I have a couple things that interest me about this passage. One thing I found very insteresting about the novel was the title and the correlation between it and Old Hurricane's name. I think the Hidden Hand stands for the hand of God. I also think that God is represented by Old Hurricane in the story. In the story Capitola asks, "Poor dear,old genteleman! I wonder where his keeper is? (178)" I think, possibly wrongly, that he does not have a keeper because he is the figure of God. God does not have a father because he is the father of all living creation. Another time that I felt like Old Hurricane was alluded to as God was page 178-180 when Capitola was being tried for dressing up as a little boy. Old Hurricane stands up for her a bunch before he even knew that her name was Capitola. He says, "Girl, is she, sir? Then, demmy, sir, whether a girl in boy's clothes or men's clothes, or soldiers clothes, or sailor's clothes, or any clothes, or no clothes, sir, treat her with the delicacy due to womanhood, sir! (179)" What I like about this quote is that he stands up for Capitola before he even knows that she is of interest to him. He loved her before he knew she was his possession. This is like God because God loves all things even when they are no benefit to himself.
In addition I found that there was some spiritual imagery in the novel. When the old dying lady is telling her story, she says, "We went down, and down and down, and lower and lower until we got right down in the bottom of that hollow" (166). This seems kind of fantastic because rarely do we ever find a place that one is constantly travelling downward towards. And because it is so low it seems like they are travelling into the pits of hell. Another time of dark spiritual imagery use is when, "There was an awful abyss or chasm of cleft, torn and jagged rocks opening, as it were, from the bowels of the earth...in the bottom of which, almost invisible from its great depths, seethed and boiled a mass of dark water... This terrific phenomenon was called the Devil's Punch Bowl" (163). I think maybe the reason for this imagery is that it helps to contrast the good from the bad.
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I loved how you reflected on the religious aspect of the novel because it seemed that this novel, unlike the many we have read prior, had no affiliation to God. I did not pick up on the idea that Old Hurricane might be God but through reading your analysis it makes sense. I enjoyed the quotes that you used to support this idea of Old Hurricane as God. It is true, God "loves all things even when they are no benefit to himself" and the quote you used to support this idea really fits and ties ito this idea. I also enjoyed how you viewed this novel from a spiritual aspect as well. I agree with this very much so and too think that much of the imagery was a way to contrast the good from the bad. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! I was connecting the title with God as well but the way you have connected it is very good. I especially liked your imagery thoughts with the Devil's Punch Bowl, I hadn't gotten that far yet. I really liked the imagery though. You put a new spin on the story!
ReplyDeleteI find it really interesting how you talked about the religious aspect. I had never really thought about it in this novel, because it didn't seem as evident in this one as in the other books. But i definitely see how you connected the hidden hand to the hand of god. great job!
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