Having read Jen's post I am very interested for our discussion tomorrow to see if other people had the same reaction to the book as she did. The reason I am so interested is because the book had very little impact on me.
Now before you all think I'm some sort of evil monster please remember that it is just a book, not the real thing.
I see how most people could be affected by the events that occurred in the book. However, the one thing that would make most people be even more astonished at the events is the one thing that serves to detach me even more.
Most of you, I assume, will feel that since the work was being done in order to "help" all of the alien bodies that it is even more offensive that Santos was abused in this way. I believe that in many ways missionaries do bring this sort of thing on themselves. I feel that it is abusive to try to force your beliefs on another society like the Jesuits did in the book. Now this by no way justifies what was done but it does lead to motive. This is not some new thing. Missionaries throughout history have had horrible things done to them because if you go to a society and begin saying that everything they have ever believed is wrong and you start trying to make them change, they are likely to respond negatively.
The fact that this occurred with an alien population reinforces the point even more. Not only was it someone with a different set of beliefs that was trying to change their way of life, it was a completely alien creature that had no way to properly understand each other.
To me the most touching part of the narrative is when he actually began to question his beliefs. I know most people would think that is a tragedy that he lost his faith. I think that questioning is the best thing he could possibly have done. It is horrible that he had to undergo those experiences to cause him to question but it is good that he stopped to seriously consider what it is he believed.
I know most of you are probably going to give me looks of sheer horror when I see you all tomorrow but I'm just fine with that.
5 comments:
>>Not only was it someone with a different set of beliefs that was trying to change their way of life, it was a completely alien creature that had no way to properly understand each other.<<
Perhaps it is because this book so resonated with me, but I am forced to disagree strongly with the sentiments voiced in the above quote. I can point to all sorts of evidence tomorrow in class if you'd like, but at no point did the Jesuit party ever try to force its beliefs upon the Runa - they merely observed and learned and then observed some more. The point when they planted the gardens caused many, many problems for both humans and aliens, but they were not malicious in this endeavor - at the same time, no one needs to post here and remind me that the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
I also feel as though they did have a fairly unlikely way to understand each other - Sandoz and his linguistic abilities. I accepted the speed with which he picked up much of the language as part of the story, but it did bother me a bit that they learned to speak so quickly (although the Runa having a class/sub-species specifically bred for translation was a clever and necessary way to make it work within the plot).
I suppose I must ask: you weren't bothered one bit when he full body-checked Askama into a wall and listened to her happily report to her unlikely killer that she had brought his family, because she found them for him? Thats a fairly moving passage, within the context of the story. That said, I respect your opinion on the matter fully; just know that it was one of the things that bothered me a lot about this novel
-Mike
I won’t give you hateful looks, and concerning your post and this book I have mixed feelings. I agree with Mike that at no time during their stay on the planet did I get the impression that they were acting like missionaries, in fact they were indeed more like scientists: curious, ready to learn, and just trying to understand. I feel like the religious context only came in on a personal level, especially with Emilio. But I will agree with you that the questioning of his fate was where I think the book was really powerful. When I first realized (in the prologue) that this book will have a very thick Christian overtone, I literally groaned and had to force myself to keep reading. I don’t know why organized religion calls out such a negative response from me, but in large I think it has a lot with a view that you seem to share in your post, because many religions, Christianity being one of the main ones, seem to want to push their believes on others and I just believe in general that people twist religion. So in the end when Emilio felt betrayed by God, I found it ironic, because that is one of the main issues I have with religion, Anne brings up this point more than once, God is always thanked but never blamed…and in the end on page 401 when the Father General told that story saying that God is basically a loving creator worrying and watching from the side lines, by that point I was like “are you kidding me?” So in the end Tim I share some of your frustration, but the book also did move me to an extent, although not as much as it affected Jen.
From page 114:
"There is simply no alternative. We have to know them."
I won't give you dirty looks Tim. I actually agree with you.
Dirty looks? Nah. Your detachment is what I usually feel with books so no horror is felt on my end. Interesting ideas, Tim.
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