Throughout the novel, Aloma constantly
seeks to escape her surroundings. Her only desire is to play the piano, a skill
she cultivated through her mission education. Despite seemingly being a talent
that brings joy to her world, her education in the art of piano compels her to
a life of frustration, one which she will never escape. Aloma had “exhausted
all the piano the school could offer and she was sent twice to a woman in
Perryville,” (14). Her talent was apparent in her time at school, but she is
never able to capitalize on an opportunity to advance her life into the real
world. “After all that dreaming, when her final year arrived, she stared down
her future with an unblinking eye. She had no money, no people to speak of …she
agreed [to stay on staff], because she had nowhere else to go and no way to get
there” (15). From the earliest points in the novel, Aloma expresses an intense
desire to further her education as a piano student. In fact, she feels most comfortable
at the keys, but she simply has no way to use these skills to escape her life
in Kentucky.
Even if leaving her home would have been impossible
with her education, her skills still frustrate her as she lives her life with
Orren. While the prospect of marriage to Orren initially sounds appealing to
her, life on the farm proves to provide her with nothing she truly wants. Morgan
writes, “I want to not be murdered by birds! I want somebody to show me how to
cook something! And I want to play piano again! I want a piano that work, one that’s
not ruined!” (58). Aloma’s requests are simple, yet Orren proves incapable of
truly providing the thing she wants. She is unable to utilize the education that
she earned with the mission, and she therefore spends most of her time
frustrated by this. Her frustration is compounded with her lack of resources to
do anything other than play the piano; she becomes wholly dependent on Orren to
sustain her life.
Though a good portion of the novel
centers around Aloma’s desire to return to playing the novel, Aloma is finally
able to accomplish this through Orren’s suggestion to play for the church. This
initially proves to be sufficient for her, as “she had not played in well over
a month, but she did not hesitate, she felt nothing but eagerness,” (72). Aloma
most likely would have been satisfied with playing the piano twice a week at
the church, but her passion and opportunity to play the piano is complicated by
her connection with Bell. Aloma knows she cannot explore her feelings for Bell
since he is a religious man, and her time playing the piano comes to an end
when he fires her from her position as pianist of the church. Morgan writes, “I’ll
go, she [Aloma] said quietly, finding her voice, surprised that it didn’t
tremble” (172). Her sole opportunity to capitalize on her education and begin
to cultivate a real-world experience falls apart in a moment. In the end, Aloma
is unable to fight for the instrument that she loves and is relegated to her
role as housewife on the farm.
Aloma’s education on how to play the piano
only serves to frustrate her. She never meets a man who maintains his piano,
and she loses her only opportunity to practice her skills. Aloma, by the end of
the novel, has no choice other than to marry Orren, as her education will never
help her escape her lackluster life.
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