10/24/12
I think I am finally starting to understand how this book is supposed to be read. It is not a book that makes sense read cover-to-cover, chronologically, as I have stated before. It is a book designed to read in a twisting circle so that if you desire to read things in the order they occurred, you must read them from the beginning of Mattie's story on the farm, skipping the chapters about Glenmore, then reading the chapter(s) about her arrival at Glenmore, then going back to the beginning of the book and reading about the death of that hotel guest, and then finishing the book. This is just a hypothesis, however.
As to the mystery of the girl drowning in the lake and why she was there, I already have a very detailed idea of what happened, thanks to Mattie's "prying." For example, I was hit with the same realization as Mattie when I read the words, "I said no so many times, dear."(216-17) Obviously Grace was pregnant with Chester's baby because of the nature of her relationship with him, and what else would she say "no" to doing? Jumping off a cliff? Another hint of foul play can in the form came by way of Mattie thinking through the whole scenario. She says on page 236 that she believed, "...she [Grace] needed him [Chester] to marry her, but he didn't seem to want to." And then you read on the next two pages describing Chester's "good times," which all seem to occur on a lake. I don't think I could put it much better than Mattie does on page 238 when she suddenly realizes that "...there was no Carl Grahm. I couldn't find him anywhere. There was only Chester Gillette. And Chester Gillette could handle a boat. Chester Gillette could swim." The saddest thing that I read in this section however, was the letter to Chester that Grace wrote where she told him that she couldn't swim. The poor girl had no idea she had just helped to plot her own murder.
P.S. I found this cool website where they have book reviews written by teens, not crazy-brained critics who sometimes can't tell left from right (nothing against book critics personally, but my aunt was a writer and endured some heavy criticism for what I believed were remarkable stories). Check it out: http://www.teenink.com/reviews/book_reviews/article/1397/A-Northern-Light/
Dear Mary,
ReplyDeleteI also am now starting to realize how this story is supposed to be comprehended. You are correct when stating that this book is meant to be read in "twisted circles." I feel that the author wrote it that way because it leaves you having to read more in order to fully understand what is going on. I have one question though, do you believe that Chester is the one that caused Grace's death? I know you stated that he can handle a boat and can swim. You have also mentioned that Chester is pregnant with Grace's baby (which is very obvious). Anyways, coming this far in the book, I have seemed to have found myself reading a mystery novel. In all, I do agree with you on this post. Chester and Grace are in love and Grace is definatly pregnant with Chester's child.
Sincerly, Brandon.
I agree with your statement. A Northern Light, is a story within a story within another story with many themes and topics. I think Mattie's relationship with Miss Wilcox is another important part of the story too. Each character in the book addresses a different problem in society. For example, Emily Baxter represents the fight against the suppression of females, and Weaver represents the fight against racism. The characters mold Mattie into who she is now, so in a way, everyone from the different stories are connected together by Mattie. I also agree that it was very sad when the I found out that Grace's letter to Chester contributed to the murder.
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