Themes and Motifs in "He"

I am interested in looking at the narrative point of view in KAP's "He" and how that effects the reader's perspective. "He" is narrated from the point of view of Mrs. Whipple, He's mother. However, the story is about He. Due to his disabilities, He is mute and therefore, silent. Silence is a common motif in KAP's as well as O'Connor"s works. The fact that the story is narrated through the eyes of the protagonist, Mrs. Whipple amplifies the extent to which she IS a protagonist. As the story progresses we learn that He, despite what others may think, has cognitive abilities and can comprehend what is going on around him, although he may not be in direct dialogue with his surroundings.

Another thing I noticed within "He" was the various implications the title "He" may hold. Not only is "He" the title of the story, but also the name of the son. The use of the capital H in He has definite religious implications. In combination with Mrs. Whipple's desire to be held in high esteem by her neighbors, I found ties to Calvinism and the idea of being "elect." In Calvanism (as well as Puritanism and Protestantism) work ethic was held in high esteem. Weber, in his essay "The Protestant Ethic" states,

For everyone without exception God’s Providence has prepared a calling, which he
should profess and in which he should labour. And this calling is not, as it was for the
Lutheran, a fate to which he must submit and which he must make the best of, but
God’s commandment to the individual to work for divine glory
(Weber 160).

As demonstrated by the quote above, Puritans believed that each individual had a prescribed calling in which he should work diligently. The diligent work of the Puritan individual would not only bring glory to God in this world, but would also display his status as “elect” in the next to the members of his community. In his essay, Weber, in regards to the Protestant work ethic states, “The emphasis on the ascetic importance of a fixed calling provided an ethical justification of the modern specialized division of labour” (163). In turn, this ethical justification for the specialized division of labor gave rise to the spirit of capitalism. Regarding the spirit of capitalism, Weber states, “The idea of a man’s duty to his possessions, to which he subordinates himself as an obedient steward, or even as an acquisitive machine, bears with chilling weight on his life” (170). Ellwood Johnson, in the Goodly Word, asserts that this linear and acquisitive mentality associated with the Puritan lifestyle manifested as the pursuit of power. The more power a man yielded, in comparison to his neighbors, the more accountable, and therefore closer, he was to God. Therefore, Mrs. Whipple's desire for material goods implies that she wishes to be seen as, "elect," and therefore, close to God. However, I feel that this story has didactic implications in that, He is symbolic of God. Thus, Mrs. Whipple, in her pursuit of power and her acquisitive drive leads her away from He and therefore, away from God. Mrs. Whipple was already being held accountable of He (God) and therefore, had high standing in His eyes. In sending He away, Mrs. Whipple proves to be ignorant of His love and divorces herself from God, the very thing she thought she had been searching for all along.