What was fascinating about The Secret River to me was that is was written in the early 2000s and published in 2005. Often, the books I read are set in their respective contemporary times. After reading The Secret River, I understood the mass poverty that existed during this time period. It was common to be incredibly poor in London and people who were had very little chance up moving up the social hierarchy. One example in the text that shows how common Thornhill is in the eyes of the upper class is that he shares the same name as his deceased older brother, William. He also shares the same first name and last name as some of his cousins. This symbolizes that there is nothing unique or special about him. It symbolizes to elites that he is just another common, poor Londoner that will more likely than not remain a common, poor Londoner. Grenville also tries to humanize the poor characters in the book, which helped me as a reader change my perspective in the characters. Instead of viewing the poor as filthy thieves, Grenville shows us Thornhill's kindness and generosity when he employs his brother, Rob. Thornhill is being generous with his wealth by sharing it with family rather than hoarding it. Also, Thornhill quitting his job in the factory after a child was crushed by a machine helps humanize him.
I am a Catholic, but I haven't gone to Church in many years. I wouldn't be able to tell you about anyone in the Bible! However, after some research, I notice many similarities between Isak in Pachinko and Isaac in the Bible. I chose to examine Isak's similarities to Isaac because I admire Isak for his refusal to conform to societal expectations. In the Old Testament of the Bible, Isaac is the only son of Abraham. Abraham nearly sacrificed his only son due to God's command. In Lee's Pachinko , Isak is not sacrificed against his will, but sacrifices himself for what he believes is right. He sacrifices his honor by marrying Sunja, a woman pregnant outside of wedlock. He also sacrifices himself for his religion when he chooses not to recant his Christian religion in favor of the dominant Shinto religion.
I like your connection between William's name lacking uniqueness and his place in society. Perhaps it is to show that he is dispensable and replaceable. Furthermore, William isn't even accepted into the Church community, he always feels like an outsider. Overall, William began at the bottom and even when he was beginning to escape, his boat is taken away because of Mr. Middleton's medical debts.
ReplyDeleteHi James, I liked how you pointed out how the lower class citizens are humanized in the book. It hardly ever feels like we are looking down on these characters (though we do feel bad), instead it's more like we are thrown into that world alongside them. It feels more like regular people like us just trying to make ends meet than anything else.
ReplyDeleteGreat point about the positionality of the reader, Andrew.
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