In chapter 18, when Nomi is speaking about Tash's sins and the conversation Tash and Trudie had right before Tash "had freed herself" (147), Nomi mentions a list of books the Tash reads: The Prophet, Siddhartha, and Tropic of Cancer. I want to explore some of the contents of those books and why those titles are significant to the larger themes of sin, language and abandonment in A Complicated Kindness.
The Prophet
Originally published in 1923, The Prophet is a book of 26 prose poems written by Lebanese artist, philosopher and writer Kahlil Gibran. The book details Gibran's understanding of topics such as love, marriage, children, prayer, pleasure, self-knowledge, pain, beauty, religion, death and more. On a surface level, the book is not Christian or Mennonite and as such could be named a "sin." But on another level, the book is a written account of philosophy and religion in a community that values the oral over the written word. Furthermore, Tash's reading of these books is accompanied by her abandonment of her family. Something is "killing her" and she leaves as a result. Although there is not an explicit connection, the proximity of Nomi naming these books and Tash's leaving requires the reader to ask of what importance these books are to Tash. The Prophet names a sort of departure from Mennonite values and practices into a more spiritual world, not one tied down by rigidity and rules.
Siddhartha
Siddhartha was published in 1921 and written by Herman Hesse. The book was originally written in German and details the spiritual journey of a man named Siddhartha during the time of Gautama Buddha. Much like The Prophet, on a surface level, Siddhartha features religious thought and practice that is not Christian or Mennonite. It also details a journey, which is significant for Tash and her departure. The language of this novel is also significant because the original text was written in German. Throughout the text, we see Nomi struggle with naming and understanding her "mother tongue," Plautdietsch. Here, we have Tash reading a book originally written in German (though we do not know if she is reading it in English or German) right before she abandons Nomi. In this sense, Nomi is almost betrayed by her own tongue, which she attempts to reconcile throughout the novel.
Tropic of Cancer
Tropic of Cancer was written by Henry Miller in 1934. The book faced obscenity trials in the United States for its pornographic content. This book is clearly heretical to this group of conservative Mennonites, but also represents an important aspect of Tash's abandonment. Because Tash leaves with Ian, it is clear that she will "free" herself, sexually and otherwise.
Great job on starting a glossary of literary references in "A Complicated Kindness." You aptly point out that two of these books are about a spiritual pilgrimage that extends beyond the bounds of Christianity. (My Mennonite mother gave me "The Prophet" when I was a teenager. We're not all narrow-minded;-)) You're right that Hesse was a German spiritual seeker--great connection detail with ACK. Hesse actually grew up in a very evangelical town in Germany, Calw, which he left as soon as he could, so he has that in common with Tash as well. Haven't read all of "Tropic . . ." but enough to know that sexual liberation (at least from the male perspective), which fits Tash's leaving with Ian. Great job on following up on references here that enhance our reading of the novel.
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting information that adds to my understanding of Tash's leaving. Knowing that the books she was reading depict types of spirituality unrelated to Christianity gives me an idea of her mindset, thinking that there is some type of God figure and that spirituality is valuable, just not the type she was getting in East Town. This actually makes more sense to me and allows me to see Tash with more depth, noting her searching for the truth in this way. I wonder what surprises a full research into the literature and pop references would hold for the depth of the book!
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