Insanity in A Whisper in the Dark

A Whisper in the Dark conveys new meaning in the concept of insanity. Because the story is narrated through Sybil’s eyes, the reader is not able to get a full, coherent picture of the story as it is unfolding. The story has an added element of chaos that I found very intriguing as I read. As Sybil grows madder and madder during her forced stay in the insane asylum, the story also becomes more and more bizarre. As I took a step back during the reading I wondered if the events were truly playing out in the same uncanny fashion described, or if Sybil’s perception of reality was indeed skewed and affecting the plotline. Her depictions of “a ghostly hand [that] emerged and beckoned” in the middle of the night seems to be a bit farfetched (234). The strange descriptions of her surroundings are also coupled with interjections she makes about her “health was going, [her] mind growing confused and weak” (235). These statements about her inevitable madness almost act as a plea for the reader to believe that she is still lucid enough to recognize her twisted fate playing out in front of her.

The fact that Sybil’s mother is residing in the room above her at the same insane asylum not only plays into the reoccurring theme of coincidences but also adds a new dynamic to the mother-daughter relationships we have seen thus far. The letter that her mother writes instructs her to “leave this accursed house while you have the power to do it” (238). I thought that it was very symbolic to see Sybil’s mother reaching out to her in an attempt to save her child even though she was unaware of her identity. It showed that same important ideal of mother’s protecting their children.

Uncle Tom's Cabin

As I read Uncle Tom’s Cabin it became apparent to me that the children throughout the story served a dual purpose: to demonstrate to the readers the horrors and afflictions that parents feel when their children are ripped away from them and also as the classic symbol of hope. Their role as a symbol of hope is presented differently than the other readings we have completed because the hope lies in the parent’s desires to not be sold away from one another. When Eliza makes it to the Birds home and falls asleep, her determination to cling to her child is evident as the texts describes how “her arm encircled him with an unrelaxing clasp, as if she could not even then be beguiled of her vigilant hold” (278). It is clear that her hope lies in the well-being of her child and staying united with him.

In the MacLeod reading it discussed how fiction of this time was a reflection of “hopes for the future” but “hope was shaded by anxiety- and the juvenile stories carried doubtful messages” (93). I think that Uncle Tom’s Cabin mirrors these assumptions in a very real way. The depiction of children as sweet and innocent juveniles is tainted by the fact that they are experiencing horrors unimaginable to us as a society today. It is inconceivable to imagine the desperation described when George is telling Mr. Wilson of his mother watching her children “sold before her eyes, one by one, all to different master” (308). All the hope that this woman had to look to was her children staying with her but that was stripped from her.

It is horrifying to think of this story as a didactic tool for children because it is exposing them to such hideous aspects of human kind. Although we saw the same scenario of Ellen being torn away from her parents and experiencing similar heartbreak, the two situations differ completely in the overall turn out. The Wide, Wide World used strangers as a symbol of goodness and helpfulness, whereas this story does not seem to demonstrate the same benevolence of the strangers who are slave traders.

Foreshadowing in The Hidden Hand

As I was reading I found there was foreshadowing sprinkled throughout the story that added an entirely new element of intensity. The subtle hints that were dropped clued me in that an epic scene was about to take place, yet I could not foresee the magnitude of the drama about to unfold.

As Old Hurricane is offering graciously to send Herbert’s friend, Traverse, to college and to give a fortune to the “poor widow,” Capitola interjects “you’ll marry her yourself, as a reward; wont you, unlce?” (186) At first glance this interruption from Capitola seems merely to be a child excitedly trying to push her way into the conversation; although, as the story continues it is apparent that Southworth was hinting at their previous marriage.

After all of the arrangements have been made and everyone is quite thrilled with the new charitable plans, Capitola again foreshadows the treacherous events to come when she tells Old Hurricane “you know you never once asked Herbert the name of the widow you are going to befriend, and he never told you” (187). At this point it is very clear that there must be some previous acquaintance with the fateful people.

When Herbert rides into town like a hero to bear the wonderful and life altering news, there is yet again another instance of foreshadowing. Marah Rocke listened “as pale as death and trembling all over” as Herbert divulged the wonderful news about his long lost uncle (194). I found this strange that she would be trembling in such a manner since she was so desperate for money. When she finally asked if Herbert was sure that Old Hurricane knew who they were I knew that there had to be a twisted past incorporated into the plot line. The foreshadowing served as a tool to build the reader’s anticipation. I believe that it aided in the excitement of the story and built an air of anxiety.

Gerty and Anna

The contemporary little girl on the show shared many of the same unique qualities as Gerty. First of all, I found it very interesting that Anna struck the “lion” pose in yoga when something was troubling her. This image reminded me of Susanna Cummin’s depiction of Gerty when she is throwing a fit in the street after Nan Grant boils her kitten. Gerty is described as “uttering a succession of piercing shrieks, until she quite exhausted her strength” (p 91). Although the approaches the two children take in grieving are starkly different, the underlying image of a lion is quite similar.

I also thought Anna and Gerty were analogous in the technique of “blanking” their minds when things were difficult for them. Anna’s meditation and relaxation mirrored Gerty’s approach of retreating to the wood-yard in an effort to clear her mind. It was her “haven of rest, her sanctum” in which she could find peace and forget her woes for a short period of time when the world seemed too tough for her (p 84).

When asked to share advice about how girls should be themselves, Anna explains that girls need to be themselves and not change in an effort to win friends. I think that Gerty would have a similar outlook if asked that same question on the show; however, I think she would have more resentment and bitterness built up in her response. True recognized “that the fire of her little spirit was not quenched or its evil propensities extinguished” (p 127). Because Gerty experienced trauma with other children throughout the story, she might retort with a more forceful and tart answer than Anna. The children who taunted her and called True “Old Smutty” really affected Gerty to the point of her wanting to fight them (p 146). I think that Gerty would have brought up this incident on the show and would have told Amy Poehler that girls should stick up for the ones that they love and admire.