Crow Lake deftly illustrates how a single choice can change the direction of not only an individual’s life, but the lives surrounding that individual as well.The Pye men choose to hate their children (but keep having them?). Weird. I understand there is a cycle of abuse, and that a person tends to adopt the behaviors of those around them, but wouldn’t an abused child – knowing how it feels to be abused – want to stop the abuse rather than perpetuate it? SPOILER ALERT I was sure that Laurie Pye was going to kill his father, not the other way around. That took me by surprise. I think it was all the references to the fact that Laurie wouldn’t take crap from his father, that he stood up to him, etc. that led me to believe that Laurie would be the one to do harm - "As a child, Laure too had burned bright with swallowed rage, but when he was older, he did answer back. Oh, definitely, he did answer back," (page 117). "Calvin had never stood up to his own father, according to Miss Vernon. Laurie did. Laurie would not be cowed," (page 203). The choices of the Pye men led Marie to be in the vulnerable situation she was in (I think), which then led to Matt’s choice. What a tragic family.
Luke chooses not to go to university in order to keep his siblings together. Regardless of his motivations, this was an honorable, mature choice. I mean, he was what, 17? 18? Maybe he really didn’t want to become a teacher and that motivated him to stay home, but he still took on a lot of responsibility for such a young man. The people of Crow Lake were amazing - rallying around those kids the way they did. And I was impressed by Luke’s faith that everything would work out al right. Luke is also faced with another choice, witnessed by Kate. Sally McLean, that tramp, offered herself to Luke, but he chose to turn her down (compare with Matt’s behavior). And I don’t think it’s because Luke is gay –there were foreshadowings of a relationship between him and Miss Carrington. Amanda and I were talking about the book, and we both decided that, even though the book focused on the relationship between Matt and Kate, Luke was our favorite brother.
Matt chooses not to go to university and accept the consequences of his actions with Marie. That is an honorable choice – and he’s made his peace with it and is happy. Matt loves his son and I think he grew to truly love his wife. I think Matt’s only regret is the effect that his choice had on his relationship with Kate. His choice is the crux of the book – it instigates Kate’s choice.
Kate chooses to see Matt as a failure. She chooses to allow Matt’s choices warp her relationship with her favorite brother. And this choice causes her to shut herself off from any other meaningful relationships (kudos to Daniel for sticking with her). I will admit, when Kate had her epiphany of self-awareness, it prompted a much needed one for me as well. It’s never easy to analyze oneself, to really understand why you behave in a certain way – but it’s even harder to do something to change it, so kudos to Kate, too. Crow Lake ended much like The Kite Runner – not with a perfectly happy-ever-after ending, but with a hopeful ending.
On a lighter note, I love the two extra commandments - Thou Shalt Not Emote and Thou Shalt Not Admit to Being Upset.
9 comments:
KT,
Great assessment of the book and the impact of turning points. I agree that while Luke is awesome, Matt is a good man, too. (great names, right?) I think the temptation Luke faced when Sally threw herself at him was very different from what Matt faced with Marie who was vulnerable and in desperate need of protection and comfort. Luke admirably withstood a purely physical drive, but I can see how Matt could "fall" in the face of the more complicated situation of trying to "help" Marie. Finally, I, too, loved the extra commandments. :)
It's amazing what a little "vulnerability" can do to a relationship. From what I understand, men like to feel like the protector, so yes, I can see how Matt's situation was a little more tempting. And, yes, Matt, Luke, Kate - great names. :-)
And, maybe it's my own lack of empathy that caused me to like Luke better than Matt. Hmmm...
KT,
I don't think it is a lack of empathy on your part that makes Luke such a draw. He really is amazing. In fact, even the community couldn't really accept his sacrifice because it was so truly noble. They tried to find some way to minimize it--queer??? You've got to be kidding!! And you're right about his unfailing faith and optimism. So, what's not to like?! Thanks for making me appreciate him instead of taking him for granted!
I liked your comment, Karen, about Luke and how noble he was. It made me so sad that he was a bachelor up to the end of the book. Such a catch.
And Katie, I wonder if Kate really viewed him as a failure... I think she admits the situation was a tragedy. But Matt is certainly no failure. She was concerned that Marie didn't appreciate WHO he was and how simply remarkable his mind was. I've felt that way about close friends who marry someone I've never met or appreciated... "do they even know what gem they just married?"
Did Kate view Matt as a failure? Marie certainly thought she did. (page 279) But, I'm not sure Kate can articulate her own emotions enough to know whether or not she thinks of him as a failure. She just knows he didn't do what she thought he should have done with his life.
However, I think her own feelings are complicated. On the one hand, she thinks he is incredible. (page 91--"You [Daniel] have had it so easy. So EASY. You may have worked hard, but luck has been with you all the way, . . . You're a clever man, . . . but . . . compared to him, you're nothing out of the ordinary. Not really. Not compared to Matt."
But then she says on page 241, "He had wanted his chance so badly and deserved it so much, and through his own fault--that was the worst of it--through his own fault he had thrown it away." That's a pretty biting indictment; there's not a lot of compassion in that statement.
I'm just glad that at the end of the book she begins to see the good things in Matt's life.
I don't know that Kate viewed Matt as a failure. I think that her guilt for realizing Matt's dream, and her anger that he wasn't able to realize it, blinded her to what he did accomplish. As a child it's hard not to idolize your older siblings. I still do, to a point, even though they don't always live up to my expectations nor I to theirs. I can see why the idea of reincarnation is appealing to some people. We can't do everything in this life, and it could be fun to live certain chunks of life over again, but taking a different path.
I think it was all the comments that Kate made, similar to the one posted by Karen S. ("...through his own fault he had thrown it away.") that made me infer that Kate viewed Matt as a failure - though failure might be too strong a word. Kate felt Matt failed to live up to his tremendous potential - through his own fault.
. . . and I think Kate was angry (even though she pretended not to be) at Matt for not living up to his potential. I think she felt let down by some one she idolized.
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