Mehreen Ahmed's Blog - Posts Tagged "the-pacifist"
Rose's Lament
Daddy dad! Oh what am I to do now? Malcolm? No no nothing! He is but a baby No Oh this! This despair. Unbearable pain. The loneliness. But Malcolm is still small. Who? What am I to do? Quiet. Listen! Listen to the music. It is but the music of silence. For life has completely gone out of him. Grey lips, Pale. He is so pale. Frozen like the still snow topped mountain. His body cut out to melt. Pulverise in grave. Eaten away by moths of… days go but nights…Oh how dark is it? How dark is it in that grave? Peter Peter can you hear me? The coffin to be lowered. Swollen like a belly full of water. the river flowed. The shimmering silver but look something sails it sails but not in isolation. Multitude of swollen floating. Floating like fallen leaves and the thin stringy water dripping barks of the poplars. Wake up! Peter please wake up. Look at our Malcolm. How he thrives in health… Who would take over Peter? All this wealth! The Gold! Yes the Gold. Who would run the business now? Malcolm can’t! I can’t either. John? What does he know? He doesn’t know business.
Oh but you were never there. Look at me. Look me in the eye and tell me how was I to cope? Those lonely days have silenced our lives. Yours and mine, infidelity! That was it wasn’t it? But I ran on the beach. I flung myself on the sand. I sink. Peter hold me. Pull me up. For I’m lost without you. I never knew I was so helpless. Have you seen God? Have you seen my two mothers. Emma and Lydia. Speak to me Peter please. Show yourself to me? Have you entered the heavenly nether-lands of death.
Life. thrives beautifully in a never ending stream of life. Where there is no pain, no death, no fear. But is it me? is it really me in that kingdom of heaven? Peter I have questions for you. One too many to ask God. Eternal life. What would that be? The ocean in the front. Shimmers of dark water of odra… not down that way? Acheron? The river of pain. Through the powerful lenses of the lighthouse but… the Cocytus. The wails never end. They never do…When will I see you Peter? Will you come in my dream? There I see … I see you now… a shadow … an apparition …come to tell me how I failed. That strong smell of the skin balm. I can smell your odor. Your body odor does not beguile me. But Oh it does round and round the Oceanus. The laments of the widow down the Phlegethon down the depths of Tartarus.
Oh but you were never there. Look at me. Look me in the eye and tell me how was I to cope? Those lonely days have silenced our lives. Yours and mine, infidelity! That was it wasn’t it? But I ran on the beach. I flung myself on the sand. I sink. Peter hold me. Pull me up. For I’m lost without you. I never knew I was so helpless. Have you seen God? Have you seen my two mothers. Emma and Lydia. Speak to me Peter please. Show yourself to me? Have you entered the heavenly nether-lands of death.
Life. thrives beautifully in a never ending stream of life. Where there is no pain, no death, no fear. But is it me? is it really me in that kingdom of heaven? Peter I have questions for you. One too many to ask God. Eternal life. What would that be? The ocean in the front. Shimmers of dark water of odra… not down that way? Acheron? The river of pain. Through the powerful lenses of the lighthouse but… the Cocytus. The wails never end. They never do…When will I see you Peter? Will you come in my dream? There I see … I see you now… a shadow … an apparition …come to tell me how I failed. That strong smell of the skin balm. I can smell your odor. Your body odor does not beguile me. But Oh it does round and round the Oceanus. The laments of the widow down the Phlegethon down the depths of Tartarus.
Authority and Ambition in "The Pacifist": A Guest Post by Mehreen Ahmed
The Pacifist is not just an historical fiction that romanticizes the adventurous spirit of the gold rush period in Australia. Largely, the novel documents institutional abuse and effects of blind ambition as noted in the characters from the outset. Malcolm’s strange upbringing, Rose’s mental illness and supernatural encounters, Peter’s idealised vision of a good life. Consequences, hinging on the existence of an orphanage, at the heart of it.
In The Pacifist, the orphanage is not portrayed as the safe haven, it should be. In fact, children are seen suffering in the hands of a deplorable pedophile. The most vulnerable in our society in the grips of the most despicable, inexcusable. This warrants an investigation into the facilities that society comes to put their trust in. While the story focuses on this one example of an institution taking advantage of the unfortunate, the orphanage renders itself as a symbol for the greater injustices that happen; a discernible systemic corruption. While this is not a new idea, still, one that needs reinvestigation. In fiction, we can find newer ways to reopen a thesis, identify antithesis to possible synthesis. As a writer it is not my place to provide a solution, rather be critical of the lack there is.
This institution designates Brown as a farmer to a property, owned by Badgerys Creek Orphanage. Its strict caveat precludes him from making any serious money; overtime, he falls into a trap of extreme poverty and desperation. Metaphorically, this caveat is that destructive force of institutional power, a gate-less keeper, no less, which keeps the farmer perpetually broke and under constant subservience. However, this state of overwhelming poverty somewhat has a deluding effect on him. Deluded in his mind, he thinks that he can break through, gain freedom by leaving the farm, when he can't. The orphanage anchors down not just him to the farm, but the caveat stipulates that the farm be noosed around his successors too; his future generation of offsprings, thus perpetuating a system. A system to keep the poor, poor forever - a recurrent theme, like light and dark, night and day, poverty and wealth, one justifying the other.
Ambition is a good thing, but where does one draw a line between ambition and greed? Peter seeks to climb up the social strata by working hard. His role in the novel is to show that there is a fine line separating success and greed. Understanding this is important if one were to avoid serious repercussions. His family is thrown into turmoil as a result of his unwillingness to find a balance between living a life and seeking wealth. A situation which eventually bankrupts him morally. A wasteland of nihilism follows, betraying happiness and love; no amount of wealth can absolve this sin.
While set in the nineteenth century, The Pacifist contains themes that are relevant today. It is an attempt to point out how institutional power can often act as impediment in our struggle to grow and win.
In The Pacifist, the orphanage is not portrayed as the safe haven, it should be. In fact, children are seen suffering in the hands of a deplorable pedophile. The most vulnerable in our society in the grips of the most despicable, inexcusable. This warrants an investigation into the facilities that society comes to put their trust in. While the story focuses on this one example of an institution taking advantage of the unfortunate, the orphanage renders itself as a symbol for the greater injustices that happen; a discernible systemic corruption. While this is not a new idea, still, one that needs reinvestigation. In fiction, we can find newer ways to reopen a thesis, identify antithesis to possible synthesis. As a writer it is not my place to provide a solution, rather be critical of the lack there is.
This institution designates Brown as a farmer to a property, owned by Badgerys Creek Orphanage. Its strict caveat precludes him from making any serious money; overtime, he falls into a trap of extreme poverty and desperation. Metaphorically, this caveat is that destructive force of institutional power, a gate-less keeper, no less, which keeps the farmer perpetually broke and under constant subservience. However, this state of overwhelming poverty somewhat has a deluding effect on him. Deluded in his mind, he thinks that he can break through, gain freedom by leaving the farm, when he can't. The orphanage anchors down not just him to the farm, but the caveat stipulates that the farm be noosed around his successors too; his future generation of offsprings, thus perpetuating a system. A system to keep the poor, poor forever - a recurrent theme, like light and dark, night and day, poverty and wealth, one justifying the other.
Ambition is a good thing, but where does one draw a line between ambition and greed? Peter seeks to climb up the social strata by working hard. His role in the novel is to show that there is a fine line separating success and greed. Understanding this is important if one were to avoid serious repercussions. His family is thrown into turmoil as a result of his unwillingness to find a balance between living a life and seeking wealth. A situation which eventually bankrupts him morally. A wasteland of nihilism follows, betraying happiness and love; no amount of wealth can absolve this sin.
While set in the nineteenth century, The Pacifist contains themes that are relevant today. It is an attempt to point out how institutional power can often act as impediment in our struggle to grow and win.
A diamond star review from The Booklooters, on The Pacifist by Mehreen Ahmed
The Pacifisthttp://thebooklooters.blogspot.com.au...
I absolutely adored this book.
Originally, I thought I would give this book 4 stars. However, The Pacifist is one of those books that gets better after contemplating the story and the fate of its characters. On the surface, this book feels like quite a simple rags-to-riches story about a man who got caught up in the New South Wales gold rush.
This book is not that simple, or straightforward, at all. It turns the cliché of rags-to-riches upside down.
The Pacifist begins with a sixteen-year-old boy, Peter Baxter, who escapes from an orphanage and ends up stumbling into the life of Farmer Brown. They work together and become close, but Peter learns the truth about how the farm is owned by the orphanage with horrible conditions attached, which has caused Brown much stress - however, he confides in Peter, and it is here where we realise that this book is made up of many curious layers piled on top of each other. Peter eventually embarks on a journey to mine gold in the New South Wales gold rush. After a while, he strikes it lucky and brings home a huge gold nugget which makes him wealthy and a respectable gentleman overnight. Using his fortune, he climbs up the gold rush rankings, becoming richer and more powerful than he ever imagined. Meanwhile, we read chapters about Rose, his future wife, and how her history, and her family, intertwines with Peter's.
This book made me smile, made me laugh, gave me chills and made me cry.
Ultimately, this book SHINES in its details. I was curious about the New South Wales gold rush, and this book has definitely sparked an interest in Australian history for me. I was glad to find out more about the raw realities the gold miners, the Aboriginals, and the lower classes of society during this period in Australia - which, after all, is connected to my home country back in Britain. It made me realise how we don't get to learn much about Australian history, and this made me downright horrified. The historical details shine through in the form of letters and diary entries, which have an intimate feel to them.
The mysteries and the revelations, GUYS, are SO satisfying. The delicate way Ahmed weaves the histories of the families together and surprises us with huge details that were missing before, adds quite a special, and unforgettable touch to the book. Ahmed's use of descriptions, metaphors and similes are first-class. The author's description of food made my mouth water - it was on par with George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. The similes made me smirk: 'a handful of local reporters sat with their camera men, waiting glumly like toads on lily pads for the next scoop'. Haha.
Ultimately, though, this book is very dark. It explores subjects like pedophilia, rape, adultery, mental illness, suicide, death and the abuse of children. The author is incredibly brave for writing about these subjects, and I wholeheartedly applaud her because she has done it so well. It's raw, but the author pulls no punches. Without a doubt, these awful things would have been happening during this period, as indeed it happens today. Don't let these subjects put you off, but do be prepared beforehand. It is easy to lose yourself in the world of The Pacifist, and you will become emotionally invested in the characters and the mysteries, which will keep you engrossed throughout. It's only 300 pages (for those who love books on the shorter side) so you'll find yourself speeding through it.
I loved this book so much, and will definitely be exploring more of Ahmed's work.
I absolutely adored this book.
Originally, I thought I would give this book 4 stars. However, The Pacifist is one of those books that gets better after contemplating the story and the fate of its characters. On the surface, this book feels like quite a simple rags-to-riches story about a man who got caught up in the New South Wales gold rush.
This book is not that simple, or straightforward, at all. It turns the cliché of rags-to-riches upside down.
The Pacifist begins with a sixteen-year-old boy, Peter Baxter, who escapes from an orphanage and ends up stumbling into the life of Farmer Brown. They work together and become close, but Peter learns the truth about how the farm is owned by the orphanage with horrible conditions attached, which has caused Brown much stress - however, he confides in Peter, and it is here where we realise that this book is made up of many curious layers piled on top of each other. Peter eventually embarks on a journey to mine gold in the New South Wales gold rush. After a while, he strikes it lucky and brings home a huge gold nugget which makes him wealthy and a respectable gentleman overnight. Using his fortune, he climbs up the gold rush rankings, becoming richer and more powerful than he ever imagined. Meanwhile, we read chapters about Rose, his future wife, and how her history, and her family, intertwines with Peter's.
This book made me smile, made me laugh, gave me chills and made me cry.
Ultimately, this book SHINES in its details. I was curious about the New South Wales gold rush, and this book has definitely sparked an interest in Australian history for me. I was glad to find out more about the raw realities the gold miners, the Aboriginals, and the lower classes of society during this period in Australia - which, after all, is connected to my home country back in Britain. It made me realise how we don't get to learn much about Australian history, and this made me downright horrified. The historical details shine through in the form of letters and diary entries, which have an intimate feel to them.
The mysteries and the revelations, GUYS, are SO satisfying. The delicate way Ahmed weaves the histories of the families together and surprises us with huge details that were missing before, adds quite a special, and unforgettable touch to the book. Ahmed's use of descriptions, metaphors and similes are first-class. The author's description of food made my mouth water - it was on par with George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. The similes made me smirk: 'a handful of local reporters sat with their camera men, waiting glumly like toads on lily pads for the next scoop'. Haha.
Ultimately, though, this book is very dark. It explores subjects like pedophilia, rape, adultery, mental illness, suicide, death and the abuse of children. The author is incredibly brave for writing about these subjects, and I wholeheartedly applaud her because she has done it so well. It's raw, but the author pulls no punches. Without a doubt, these awful things would have been happening during this period, as indeed it happens today. Don't let these subjects put you off, but do be prepared beforehand. It is easy to lose yourself in the world of The Pacifist, and you will become emotionally invested in the characters and the mysteries, which will keep you engrossed throughout. It's only 300 pages (for those who love books on the shorter side) so you'll find yourself speeding through it.
I loved this book so much, and will definitely be exploring more of Ahmed's work.
