Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Karintha's Innocence

"At dusk, during the hush just after the sawmill had closed down, and before any of the women had started their supper-getting-ready songs, her voice, high-pitched, shrill, would put one's ears to itching. But no one ever thought to make her stop because of it. She stoned the cows, and beat her dog, and fought the other children...Even the preacher, who caught her at mischief, told himself that she was as innocently lovely as a November cotton flower."

The paragraph here describes Karintha, and the way people behaved towards her in her youth. She is later described as a "growing thing ripened too soon," who has "been married many times" and who has young who "all want to bring her money." The paragraph aboves hints at how exactly she is "ripened too soon." In her youth, people observing her interpret her "beauty" as signifying innocence. She "stones cows," "beat her dog" and "fought other children," yet she receives a free pass, because if she was caught committing these acts, people belived she commited them in perfect "innocence." From youth, Karintha is not treated like another individual, but as an object-one of perfection, which she is not. The superimposition of perfection/innocence by observers turns her towards her later "contempt" for men. She is ripened too soon because too much attention is give to her beauty at an early age, rather than respect for her as an individual. She is already falling prey to sterotypes of the female that except inoocence and perfection, as "innocently lovely as a November cotton flower."

6 comments:

  1. Interesting point. The word "innocence" here, I think, is actually working to reveal the complete lack of innocence in her life. From her youth, she is the object of sexual desire, obviously without innocence. From the very beginning men have begun to take away any innocence she could have had with things such as "riding her hobby-horse", clearly suggestive of lust.
    There is one point I am curious about here, you suggest that she is falling prey to stereotypes of innocence, but i think it's darker than that. I think it is in the minds of the men around her to take away that innocence. Maybe, just a thought.

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  2. The lack of a discipline figure in the text is rather interesting. The way Karintha's beauty takes in the priest significantly demonstrates the tabs society fails to place on her. As she grows older, she learns sex from witnessing or hearing her parents make love. She has an illegitimate child who she leaves for death. She never assumes responsibility and never acts like an individual, as you said. It appears to me that her financial security is gained through prostitution because several men are "trying to make her money." As you said it, her innocence is lost as a young age because nobody keeps her in line.

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  3. I think your prostitution comment has weight. Right before mentioning how she learned about sex, the narrator says "Already, rumers were out about her." And the the point on the hobby-horse, which is overtly sexualy, suggests that she is used, both metaphorically (appreciation of her beauty/"innocence") and physically, if the hobby horse is a Freudian symbol of sexual lust. Combine these points, and by being bounced "hobby-horse" as a child, she has effectively been trained.

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  4. It's interesting to see the incorporation of "innocence" to Karentha's situation because it almost seems like these men are willing to put her in a category of perfection/innocence due to her youthful age alone. Although they know that she gets around and, in large part, on her own accord, they still look to convince themselves that "she was as innocently lovely as a November cotton flower." It's a badly kept secret in the sense that she isn't perfect despite the efforts of those who attempt to make her out as such. I feel like she isn't falling prey to the stereotypes as much as it is these men consistently taking a part of her innocence away. It's like her contempt for men stems from the idea that they see her in such a perfect light, and she knows nothing could be farther from the truth.

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  5. I think Toomer creates an illusion of innocence around Karintha, misapplied to her because of her beauty, as you indicate. Was she ever really innocent? I see her actions as a child being quite malicious, thought even if they were done without knowing they were wrong or negative actions, can they still be considered so when she gets older and never grows out of them. Her behavior is always allowed, so she is never taught how to behave. The issue of innocence brings about much that could be discussed when applied to this character and the story as a whole.

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  6. I have to agree with Wyatt on this, I believe tha the alluded innocence is more a sneer, a derision almost, of her so called innocence. However, do not be mistaken, I am NOT saying that he blames Karintha for her behaviour, in fact, he writes off her behaviour with the line: "But no one ever thought to make her stop because of it."

    I also took from "Karintha" the idea that Toomer is commenting on the lecherous nature of his society, the perfect example is the preacher... "Even the preacher, who caught her at mischief, told himself that she was as innocently lovely as a November cotton flower."

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