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First Light
Schoolteacher Marcy Betters returns to Georgia to look after her mother, a religious fundamentalist and keeper of secrets, hoping to discover the truth about her dead father and beloved uncle. (Nancy Pearl)
- GenresFiction
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1985
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May 3, 2023
Different themes in this book. The one that stood out for me was religion. I have heard it being said that it is the opium of the masses. I will not belabor the point. I sought this book so as to understand certain aspects about life. They say every village has its own simpletons. Well, maybe! I cannot remember the names of all the characters. However, I remember the rift that existed between the main character, Marcy Betters and her mother. It was due to their outlook of life and what should guide it. Mother and daughter were at war. The latter, a PhD student fresh from school, the former her sickly mother.
To the educated, religion has lost its creative sparks. The gods have become no more than poetic motifs or ornaments for decorating human solitude and walls. yet, when most of them were kids, they were told tales, by their parents and grandparents about God who became man and was born in a stable. They believed these tales till they grew beards on their chins. That is when they dropped those old beliefs. They laughed at themselves for being such simpletons in the first place. But then old age came. They became soft and again started embracing those things which they shunned and despised.
Man is a mystery and life is a mystery. We want liberty to have passions, whether it is in books or in pieces of Gold. At the same time, we also want to conquer our passions and throw the treasures to the four winds. But, once you free yourself from one passion, you will be dominated by another one. May be more nobler than the previous one, who knows! Confucius says: 'Many seek happiness higher than man; others beneath him. But happiness is the same height as man'. There must be happiness to suit every man's stature. We anxiously measure it and measure it again, to find out what our stature is. One simpleton when asked 'how do you spend your day?' She answered,
I really liked that answer. Who says simpletons are ignorant?
To the educated, religion has lost its creative sparks. The gods have become no more than poetic motifs or ornaments for decorating human solitude and walls. yet, when most of them were kids, they were told tales, by their parents and grandparents about God who became man and was born in a stable. They believed these tales till they grew beards on their chins. That is when they dropped those old beliefs. They laughed at themselves for being such simpletons in the first place. But then old age came. They became soft and again started embracing those things which they shunned and despised.
Man is a mystery and life is a mystery. We want liberty to have passions, whether it is in books or in pieces of Gold. At the same time, we also want to conquer our passions and throw the treasures to the four winds. But, once you free yourself from one passion, you will be dominated by another one. May be more nobler than the previous one, who knows! Confucius says: 'Many seek happiness higher than man; others beneath him. But happiness is the same height as man'. There must be happiness to suit every man's stature. We anxiously measure it and measure it again, to find out what our stature is. One simpleton when asked 'how do you spend your day?' She answered,
How d'you think? I live like a lord! I wake in the morning, I eat a crust. Then I do odd jobs for people, anywhere, anything. I run errands, cart manure, collect horse-dung, and I've got a fishing rod. I live with my aunt, mother Lenio, the professional mourner. You are bound to know her, everybody does. She's even been photographed. In the evening I go back home, drink a bowl of soup and a drop of wine, if there is any. If there isn't, I drink enough of God's water to make my belly swell like a drum. Then, good night!
I really liked that answer. Who says simpletons are ignorant?
Displaying 1 of 1 review