In All the Living, C.E. Morgan visibly contrasts Aloma’s two
main love interests, Orren and Bell. Orren is Aloma’s boyfriend; he is a farmer
who is described as “blue-eyed and common-faced” (Morgan 17), and he and Aloma
live together on Orren’s farm. Orren lacks the ability to positively express
his emotion, which causes the other love interest, Bell, to appear in Aloma’s
life. Bell is a pastor at the church where Aloma plays piano. Bell is described
as “a bigly proportioned man…[with] blackish curls” (Morgan 70), and he and
Aloma connect on a different emotional level than she and Orren do. These
differences are pushed forward by Morgan but undergirding all these differences
is their focus on the dead and not the living which causes them to be permanently
rooted in the Kentucky farmland of their heritage.
This connection to the past and the
land is shown through Orren early and often. For example, he refuses to move
into the nicer yet smaller house on the farm because that is where his mom and
brother lived before they died. This connection to the past also ties him into
the land; he will not let anyone else besides Aloma work on the farm until he
cannot possibly pick all the tobacco by himself. This is done based on pride
and not wanting to let the family down rather than being the most effective to
make the most money now. In one of the final scenes of the book, this
attachment to the land is put on display when “he looked out at the mountains
and his face eased up just barely,” (Morgan 197). Since Orren constantly shows
a lack of emotion, seeing this easing in his face allows the reader to see just
how he enjoys the land.
This
entrenching in the Kentucky farmland seen with Orren is highlighted by Bell as
well. In one scene, Bell takes Aloma up a hill to a graveyard next to a scenic
lookout over a holler surrounded by mountains. Bell comments “that’s about the
prettiest thing I ever saw in my life” (Morgan 140), to describe the overlook
that Aloma is simultaneously looking at it as something that’s “beauty was a
thing hard to stand,” (Morgan 140). Bell also derives his pastoral job from carrying
on the family legacy and replacing his dad at the post. These similarities in the pervasive mentality of the area crop
up throughout the book but are highlighted through the vivid descriptions of
the land and the character’s responses to that imagery.
I think that the difference in Bell and Orren’s ability to show emotions and communicate definitely drove Aloma to feel drawn to both in a conflicting way. Another one of the big juxtapositions that I saw between Bell and Orren was their relationship and perspectives when it comes to religion. I found this important because becoming involved with Bell’s church through her piano playing seemed to be somewhat of a turning point for Aloma because it gave her a sense of purpose and belonging. This brought her towards Bell because he was important at the church and had such a strong relationship with faith, which may be something that she was looking for because faith can bring hope. On the other hand, Orren consistently mocks her faith, which brings him about as far from Bell as possible. For example, Orren refuses to go to church, says he doesn’t find it important, and additionally tells Aloma she is being stupid when she implies that God will bring rain to the drought. I think that, while Aloma had strong feelings for Orren, she was feeling lost and the sense of faith Bell and the church brought to her gave her somewhere to belong. Had Orren been more open to communication and accepting of Aloma’s wants and needs, I think she may not have been drawn to Bell. However, Bell seemed to represent the parts of the relationship that Aloma was missing, which is likely why she was deceptive towards him and chose to continue a sort of relationship there.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with the comparisons made here; Bell and Orren seem to align and contrast simultaneously, they both love the land they live on and seem to be on autopilot as they struggle to find their own identity separate from their family that came before them. Their contrast is evident in their professions and their opposing attitudes towards life, but they seem to align in their respective ways that underlie the region they come from. This really helped spell out the way I was viewing Bell and Orren throughout the novel. I also thought it was interesting how the new house and the graveyard seemed to be symbols of how both Bell and Orren treasure those that have died, almost to a fault. In the end I was surprised with the marriage between Orren and Aloma because I thought for sure the novel was building up to Aloma leaving Orren for Bell. I think part of the reason Aloma did not want Bell was because while she enjoys playing piano at the church, I do not think she is truly religious and wants to sacrifice herself to the church like Bell has, and made evident in one of his sermons, "See, I gave up and submitted my own self, though I didn't want it, nobody wants it, nobody wants to be a slave" (79). I believe Aloma subconsciously hears this and realizes she does not want to submit to the church like the many people she was playing for had.
ReplyDeleteI find your insight on not only the obvious differences between the two but also their staggering similarities rooted in their desire to carry on the legacies of their families. I agree that the two are quite similar with their familial pride and believe their main differences between the two men is simply their location. Both men are farming the land their fathers left them and trying to live up to the history of their families but Orren is living at the farm which Aloma views as the place that takes everything from her. Aloma’s yearning for her piano is shown early upon her saying “… Sometimes when she found herself chopping vegetables at the counter, as the knife tapped home on the wood of the block; her ears caught at the rhythm, or she found herself humming a tune and her fingers jolted for an instant, wanting to stretch on the keys” (Morgan 38). Aloma’s clear need for a piano is met by Bell and his offer for Aloma to practice and play on Sundays at the church. In this way the church becomes Aloma’s reprieve, and further increases Aloma’s disdain for the farm. In this sense the men matter less, and their location takes precedent.
ReplyDeleteNoah,
ReplyDeleteI found it fascinating how you chose to highlight the differences between Orren and Bell. These two characters definitely display their emotions differently amidst their internal anguish. Interestingly, the same church hymn sung by Orren (96), impacts Bell later on when Aloma plays it on the piano at church. Another unique characteristic that Bell and Orren share is their strong personal ties to their own homes. Both Bell and Orren are emotionally attached to their places of origin, while Aloma has never had a legitimate place to call home. Although the region in which Aloma and Orren live in is highly religious, Orren has withdrawn from the church and possesses scorn for religion following the death of his family. Meanwhile, Bell uses religion as the primary source of internal salvation and gratitude for his life. I believe that Aloma is drawn to Bell because of his compelling sermons and humble mannerisms. Ultimately, Bell changes Aloma's life by being a source of happiness and strength for her. By allowing Aloma access to the piano, Aloma is able to get a much needed outlet from the stress she constantly deals with back at Orren's property. Also, Bell's religious ways provide a beacon of hope and positivity for Aloma, as Orren's personality is extremely grim for the majority of the novel.