Due by class time, Tuesday, September 18
For this response, choose one of the many issues and/or themes you find interesting in Gilead, and explore how that idea shows up in a particular passage in the first 2/3 of the novel. Demonstrate, through a close reading of the passage you choose, what you think the novel has to say about that idea. Ask yourself what the significance of that passage is, both in relationship to the rest of the novel and in relationship to the theme you've chosen. Analyze -- that is, look deeply into the parts of the passage -- in order to draw out the meaning you find. As we discussed in class, your job is to do more than to tell us what the novel says, your job is to find the deeper meanings in what the novel says (in other words, don't just state the obvious).
Here are some suggestions for themes/issues worth exploring (you are, of course, not limited to these): father/son relationships, tradition, religion, belief, war, history, love, the pastoral life, loneliness/isolation, and home. Remember that you want to choose one of these big ideas (or another big idea that comes up as you read) and narrow it down to something specific.
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Religion as Tradition in Gilead
In her novel Gilead, Marilynne Robinson explores the theme of religion persisting through generations as a form of tradition. More specifically, she focuses on the weakening of orthodox religious practice through time, starting with the staunch biblical literalism of John Ames' grandfather, then transitioning to the skepticism of Ames' father, and ending with his own open-mindedness in the field of theology. This progression is ultimately captured in Ames' fascination with the famous atheist Ludwig Feuerbach, and his admiration of his brother Edward who introduced him to Feuerbach's writing. Despite (or perhaps because of) Edward's atheism and secular education, Ames writes that Edward has "a mind worthy of respect" (125). This statement struck me as a strange thing for a preacher to admit. Surely it must be a scandal in a small town for their preacher to have an atheist brother and make no attempt to persuade him toward faith. Far from it, Ames holds Edward in high regard and even recommends Feuerbach's work to his son. Ames' attitude toward religion is contrasted with that of earlier generations of his family throughout the novel.
In the beginning of the book, John Ames writes that "my mother's father was a preacher, and my father's father was, too, and his father before him," thus establishing the long religious tradition in his family (6). Ames’ grandfather is introduced early in the novel. The reader learns that he believes he sees physical apparitions of Christ and does not hide this fact from anyone, to the embarrassment of his grandson (49). Aside from conversing with his holy visions in the family’s den, he also practices charity to a fault. The younger residents of the house have to hide money from him just to make sure their basic needs are provided for (32). In one instance, he refuses sympathy to his daughter-in-law on the grounds that her grief did not exceed that of many others in the world (90). All of these factors paint a picture of a man whose brand of Christianity is based more on scriptural literalism than a more modern Christ-like orthopraxy.
Ames’ father, on the other hand, is somewhere between his father’s religious conservatism and his son’s liberal tendencies. Ames’ father and grandfather have a very tense relationship and often argue. Ames discloses that his father discouraged talk of visions and miracles, no doubt due to conflicts with his own father (48). On Sundays, Ames’ father often sat with the town’s Quaker sect in order to avoid his father’s sermons (87). However, the reader sees reflections of the elder Ames in his son (the narrator’s father, that is) when Edward refuses to say grace and he chastises him. However, he seems more upset about Edward straying from his family’s customs than about his violating a sacred ordinance.
John Ames, in turn, appears to have inherited his religious inclinations from his father more so than from his grandfather. Ames’ version of religion seems even less restrictive than his father’s, as his high regard for his atheist brother’s secular progressivism reveals. He expresses a fear of saying things that would sound naïve to Edward (154). In a few instances, Ames goes so far as to admit that the institution of the church has done a lot of damage to society, and that certain passages in the Bible can be interpreted in a way that encourages oppression (114, 135). After reading an article recommended by a friend, he criticizes that author for rebuking others for not meeting his standards of orthodoxy (142).
Far from that of older generations, Ames’ form of religion appears to lean toward a sort of pantheism in which he sees God in everything, rather than an entity separate from the universe. His love of existence takes on the guise of a somewhat forced sanctification of the temporal world; like secular humanism under a veil of religion set in place by family tradition. In pondering his impending death, Ames laments on how much he will miss the world (115). At one point he admits to his son that his piety is often exaggerated by those in his congregation (65). When discussing religion directly, Ames seems to value most the personal benefits it incurs, rather than for its transcendent or “holy” qualities. Namely, he appreciates his vocation for the ways in which it aids concentration since it lacks the ambiguity of other occupations (7). He confesses that he often worked on sermons just to keep himself occupied, and that he felt prayer was often just an antidote for loneliness (18-9). While Ames is understandable apologetic about many of his views, his open-mindedness concerning theological matters directly contrasts the religious positions of earlier generations of his family, as illustrated in his respect and admiration for his brother Edward.
When the story begins, the narrator has already lived most of his life and is about to die. He, like all people, has regrets that he seems to be obsessed with as his life enters its final chapter. He needs to realize that he cannot change the past, and he must spend the time that he has left enjoying himself.
The narrator introduces us to his father and his grandfather’s rocky relationship. He says that his father is unhappy about the last thing that he said to his grandfather before he died. This is not an uncommon thing for people to feel. We never tell the people that we love how we feel because, even though we all know how it ends, we act as though we have all the time in the world. Most of the time, people try to make up for these unkind words just like the reverend’s father tries to do by finding the grave of his father. A person may feel an obligation for the rest of his life to take care of the gravesite of someone just so that they can prove to this person that they did not mean their unkind words.
The entire story is a composition of letters that he is writing in his last days to his son. It seems like he is writing this more for himself than for his son. If he wants to leave something around for his son he should be spending as much time with him as he can instead of spending all of his time writing about ancient history. Nothing is wrong with leaving your child a letter telling him about his ancestors, the father he will never know, and advice that a father would want to pass on to a son. The issue I have with the reverend’s decision is that he keeps writing how he regrets that he will not see his son grow into a man. He has only had seven years with his son. He is spending all of his time writing, going to his church, and worrying about his friend’s family when he should be trying to leave his son something better, memories with his father. A letter can be a cherished thing that an adult can appreciate and keep forever as a reminder of who is father was. Any person can tell you that he treasures a memory of playing catch or fishing with his father much more than he would care about some words written on a paper.
Everyone has experiences that he would change if he could. The good experiences and the bad experiences shape a person into who he will be for his entire life. The reverend is focusing on things like money, his past with his namesake, and his church being torn down after his death. He needs to be spending his last days with his family and enjoying his life.
Pastoral and Religious Life in Gilead
In the novel Gilead, a letter to a son reveals a man’s triumphs and struggles with pastoral and religious life. The narrator, John Ames, is complacent in the fact that he will soon be passing away. I believe this has to do with his strong faith and his ability to look at life as a gift. I believe he completely understands the fact that God chooses when it is time to leave earth. He accepts this very easily. He looks at the time he has in a completely different way than any other person would. Most would not only be upset, but would want to do everything before they passed. It is the narrator’s religious background that enables him to accept his “death-sentence.” He is so accepting of the fact that he is dying that he does not take this precious time to spend with his family. He, instead, spends most of his time writing a letter of lessons and life to his son. There are many times when John Ames is watching his son, and he speaks about him with such love. There are obvious traces of the fact that he will miss his son and wife very much because he speaks of them so fondly. When the narrator describes what his son and wife are doing while writing the letter, it is almost as if he is looking down on them from heaven, even though he has not passed yet. He removes himself in a way that shows he is emotionally and spiritually ready to go.
Another aspect of the narrator’s life is his pastoral vocation. I believe that many times, he seems unsure of the impact he has on people, and does not fully understand why people put so much faith in him. Yes, he understands that he is a pastor, therefore a messenger of God; however, there are times when it seems as if he wants to be a normal man with a normal job. One of these particular times is when he describes how many people on their death beds ask him what dying is like. He wonders to himself why they think he would know such a thing and finally settles with the answer of “it’s like going home.” Not knowing exactly what death is like, the narrator must guess what he thinks it is like in order to comfort these dying people. Another time the narrator exhibits this characteristic is when he speaks of how people sometimes treat him. People passing him on the street would tend to stop laughing and joking because a pastor was close. He spoke of how he longed for them to let him into their conversation and jokes. I think this is a time when he is envious of the other “normal” people who are not held up to such standards as he. I believe he is as normal as any other person; however, others would never see him as anything other than a religious man. It almost haunts him, in the sense that he is not able to act as he wished he could.
Lastly, the narrator’s religious beliefs have been greatly affected by his family. The novel tells of how his father, grandfather, and so on have all been pastors. I wonder, had this not been a family vocation, would he have picked the same one for himself. This could be evidence of why he is greatly envious of the “normal” people. This could also be the reason of why he is such an accepting person. When he was younger, he was interested in reading about other religions, even though his father disapproved. He is slightly envious of others and there capability to make their own choices. Therefore, he is able to accept behaviors that most pastors might not agree with. John Ames’ strong accepting personality is a direct result of the religious beliefs in which he was raised under and his pastoral vocation.
Sorrow and Happiness
Throughout the course of Robinson’s novel, Gilead, the theme of the life’s mortality and sorrows is a reoccurring theme as John Ames, the narrator, recounts his life’s story to his son. John realizes that his life is nearing its end, and wants to leave his son advice and wisdom about various situations he will encounter during his life. He laments that he cannot be with his son when he grows up, and it is only natural to feel sorrow because of this. However, though death is at the end of all humans, John states that those sorrows do have meaning. After all, he states, “…I can’t believe we will forget our sorrows altogether. That would mean forgetting we had lived. (104)”
It is only natural that John wishes only happiness for his child. Having lived a life full of hardship and witnessing the hardships of his father, his parental nature would dare not wish to impose it upon his son. Ironically, it is during John’s childhood and early adulthood that he endured the most sorrow and pain. At an early age, he set out with his father to Kansas in search of his grandfather’s grave, enduring hunger, thirst, and the elements along the way. Along the way, John noticed his father’s sorrow and pain, not only in ending the unrequited feelings between himself and his father, but in keeping John alive and well during the trip (12-15). It is in this journey that John derives his deeper understanding of the power of sorrow and sacrifice. He understands why his father made the decisions he did along the way, and reciprocates those feelings to his son. Even if it is just stories, like his father told him along the road to Kansas, he knows how deeply they will mean to his son during his life (105).
Another life-changing event in John’s life was the death of his wife, Louise, and child, Angeline, during childbirth. John recounts how he held Angeline for the few minutes she lived, and thinks of this small grace as a blessing, even after she died (17-18). Rather than impart his sadness to his son in this letter, John chooses to focus on the happiness that lay beneath the sorrow. Because John was able to feel such sorrow at the loss of his loved ones, he is able to appreciate the fact that he was happy during his life. Happiness can never be fully appreciated unless sorrow is fully understood and felt. John reflects upon this fact throughout the course of the novel, and it is apparent he enjoys and loves every moment of his life. From blessing a child to watching his son play, John is able to appreciate the beauty of happiness because he has felt the pain of sorrow. In essence, he wants his son to know that even in his death, there is still happiness. From underneath the sorrow, there is a father who loved his child and would make any sacrifice for him. There is a father who left his life’s story to a son as a beacon of guidance and happiness, to explain why life is the way it is. Above all else, John wants his son to appreciate every little instance in life, and count each day, each moment, each feeling as a blessing. Ultimately, it is these feelings that make us human, that affirm that we did indeed live.
In my opinion, the most interesting issue so far has been John Ames’ (Ames) attitude towards Jack Boughton (Jack). Old Boughton named Jack after John Ames in fear of Ames not having a child of his own. Jack seems a bit mysterious, and there must be something about his past that makes Ames a bit uncomfortable. Old Boughton and Glory have been looking forward to see Jack returning to Gilead, despite him causing the family name some embarrassment previously.
Jack was a lot younger since Ames last saw him. After returning home, Jack was willing to help Glory tidy things up around the Boughton house. In addition, he would visit Ames’s house occasionally to play catch with his son or to converse with his wife, but Ames reactions towards his visits made him look insecure and somewhat judgmental. He seemed to be very vulnerable to Jack, as if Jack knew his darkest secrets. I question as I read, why would Ames be so threatened of his best friend’s son? But, it all started to make sense.
Jack was as young as Ames’s wife, and he got along with her and his son quite well. But to be honest, Ames wasn’t necessarily jealous of Jack, rather he felt as though the both of them didn’t know what kind of person Jack was. And Ames felt obliged to tell them the truth, that Jack’s character is questionable. I believed it pained Ames, both mentally and physically, to see the three of them together. He felt, like always, that time was running short, and of all the people in the world to grow old with the loves of his life, he didn’t want it to be with Jack.
Of all the things that bothered Ames, I think that Jack bothered him the most. Ames was weary of Jack at almost every thought. It was a shock to see why Ames would spend so much of his time to write or even think or pray about Jack Boughton. Ames felt as if Jack had a personal vendetta against him, or he mocked him on several occasions, or conversed with him along with some ulterior motives, etc. I thought what disturbed Ames the most, was when the day he did the sermon on Hagar and Ishmael, and Jack showed up unexpectedly. Jack sat next to Ames’s wife and son, and in that instant, Ames envisioned the three of them as a young family. That moment put his age and health in perspective. Ames also believed that Jack would have thought the sermon had some relevance or direction towards him. But in fact, Ames just presumed what Jack might have thought, yet it was without warrant.
In some instances, I believe Ames is set in his ways, to such a degree, that it’s to his own detriment. Whatever Jack did in his past, it doesn’t mean he has the same mentality as of now. Ames never gave Jack the opportunity to have a serious conversation. It looks as if the both of them are hesitant to open up to one another. In my opinion, Ames spends more than enough time, even outside of writing, pondering about Jack. He should not feel so threatened by Jack. I think Ames gets sidetracked and loses focus from the purpose of writing this letter to his son. He dwells on the past and the future, so much that he forgets living the rest of life in the present. And this situation with Jack just brings more questions to my mind. I agree with Callie. Why waste so much time and energy to reflect at this point in time, when he could enjoy something he has wanted quite some time, a family?
Under the Surface
Throughout the entire novel, the fact that the narrator is a minister plays a great importance. His father and grandfather were ministers as well; he feels as if he was born into that vocation. He sees everything through the eyes of a minister, both because he is a minister himself and because the most influential males in his life were also ministers. On page 6, the narrator makes a very interesting point about how people react around ministers. He says, “That’s the strangest thing about this life, about being in the ministry. People change the subject when they see you coming. And then sometimes those very same people come into your study and tell you the most remarkable things. There’s a lot under the surface of life, everyone knows that. A lot of malice and dread and guilt, and so much loneliness, where you wouldn’t really expect to find it either.”
In this passage, the narrator explains that people are not what they seem on the outside. When people see him walking down the road, they are in a public setting, and want everyone to think that everything’s fine with them. They don’t want anyone to know that they have any problems. That’s all that the general public sees of them. The general public sees how they act on the surface, and thinks that’s how they really feel and who they really are. The narrator, on the other hand, sees a different side. The very same people who act so comfortable on the streets and act like everything’s fine with them go into the privacy of his study and reveal to him who they really are and what they really feel. After seeing this happen over and over again throughout his life (it is his career, after all) he learns that people are not what they appear on the surface.
When the narrator says, “A lot of malice and dread and guilt, and so much loneliness, where you wouldn’t really expect to find it either,” he is saying that the people who appear to be the least lonely are probably the most lonely. He also knows that the people who seem to be carrying the least amount of guilt are probably carrying the most guilt. They spend their whole lives trying to hide the “bad” parts of their life, and they become rather good at it. I believe that the narrator is trying to tell the reader to not judge people too hastily. You have no idea where anyone comes from, or what they go through every day.
Because the entire novel is the narrator’s letter to his son, the entire novel is the narrator’s thoughts. Because of his vocation, and because of what he says in this passage, I believe we can trust his personal opinions of people. He sees underneath the surface of people, and can discern who they really are; he can see through people because he can discern their true character. Readers should always be cautious when reading a novel where the narrator is a character in the story, because we only see the narrator’s side of things. I believe, however, that this particular passage serves two purposes. First, it teaches the reader that people are not always what they appear to be on the surface. Second, it tells us that we can trust the narrator’s view of other characters in the story.
Gilead is a very complex novel composed of many recurring themes. So far in my reading, I have been very interested in the love story that Marilynne Robinson presents to the reader. I believe that this is an underlying theme and overshadowed by larger and more obvious ones such as religion. That is partly why I find it so compelling. John Ames doesn’t give an overwhelming amount of information about his current wife, but, when he does indulge, you can feel his passion for her.
I believe the first time I realized what a beautiful love story this was is when I came across the passage in which John describes the first time he met his wife. He writes to his son, “That was the first time in my life I ever knew what it was to love another human being. Not that I hadn’t loved people before. But I hadn’t realized what it meant to love them before… Not even Louisa… That was the most thrilling thing that ever happened to me in my life…”(55). Before I read this, I must admit that I was confused as to how John truly felt about his current wife. It seemed to me, through the way he talked of Louisa and Rebecca, that possibly he felt more strongly for them than he would ever feel for his current wife. It wasn’t as though their relationship ended due to a falling out, she had died. However, in the passage, he specifically says that he did not know what it “meant to love” before his wife. This led me to, first of all, change my views, and, secondly, attempt to understand and interpret the complex and varying love he held for each of them. In regards to his current wife, it is obvious that he loved her more deeply than he thought possible. After being presented with countless opportunities, he discovered love at first sight with someone who is seemingly a very odd match for him. While he is very well read, she says things such as, “It don’t matter”. While he is obviously a very religious man, she came to him not knowing a single verse in the Bible. How is it that he can feel that passion for someone who doesn’t even share the thing that is most prominent in his life? I think it is a beautiful and wondrous thing that he loves her not only regardless of these things but because of these things. Of the scrutiny that came from his congregation, he could care less. The age gap between the two of them is also very large. He often comments that Rebecca would be older than her if she were to still be alive. In regards to his late wife, I still wonder how he did feel about her. Obviously, since divorce was unheard of in this time, had she not died, they would still be together. Does that mean he would have never known what it meant to love? Maybe he would have learned over time. Perhaps he was too young then, or perhaps she wasn’t the love of his life if there is such a thing. He had mentioned that he would have loved to grow old with his wife. With Louisa, this would have been possible. I can’t yet tell this far into the novel, and unless provided with more information, I may never know. It is certain that he still does have a very special place in his thoughts and prayers for Louisa, and he is anxious to meet them again in heaven.
I hope that as the novel progresses, the elements of a love story continue to exist. It is something that has definitely sparked my interest. I would like to know more of how he feels about death concerning his wife. While the reader gets plenty of information as to how he feels about leaving his son, I hope we also get to see how he feels about leaving his wife? Does he have a novel of thoughts that he would like to share with her also?
Father-Son Relationships
The most important theme in Gilead pertains to the difficulty in making connection across the generations, particularly between fathers and sons. Ames makes the point from the beginning that he does not want his relationship to be like his father’s relationship was with his grandfather. Throughout the novel he often refers to the parable of the prodigal son- the son who returned to his father and was forgiven. It is ironic how some of the sons, particularly the narrator’s father, are not like the prodigal son and end up feeling hostile towards their fathers and not being able to forgive them.
The first thing the narrator tells his son is that he wants to leave his son with a good relationship established between them, unlike his father did with his grandfather. He starts the novel by saying, “It grieved my father bitterly that the last words he said to his father were very angry words and there could never be any reconciliation between them in this life” (Robinson 10). I think the narrator’s father told his son this in order to prove a point- that he did not want their relationship to be like that. Throughout the novel, Ames and his father establish a pretty close relationship with each other. Ames’ dedication to having a close relationship with his father is shown when Ames’ begs his mother to allow him to go to Kansas with his father in search of his grandfather’s grave. His father really appreciates the effort his son is making to bond with him and tries all that he can to be a good father. The narrator comments, “I realize now that keeping us fed was a desperate concern for him” (Robinson 15). This is shown when Ames’ father almost gets himself killed by trying to get a couple of carrots from a farmer’s garden to give to his son for supper. John Ames considered the journey to be a great blessing and truly considered his father to be a “fine, vigorous man in his old age” (Robinson 17).
Now Ames’ father and grandfather’s relationship was the complete opposite. Referring back to the parable of the prodigal son, the son’s decision to leave, in this case, Ames’ grandfather’s decision to leave, is understood by the narrator’s father as a means of disloyalty. He finds himself not being able to forgive his father for abandoning him and his mother and leaving them on their own to survive. This hatred towards his father sprang up again when his father came back from the Civil War and became more radical and eccentric. The father no longer appreciated the grandfather after seeing him deliver a sermon with a gun in his belt, urging people to fight for what is right. He even refers to his father as “the old devil” (Robinson 109). The narrator’s father said, “I never dared to ask him what he’d been up to. I couldn’t risk the possibility of knowing things that were worse than my suspicion” (Robinson 110). It is sad that the narrator’s father did not feel comfortable enough talking to his own father about something that was really upsetting to him. So as a result, the narrator’s father is left clueless on why his father behaved the way he did.
As a result, Ames writes a letter to his son expressing how he wants his son to remember him in a positive way. In his letter, the narrator advices the son to do some of the things he enjoyed, such as reading certain books or watching the sun rise in the church, as a means of remembering him. Throughout the letter, the narrator makes an important point to his son- he does not want his son to feel obliged to join the ministry. This is important because after reading his father’s letter, which talks a lot about how wonderful the pastoral life is, the son might feel obliged to follow his father’s footsteps.
The narrator also returns repeatedly to the parable of the prodigal son, and to his awe that even when the ties that bind are so harshly broken, all is forgiven. He soothes his own frustrated soul with the thought that, upon entering heaven, his son will forgive him for leaving so soon.
A Sense of Place
When one thinks back upon their life, many things will come to mind, including the sound of laughing or crying, various aroma’s from dear friends’ kitchens, and of course, images of times gone by, but perhaps the strongest sense of all, is the sense of place. Where one grows up, and where one spends a great part of their adult life will inevitable mold that person into their final persona, with each day passing. The traditions of a localized area, and that of the larger region will be some of the most important factors in the person we become.
John Ames has lived almost the entirety of his life in the same place : the small town of Gilead, Iowa. When reading the novel, we get a rather clear sense of what kind of place this is, through the descriptions of the landscapes, as well as, if not more, through the descriptions of the other community members. The women of the church who brought him casserole after casserole before his second marriage, Boughton, his close friend, neighbor, and brother in their belief in the Lord, the wife we know very little of, yet feel much affection for, the son the letters are written to; these along with the deceased members of the community such as his father and grandfather, create a mosaic of small town life, much like any one we would picture in the mid-20th century. Not everyone has a car; John walks to the church to watch the dawn, rather frequently. The African-American population is non-existent, yet memories of an old church reoccur. Family is close, friends are close, and no one seems to be able to move on from the past.
So now we shall focus more on who John Ames is, from all of this. We all know, quite well that he is a religious, intellectual, and rather passive man, a perfect picture of someone’s grandfather. He requires some help, due to his age, but he is quite able bodied, in the ins and outs of daily life. He has learned this from his grandfather, who was a suborned old man, who took off to Kansas to die, many years after he took off to Kansas to “right the wrongs” of slavery. Though John does not agree with this path, he fails to see that the two share some similar characteristics, due to similar hard times growing up.
John seems to be very content with his married life, perhaps because it came so late in his life. He never speaks of how much he admired his mother and father, but rather of them separately. He has spent much of his life a widower, and watched Boughton live the life that he has wanted. This has been hard on John, but he has known not to even try not to “covet”, for he knows it is an emotion he can not control. He knows this because he is in the religious vocation, where he has studied such things.
John also seems rather preoccupied with making sure his son knows everything about his life before, and the family history, since he is quite sure that his wife will long outlive him. In a sense, this goes back to not letting the past go, as many small town folk often have this problem. Yes, family history is important, but when one can’t see past the bygone times to look into the future, the younger generations do not learn to adapt. In a sense, John could be looking forward by preparing his son a record of his own life, or is he looking back so much, on his past, that perhaps he is not helping his son as much as he wishes to.
What have we learned about John Ames and Gilead? We have learned that the home is where the heart is. John has grown old in this sleepy little town, which he calls it endearingly, and that his father and grandfather shaped his life greatly through their stories, sermons, and examples. We have learned that he is not ready to leave the small town, nor his family, which is so new to him. Gilead has had an enormous effect upon John Ames, and I believe it is crystal clear in the novel. There is even a quote recognizing so. “ We were very pious children, from pious households, in a fairly pious town, and this affected our behavior considerably”. And once we have all realized that place is so important, we can then focus on how we adjust to the world around us.
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