As I read
the final pages of the novel, one question from the class discussion today
continued to feel uncertain. Just what role does Avice play in the novel? But
instead of addressing this question head on, I want to introduce another
question I feel can help clarify her role. Why might Avice have gotten involved
in the transactions of the world around her at all? She is a self-proclaimed “floaker”
which I have come to assume is a rough version of the word floater in our
society. Or in other words someone that does the absolute minimum necessary. When
she returned she seemed to be proud and insistent upon her floaker status.
When
looking for an answer it became quite clear to me, she becomes involved to save
those she loves and is emotionally invested in. The main reason Avice returns
is to allow Scile to conduct his research and she becomes heavily involved in the
crisis rather than leaving the town again because of her concern for Scile’s
well-being. Had she not been emotionally involved with Scile she may have never
returned to her former life. But it isn’t only Scile keeping her here. When
Avice thinks of Vin’s death she says “I, to my utmost shock, choked and had to
close my eyes (pg. 281).” His death
spurs a sort of vengeance as it makes her realize that she truly cared. Had the
situation with EzRa not directly affected her relationships, it’s doubtful
whether or not she would have taken action as she was adamant in the beginning
of the novel that she was simply a floaker. But when it affects her she get
more involved than ever before.
But this does not explain
why she is useful to the leaders and ambassadors. Other than her emotional draw
to the world, Avice didn’t become immersed in the everyday culture of the Hosts
and she would just shrug it off as “some Ariekene thing, we wouldn’t understand.”
With this attitude she immersed in the outside culture and became a valuable
asset as a spy for the leaders of Embassytown. Her unattached state was also an
asset towards the end of the novel when she devises a plan as she says “I’m not
fluent. Maybe that’s helping me right now (pg.285).” Had she been actively immersed
in the culture for the entirety of her life rather than escaping, she may not
have been able to adopt an alternative viewpoint of the language and the
situation.
So in
short, the way Avice’s character is set up is crucial to the plot of the story.
Had she been invested in the culture, her viewpoint could have been corrupted
and been irrelevant to helping the cause of the leaders. But had she not had an
emotional connection to certain characters in the novel she would never have
had a reason to come back and become involved in the crisis in the first place.
Her character is deliberately set up to be useful.
Avice’s role does seem to be a big questioned presented by the novel. We are used to seeing these heroines or underdogs that succeed largely by the end of the novel, but neither of those troupes seems to fit Avice. Avice does make the transition from “floaker” to activist because of her emotional attachments as my classmate said in the response above. But I think her role possibly even goes beyond that. Avice’s position is unique because she is often confused at her surroundings but also often finds herself familiar and at home because she was originally from Embassytown. Avice's confusion matches ours and in that sense, she is the perfect character to help us navigate through this novel and ultimately help us find out the truth.
ReplyDeleteConstantly throughout the novel Avice is asking what’s going on around her, especially after EzRa first speak with the hosts. She often inquires about Scile, and later in the novel seeks answers through Bren. Although she is often clueless, her sheer tenacity to discover the truth cannot be denied. Because she is from Embassytown she is able to understand the customs and the importance of Language and interaction with the Hosts, unlike her husband Scile at times. She knows many important people because of her being a simile but also because of her familiarity. She is able to use Bren as originally a resource because she remembers him from the Yohn incident as a child.
Avice provides insight throughout the novel because of her familiarity with the Hosts an their culture, but her confusion often ignites her to move and discover the truth about Embassytown. This allows us to discover truths along with Avice. Avice’s cluelessness helps us navigate through our own cluelessness and helps us realize and locate truths in the same manner she does.
Avice's role in this novel plays a large part in the clarity and understanding which the reader has while following the plot. As she grows in the novel, so does the reader's involvement and interest, in a way which seems to be a perfect parallel to Avice's own changes from "floaker" to and involved citizen. I think that this role is important in considering the novel as a whole, but also can be seen as a representation of a person's growth within their own lives.
ReplyDeleteEarly on, Avice's story has very little structure, memories appear to be hazy and piecey, with little timeline aside from "formerly" and "latterday." While she is naturally curious, she doesn't pick up on, or see the many secrets which are hidden within society and the world around her. This stage in her life, and within the story could be equated with that of early childhood. While much learning and growth may occur at this point in life, memories, among many other things, are unclear to us. Over time, this changes.
Avice begins to become more involved, and to find herself as the story progresses. She has 4 marriages, finds what she wants to do in life, and begins to get a better hold on society, though she is still not as well informed. This time might be considered an adolescent/teen phase. At this time, we find ourselves, we experiment with relationships, and we choose what we might want to do in our lives. We continue to grow and change.
Eventually, Avice becomes much more involved. Her relationships become more defined. She becomes aware of the world around her, the problems within her society, and the secrets she failed to see before. It is at this point that we see Avice grow into her full "adult" self. This is the stage when we as members of society begin to make larger decisions for others. We too become involved and active, in many different ways. We decide how we define the world around us, from relationships to our roles in society.
As such, it seems like Avice's role extends beyond this story itself. It is a representation of the human experience. It is an example of growth in many aspects of life. Avice can be consider a portrayal of the trials and tribulations of coming of age, and the involvement in society that can come with adulthood.