The Fear of the Unknown

Douglas Kerr's article, "Three Ways of Going Wrong: Kipling, Conrad, Coetzee” highlights nearly every important similarity between both Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians; however, he fails to touch upon the prevalent theme illustrated in both novels: the fear of the unknown. When I first read Heart of Darkness, I felt that the term “savage,” used to characterize the inhabitants of Africa, was overtly racist and politically incorrect. In fact, one of the most obvious and recurrent themes in Conrad’s book is how darkness is the abyss of evil while light is the pure savior. This too can also be applied to race, as the text may be commenting on how the people with dark skin are inherently inferior while the lighter white-skinned people are born superior. Still, while the terminology in Heart of Darkness is undeniably offensive, after reading Waiting for the Barbarians, I soon realized that this root of this derogatory language was not race after all. In fact, this same sense of superiority amongst a more advanced people is evident in Waiting for the Barbarians as well, but unlike a white society discriminating against a black one, it is a powerful Empire being hateful towards the peaceful people who live just outside of the boundaries. Much like how the less advanced and less power-hungry peoples of Africa are deemed “savages,” the nomads and fishermen who inhabit the land outside of the Empire are termed “barbarians.” What is it that these savages and barbarians have done to be insulted, hated, tortured, and ultimately, treated no better than wild beasts? It all boils down to an more “civilized” society’s belief that they are the best by nature, and therefore, are meant to exert this destined dominance; however, there is also an underlying fear that the peoples and customs that which they are incapable of understanding could ultimately be the cause of their downfall. Now why is it that a people with a greater spectrum of education and civilization are so afraid of the unknown? The problem is that because they cannot make sense of these people or their ways, they are unable to methodically analyze their actions, and therefore, must always be in suspicion. The ultimate travesty for them would be if anything got in the way of them and their power. And so, they must always be sure that they keep the barbarians and savages in check, and in doing so, they can flex their muscles to the world. In the end, power is everything, and cowering in fear of the unknown could potentially compromise that power (434).

Love...Or Lack Thereof in Waiting for the Barbarians

After reading the first four sections of Waiting for the Barbarians, I can only think of one word to describe my state of mind: confused. The concept of love, or lack thereof, in the novel completely baffles me. At first, it seemed as though the narrator only wanted to help the beggar “barbarian” woman because of his guilty conscience. However, things became strange when he started caressing her feet and later, bathing her. He seemed to care about her enough to not simply keep her around for the sexual pleasures; in fact, he does not even have sex with her until months of knowing her. Still, he rejects her when she wants to make love and instead sneaks off in the nights to have sex with a prostitute. If he is truly in love with this barbarian woman, why is it that he can hardly picture her in a sexual way? Also, I was dumbfounded by her desire to make love to him. At first, I assumed that she simply wanted to know that she was good enough for him; however, later events in the reading prove this theory to be false. If the knowledge of being wanted was all that she was after, she surely would not have snuck into his bed naked and finally had sex with him. If she was so keen to be with him, one would assume that she also cared deeply for him, perhaps even loved him. This is clearly not the case, as when she is given the opportunity to either return to her barbarian peoples or to stay with the narrator, she chooses to leave him. Why is it that she wanted to have sex with the old, and judging by the descriptions throughout the novel, unattractive man when she had no reason to do so? If she was truly just with him because there was nowhere else to be, wouldn’t she savor the opportunity to not be sexually exploited? I am unsure as to how the two feel about one another, but I think it is safe to say that the relationship leaves the reader with several questions that will hopefully be answered as the novel continues (366).

Brief Summary of Edward W. Said’s “Two Visions in Heart of Darkness”

Imperialism

- In the nineteenth century, the world’s greatest powers all wanted to become the strongest and largest empires, thus causing much of the world to be dominated by them.

- This is the concept of imperialism, and Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is all about Europe’s brutal mission to colonize the “dark” world.

- The common theme recurring throughout the novel is that the Europeans were constantly trying to exert their imperial power over those in the darkness, also known as Africa.

Conrad through Said’s Eyes

- Conrad is set apart from the other Europeans of his time because he was aware of and critical of his actions. These self-conscious views are expressed through Marlow’s narrative.

- In Conrad’s time, freedom was for the whites, while oppression and a lack of independence was for those considered inferior.

- Because Conrad lived in the time of widespread imperialism, he could only imagine the world ruled by a few European powers.

- Conrad’s critique of imperialism is illustrated through Marlow’s narrative.

- Marlow’s story begins and ends with the darkness; Conrad’s story is therefore a circular one.

- The narrators in Heart of Darkness do not have the same views or opinions of average British citizens of the time period.

- What makes the narrators different is the fact that they actually think deeply about the concept of imperialism and how long it will last instead of passively accepting it.

- Conrad realized that the darkness had the potential to be colonized but also that it had to be recognized as independent.

- Like Conrad, both Marlow and Kurtz acknowledge the darkness, allowing them to understand that the darkness is its own country despite imperialism.

- Still, like Conrad, Marlow and Kurtz live during a time when the only thing they knew was imperialism; therefore, they are unable to know what the next logical step should be.

- In our times, we recognize that the next step would have been to recognize that the Africans, in fact, were resisting imperialism and hoping to one day rid themselves of the European power.

- Because Conrad was incapable of imagining a world without imperialism, he was unable to picture the natives ruling themselves. According to Said, this is Conrad’s “tragic limitation” (428.)

The “Two Visions” in Heart of Darkness

- The first argument is that although the Western powers left their colonies and “withdrew” from Africa and Asia, they still retained rule over the markets, morals, and education in these places.

- This creates the picture of the darkness being incapable of being redeemed because of its inferiority.

- This argument leads to a lot of objection and criticism.

- The second argument claims that imperialism was simply something of that time and that place, not something that would continue even in the post-colonial world.

- This theory also says that imperialism, like everything else in the human world, had its moment of popularity that would eventually pass, like everything else in life.

- This argument is more commonly accepted. (518)

A White Lie for a Woman Dressed in Black

Near the end of his story, Marlow recounts the visit he paid to the woman who would have become Kurtz’s wife. Kurtz’s “Intended” acts and behaves as if “she would remember and mourn for ever.” (73) The room she is standing in is described as dark, as are her sunken eyes. She asks Marlow what Kurtz’s last words were, and Marlow becomes uneasy and unsure as to how to answer this question. Finally, he decides to appease her by telling her that Kurtz’s final words were her name. It seems like a pretty harmless lie—a white lie, in fact. A white lie told to brighten up the world of a woman perpetually plagued by darkness.

Why do you think Marlow chose to lie about Kurtz’s final words? Does the fact that he told this lie make him a less admirable character? Do you think that he selfishly lied in order to escape her sorrow when she would learn the truth (that she was not Kurtz’s final thought) or do you think he did it to protect her?

Faulkner's Use of Vocabulary in "The Sound and the Fury"

William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury is exceedingly difficult to fully analyze and understand upon first read; however, Robert A. Martin’s article, “The Words of The Sound and the Fury” notes that Faulkner inserted key terms and phrases to link the story together. In the first section, what Matin calls Benjy’s section, the concept and image of a fire is essential to the flow of the story. In Quentin’s section, the term “shadow” holds a lot of significance. However, in Jason’s section, there is an end to the assignment of important words. Dilsey’s section illustrates a return to Faulkner’s traditional style used for most of the novel as it contains many references to the word “window.” Although these words may seem to be nothing more than simple vocabulary, in fact, they give us much insight into each character. Benjy’s obsession with fire is linked to his inability to accept change and the fact that no matter what, fire is always just fire. Quentin’s neurotic nature is reflected in the shadow imagery, and Dilsey’s references to the window are symbolic of her character as an observer of the dysfunctional Compson family. Faulkner purposefully changed the style in Jason’s section to emphasize Jason’s feelings of superiority in the Compson family. I wish I had understood this concept of key words before reading The Sound and the Fury because it would have made the story so much easier to analyze. I think Martin makes some really valid points and after reading his work, I am able to better appreciate Faulkner’s talent and style (261).

Martin, Robert A. “The Words of ‘The Sound and the Fury’.” The Southern Literary Journal, Vol. 32, No. 1. University of North Carolina Press, 1999, pp. 46-56.

The Downfall of Caddy

Throughout all of our class discussions, we have always spoken of Caddy as a headstrong and rebellious character who is incapable of being restrained by anybody; however, this image we hold of her is shattered in Part 3 of the novel. In this section, Caddy allows herself to be controlled and tormented by her emotionless brother Jason. He directly handles all of the money which she sends to her daughter Quentin, he is the only character who he permits her to have any communication with, and he tells her what she can and can’t do. Unlike the Caddy that Benjy idolizes who would have reacted to such treatment with defiance, the present-day Caddy only responds to Jason’s tyranny with compliance. In many ways, this is the moment during which the reader witnesses the true downfall of Caddy. Although getting pregnant and marrying to cover up her promiscuity is a low point for her, the greatest tragedy in her storyline is that she loses herself. By the end of this section, we see Caddy as nothing more than an empty shell of her former-self.

I was wondering what triggered this change in Caddy’s character. Perhaps it is related to Quentin’s suicide, is that why she loses her spirit? Was Mr. Coon right to assume that Herbert was a wife-beater and therefore has robbed Caddy of her rebellious fire? Or, did Caddy simply appear strong and fearless because we were witnessing her youth through Benjy’s eyes (245)?

Review #4- Venn Diagram

David James Poissant’s Venn Diagram is one of the saddest stories that I have ever read. The plotline chronicles a young couple’s attempt to accept tragedy and move on from the death of their one-month-old daughter who suffered from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. We see the ways in which both the narrator and his wife deal with the misfortune and how it has changed their marriage as a whole. They both feel so emotionally numb at times that they are able to speak of a separation “like two strangers discussing the weather” (323). The narrator begins to feel that leaving his wife is inevitable as all they do is fight in order to keep themselves from thinking about their daughter. Still, it is not that they ever stop loving each other, it is just that they feel helpless and incapable of successfully moving on. The story is extremely touching and the theme of grief and moving on is one that would constitute a really good topic for the essay. This has been one of my favorite stories so far and I think I might write about this one (189).

Review #3- Hell-Heaven

I just put down Jhumpa Lahiri’s Hell-Heaven and I have to admit that I am disappointed. Unlike many of my peers, I do not like her style of writing very much; however, I was willing to give it one more shot. She is skilled at creating vivid characters but unfortunately, most of the characters that she develops are very unlikable. I have noticed this trend from the first time I read her work (The Namesake was my first taste of her writing) and until today it still bothers me. I do not see myself choosing this story for my final essay (101).

Review #2- Summer, With Twins

Rebecca Curtis’s Summer, With Twins is a short story centered around four women waitressing at an expensive restaurant in order to afford what each considers a “necessity” for herself. The story revolves around an average college student working alongside two spoiled and insensitive twins along with a middle-aged struggling single mother. Throughout the course of the story, the reader cannot seem to understand why the narrator spends so much time with the twins and why she strives to please them. If anything, they are condescending, arrogant, self-obsessed, and all in all, bad friends. I really liked the story because of the underlying theme that bad things sometimes happen to good people; however, were there really any good people in this story? This prompt got me thinking and I am confident that I could expand on it and craft together a pretty good essay. I will keep reading but this story is definitely an option for the final essay (159).

Review #1- The Scent of Cinnamon

I just finished reading Charles Lambert’s The Scent of Cinnamon, and overall, I am pretty pleased. The story begins with the blossoming love story of two strangers, Joseph Broderick and Miriam Payne. Interestingly enough, the reader is taken a bit off guard when the preface of a romantic story meshes with that of a ghost story. Lambert is able to balance both aspects of his writing very well, and upon first read, the reader hardly picks up on many of the more chilling aspects of the story and instead focuses on the romance. In the end, I was thoroughly spooked but still found myself smiling; therefore, I think Lambert achieved his dual-purpose of invoking awe and fear from readers. Overall, the story kept me thinking about it long after I had put it down. The concept of everlasting love, the discrepancy between what is happening and what isn’t, the vivid descriptions, and even the theme of forgotten friendship are all viable routes that my future essay may take. I would definitely consider this as an ideal short story for my final essay, but I will keep reading in case something else comes up (194).

Breaking Down and Breaking Free

Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” is one of the most haunting pieces of feminist literature that I have ever read. At the surface, the piece is a dark tale about the horrors of insanity; however, what Gillman subliminally stresses is the notion of being a prisoner in marriage. The story takes us along the shocking reality of what it was like to be a woman in the early 19th century, and we see the narrator’s breakdown through her own eyes by means of her journal entries. The loving bias she writes of when she refers to her “very careful and loving” John is revolting to the reader, as he or she is able to see him as the patronizing and obsessive husband that he is (425). Throughout the course of the story, the narrator complains about her inability to live her own life, but instead of ever placing the blame on John and his rules, she has been brainwashed into believing that she has a nervous condition that puts her at fault for her unhappiness. The entries are full of dramatic irony, as the naïve narrator is unable to see her subjugation as what it really is.

The narrator does not complain so much about being locked in the room, but it is the room itself that she dislikes. She comments on the dullness of the decor, the strange and intriguing pattern on the walls, and the “repellent, almost revolting” yellow wallpaper (426). Not only is the room ugly, but it also resembles a prison as the previous owners have barred the windows and there is a gate with which John can control her access to the rest of the house. When she asks her husband why they cannot sleep in the lovely room downstairs, he dismisses her without another word and maintains that he knows best. This sort of behavior may seem doting and caring in her eyes, but to the reader, his actions are condescending and controlling.

It is enough that John has her locked away in an unpleasant, dirty, and disturbing upstairs room, but the story goes far beyond the physical constraints in her life. What causes her ultimate deterioration is her inability to think for herself. In many ways, she lives her life acting like a timid child afraid of the wrath of her father. Although she finds her only solace in writing, she fears doing so in front of John because of his disapproval. Not only is he against her expressing her thoughts, but several times throughout the story he also urges her to refrain from using her imagination at all. He believes that exerting her mind will only worsen her condition. She tries to force herself to believe that she is happy despite the utter lack of control in all aspects of her life. Whenever she has a desire it is perceived as ludicrous, whenever she wants to express herself she can only confide in her journal, and whenever she feels unhappy, she is led to believe it is her “nervous condition” acting up again. Although a fully-grown adult woman, the narrator resembles a child in her ignorance of her husband’s inexcusable behavior and in her complete faith that he only cares for her best interest.

Inevitably, the narrator falls into the clutches of insanity. Despite John’s constant nagging that thinking and dreaming would only worsen her health, her ultimate downfall comes from the repression of her mind. She begins suffering from hallucinations as she sees women trapped inside the yellow wallpaper, attempting all possible means to escape their torturous dooms. Within these repressed women, she sees reflections of herself, and by the end of the story, it is as if she and the women in the wallpaper have all merged into one. Finally, while peeling off the grungy wallpaper, she feels liberated, and despite her insanity, she is able to conjure up the courage to directly accuse John for her prisoner-like lifestyle. It becomes clear that the disgusting wallpaper is symbolic of the chains with which her husband controls her, and only once she peels it off is she able to psychologically break free and become more than merely a face behind a formless pattern (703).

Obadiah's Back

To many, the title “Parker’s Back” is interpreted to mean that the entire story will literally be about his back; however, when I was reading the story, I noticed the author’s play on words in choosing this title to mean something deeper. The text is more about a return of a former-self as opposed to an intense tattoo, but instead of the title “Parker’s Back,” I feel that a more appropriate title would be “Obadiah’s Back.” The entire story revolves around one man’s earnest search for an identity. He desperately wants a sense of self, a sense of who he truly is underneath the tattoo artist’s pen, but he spends his entire life growing away from the identity he was born with. Parker is unable to embrace his true self and unknowingly, continues to wander about looking for something which he has possessed all along. Although he goes by Parker, the name he was born with is something else, something he hates being called by. He uses any means possible to avoid explaining what the initials “O.E.” stand for, and when he finally says his name out loud, he makes sure it is in a whisper so that others won’t hear. In many ways, it is his biggest secret, but why? What about the name is so dreadful for him? I think it is just the fear of acknowledging his subservience to God. He only trusts his hidden identity to the woman he falls in love with, and for the entire course of the story, she is the only character who knows that he is really Obadiah Elihu, and not Parker. In many ways, Parker himself does not know that the lost identity he is searching for is simply Obadiah. Then, one day, due to a near-death experience, he decides that there must be a gargantuan change in his life. He becomes maniacal in his desperate attempts to find identity, running away from home without informing his wife and proceeding to decide that another tattoo is a necessity. After impulsively having the haunting eyes of Jesus dyed into his back, he attempts to return to his former life and finally goes home. The door is locked and when his wife asks who is there, he strangely responds “Obadiah.” After making such a fuss about the name and swearing to only go by “Parker,” he is suddenly able to embrace his real name, his real identity. There is no more hiding behind tattoos; finally, Parker finds himself. The way that the story is written indicates that his identity finds him, and not the other way around. He does not even realize strangeness in referring to himself as Obadiah instead of Parker, and does not register that he is a changed man. At the end of the story, Parker is no longer the character that was introduced to us in the beginning of the piece; instead, he is transformed back into the religious and God-fearing Obadiah. In the end, I think that the title “Obadiah’s Back” indicates a return of a former self which was lost in the turbulence of growing up (521).

Amanda's Role in Teenage Wasteland

It has always been my belief that what is not stated in a piece of literature is often more important than what is stated. I make it a point to focus on the subtle hints that an author drops throughout the story, hints which others may overlook. In Anne Tyler’s Teenage Wasteland, I think that the most important character, more so than Donny, Daisy, and Cal, is Amanda. At first glance, this may seem odd; however, the entire story can practically be told through the brief encounters that the reader has with Amanda. The entirety of the short story is dedicated to a parent’s asking herself, “What went wrong?” Daisy seems to try everything she can, but no matter what, her efforts with her rebellious son Donny are fruitless and she loses him forever when he runs away. Several of my peers argued that she did indeed try everything she could and that Donny’s demeanor was not her fault, but I disagree. There is a “too late” point for everything, and Daisy had undoubtedly reached hers long before. Not until Donny begins getting himself into trouble does she attempt to seek help, but how did he become like that in the first place? A troubled adolescence is almost always linked to a troubled childhood, and a troubled childhood usually finds its roots in an ignored youth. Daisy is unable to find enough time to devote the full attention that each of her children needs and deserves. When Amanda wants to discuss the happenings of her day, her preoccupied mother neglects her. To some, Daisy was merely tired and it was not a big deal that she told Amanda that she would listen another time, but for me, I saw it as strong clue as to what Daisy was like to Donny as a child. We are only shown Daisy as a struggling mother, but through her encounters with Amanda, we see Daisy as a young mother. Later, Daisy and her husband abandon Amanda during dessert, leaving her to finish eating and cleaning up on her own. To a child, such actions can seem incredibly heartbreaking, and so begins the child’s alienation from the family. Which child would chose to spend time with a family that can never seem to make time for him or her? It seems ludicrous that Daisy does not blame herself for the way both her children end up. Near the conclusion of the story, we learn that Amanda chooses to stay away from home as much as possible. Again, we are shown Daisy’s failure as a parent. Had she only spent more time with her daughter and not treated her as a second priority to Donny, perhaps at least one of her children would have grown up with the proper parenting necessary for a healthy lifestyle. But alas, Daisy seems never to learn from her mistakes, and through Amanda, we see that she is intent upon repeating them even while her folly, as symbolized by Donny, is staring her right in the face. In conclusion, Amanda’s small but powerful role is an extremely effective tool in providing insight into Daisy’s true parenting. Many see her actions with Donny as worthy tries and good attempts, but had she only tried harder during Donny’s youth, she would never have the problems in the first place. Daisy seeks others to throw the accountability on for Donny’s disappearing, but whom will she blame for Amanda’s abandonment for the family? Again, Daisy reaches her “too late” point and there is no one to blame but herself (596).

11 Books That Have Stuck With Me

1. Macbeth- William Shakespeare. Although technically a play and not a book, Shakespeare’s Macbeth instantly popped into my mind when this blog was assigned. For the longest time I had been under the impression that Shakespeare’s work was nothing but wordy nonsense, but upon reading Macbeth, I found it to be remarkable I have since been in love with Shakespeare’s work.

2. A Thousand Splendid Suns- Khaled Hosseini. This book touches upon the subject of love better than any other I have read before. I completed it in a single sitting because of the emotional surges I felt throughout the novel, and I finished wishing that the beautiful story of love would go on longer.

3. The Lovely Bones- Alice Sebold. It is a wonderfully touching tale about love and moving on and it made me cry more than any other book I have ever read.

4. The Namesake- Jhumpa Lahiri. It focuses on an Indian youth settled in America and torn between two cultures, and therefore, I find it very easy to relate to. Adjusting to a new culture while retaining the old culture’s values can be hard, and this book captures that struggle perfectly.

5. The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald. I loved the way Fitzgerald painted a vivid picture of the “roaring twenties” and all the culture which surrounded that era.

6. Ramona and Her Mother- Beverly Cleary. Cleary’s Ramona series was my favorite during my youth and to this day, I often find myself revisiting my childhood by curling up with the one that I loved the most, Ramona and Her Mother.

7. Flowers for Algernon- Daniel Keyes. I first picked this book up as a fourth grader, and in many ways, it was the first “adult” book I had ever read. At the time, the brief sex scene seemed exceedingly inappropriate and I was unable to understand many of the book’s deeper themes, and so, I have always remembered this as my first mature read.

8. This Pen for Hire- Laura Levine. Levine’s novel is a light and fun read and probably the funniest that I have ever read. I love the quirky heroine whose imperfections make her all the more loveable.

9. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan- Lisa See. It seamlessly incorporates the brutality of traditional Chinese culture with a soft story about a secret friendship. It provided me with global insight into a culture I knew little about.

10. The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini. An unforgettable story about redemption and regret that has always haunted me with its ending that brings the story to a complete 180 degree finish. It had the most well-written ending to a story that I have ever encountered.

11. Gone With the Wind- Margaret Mitchell. I loved the way in which Mitchell develops the main character, Scarlett O’Hara. She is selfish, overconfident, and manipulative throughout the whole book but she is also one of the strongest and most memorable female icons I have encountered in a piece of literature (503).

Summer Reading- A Thousand Splendid Suns

This summer I set a goal for myself by vowing to read a minimum of ten books, and with the backdrop of a lazy summer morning, I found this feat easily accomplished. Among my favorite novels I read were Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, Sidney Sheldon’s Tell Me Your Dreams, Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love, Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones and Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

Very rarely do I chance upon a book that I am unable to put down. It is not because I am quick to judge a piece of literature and therefore find it inadequate, nor is it that I am difficult to please when it comes to reading; no, it is merely that I am often unable to directly relate to a novel’s central characters, and therefore, lose interest quickly. However, upon completing Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns, I was immediately overwhelmed by the depth with which I was affected by the text, so much so, that I was able to complete it in a single sitting. At the surface, it may seem odd that such a book would find itself drawing parallels to my own life, as it is centered around two emotionally and physically abused Afghani women who are forced to lead lives subservient to their despicable husband. Almost every chapter of the book brought about new upheavals for the heroines and nearly every page was filled with more tragedy and heartache. There were even numerous occurrences throughout the read where I found myself smudging the text with my own tears. To those reading the synopsis of the book, it may appear horrifically depressing and unpleasant, and, to a great extent, it is; however, if one is able to analyze past the gore and grief, and read deeper into Hosseini’s intentions, he or she would probably find the book as remarkably relatable as I did.

While it is true that I am neither abused nor a suffering Afghani wife, the words of Hosseini’s unforgettable piece of writing seethe with unstated deeper meaning. The underlying themes of hope, courage, friendship, inner strength, and freedom were what touched me the most.

I believe that the theme of friendship, or more specifically, sisterhood, is what kept me most enveloped. When both women first encounter one another, the reception is cold and neither is welcoming toward the other. One of the women is beautiful but the other is ugly, one is from a privileged background, the other is from the slums of Afghanistan, one has grown up surrounded by love, and the other has known nothing but rejection; essentially, the two women could not be more different. Still, in the harsh and unforgiving life the two of them lead, both begin to accept the other and realize that they need one another. Slowly but surely, the two build an inseparable bond, very much akin to the bond of sisterhood. While one of the characters uncovers her long-lost lover and finds that the embers of their love have been reignited, the reader is still much more interested in the sisterly love between the two women. Finally, the women prove the strength of their love when one sacrifices her life for the other.  It is the most emotionally charged moment in the book, and amidst all of the tragedy, the reader is left with a sense of true admiration at the ultimate sacrifice of love.

In the end, I think that it was one of the most remarkable stories I have ever read.  Despite the heart-rending tale, the glimmer of hope never fades away, and eventually, with the help of love, inner strength, and courage, both women find themselves liberated because of the emotional strength they provided for one another (632).