Supernatural vs. Natural
During The Transformation there are signs that supernatural forces are
always at work in our world and the fiction world that the book takes place in.
However, the problem with the world in the novel is that there is no other
explanation for these supernatural forces or voices or specters or whatever we
decide to call them other than these are messages from God. The book should
have addressed that these forces might have some other explanation other than
this is God communicating directly with his followers and believers in
different ways. Why wouldn’t the eerie occurrences be a simple supernatural
trope to move the pieces (characters) into place? I understand that this wasn’t
the message of the novel itself and the novel blatantly is focused on the
relationships with God and what it would mean to have a direct line to the man
upstairs but at the same time, looking back at this novel in a 21st
century world we are used to examining the supernatural in different ways. We
live in a world filled with “scary” movies and television shows that examine
the paranormal and have the equipment to somewhat measure these kinds of
findings. I am definitely not saying that I am a believer of these supernatural
elements, what my stance is in fact that there just needs to have more
explanations of what is going on and it makes the characters too ignorant to
the other explanations of what is going on.
The Problem With God
The novel itself has a strong
connection to the Puritan world and it’s very hard-nosed belief to God and
religion itself. I also completely understand that someone who would not have
other kind of “God” influence writes the book. Yet, like the other point I brought
up, the book is so focused on one kind of God that it misses an opportunity to
perhaps blame Satan for the events going on with the family. If murder and
these ominous voices are something that are driving the characters to question
morality, an example being Pleyel losing faith in the kind of person Clara is,
why couldn’t it be the dark force in the universe? I don’t know much of the
bible and what Satan’s true intentions are when it comes to the stealing of
souls, persuasion and temptation, but I do know the persuasion of committing
murder sounds like something an evil and perhaps the most evil of characters
would be interesting in doing.
Not Explaining the Father Wieland’s Death
The biggest issue I have with
Brown’s Wieland is that every
occurrence of the supernatural is explained in one way or another except
perhaps the most ominous and interesting death, Father Wieland. If a character
actually contains physical repercussions with having an encounter with the
supernatural, it is far more interesting that just hearing voices. This was a
man that saw a light, and it wasn’t just something to warn him, this was an
occurrence of malicious intent. The kind of violence wasn’t seen anywhere else
in the novel and for it to be brought up so quickly and then forgot on is such
a shame for the book itself. The mystery surrounding the Father Wieland’s death
is touched upon throughout the book but the injuries sustained and what they
could mean are not.
I found it very interesting that you brought up the idea of "Satan" being the force of evil, and that this book addressed God alone. Based on my understanding of Abrahamic texts, Satan is described as being under the influence of God and can't act without God's granting (which I find interesting because there seems to be an interpretive problem within the hebrew bible itself between the story of Adam and Eve and then in the book of Job). This being said, it seems as if there is a belief that God is still the supreme being and that all comes from and all is his work. Going on with this belief, if all is his work then he also influences evil forces in the world which is explained in the hebrew texts as beginning with the fall of Adam and Eve. Satan can also be explained as being the sinner that is within all humans - and there is the belief that we are in constant battle of God vs Satan that is within all of us. Was Weiland's action an example of the innate sinfulness of human beings? An example of someone who in his own search for God found the wrong entity within himself?
ReplyDeleteJust a few thoughts!
I would personally like to respond to your questions between the supernatural and the natural. Although the book does not directly tell the reader who these voices were coming from at first; Personally that is what kept me reading, that looming question of who and where the hell those voices were coming from. Not only that but also trying to figure out what their purpose was helped drive the story for the reader. But you bring up a good point when you talk about us reading it in the 21st centaury and how there can be countless explanations for these voices, but what’s the fun in that?? After all that’s what all the TV shows and movies are for right? Entertainment. All in all great analysis though I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
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