Fate verses Free Will
Okay, so if you've had Ms. Williams you know the argument. She claims that divine being or some kind of high power determine and influence human lives, and if you somehow manage to stray from this set path, "the gods will punish you". You, as the student, try the whole semester to prove her wrong, that humans choose their own destiny. In the end, the student always fails, and Ms. Williams comes out the victor. The same goes for Daughter of the Forest.
Continually, the reader fights to understand the battle between fate and free will. Although the reader knows the Fair Folk have a hand in the way things go, you never know to what extent. Several times when the Fair Folk intervene the reader believes that the Fair Folk are lending a hand to point Sorcha towards the right path. But, after they are gone, the reader switches back over to believe Sorcha makes her own way in life. Being such a stubborn girl, one just assumes she is making her own choices. But once Sorcha meets Red, Sorcha herself voices her questions to the reader. She, in fact, thinks the Fair Folk have placed a curse on Red to make him stay and protect her. Now that the heroine falters in her understanding of the world, the reader too questions the validity of free will.
In the end, the Fair Folk visit Sorcha one last time and say, "Your work for us is nearly finished. You have been strong. Almost too strong." Clearly, Sorcha was part of some greater plan, but by being "almost to strong", the Fair Folk imply that she had the power to choose her path. Once again the conflict of destiny arises. The author seems to be under the impression that the beginning and end are planned out but the middle remains open to debate.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Daughter of the Forest
Twice a year, on midsummer and midwinter's eve, six graceful swans turn back into human form between sunset and sunrise. These morphisms are the only times Sorcha can be with her brothers. Although she must remain silent, Sorcha has the capability to speak to Finbar, the strong-minded steadfast one, and Conor, the wise Druid, mind-to-mind. They can read each other's thoughts and feelings as they share a special bond apart from the other three brothers. The night after Sorcha was raped, Finbar spent his entire night as a human filling her mind with happy, fearless thoughts. The longer Finbar used his power, the weaker he became. Then, each time afterwards he changed form, his personality gradually dwindled. In the end, Finbar shifted from a (word that means seeking justice), well-spoken mediator into a silent, fearfully lost half-human.
Finbar is just one example of character growth in Daughter of the Forest. Sorcha and Simon also grew an exponential amount. However, many characters stayed the same, which made me wonder why those particular characters emotionally matured more than others. And it occurred to me that they gave the most of themselves for a cause that they believed most in. Sorcha sacrificed her world of safety and comfort to save her brothers; Simon wanted to prove his worth to the world; and Finbar struggled to to make the world a just place, a most formidable task on all their parts. My conclusion: the ones who give the most of themselves change the most with time. Experiences shape who you are. So, for example, if all your experiences revolve around giving yourself to others, you will become part of everyone you influence, which creates a stronger version of humanity. Those who generously give of themselves are the ones who most change the world.
Finbar is just one example of character growth in Daughter of the Forest. Sorcha and Simon also grew an exponential amount. However, many characters stayed the same, which made me wonder why those particular characters emotionally matured more than others. And it occurred to me that they gave the most of themselves for a cause that they believed most in. Sorcha sacrificed her world of safety and comfort to save her brothers; Simon wanted to prove his worth to the world; and Finbar struggled to to make the world a just place, a most formidable task on all their parts. My conclusion: the ones who give the most of themselves change the most with time. Experiences shape who you are. So, for example, if all your experiences revolve around giving yourself to others, you will become part of everyone you influence, which creates a stronger version of humanity. Those who generously give of themselves are the ones who most change the world.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Daughter of the Forest
It's funny how places you are least likely to go end up becoming a place of refuge. After Sorcha had been violated in the worst possible way and scared out of her mind, she fled from her woodsy setup with only a few materials to travel with, including her starwort shirts. Sorcha had jumped into a boat, let it drift down a river, fell overboard, and ended up being saved by a Britain, one of her father's greatest enemies. Lucky for her, instead of killing his captive, Red (nickname of the Britain) decided to keep Sorcha for some valuable information. Of course, Sorcha is bound to silence, so Red (being the uncharacteristically patient man that he is) made the decision to take Sorcha back home with him and wait until she is able to communicate to him what he needs to know.
So Sorcha, for the first time in her life, traveled across the ocean to Britain where she stays with Red in a town known as Harrowfield. Red, a.k.a Lord Hugh of Harrowfield, owns the town and, therefore, is able to protect Sorcha from any prejudice and threats the town may impose. For the time being, Sorcha finds herself out of her evil stepmother's reach and able to focus on completing her task of weaving shirts. Ironically, Sorcha has found a safe haven nestled deep in her enemy's lair.
So Sorcha, for the first time in her life, traveled across the ocean to Britain where she stays with Red in a town known as Harrowfield. Red, a.k.a Lord Hugh of Harrowfield, owns the town and, therefore, is able to protect Sorcha from any prejudice and threats the town may impose. For the time being, Sorcha finds herself out of her evil stepmother's reach and able to focus on completing her task of weaving shirts. Ironically, Sorcha has found a safe haven nestled deep in her enemy's lair.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Daughter of the Forest
Oh my goodness!!! Sorcha's journey has been announced, and it is not a pretty sight. Basically, the evil stepmother (how cliched) turned all six brothers into swans, which means two things. First, I was right in my prediction about some type of bird being prevalent in the book. Second, Sorcha's straight and narrow path has now been twisted into a roller coaster ride of unfathomable length. In order to turn her brothers back into human form, she must sew together one shirt for each brother made out of a poisonous, thorny plant that makes flesh burn and puss. She can have no help; all aspects of the shirt must be made through her sweat and tears, even the thread. Oh, and did I mention that Sorcha must remain silent the entire time? Not one sound may escape her lips until all completed shirts rest around the necks of each swan. If she utters one peep before time, her brothers will remain as swans forever, trapped in a world that knows only hunger, shelter, and fear.
Sorcha's willingness to comply, strength of character, and love of family remains unmatched in today's society. Do you know anyone today that would willingly give up speech for who-knows-how-many-years and torture him/her self by handling poisonous thorns in order to save their siblings. Think about it; no one is that selfless or loves that deeply. Most children today grow up fighting with their siblings instead of learning to work together and appreciate one another's strengths and weaknesses. Siblings are suppose to be a team that win together and fails together. Many of those "old-fashioned" courtesies have been forgotten. I vehemently believe that a strong bond between sisters or brothers makes life's difficulties much easier. In this case, Sorcha will be able to complete her task solely because the bond with her brothers is made of steel and reinforced everyday with love. Otherwise, she would fail.
Sorcha's willingness to comply, strength of character, and love of family remains unmatched in today's society. Do you know anyone today that would willingly give up speech for who-knows-how-many-years and torture him/her self by handling poisonous thorns in order to save their siblings. Think about it; no one is that selfless or loves that deeply. Most children today grow up fighting with their siblings instead of learning to work together and appreciate one another's strengths and weaknesses. Siblings are suppose to be a team that win together and fails together. Many of those "old-fashioned" courtesies have been forgotten. I vehemently believe that a strong bond between sisters or brothers makes life's difficulties much easier. In this case, Sorcha will be able to complete her task solely because the bond with her brothers is made of steel and reinforced everyday with love. Otherwise, she would fail.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Daughter of the Forest
Although Sorcha has not yet begun her destined journey, I can already see the prevalence of nature as a theme. But Sorcha's relationship with the forest she grows up in offers more than just the necessities of life. The religion of her people focuses on the giving and taking of nature. If you take wood from the tree for a fire, you give the tree a small token of thanks. In addition, nature provides protection from outsiders and offers the power of healing from it's leaves and roots. According to Sorcha, any outsiders who try to find their way through the surrounding trees, even if following a path, will surely wind up lost. Yet she and her brothers somehow always know their way. How mysterious. She attributes it to her heritage, but I think the author implies a more magical element to the story. I'll have to wait to find out if I'm right.
Although most of the nature theme is verbalized directly through Sorcha blatantly informing the reader and through her conversations with other characters, there also seems to be an underlying stream of nature references. Several metaphors have contained references to white, beating wings and flying, suggesting some sort of bird. I believe this may be some foreshadowing of what's to come, but I can't be sure.
Sorcha's family seems to be connected to nature in a variety of ways. On her mother's deathbed, Sorcha's brothers planted a tree, which apparently holds the mother's spirit, by a lake. Twice a year the children gather around the tree to reconnect with their mother and to remind themselves that they are all part of each other. Each child appears to represent some part of nature as well. Liam, the eldest, is the solid, steadfast leader- like an oak tree. Diarmond, the second born, is more flexible but just as strong- a willow tree. Comrack (one of the twins) is eager about everything in life and is extremely loyal, like his dog Linn. Conor, the other twin, is like the wind- everywhere at once but nowhere at the same time. He's the mystery; one cannot grasp his being; Conor is an entity of his own. Finbar, Sorcha's closest brother, is water. Unwavering, always flowing in one direction, Finbar does not falter from his sense of self. Piadric, the youngest brother, is like a bird- far fetching and will travel to great heights to reach his goal. Last, there is Sorcha. She is the sun. She lights the way for all brothers, shows them the truth in her own innocent eyes, and keeps everyone in sight of what's important in life. Combined, the seven children are unstoppable. They are nature.
Although most of the nature theme is verbalized directly through Sorcha blatantly informing the reader and through her conversations with other characters, there also seems to be an underlying stream of nature references. Several metaphors have contained references to white, beating wings and flying, suggesting some sort of bird. I believe this may be some foreshadowing of what's to come, but I can't be sure.
Sorcha's family seems to be connected to nature in a variety of ways. On her mother's deathbed, Sorcha's brothers planted a tree, which apparently holds the mother's spirit, by a lake. Twice a year the children gather around the tree to reconnect with their mother and to remind themselves that they are all part of each other. Each child appears to represent some part of nature as well. Liam, the eldest, is the solid, steadfast leader- like an oak tree. Diarmond, the second born, is more flexible but just as strong- a willow tree. Comrack (one of the twins) is eager about everything in life and is extremely loyal, like his dog Linn. Conor, the other twin, is like the wind- everywhere at once but nowhere at the same time. He's the mystery; one cannot grasp his being; Conor is an entity of his own. Finbar, Sorcha's closest brother, is water. Unwavering, always flowing in one direction, Finbar does not falter from his sense of self. Piadric, the youngest brother, is like a bird- far fetching and will travel to great heights to reach his goal. Last, there is Sorcha. She is the sun. She lights the way for all brothers, shows them the truth in her own innocent eyes, and keeps everyone in sight of what's important in life. Combined, the seven children are unstoppable. They are nature.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Daughter of the Forest
By Juliet Marillier Published: 2002
Who do you think is the intended audience? Does the author have a friendly, unfriendly, or some other type of relationship with the audience? Why?
Daughter of the Forest highlights the life of a thirteen year old Irish heroin by the name of Sorcha, who lives a time of unrest between the British and Irish noblemen. Sorcha tells her tale in a first-person narrative. Her brothers become your brothers; her fears become your fears; and her deep-seated pain becomes your pain. The reader almost infuses him/her self into Sorcha's mind so that the audience gains a deeply personal relationship with all of Sorcha's family, friends, and even enemies.
From what I've read so far, Sorcha is at that point in her life where she looks must younger in years than her mind is able to think. She is emotionally mature and mentally acute. However, she still remains naive in many life experiences, mainly due to her sheltered lifestyle. Her six brothers are always there to protect her, no matter what. Her first chance to prove herself came with healing a dangerously-close-to-death young man who had been tortured. Unfortunately, Sorcha was forced to leave before completely finishing her healing, which I think hindered her opportunity to prove her strength to her brothers. I get the feeling, though, that this novel will take the reader on Sorcha's long and ruff journey ahead full of self-discovery, courage, and strength. Because of the point of view and storyline, the audience must be intended for teenage girls who are trying to find themselves in a world full of protective defenders blocking all hints of danger. A true coming of age story.