Post by MaxQuad on Feb 20, 2005 17:12:43 GMT -5
Ahab’s Wife
I have not read Moby Dick, the great American novel, so my comments on Ahab’s Wife are without benefit of insights from Melville’s work.
For me, the essence of Ahab’s Wife focused on two things: nature versus the dogma of religion and the author’s use of color, white, and light versus blackness.
Una, our heroine, leaves her parents home at an early age to live with relatives, relatives who are tied to an island as keepers of the lighthouse. The move is precipitated by the realization that Una’s view of the dogma of religion runs counter to her grim father’s view. Rather than focus on a strict, stern religion of rules and pronouncements, she places her trust in nature. Her father is described in the darkest of terms, literally. Throughout the book, this dark description follows any and all proponents of dogmatic religious beliefs.
Una thrives while with her relatives on the island, as she begins to view the lighthouse – a provider of light and guidance in times of darkness and confusion – as almost God-like. We see her become intensely energized by nature, by things that reflect color and light. Her descriptions of all things natural and colorful are inspiring. She places her faith in nature. Yet, as her experiences accumulate, she is challenged by experiencing unnatural things. (Are they?) This includes her deceptive admittance to a whaler crew by pretending she is a boy. It includes the realization that two young men she has admired and loved from afar, each in their own way, have engaged in sexual acts together. It includes one of those young men forcing her to have anal sex in the same way he was forced. It ultimately includes cannibalism – the most unnatural act, but an act that keeps Una alive in the face of horror at sea.
It is during this horrific experience at sea, an experience fueled by the death of one after another in order for Una, Giles and Kit to have sustenance, that Una realizes black is a color as well.
“It is true. Our boat is more dull than black. Black, after all, is a color and can have its glory and sheen. All around us in the sea and the sky, there is a black glory we do not share.”<br>
That is the first positive description of darkness, as Una experiences one of the darkest experiences imaginable.
A key character in Una’s life is Susan. Susan is black – a color that represents the oppression of dogmatic religious beliefs in many descriptions within this book. Yet, Susan is full of love and giving. She selflessly comes to the aid of Una as she is about to give birth. She provides warmth (literally and figuratively) and encouragement. She even suckles Una in order to assist in producing milk for her ill-fated newborn.
Susan is a Christian. Una is predisposed to think of her father’s limiting view of Christianity, but suddenly realizes that Susan’s Christianity is different. It is filled with softness and love. It is accepting. Susan does not try to force her beliefs on Una, yet she demonstrates her strong beliefs without fail. I can’t find it now, but there is an interesting description of Susan by Una, where Una realizes that Susan has black skin, but it is not uniform in color. It has shades and nuance; it has dark colors, none of which are strictly black.
Una moves from her faith in nature and nature alone, toward a softer view of religion – a more spiritual rather than dogmatic view. She admits to the possibility of a greater plan, to the healing power of forgiveness – even to the presence of a God. It is interesting that David provides the first opportunity for Una to feel forgiven for her cannibalism, as she forgives him for his incest. This marks a turning point for Una – a turning point inspired by this unnaturally short man.
I found the book to be an interesting description of a most difficult life – generically for those who lived at that time and specifically Una’s incredible life. Her spiritual journey involves the coming together of light and dark – whiteness, color, and blackness. In the end she is stronger, but not arrogant. She learns about humility, love, and forgiveness. She remains, in the end, one who resists convention but has a more mature understanding of the important role spirituality plays in her cosmos.
MQ
I have not read Moby Dick, the great American novel, so my comments on Ahab’s Wife are without benefit of insights from Melville’s work.
For me, the essence of Ahab’s Wife focused on two things: nature versus the dogma of religion and the author’s use of color, white, and light versus blackness.
Una, our heroine, leaves her parents home at an early age to live with relatives, relatives who are tied to an island as keepers of the lighthouse. The move is precipitated by the realization that Una’s view of the dogma of religion runs counter to her grim father’s view. Rather than focus on a strict, stern religion of rules and pronouncements, she places her trust in nature. Her father is described in the darkest of terms, literally. Throughout the book, this dark description follows any and all proponents of dogmatic religious beliefs.
Una thrives while with her relatives on the island, as she begins to view the lighthouse – a provider of light and guidance in times of darkness and confusion – as almost God-like. We see her become intensely energized by nature, by things that reflect color and light. Her descriptions of all things natural and colorful are inspiring. She places her faith in nature. Yet, as her experiences accumulate, she is challenged by experiencing unnatural things. (Are they?) This includes her deceptive admittance to a whaler crew by pretending she is a boy. It includes the realization that two young men she has admired and loved from afar, each in their own way, have engaged in sexual acts together. It includes one of those young men forcing her to have anal sex in the same way he was forced. It ultimately includes cannibalism – the most unnatural act, but an act that keeps Una alive in the face of horror at sea.
It is during this horrific experience at sea, an experience fueled by the death of one after another in order for Una, Giles and Kit to have sustenance, that Una realizes black is a color as well.
“It is true. Our boat is more dull than black. Black, after all, is a color and can have its glory and sheen. All around us in the sea and the sky, there is a black glory we do not share.”<br>
That is the first positive description of darkness, as Una experiences one of the darkest experiences imaginable.
A key character in Una’s life is Susan. Susan is black – a color that represents the oppression of dogmatic religious beliefs in many descriptions within this book. Yet, Susan is full of love and giving. She selflessly comes to the aid of Una as she is about to give birth. She provides warmth (literally and figuratively) and encouragement. She even suckles Una in order to assist in producing milk for her ill-fated newborn.
Susan is a Christian. Una is predisposed to think of her father’s limiting view of Christianity, but suddenly realizes that Susan’s Christianity is different. It is filled with softness and love. It is accepting. Susan does not try to force her beliefs on Una, yet she demonstrates her strong beliefs without fail. I can’t find it now, but there is an interesting description of Susan by Una, where Una realizes that Susan has black skin, but it is not uniform in color. It has shades and nuance; it has dark colors, none of which are strictly black.
Una moves from her faith in nature and nature alone, toward a softer view of religion – a more spiritual rather than dogmatic view. She admits to the possibility of a greater plan, to the healing power of forgiveness – even to the presence of a God. It is interesting that David provides the first opportunity for Una to feel forgiven for her cannibalism, as she forgives him for his incest. This marks a turning point for Una – a turning point inspired by this unnaturally short man.
I found the book to be an interesting description of a most difficult life – generically for those who lived at that time and specifically Una’s incredible life. Her spiritual journey involves the coming together of light and dark – whiteness, color, and blackness. In the end she is stronger, but not arrogant. She learns about humility, love, and forgiveness. She remains, in the end, one who resists convention but has a more mature understanding of the important role spirituality plays in her cosmos.
MQ