“There was something about the thought of God being with me that made me feel more alone than ever. It was like being with Caroline.” (Paterson, 1980)
The novel, Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson, is set in the early 1940s on a fictional island of Rass in the Chesapeake Bay. The novel is narrated by Louise, and we as readers are privy to her innermost thoughts and struggles. Louise feels that she always falls short in comparison to her twin sister. Caroline’s pretty face combined with her musical talent makes her the darling of the town. While she basks in the attention showered on her, Louise is sidelined. As time goes by, Louise becomes embittered as she is repeatedly ignored, in favor of Caroline. She resents anyone, including her parents, who consciously or unconsciously treat them unequally. Turning her thoughts inward, Louise focuses on working hard and earning good pocket money. When her best friend Call quits his job to enlist in the armed forces, Louise takes on his work with her father. She loves the work, but her restlessness continues. Throughout the book we see good fortune visiting Caroline, while Louise is left behind, in danger of becoming a bitter, twisted adult. It requires a little prodding from Captain (an old gentleman) to re-evaluate her life choices. She realizes that to lead a life outside the shadow of her sister, it is essential that she figure out who she is and what she wants out of her life. At the end of the book, we see her making choices that help her discover her true essence.
The book talks about sibling rivalry, insecurities, frustration, anger, love, and disappointments; sentiments and feeling we all are familiar with. We all have been in Louise’s shoes. We have gone through phases where we have thought, we have been treated unfairly by our parents or by the people around us, or the times when we are unable to communicate our feelings or our hurt. I can see many young children identifying with her character. However, as a parent, I can see how some of her insecurities were only perceived in her mind. There were moments in the novel where my heart went out to Louise, and I was angry on her behalf, but there were times when I felt her anger to be unjustified. I loved reading this book, but I can see many who will be not impressed by it. The story is slow-paced, and the protagonist does come out as a whiney person at times. I also feel that a young reader may not be able to comprehend the core message of this book thoroughly. Even with all these minor hiccups, it is a great read. To characterize this book just as a book about sibling rivalry would be doing it a huge injustice. True, the book is about the complicated dynamics between siblings, but it is also a book about self-discovery, and about the courage it takes to carve out a niche for oneself.
“You can make your own chances. But first you have to know what you’re after, my dear.” (Paterson, 1980)
No comments:
Post a Comment