In short summary of chapter two, Nan (Mack's wife) and kids return home. His wife discovers the wounds when he slipped and fell on ice. The author then compares a heavy quilt to Mack's depression over Missy's (Mack's daughter): "Shortly after the summer that Missy vanished, The Great Sadness had draped itself around Mack's shoulder like some invisible but almost tangibly heavy quilt (26-27)." This quote is important because Young uses it to create imagery in the reader's mind for emphasis. When we think of a heavy quilt, we often think of being lethargic, burdened, unmotivated, and simply depressed. Young uses this quote to draw out the emotions of Mack so the reader can possibly connect with the character.
The story then takes place on Labor Day weekend when Mack takes his children camping. Missy begs her father to tell the story of Legend of Multnomah Falls. The tale Mack told to his children was about a native tribe where the chief loves his daughter, the princess. Unfortunately, a contagious disease spreads kills many of the tribesmen. The medicine man of the tribe tells that the sickness can only be stopped if the daughter of the chief jumps off a cliff. In short, the princess jumps to her death and the plague was lifted. When Mack finished telling the story, Missy compared the tale to Jesus' sacrifice by saying: "Well, the Great Spirit makes the princess jump off the cliff and makes Jesus die on a cross. That seems really mean to me (33)". In this quote, Missy is referring the Great Spirit to God and saying that he is cruel and mean to mortals. I find that this is ironic because by reading the prologue in this novel, we know that Missy will be abducted during the family's vacation. Yet, she talks about how God is unfair to mortals by taking their lives. This is a type of cosmic irony because Missy expresses God as mean, yet we know that she will eventually be abducted. This may hint that God punishes her for saying that he is "so mean (33)".
In chapter three, two of the children take a canoe trip to the lake. Sadly, Josh (Mack's son) is caught underwater of a tipped canoe. In the end, Josh is pulled to shore. In the last line of the chapter the author says: "A potential crisis has been averted. Or so Mack though (44)". I think the narrator of this line is speaking from God because he seems to be predictive. The author uses foreshadowing to hint the reader that something greater and more devastating will happen upon Mack. Either it may be Missy being abducted or maybe something more ominous.
What do you think? Do you agree with me? Do you have a different interpretation? Please share your comment in the comment section below!
Hey Jonathan,
ReplyDeleteYour book seems to be creating a lot of suspense at this point and I really want to know what will happen next. > <
The second quote you selected where Missy says that the Great Spirit is “mean” really stunned me. Missy as a young girl seems like a very innocent character to me. The fact that she is enough acute and brave to point out such, and yet is punished by the omnipotent force later in the novel is really provoking. The fact that she gets abducted perhaps as a punishment from what she has said makes me feel sympathetic for her, and at the same time the cruelty of that omnipotent force gives me a strong sense of animosity towards it, as if fate itself is the antagonist of the story. The girl has provided an alternative view on sacrifice. Instead of merely appreciating the bravery and kindness of those who sacrifice, she questions the authority of god and blames god for being cruel. The quote being said by an innocent girl is significant in its contrast between the caring and sympathetic child and the cruel and cold-blooded omnipotent power controlling the story. I also find very heavy use of foreshadowing in your description of your novel. The foreshadowing in your third quote creates a strong sense of suspense and also underlines the presence of omnipotent force acting on the characters. I think fate will play a very big role in your novel and later on the implicit meaning of these foreshadowing quotes will be revealed.
Hey Jonathan,
ReplyDeleteYour book seems really interesting and I like how there is a lot of foreshadowing, I can't wait to hear what happens next!
The quotes you chose are very powerful in my opinion. The first quote was very good and I like how you pointed out the author is using imagery in the story and I agree with you on that. When someone is depressed they tend to hide in darkness and curl in ball with a blanket on them. The second quote is the most powerful quote I thought. Missy is very opinionated to say that God is cruel to humans and I think that you are right that this is cosmis irony because like you said she is later on abducted in the book. Your final quote is also very interesting, I would definately say the author is foreshadowing a greater event to happen, such as the abduction of Missy. The novel seems really intense so far and I'm really interested to find out if this greater event that is being foreshadowed is the abduction on Missy!
Salutations Jonathan.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the first quote is certainly indicating of the mood in this story and you did a bang-up job of interpretting it, I question it's relevance to the deeper meaning of your story. I think that comparing the sacrifice of the tribe to that of Jesus is good though and might point out a spiritual bias from the author. I say spiritual bias rather than Christian bias because it seems a little odd to contrast Christianity with a pagan religion whilst believing that their god is monotheistic entity.