonald 176). Aquatic plants move themselves, but are fixed to a single location. I think this is a metaphor for how Kathleen tries very hard to remove herself from her situation at home, but home will always follow her, and she will always be reminded of Cape Breton and all its given and taken away from her.
A quote I really liked from this section is observed by James: "Men equal parts monster and martyr" (MacDonald 170). This is how James describes himself and others like him. I think it suits him perfectly. He is truly a monstrous character, however, he gives a lot of himself for the better of his daughters, even when his intentions aren't so honourable. We see that James feels guilt after the death of Kathleen, Ambrose and Maternia. Could his character change once again?
The curse, real or imagined, placed on Maternia by her father and mother has been fulfilled. If one believes in heaven and hell, one must wonder where the three dead characters are now...
Interesting Vocabulary
Irredeemable: Not able to be saved; James's guilt was such, but he remained strong.
Motley: A diverse mixture; Frances thoughts about her mother were a huge motley.
Reverently: To show deep solemn respect in this way; Frances treats Mercedes doll reverently, while she wishes to take it apart out of curiosity.
Unassailable: Unable to be attacked or defeated. Kathleen believes her life in the new world is unassailable to the old world of Cape Breton. How wrong she was.
An insight to Maternia's mental state is given when she returns to the Luvovitzes' house one final time. Maternia is broken and helpless, much like the child she was and probably always has been. MacDonald adds that Mrs. Luvovitz "Washes her gently, as though Maternia was a newborn" (MacDonald 162). Maternia is not so different from the helpless, naked babies that Kathleen gave birth to. the reader feels an extreme amount of pain for Maternia, for she is a passive, likeable character, that meets her untimely death, simply because she is not an overtly strong person.
In The Official Version the theme of truth is extended. MacDonald plainly states that "One child was born" (MacDonald 165). There is no truth to this of course, as the Piper's had another child. The reader sees that truth is a powerful thing: It can alter perception dramatically, and it can completely erase the history of a person, specifically, baby Ambrose. The idea that seeing is not always believing has been fuelling this story (which is completely based on the recounting of the narrator,) and is present again in this chapter. It is unsettling and upsetting that the truth is hid so easily and without guilt.
Most importantly in this section, is the transformation of Mercedes from young girl to mother in a very short amount of time. After each death in the family, James summons Mercedes: "'I need you to be a big girl, Mercedes'" (MacDonald 163). These exact lines are spoken every time that James discovers a death. This repetition makes the reader understand the amount of emotional and physical responsibility that is being placed in the head of a very young girl. When Lily is being "officially baptized," Mercedes becomes the Godmother: "Thus, along with her father, and at the age of almost seven, Mercedes assumed the responsibility for the soul of Lily Piper" (MacDonald 171). Mercedes also later tells Frances that she is her mother now. This makes the reader wonder how Mercedes's character will be defined by her role as a seven year old mother, and how it could possibly effect our plot.
Water plant imagery is used in almost every metaphor in Fall on Your Knees. As we journey back into Kathleen's life in New York, MacDonald describes the act that ended up in her pregnancy: "The invisible ocean holds the room and the bed and the lovers suspended and treats them like aquatic plants" (MacDonald 176). Aquatic plants move themselves, but are fixed to a single location. I think this is a metaphor for how Kathleen tries very hard to remove herself from her situation at home, but home will always follow her, and she will always be reminded of Cape Breton and all its given and taken away from her.
A quote I really liked from this section is observed by James: "Men equal parts monster and martyr" (MacDonald 170). This is how James describes himself and others like him. I think it suits him perfectly. He is truly a monstrous character, however, he gives a lot of himself for the better of his daughters, even when his intentions aren't so honourable. We see that James feels guilt after the death of Kathleen, Ambrose and Maternia. Could his character change once again?
The curse, real or imagined, placed on Maternia by her father and mother has been fulfilled. If one believes in heaven and hell, one must wonder where the three dead characters are now...
Interesting Vocabulary
Irredeemable: Not able to be saved; James's guilt was such, but he remained strong.
Motley: A diverse mixture; Frances thoughts about her mother were a huge motley.
Reverently: To show deep solemn respect in this way; Frances treats Mercedes doll reverently, while she wishes to take it apart out of curiosity.
Unassailable: Unable to be attacked or defeated. Kathleen believes her life in the new world is unassailable to the old world of Cape Breton. How wrong she was.
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