While reading PHPR I saw a very distinct similarity between Miranda’s thought process and Granny Weatherall’s thought process. Both characters become less aware of time, see people in the room almost float around them, and are almost in a delirious state “babbling nonsense”. In addition to this I found that Porter became focused on the disintegration of Miranda’s body. Here are some examples:
“The body is a curious monster, no place to live in” (313).
“[Miranda was] no longer aware of the members of her own body” (310).
“…she opened her eyes and saw pale light through a course white cloth over her face, knew that the smell of death was her own body, and struggled to lift her hand” (312).
I wonder why Porter chooses to focus on the loss of Miranda’s bodily functions. I think this work relates to some of Flannery O’Conner’s works which also focus on this loss.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I found another great quote:
"Pain returned, a terrible compelling pain running through her veins like heavy fire, the stench of corruption filled her nostrils, the sweetish sickening smell of rotting flesh and pus" (312).
This quote is especially graphic and uses sensory images to enhance the sense of rotting of the body. I know that O'Connor is the one who suffered from Lupus, however, I cannot help but think of the similarity of this slow paralysis that Miranda endures and the loss that O'Connor might have endured. Am I stretchig this idea too far??
I was thinking the same thing too. The only difference was, I didn't think Miranda was going to die, whereas I knew Granny was. However, Miranda kind of "dies" and then comes back to life. Maybe Porter is commenting on death in this way: that returning from death is worse because nothing will ever be the same. Even if her sweetheart hadn't died, I think she would have still had the same outlook because her entire body and thought process changed.
There is definitely more to the story to the psychological changes in Miranda and I think you are on to something in looking into how the body may be the cause.
I was thinking about this too - specifically when "Granny lay curled dow with herself, amazed and watchful, staring at the point of light that was herself" (89).
For Miranda, "all notions of the mind, the reasonable inquiries of doubt, all ties of blood and the desires of the heart, dissolved and fell away from her, and there remained of her only a minute fiercely burning particle of being that knew itself alone, that relied upon nothing beyond itself for its strength" (310)
The similarities between the sickness scenes are perhaps a result of Porter's ear-death experience surviving the real flu epidemic?
I would agree that Miranda definitely experiences a loss of body within PHPR. This is a great observation on your part. I am interested to see if this loss of body that Miranda experience could be related to the idea of self-actualization. Would you say that in loosing her body, Miranda becomes more aware of her self as a spiritual entity? How would Freud interpret Miranda's emotional and spiritual journey within PHPR? In the beginning of the story, Miranda is going on a journey via horseback to an undisclosed destination. This journey seems symbolic and foreshadowing of a journey towards self-actualization. This may be a stretch, but I find the concept interesting nonetheless.
Post a Comment