In All
the Living, C. E. Morgan consistently emphasizes the juxtaposition of
suffering alone while surrounded by others throughout the entirety of the
novel. As the fate of the three main characters begin to intertwine amongst the
hidden small farms and sparsely populated back-country towns of sweltering
Appalachia, it becomes ever more apparent that life is undoubtedly comprised of
pain through which one must persist.Aloma’s character is introduced as someone who’s
already experienced affliction through absent parental figures, being renounced
by her remaining family and sent to a mission school, and lacking any sort of
education towards successful life skills. Until Orren, Aloma never had someone
who truly cared for her, even her aunt and uncle “cared in a middling,
impersonal way that instinctively reserved their best for their own” (Morgan,
12). Even though she does have remaining family, and attends a school with
other children, Aloma has always dealt with pain privately, like crying alone
into her bedroom pillow her first night at the mission school (Morgan, 12). But
through this lack of endearment, Aloma’s life is described in terms of
withstanding until she can reach her dream of becoming a professional pianist
and escaping the towering mountains of Kentucky.
Yet, even her aspirations of escape fall short in the form of Orren, where a once shiny relationship transgresses into a combative, mostly physical exchange that is no longer enjoyed, but endured, “she felt she did not know his face, this stranger, not at all, but also she did not care then” (Morgan, 109). While the two share the same bed, Morgan still emphasizes that they suffer apart. Aloma is left to grapple with her heated confusion over Orren’s distant behavior and her own future while confined to the big house. Orren spends his days tilling the Earth, attempting to keep his family’s farm in working condition, afraid to let the last remaining shrine of his familial bloodline succumb to the hot Kentucky sun.
It is within Orren, and even Bell’s characterization that Morgan reiterates no one’s life is free from pain - for everyone experiences death. Because of this one ultimate finality, life cannot be free from suffering. Orren pulls away from Aloma and buries himself into the farm, while Bell retreats from his congregation and mother. Aloma herself even experiences her first taste of death when Orren has to put down the newly mothering cow. While life will always be filled with torment, Morgan also seems to advocate for embracing such discomfort, “and it occurred to her then that he was the last one, he was the distillation of what had once been the complex and dilute lifeblood of a family. He was a family cut down to one” (Morgan, 122). Once Aloma understands Orren’s suffering from his point of view, the two are then able to reconcile and finally move forward together. Tto live means to suffer. And while the main characters originally suffer alone, their reconciliation allows them to view each other’s pain and finally move forward.
Yet, even her aspirations of escape fall short in the form of Orren, where a once shiny relationship transgresses into a combative, mostly physical exchange that is no longer enjoyed, but endured, “she felt she did not know his face, this stranger, not at all, but also she did not care then” (Morgan, 109). While the two share the same bed, Morgan still emphasizes that they suffer apart. Aloma is left to grapple with her heated confusion over Orren’s distant behavior and her own future while confined to the big house. Orren spends his days tilling the Earth, attempting to keep his family’s farm in working condition, afraid to let the last remaining shrine of his familial bloodline succumb to the hot Kentucky sun.
It is within Orren, and even Bell’s characterization that Morgan reiterates no one’s life is free from pain - for everyone experiences death. Because of this one ultimate finality, life cannot be free from suffering. Orren pulls away from Aloma and buries himself into the farm, while Bell retreats from his congregation and mother. Aloma herself even experiences her first taste of death when Orren has to put down the newly mothering cow. While life will always be filled with torment, Morgan also seems to advocate for embracing such discomfort, “and it occurred to her then that he was the last one, he was the distillation of what had once been the complex and dilute lifeblood of a family. He was a family cut down to one” (Morgan, 122). Once Aloma understands Orren’s suffering from his point of view, the two are then able to reconcile and finally move forward together. Tto live means to suffer. And while the main characters originally suffer alone, their reconciliation allows them to view each other’s pain and finally move forward.
Sophie,
ReplyDeleteYou did an excellent job with this post. This idea of isolated suffering despite being surrounded by others is a core theme of this book, and I think you perfectly captured that in your post. Something that instantly comes to mind for me when picturing a small town in a rural community is a sense that everyone knows each other, and there is a sense of unity. Oftentimes, there will be one church in the town that most, if not all, members of the community attend, and many people will have parents that also grew up together in that town.
One example in the book where this omnipotent knowledge is an inconvenience for Aloma is when she reveals to Bell that she is living at the Fenton residence without a tie of marriage (Morgan, 171). Through this small revelation, she loses the one person who may have closest with her. Through fears of being judged by the rest of her town, Aloma draws farther away from others in hopes that no one will know these deeper secrets about her life.
Aloma has created her definition of happiness, and this goal mixes both a career and education. The idea of suffering, as you noted, is inevitable while Aloma is “withstanding until she can reach her dream.” Your post does a great job of showing the contrast between one’s public image, protected and shielded, from the inner pain that one experiences when they are lacking something from their definition of happiness.
Sophie,
ReplyDeleteVery nicely written. I found your idea of suffering alone despite being surrounded by others to be both unique and interesting. There is certainly a great deal of suffering from numerous characters throughout the novel, and you did a nice job describing how the Aloma and Orren were able to grow closer through mutually sharing their pain. A symbolic moment that helped bond Aloma and Orren occurred when Aloma finally brought Orren to the spot on his property where the names of his parents were carved in the tree (199). After they briefly speak and return to the house, one can conclude that although Orren's grieving may not be over, he now has more support from Aloma and that the healing process is slowly improving. Prior to this moment, Aloma and Orren co-existed with a lack of understanding for one another. As a result, there was frequent tension and misunderstandings that arose from his grief. Every individual gives and suffers differently. Orren withheld his emotions and remained distant to Aloma for the majority of the novel. Towards the end, their relationship and his spirits gradually improved once Aloma began to understand how Orren chose to deal with his internal suffering.
Sophie,
ReplyDeleteUntil now, I hadn't previously considered the juxtaposition between feeling lonely while being constantly surrounded by others. However, I see it now to be a major theme from the book. Aloma and Orren live together, yet throughout the majority of the novel we see that their relationship is only surface level and lacks true understanding. Aloma suffers from trying to please Orren, yet not being able to communicate with him. When Aloma reveals to Bell that she is living with Orren while unmarried, she also suffers from the loss of their relationship. Orren suffers from the death of his family and new responsibility as caretaker of the farm. In his suffering, Orren withdraws from Aloma which leads to them both feeling lonely.
Aloma and Orren don’t begin to understand each other until the end of the book, but I believe that the ending leaves us with promise that their relationship is changing. Morgan writes, “Orren looked down at her” (199). I think that this symbolizes how they are finally beginning to see each other again. After that, Orren takes Aloma’s hand and they walk back to the house (199). The two of them walking together leads me to believe that they have reconciled and are no longer suffering alone. They are enduring the burden together and are going to repair their relationship so they no longer feel like strangers living together.
Sophie,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your statement about how Aloma and Orren suffer apart. They are very good representations of how people can both be struggling in their own ways, but can't quite grasp how to help others in that state. I wasn't too sure about their relationship ever being a shiny one. To me, it seemed like it was the sort of relationship that you would just get into because it is what people expect at that age and it gives you something to do. I felt that from their first interactions, they did not have a perfect relationship. Even from their first time sleeping together, it felt like this was a relationship that was not bound to last, “The goal was not Orren himself, though she wanted him; it was something that she could strive for only through the striving of his body, his body which she held inside her, accepting it sometimes hurting and sometimes not.” (Morgan, 20-21) It was as if she felt like she was supposed to be having sex and be with someone, like it was some sort of requirement for people her age. Their relationship always seemed like it was more out of boredom than actual love and interest.