I find it interesting that I have only made it twenty-seven pages into the book and already there is a "low point." In this chapter, the relationship between Maternia and James quickly sours. It doesn't take a marriage counsellor to realize that they are not suited to each other. James is an intellectual, has a very strong opinion on a lot of issues and a very serious, goal-oriented personality. Maternia is still a girl. She doesn't take much responsibility well, she still has implausible and frivolous dreams, such as to pack up and move to New York.
There are two symbols in this chapter that are made apparent to me. The first is the piano. I believe the piano, in which Maternia plays day and night is a symbol of youth. James gave up his youth symbolically and realistically when his mother died and he burned her piano. In such an act, in burned down his youth. Maternia is still very attached to her piano, as she is very attached to her youth. The second symbol I noticed in this chapter is the books. James obtains copies of several classic books. This symbolizes being an adult, and seeing beyond the walls of Cape Breton, into an intellectual state. Maternia sees no need to engage herself in the reading of books.
As in the last chapter, we begin to see a hostile side to James. He is discernibly prejudiced against those different from him: "The closest neighbour was a Jew who raised kosher meat, and James kept his distance. God knows what rituals involving chicken and sheep..." (MacDonald 19). This is interesting, because James has been discriminated against because of his nationality and social class by Maternia's person. He also is abusive to his wife, and has extremely high expectations of those around him. To the reader, it appears that James is the type of individual who projects all the misdeeds done to him, and does the same thing to others, just how the school bully only bullies because his father bullies him. This is just a hypothesis, but one can guess that James had an abusive or difficult childhood. I hope we will learn more about this.
A main theme in this chapter is isolation. Cape breton is an island cut off from the rest of the world. While this might mean a tight-knit community, it also means there is no place to hide, nowhere to escape to. We hear from the narrator about James's thoughts on the island: "He worked at the Sydney Post, but read the Halifax Chronicle to get a perspective on the world outside the island-the real world" (MacDonald 21). James also confesses that he wishes to keep Maternia away from other people: "But deeo down he winced at the thought of showing Maternia to anyone. He was grateful they lived in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't that he didn't love her anymore, he did. It was just that recently, it has struck him that other people might think that there was something strange. they might think he married a child" (MacDonald 24). I predict that emotional isolation and intellectual isolation, as well as physical isolation will play a large role in this book.
There is some very powerful imagery in this chapter, when the narrator discusses where Maternia likes to go for walks. Some excellent personification is used: "Father out, it's mauve like a pair of mauve lips; closer in its copper-green, gun-gray seducing seaweed to dance the seven veils despite the chill, chained to the rocks by their hair" (MacDonald 20). This paints a picture of magic, as if the place Maternia goes to be alone, think and sing has spiritual significance to her. I've noticed that MacDonald is exceptional at creating landscapes that speak to the reader. Bravo.
While James is reading to Maternia, the author uses another effective alliteration: "..savouring the words and the warm weight of his wife cuddled close" (MacDonald 22). This makes the reader feel comfortable and almost "safe" with the repetition.
I once again have to add that i am really liking this book. I can relate a lot to the isolation of Maternia, and how she doesn't want to take responsibility of growing up. I can also relate to James's feelings of intellectual isolation in a small "backwards" town (I live in Niagara-on-the-Lake and have felt the same way all my life.)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
His Right Eye Wept While His Left Eye Rejoiced (Chapter Two)
In this chapter, the story began to accelerate greatly. I have begun to really like this book, as it so far has reminded me of one of my favourite books The Virgin Suicides. I make this comparison because in both of these works an older boy becomes infatuated with a naive and significantly younger girl, who has overbearing parents. When the parents find out, in both novels, they practically disown each of their respective daughters. The Virgin Suicides does not end well (as the title obviously implies) and my intuition that this book will not end positively has been reinforced once again.
I have noticed a trends in some of the language used in this book so far. The word heathen is used repetitively. This word has a religious connotation, and it links to the over feel of the chapter. There is a lot of religious hostility implied in this chapters. The narrator makes many references to faith and religion, all of which are highly negative:
- "(He) felt himself drawn in with an involuntary faith-which is what faith is." (MacDonald 11)
- "It was James's first time in a Catholic church. Smells like a whorehouse he thought, although he'd never been in one of those either." (MacDonald 16)
The author here seems to be alluding to her own perception of religion. She makes the impression that religion does not mean anything to her, and that God is either not real or very uncaring. Many of the characters in this book seem bound by their own religious beliefs, and I believe that unfold later in the plot.
The author also uses this chapter to make some very strong statements on the injustices occurring towards the female population in 1898. More than a few times, whilst researching this book it has been classified as a lesbian feminist novel. Whether this is accurate or not, it is obvious that the author has some very strong opinions on women and their roles, and this flourishes amongst the narrator's dialogue.
-"'Look. This is the new world. Anything is possible here.' She had been too young to realize he was talking to her brothers" (MacDonald 14).
-"Mahmoud didn't beat his daughter, and he counted it a weakness that he'd never been able to bring himself to raise a hand to any of his girls for there was the root of the problem" (MacDonald 16).
-"It was that he had come like a thief in the night and stolen another man's property" (MacDonald 17). Materia is the said "property" that is being stolen by James.
It is still not clear who is narrating this story. However, shortly after discussing Materia and James getting married, the narrator curses Materia's womb and call Materia their daughter. The reader can come to the possible conclusion that the narrator is one or both of the parents of Materia. Perhaps they are telling this story to Materia's children? It is not clear if they are telling the story just to recount painful family history, or if the intent is cautionary or malicious. As I read on, hopefully this will become more apparent.
During the secret and forbidden marriage of Materia and James, the lines illustrating their wedding and their wedding night are threaded in between a poem: "Come with me from Lebanon O my sister....I am the rose of sharon and the lily of the valley...They lips O my bride drip as the honeycomb, honey and milk are under my tongue" (MacDonald 15). These are actual bible verses from the Old Testament, called the Song of Solomon. They're traditionally thought of as biblical love songs. Often, they are played at weddings.
Overall, this chapter was positive. It carried themes of love: Young love, risking everything for love, leaving everything behind for love, love does not see social classes and other themes of innocence and purity. However the last line of the chapter has a more than foreboding tone: "But just because it wasn't new, doesn't mean it wasn't haunted." (MacDonald 18).
Interesting Vocabulary:
-Heathen
-Steinway
-Carnal
-"Enklese"
Interesting Vocabulary:
-Heathen
-Steinway
-Carnal
-"Enklese"
Monday, October 18, 2010
Who is Ann-Marie MacDonald?
What Made You Interested In This Author?
Truthfully, nothing in particular made me interested in this particular author. I, however, was drawn to this particular novel by the striking title. As soon as I saw the title, I felt like it was going to be a heavy story line, and not just some flighty love story or idle comedy with no real substance. I happen to like books with a little bit of substance to them. It also, oddly, made me more attracted the the book when you mentioned that Fall On Your Knees has some graphic and perhaps disturbing content within the plot. I reasoned that I would would rather be disturbed and overcome with emotions over a crazy plot structure than be bored to tears. And at least I would have something interesting to write these blogs about.... In all seriousness, after looking up the book online and seeing phrases like "family secret" "voyeurism" "feminism" and "literary soap opera," I just had choose this book for my ISU.
Brief Background of the Author
Ann-Marie MacDonald was born in 1958, in Germany to parents who were originally from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Her mother, interestingly enough, lived in Sydney, Cape Breton, whilst her father hailed from New Waterford, Cape Breton. Both of these towns have been the setting for the first few pages of Fall On Your Knees; is there some element of non-fiction to these novels? MacDonald spent the first years of her life in Germany, where her father was stationed in the Royal Canadian Airforce. She later graduated from The National Theatre School, and became an actor in Toronto. She wrote her first play, Goodnight Desdemona (Good morning Juliet) in 1988, which won a Governor Generals award, and further pursued her passion of writing plays. In 1996, she wrote Fall On Your Knees, and in 2003 wrote The Way The Crow Flies. These two books alone have launched MacDonald into the spotlight, and have assembled her to be one of the most well-known and esteemed authors of modern Canadian fiction.
Other Published Works
The following are considered to be MacDonald's most popular and highest-achieving works, though she has also written other plays, as well as acted in various movies and stage performances.
1999- The Day the Men Went to Town (Short Story)
2003- The Way the Crow Flies (Novel)
1990- The Arab's Mouth (Play)
1992- Negredo Hotel (Play)
1998- Good Night Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) (Play)
2000- Anything That Moves (Play/Musical)
2004- Belle Moral (Play)
Information on Places of Influence
see post titled "Cape Breton"
Other Authors Compared To?
It was difficult to find any authors that have been traditionally compared to MacDonald. However, most book blogs and respected bookstore websites have recommended such authors as Julia Glass, Alice Hoffman and Elizabeth Berg as writers to look to if one enjoys MacDonald's works. Upon looking up and reading the summaries of each of these individual author's acclaimed works, I noticed that most of the novels deal with such themes as community, family and the empowerment of women. These women evidently share some of the same viewpoints and values as MacDonald.
Themes Favoured By This Author
Looking all of MacDonald's works, it is clear that family, community and the role of women are very apparent in all of her works. Usually she deals with the theme of secrets or deep rooted family problems, as in Fall On Your Knees or Bell Moral. Occasionally she dabbles in the ideas of philosophy or pyscho-analytical theories, such as in Nigredo Hotel or Good Morning Juliet. She explores the theories of Jung, and Darwin in Nigredo and Moral respectively. I have also noticed throughout my journey amongst internet sources to review her works that there is often a dark side to her novels, plays and short stories. Even her so-called comedies have a dark side, often a murder or a tragedy of some sort that adds a satirical element of serious black humour to the work. None of her works seem light and breezy, and most deal with pretty severe topics. Also, I've noticed that MacDonald has a definite east coast theme, picking the maritime provinces in some of her works. Most of her literary achievements have a Canadian sense of tradition to them, and it is clear that she writes what she knows about, as many of the settings, including a station of the Royal Canadian Airforce in The Way The Crow Flies, Cape Breton in Fall On Your Knees and an Ontario University in Good Morning Juliet all seem to be close to home.
There is also, maybe by coincidence, a doctor character in many of MacDonald's plays. Overall, she seems to favour the formula of a destructive male figure paired with a strong female protagonist from what I can interperate from reading the summaries of her works.
Sources
1) http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/cws/article/viewFile/8877/80
Goldblatt, Patricia. "Fall On Your Knees." Canadian Woman Studies 17.5 (1997): n. pag. Web. 17 Oct 2010.
2) http://www.vestige.org/2010/02/5---fall-on-your-knees-by-ann-.html
Bourre, August. "Fall On Your Knees." Vestige (2003): n. pag. Web. 17 Oct 2010.
3)etc.hil.unb.ca/ojs/index.php/SCL/article/download/12749/13696
Baetz, Joel. "Tale From The Canadian Crypt: Canadian Ghosts, the Cultural Uncanny, and the Necessity of Haunting in Ann-Marie MacDonald's Fall On Your Knees." StudiesIn Canadian Literature (2004): n. pag. Web. 17 Oct 2010.
Truthfully, nothing in particular made me interested in this particular author. I, however, was drawn to this particular novel by the striking title. As soon as I saw the title, I felt like it was going to be a heavy story line, and not just some flighty love story or idle comedy with no real substance. I happen to like books with a little bit of substance to them. It also, oddly, made me more attracted the the book when you mentioned that Fall On Your Knees has some graphic and perhaps disturbing content within the plot. I reasoned that I would would rather be disturbed and overcome with emotions over a crazy plot structure than be bored to tears. And at least I would have something interesting to write these blogs about.... In all seriousness, after looking up the book online and seeing phrases like "family secret" "voyeurism" "feminism" and "literary soap opera," I just had choose this book for my ISU.
Brief Background of the Author
Ann-Marie MacDonald was born in 1958, in Germany to parents who were originally from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Her mother, interestingly enough, lived in Sydney, Cape Breton, whilst her father hailed from New Waterford, Cape Breton. Both of these towns have been the setting for the first few pages of Fall On Your Knees; is there some element of non-fiction to these novels? MacDonald spent the first years of her life in Germany, where her father was stationed in the Royal Canadian Airforce. She later graduated from The National Theatre School, and became an actor in Toronto. She wrote her first play, Goodnight Desdemona (Good morning Juliet) in 1988, which won a Governor Generals award, and further pursued her passion of writing plays. In 1996, she wrote Fall On Your Knees, and in 2003 wrote The Way The Crow Flies. These two books alone have launched MacDonald into the spotlight, and have assembled her to be one of the most well-known and esteemed authors of modern Canadian fiction.
Other Published Works
The following are considered to be MacDonald's most popular and highest-achieving works, though she has also written other plays, as well as acted in various movies and stage performances.
1999- The Day the Men Went to Town (Short Story)
2003- The Way the Crow Flies (Novel)
1990- The Arab's Mouth (Play)
1992- Negredo Hotel (Play)
1998- Good Night Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) (Play)
2000- Anything That Moves (Play/Musical)
2004- Belle Moral (Play)
Information on Places of Influence
see post titled "Cape Breton"
Other Authors Compared To?
It was difficult to find any authors that have been traditionally compared to MacDonald. However, most book blogs and respected bookstore websites have recommended such authors as Julia Glass, Alice Hoffman and Elizabeth Berg as writers to look to if one enjoys MacDonald's works. Upon looking up and reading the summaries of each of these individual author's acclaimed works, I noticed that most of the novels deal with such themes as community, family and the empowerment of women. These women evidently share some of the same viewpoints and values as MacDonald.
Themes Favoured By This Author
Looking all of MacDonald's works, it is clear that family, community and the role of women are very apparent in all of her works. Usually she deals with the theme of secrets or deep rooted family problems, as in Fall On Your Knees or Bell Moral. Occasionally she dabbles in the ideas of philosophy or pyscho-analytical theories, such as in Nigredo Hotel or Good Morning Juliet. She explores the theories of Jung, and Darwin in Nigredo and Moral respectively. I have also noticed throughout my journey amongst internet sources to review her works that there is often a dark side to her novels, plays and short stories. Even her so-called comedies have a dark side, often a murder or a tragedy of some sort that adds a satirical element of serious black humour to the work. None of her works seem light and breezy, and most deal with pretty severe topics. Also, I've noticed that MacDonald has a definite east coast theme, picking the maritime provinces in some of her works. Most of her literary achievements have a Canadian sense of tradition to them, and it is clear that she writes what she knows about, as many of the settings, including a station of the Royal Canadian Airforce in The Way The Crow Flies, Cape Breton in Fall On Your Knees and an Ontario University in Good Morning Juliet all seem to be close to home.
There is also, maybe by coincidence, a doctor character in many of MacDonald's plays. Overall, she seems to favour the formula of a destructive male figure paired with a strong female protagonist from what I can interperate from reading the summaries of her works.
Sources
1) http://pi.library.yorku.ca/ojs/index.php/cws/article/viewFile/8877/80
Goldblatt, Patricia. "Fall On Your Knees." Canadian Woman Studies 17.5 (1997): n. pag. Web. 17 Oct 2010.
2) http://www.vestige.org/2010/02/5---fall-on-your-knees-by-ann-.html
Bourre, August. "Fall On Your Knees." Vestige (2003): n. pag. Web. 17 Oct 2010.
3)etc.hil.unb.ca/ojs/index.php/SCL/article/download/12749/13696
Baetz, Joel. "Tale From The Canadian Crypt: Canadian Ghosts, the Cultural Uncanny, and the Necessity of Haunting in Ann-Marie MacDonald's Fall On Your Knees." StudiesIn Canadian Literature (2004): n. pag. Web. 17 Oct 2010.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Cape Breton
 |
Critical Reviews
The only relevant critical review that I could find on any of the given websites is was published in September of 1997 by Canadian Woman Studies. It is an interesting three page article that unfortunately contains a lot of spoilers as to the plot of the story. It is unfortunately,mostly just a plot review with only a few aspects of critique. An interesting observation that the author of this piece makes is that the story begins almost like a fairytale, in a new promising world, full of opportunity and youth. However, as the piece indicates and as i expected, the initial protagonist James does not remain virtuous and ideal for the remainder of the story. I further believe that this story with have a very "real life" aspect to it, and will not continue to be a fairytale for very long.
On a side note, I have just recently discovered, upon investigating my author, Ann-Marie MacDonald, that she is also the playwright of Belle Moral, a play I was able to see a few years ago at the Shaw Festival. looking closer, I can see how both of these works have similar themes to them, such as family secrets and betrayal. Interesting...
On a side note, I have just recently discovered, upon investigating my author, Ann-Marie MacDonald, that she is also the playwright of Belle Moral, a play I was able to see a few years ago at the Shaw Festival. looking closer, I can see how both of these works have similar themes to them, such as family secrets and betrayal. Interesting...
Thursday, October 14, 2010
James goes to Sydney "To Seek His Fortune"
This chapter took an unexpected turn from the introduction. We are set up, with the author beginning the chapter as if talking to a young child : "A long time ago, before you were born..." (MacDonald 7). We are introduced to James Piper and his parents. It is somewhat clear that James may be the protagonist/antagonist in this story. While we are introduced to James, he has not a positive or negative connotation to his name. I am not sure if he will end up being the hero or the villian in this story. There is also a lot of interesting imagery in this story, as James makes his way to Sydney. While I, as a reader, am fond of ample description, I almost felt like there was too much in this chapter regarding the scenerey in Sydney. What I could appriciate though, is that it was written as if James was mentioning all the things he sees in order, and it created a sort of scattered yet interesting effect. the author used run on sentences to create an almost overwhelming, intoxicating effect.
The chapter contained an effective alliteration: "There were few people, but those he met were ready with a meal for a clean clear boy who sat so straight and asked for nothing" (MacDonald 8). In my opinion, alliterations don't often work well in "serious" writing, and often give a sort of Dr. Suess affect to the piece. however, this one drew my eye and was a pleasant surprise in the chapter.
Some aspects of this chapter really confused me, but I believe this was the author's intention. MacDonald makes a few comments that seem unexplained, or allude to something that may play an important role at a later time in the book. For instance "All he wanted at fifteen and a half was to hear his mother play the piano once more, but she was dead of a dead baby before he finished the job" (MacDonald 8). There was comments in the introduction concerning potential dead children. With this play a part in the book. I predict so.
The last line of the chapter also jumped out at me, as I think it really speaks to the kind of town James has found himself in, and the kind of life he with have prior to this chapter: "James was right. There were a lot of pianos in Sydney" (MacDonald 9).
Other lines that really spoke to me as a reader are:
-"Moss is the consolation of rocks, and fir trees don't begrudge a shallow soil but return a tenfold embrace of boughs to shelter the skinny earth that bore them" (MacDonald 8). After our lesson on pathetic fallacy, I noticed this line as a read the chapter.
-"English always felt plat and harsh, like daylight after night-fishing" (MacDonald 7) I love the East-coast feel of this book! Though I have never been to Cape Breton myself, I would very much like to visit. I feel like this book will make inclined to do so.
Overall, my opinion of this book is very high. The first chapter, only three pages, as well as all the reviews I have read for it are very positive. On a side note, I hope the chapters will continue to be short in length, as I enjoy reading and re-reading them so I can have something interesting to blog about.
Interesting Vocabulary:
-Proficient
-Congenial
-Clapboard
-Esplanade
-Wharfs
The chapter contained an effective alliteration: "There were few people, but those he met were ready with a meal for a clean clear boy who sat so straight and asked for nothing" (MacDonald 8). In my opinion, alliterations don't often work well in "serious" writing, and often give a sort of Dr. Suess affect to the piece. however, this one drew my eye and was a pleasant surprise in the chapter.
Some aspects of this chapter really confused me, but I believe this was the author's intention. MacDonald makes a few comments that seem unexplained, or allude to something that may play an important role at a later time in the book. For instance "All he wanted at fifteen and a half was to hear his mother play the piano once more, but she was dead of a dead baby before he finished the job" (MacDonald 8). There was comments in the introduction concerning potential dead children. With this play a part in the book. I predict so.
The last line of the chapter also jumped out at me, as I think it really speaks to the kind of town James has found himself in, and the kind of life he with have prior to this chapter: "James was right. There were a lot of pianos in Sydney" (MacDonald 9).
Other lines that really spoke to me as a reader are:
-"Moss is the consolation of rocks, and fir trees don't begrudge a shallow soil but return a tenfold embrace of boughs to shelter the skinny earth that bore them" (MacDonald 8). After our lesson on pathetic fallacy, I noticed this line as a read the chapter.
-"English always felt plat and harsh, like daylight after night-fishing" (MacDonald 7) I love the East-coast feel of this book! Though I have never been to Cape Breton myself, I would very much like to visit. I feel like this book will make inclined to do so.
Overall, my opinion of this book is very high. The first chapter, only three pages, as well as all the reviews I have read for it are very positive. On a side note, I hope the chapters will continue to be short in length, as I enjoy reading and re-reading them so I can have something interesting to blog about.
Interesting Vocabulary:
-Proficient
-Congenial
-Clapboard
-Esplanade
-Wharfs
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Silent Pictures (Introduction)
Wow! I Just finished reading the introduction to the book, and I have a lot of questions already. As to the title of book, it indicates that there is going to be a great deal of suffering regarding the characters. Falling on your knees is generally used to represent giving up, or admitting defeat. It can also mean admitting inferiority to another character. I feel like, in this novel, there will be a lot of character versus character conflict, with one chracter holding the power, and the other character (most likely the protagonist) suffering because of it. Obviously, this book is not going to be a very happy story.
The introduction, only four pages long, gives a lot of information about the story, but also leaves the reader wondering what the story is about. One of my main questions is regarding the narrative format. The story is told as if the narrator is telling a specific person, like a friend the story of the life of someone else. It is written as if they are talking, and some of the sentences are not complete ideas, as if their mind is wandering as they speak. Who this someone is, we do not know yet. They introduce several chracters, through pictures. The introduction almost has a haunting aura to it. My favourite quote from this introduction is "Imagine you can hear the creek trickling. Like a girl telling a secret in a language so much like out own" (MacDonald 3).
I have a lot of questions about many things in this chapter.
-Who is the narrator? Why is he/she telling this story? Who are they telling it to?
-What is "our language?"
-Who are the people the narrator is talking about?
-Why are all of Kathleen's photos burned?
-Is there a reason that there are so many deaths in this family?
Overall, i am already happy that i have chosen this book. I can't wait to read on and discover to what purpose all this introductory information is given to the reader.
The introduction, only four pages long, gives a lot of information about the story, but also leaves the reader wondering what the story is about. One of my main questions is regarding the narrative format. The story is told as if the narrator is telling a specific person, like a friend the story of the life of someone else. It is written as if they are talking, and some of the sentences are not complete ideas, as if their mind is wandering as they speak. Who this someone is, we do not know yet. They introduce several chracters, through pictures. The introduction almost has a haunting aura to it. My favourite quote from this introduction is "Imagine you can hear the creek trickling. Like a girl telling a secret in a language so much like out own" (MacDonald 3).
I have a lot of questions about many things in this chapter.
-Who is the narrator? Why is he/she telling this story? Who are they telling it to?
-What is "our language?"
-Who are the people the narrator is talking about?
-Why are all of Kathleen's photos burned?
-Is there a reason that there are so many deaths in this family?
Overall, i am already happy that i have chosen this book. I can't wait to read on and discover to what purpose all this introductory information is given to the reader.
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