As
I finished the novel, I was struck by the abundance of romance in the plot. Call
me girly for noticing it, but while the main plotlines are about racial
tensions, the romantic tension between Hope and Everell also sticks out in my
mind. Their relationship seems to be Sedgwick’s way of continuing the
relationship between Fletcher Sr. and Alice, which I found to be a continuing thread
between the two generations.
I also find it interesting that the
relationship between Everell and Hope ends happily. It seems most obvious that
things are going to end well for the two when Sedgwick writes, “… But no
language could have been so expressive of their mutual love and mutual
resolution, as this silence.” (pg 348) This is a stark contrast to the
relationship between their parents, which was torn apart by religious conflict and
distance. Instead, it is Ester that ends up crossing the Atlantic and returning
to England, allowing Hope and Everell to be together. The theme or rather motifs of romance seem to echo the theme of justice in a way. While it may
not be as literal as justice in terms of life or death, there is some justice
to me in that at last Hope and Everell are united in the end.
Your post touches on something I brought up in class Thursday. Sedgwick seems to increase her focus on Esther in the closing pages of the book, as if to emphasize what she gains from not getting married. Instead of being subjected to the role of house-wife, Sedgwick notes that Esther is free to share her kindness with the world (p. 363). The plays into the relationship you discussed between the Fletchers and the Leslies. Sedgwick portrays Mrs. Fletcher's life as somewhat dull and unrewarding, ultimately reaching a violent end. This is life Esther was seemingly destined for had she remained with Everrell.
ReplyDeleteYour post definitely sums up what I thought at the end of the book. Throughout the novel I noticed the idea of love through different characters. However, the love of Everell and Hope stuck out to me the most. I think that it was only fitting that the two would end up together and I would not have enjoyed the book in the end if they had not. The love triangle is the same between the two generations (Mr. Fletcher, Mrs. Fletcher, Alice vs. Everell, Esther, Hope). The novel ended the way the readers wanted it to and I think that Sedgwick did this on purpose.
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