Marguerite Duras: The War

-

 Word Count: 581

From The War by Marguerite Duras

“He was taking the liberty of exercising the right to forgive and absolve there and then, right away, without any knowledge of the hatred that filled everyone, a hatred terrible yet pleasant, consoling, like a belief in God” (237).

“My identity has gone. I'm just she who is afraid when she wakes. She who wills in his stead, for him. I exist in that will, that desire, and even when Robert L. is at death's door it's inexpressibly strong because he is still alive … But now there is hope and pain is implanted in hope. Sometimes I'm amazed I don't die; a cold blade plunged deep into the living flesh, night and day, and you survive” (244).

Marguerite Duras was a very strong woman who seemed to be very in tune with herself and her emotions. However, her story describes both the emotional, and physical toll of war. She is constantly worried about Robert L, first about if he was alive and then about if he would survive and that hurt her in so many ways. She says that as Robert was recovering, her health was going downhill. The worry and fear for Robert caused her to not eat or sleep, so much that Robert's doctors were also worried about her. But more than that the emotional toll that the whole situation took on her was great. Marguerite waited and waited for any sort of news of Robert for so long with no hope and yet she still went back to the station consistently. Finally when she was given news, she had to wait until they got back to her house from Germany and when they did, seeing Robert in his state was extremely hard for her. In fact the way that he looked made her almost see him as less than human, as an ‘it’, as a body that was no longer the person she knew. As Robert was physically recovering, he was so focused on his food and health that Marguerite felt as though he didn't see her, that he’d forgotten because of the amount of pleasure he took in eating. Even after all of this, Robert was happy, which confused her. In fact D even says, “I’m ringing to warn you that it's more terrible than anything we’ve imagined … He’s happy” (239). 

War takes a toll on all involved, women, children, soldiers, the elderly and it is easy for those to blame everything on the enemy like the women blamed the German orphan. But Marguerite says, “[The priest] was taking the liberty of exercising the right to forgive and absolve there and then, right away, without any knowledge of the hatred that filled everyone, a hatred terrible yet pleasant, consoling, like a belief in God” (237). This hatred towards the orphan was therapeutic because having someone to blame acts as a buffer of emotions. A scapegoat when provided makes people believe they have some control in a situation that they have no control in, especially when it is combined with the horror of losing a loved one or seeing them reduced to skin and bone. War is already an emotionally charged time, and this scapegoat idea, Marguerite sees as unhelpful, since she says the priest is right, and recognizes that this only causes more hurt. What Marguerite does here is not place blame on others and instead focus on her loved one being there with her, even if it does take that toll on her more.


Comments

  1. Christopher ThiryFebruary 20, 2023 at 7:23 AM

    I see a lot of value in focusing energy on love and forgiving others as the priest does. In everyday life it is good practice to exercise this mindset, though it is often challenging. However challenging it may be, it cannot compare to forgiving as the priest does in a situation so horrific. Not only is this part of the story a standout example of a flower blooming in a dark room, but it also acts as a valuable life lesson.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rachel AntonMarch 3, 2023 at 2:06 AM

    It is really sad the different tolls that war can take on a person. Forgiveness is definitely the key to healing in most cases, but that can be hard for some. It was really brave that Marguerite was able and willing to not only forgive, but also to not shift blame or lose sight in her loved one.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Emilie Carles: A Life of her Own

-
  Word Count: 475 From A Life of her Own by Emilie Carles “The idea of anyone else making my decisions for me was revolting, and I was not at a loss for arguments” (89). “I know we could have demanded compensation, but neither Jean nor I had the heart to take the necessary steps; we both thought it was better not to look back [...] life was stronger than all the rest” (93). “When there are children, no matter what you do, it's always the woman who knocks herself out” (101) “The dead must not prevent those who are alive from living” (107) Emilie is the first woman we have discussed that lived the societal standard through marriage and children, however that does not mean that she wasn't fighting some of these standards. When Jean came to ask for permission to marry Emilie, her family did not like the idea. The biggest concern for Emilie’s family was that Jean had no money or possessions and during that time the man was supposed to provide in a relationship. In fact, Jean calls...
Read more

Onnie Lee Logan: Motherwit

-
  Word Count: 648 From Motherwit by Onnie Lee Logan “So one morning befo’ day I woke up, somethin told me in my sleep. Next time you have yo’ white babies, get the blue-sealed Vaseline and rub it around their lil eyes real good befo’ you put the silver nitrate in” (494-5). “So I’m lettin out one a my secrets. I don't want to bury em. There’s so much that I don't want to die with. Not sharing it with somebody. That's what give me the idea to do a book because I have so much experience in here that I want to explode. I was not taught to do that. God give that to me” (487). “And that is I'm with my patients at all times with a smile and keepin her feelin good with kind words … Most of the doctors when they do say somethin to em its so harsh … Some of em say that if they wasn't strapped down there they would get down and come home. Alot of women are left totally alone. And plenty of em have had their babies right by themselves” (485). It is very obvious that Onnie is ...
Read more

Nina Berberova: The Italics Are Mine

-
  Word Count: 541 From The Italics Are Mine by Nina Berberova “I now see a kind of compensation for what I lacked as a girl. I sought not only the profession itself, but the act of choosing it, that act of conscious decision” (69). “The realization of my first strong desire to choose, to decide, to find, to move myself consciously in a chosen direction gave me for my whole life, as I now see it, a feeling of victory not over someone else but over myself, not bestowed from on high but personally acquired” (69). This story is a look at Nina Berverova’s childhood through the lens of her older self. Through this lens we get to see a more accurate assessment of her motivations as a child. The most interesting connection to me is the idea of her obsession over choosing a career being based in the idea that she had felt trapped as a child and felt she could not make her own decisions. Nina wanted to decide her future career as a child because she wanted to have something in her life t...
Read more