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The Grass Is Singing - Moderator Kelly
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Kristel
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Dec 28, 2019 05:38AM
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1. Why is the title fitting in this story? 3. Is this novel still relevant in depicting racial relationships or does it represent a period of history that no longer exists?2. Is this novel a tragedy? If so, who is the tragic figure?
3. What is the significance of the novels Mary reads and the books she finds at Tony Marston's in relation to the lesson(s) that The Grass is Singing is trying to express?
4. Analyze the narrative significance of this statement: "‘Next year’ might mean anything. It might mean another failure. It would certainly mean no more than a partial recovery. The miraculous reprieve was not going to be granted. Nothing would change: nothing ever did."
5. After taking more responsibility for the workings of the farm, Mary urges Dick to try out, among other things, planting tobacco crops. What is the significance of this practical interest of hers and of its ultimate consequence, with regard to her development as a character?
6. What is the role of "white civilization" in the drama of Mary and Dick's marital life?
Hello, I can't answer any of these questions because I just started the book yesterday. I am loving the writing and the story, as painful as it is. I appreciate that Doris Lessing felt free to write about the overt racism in 1950. Very powerful.
I read this a couple of years ago, it was really good! Hope you all enjoy it.
I just finished this today. I will think about it a bit more before attacking the questions. :)
Carol wrote: "Hello, I can't answer any of these questions because I just started the book yesterday. I am loving the writing and the story, as painful as it is. I appreciate that Doris Lessing felt free to writ..."I agree. Its powerful.
Jessica wrote: "I just finished this today. I will think about it a bit more before attacking the questions. :)"I look forward to your thoughts.
Hilde wrote: "I read this a couple of years ago, it was really good! Hope you all enjoy it."thanks!
I am half way through and I sill cannot tell much. Except that I really don't like Mary and disapprove of all her decisions so far...
Tatjana wrote: "I am half way through and I sill cannot tell much. Except that I really don't like Mary and disapprove of all her decisions so far..."Mary is not likable at all, in my opinion.
I am going to dive into the questions as I have time. :)1. Why is the title fitting in this story?
The grass is singing due to the cicadas in the heat. Mary hates the sound of the cicadas and doesn't like the heat. These both don't help her mental state and she in fact doesn't like it at all when the "grass is singing".
After having finished I am still uncertain how much I liked the book. Mary becomes more unlikable as you go further, she is unstable, afraid of taking life into her own hands, unable to face difficulties of farm life, unable to communicate with anybody. She is incompatible with her husband Dick, and they have a hard life on the farm, surrounded by black servants. Racism is so extreme and harsh.I cannot answer to some of the questions, I will come back if I find time.
The best part I found in the following quote which I found so powerful:
"What had happened was that the formal pattern of black-and-white, mistress-and-servant, had been broken by the personal relation; and when a white man in Africa by accident looks into the eyes of a native and sees the human being (which it is his chief preoccupation to avoid), his sense of guilt, which he denies, fumes up in resentment and he brings down the whip."
Tatjana wrote: "After having finished I am still uncertain how much I liked the book. Mary becomes more unlikable as you go further, she is unstable, afraid of taking life into her own hands, unable to face diffic..."YES! That was my "favorite" quote too. Very powerful.
Jessica wrote: "I am going to dive into the questions as I have time. :)1. Why is the title fitting in this story?
The grass is singing due to the cicadas in the heat. Mary hates the sound of the cicadas and doe..."
I think you are right about the cicadas. It makes you wonder if the sound played a part in her mental illness.
I'll take a stab at it. First of all, yes, the whole racism thing was absolutely appalling. But that's why a book like this is so important - just like To Kill a Mockingbird. This kind of racism needed to be recorded or people wouldn't believe it. What amazes me is that she wrote this in 1950! I read in the back of my copy that she was then banned from South Africa and Rhodesia. It is semi-autobiographical in that she grew up there and it is a representation of her parents. She clearly hated the racism too and eventually dabbled in communism before she became disillusioned. She was ahead of her time in her views of women and racism. So as painful as it was, I appreciated that she nailed it for what it was. It was an excellent job of portraying a nervous breakdown too. I didn't like Mary either but I think I understood where she was coming from - totally unprepared for this. And as much as Dick was a "nice" man, what was he thinking? It was almost liked he picked a dog from the shelter for his wife - not much thought into it. But again, in this time period, a lot of people married without much thought into it.1. Why is the title fitting in this story? I agree with Jessica.
3. Is this novel still relevant in depicting racial relationships or does it represent a period of history that no longer exists? It is still relevant in many parts of the world and needs to be remembered as history continues to repeat. It sure does a better job of portraying the racism than Gone With the Wind.
2. Is this novel a tragedy? If so, who is the tragic figure? My God, aren't they all tragic? Caught up in a tragic system? Even Mr. Slattery or whatever his name was - the whole time waiting for Dick to fail.
3. What is the significance of the novels Mary reads and the books she finds at Tony Marston's in relation to the lesson(s) that The Grass is Singing is trying to express? Oh boy, I can't answer this one. Weren't they history books of England? I can't remember.
4. Analyze the narrative significance of this statement: "‘Next year’ might mean anything. It might mean another failure. It would certainly mean no more than a partial recovery. The miraculous reprieve was not going to be granted. Nothing would change: nothing ever did."
They were trapped. They were never going to succeed or get out of the system where eventually they would be bankrupt. Even a good year would barely get them treading the water.
5. After taking more responsibility for the workings of the farm, Mary urges Dick to try out, among other things, planting tobacco crops. What is the significance of this practical interest of hers and of its ultimate consequence, with regard to her development as a character? Oh boy, this is why I majored in science. Sounds like an essay question where I miss the point entirely. I just guessed that she was trying to make them successful too so they could get out of there. Dick's purpose was to make money, stay there and have children. Hers was to have money to leave. When it didn't work, she gave up on the chickens, etc. and drifted into depression and then a nervous breakdown. She basically gave up.
6. What is the role of "white civilization" in the drama of Mary and Dick's marital life? Huh? I guess Dick at least recognized that he needed to work WITH the "natives" to make his farm work. He was more compassionate if you could call it that. Maybe he was just more pragmatic. She was a downright mess. She saw them as "savages" that scared her. As she was insecure in her position as a farmer's wife, she felt the need to constantly find fault. She was ruthless. I guess she wanted them to act as servants did in the city where she could sit in fancy dress and have tea. She couldn't adjust to the different lifestyle and took it out on them. Dick couldn't understand how she could be so unrealistic and not make it work. He was also angry that she was so harsh and people were unwilling to work for them. She was sabotaging his success.
Okay, wow, I just read the description of this book in the boxall 1001 book. It pointed out that Mary was seeing the “natives” as living and coming out of the “bush” towards their home as threatening because of the symbolism of the natives taking back their land from the white civilization. I’m paraphrasing. Anyway it was the ultimate betrayal to her white civilization when she became more intimate in her relationship with Moses. She stopped showing her domination. But he was the only one that seemed to understand her and show compassion. It was a betrayal on his part to his people by showing compassion to one of their oppressors. It is a tragedy that the system created by the white population destroyed the humanity in all.
I am loving all your comments. I, too, found Mary unlikable. But some of the descriptions of time and place are quite moving.
Mod
2. Is this novel a tragedy? If so, who is the tragic figure? I think this novel is a tragedy. I think Mary and Moses are the tragic figures as their lives will never be the same. Dick was so out of tune with it all and I am not sure he will ever change his ways.
3. What is the significance of the novels Mary reads and the books she finds at Tony Marston's in relation to the lesson(s) that The Grass is Singing is trying to express? This scene is the last chapter of the book so I think it shows how far Mary is into madness and she is surprised to see books. It shows how disconnected she was to reality.
4. Analyze the narrative significance of this statement: "‘Next year’ might mean anything. It might mean another failure. It would certainly mean no more than a partial recovery. The miraculous reprieve was not going to be granted. Nothing would change: nothing ever did." Mary realized that Dick was never going to change. Year after year he did the same thing spinning his wheels in the wrong direction. Mary knew she had no job to go back too and Dick would start a new idea that would not come to fruition. She resigned to a life of poverty that they would never get out of.
5. After taking more responsibility for the workings of the farm, Mary urges Dick to try out, among other things, planting tobacco crops. What is the significance of this practical interest of hers and of its ultimate consequence, with regard to her development as a character? This was Mary's attempt to be more practical and plant a cash crop. I can't remember exactly but she realizes that they will never break even or get ahead.
6. What is the role of "white civilization" in the drama of Mary and Dick's marital life? I tagged these quotes from the book. "Poor whites" were Afrikaners, never British. What was a poor white? It was the way one lived, a question of standards. All the Turners needed were a drove of children to make them poor whites.
"Thus the district handled the Turners-in accordance with that esprit de corps which is the first rule of South African society, but which the Turners themselves ignored. They apparently did not recognize the need for esprit de corps; that, really, was why they were hated.
Mod
1. Why is the title fitting in this story?
The grass is singing due to the cicadas in the heat. Mary hates the sound of the cicadas and doe..."
Perfect answer, Jessica. I forgot about the cicadas.
Mod
I read this book last March and it is still a book that haunts. I really tend to react negatively to a book which starts out bad and you know from the get go that it is all down hill from there. However, the nuance and details of the decline are so well drawn, particularly in the first half of the book that it made me want to find out more. I agree with Carol that they are all tragic figures, condemned by the white patriarchal culture to a life that will never allow them free will. However on top of the cultural constraints, they all make poor decisions because of their nature or their upbringing. Dick needs to believe his luck will turn or he would go mad. Mary, makes the very poor choice of marrying Dick although one does understand how few choices she had and when she does realize that Dick's luck will never turn she does become severely depressed. I did not like Mary. Also, for those of you tracking countries, you can potentially take a credit for Zimbabwe as the book takes place in South Rhodesia which was administered by the British South Africa Company but was not part of what is today South Africa.
1. Why is the title fitting in this story?I first read this book in 1962, I remember it clearly because it was the first text in my English Literature course in my first year at university. I thought I had re-read it in the last year or two for an African Challenge - but I have no record of that having happened .Anyway, I had not given a thought to the title either time. I missed the excerpt from The Wasteland, reading on my Kindle, but of course it works. There are many references to cicadas being very noisy, But Mary doesn't venture into the bush, or actually notice the actual cicadas until late in the story. It is symbolic of her response to living on the farm in that she really doesn't explore or notice what is happening around her.
Is this novel still relevant in depicting racial relationships or does it represent a period of history that no longer exists? Unfortunately white supremacists are still prevalent - even in the White House! People are careful to be less overtly racist because it is a huge, topical issue, but institutional racism exists in many countries and casual racism is almost everywhere. The winning of the Rugby World Cup by a joyously multicultural South African team captained by a black man shows that there has been change, but Meghan Markle has been subjected to so much racist commentary that she and Harry have fled Great Britain.
2. Is this novel a tragedy? If so, who is the tragic figure?
I agree that all the characters are tragic victims of a white supremacist culture. Mary, Dick, Moses, Samson and all the unnamed black workers. Charlie Slatter epitomised the white farmer who exploited both the land and the indigenous people without a thought.
3. What is the significance of the novels Mary reads and the books she finds at Tony Marston's in relation to the lesson(s) that The Grass is Singing is trying to express?
Mary reads what we would now call chick lit. The books are cleverly described by a paragraph which Dick picks up to read and just as quickly discards. They teach nothing except romantic dreams. Whereas Tony's library is an attempt by him to learn the history of the country he has just come to. They are mainly about Cecil Rhodes, who was a mining magnate, Prime Minister of what was then called the Cape Colony (the British bit) and the epitome of a colonial exploiter. He believed whole heartedly in the superiority of Englishmen to all others. He thought the English should rule the world and get the United States back in the fold. Even in his lifetime he was thought of as a symbol of "oppression, injustice & moral degradation" to quote a contemporary (and a woman). So Tony would have been absorbing imperialist stuff - if white ants hadn't destroyed his books.
4. Analyze the narrative significance of this statement: "‘Next year’ might mean anything. It might mean another failure. It would certainly mean no more than a partial recovery. The miraculous reprieve was not going to be granted. Nothing would change: nothing ever did."
This explains Mary's loss of hope and her burgeoning depression.
5. After taking more responsibility for the workings of the farm, Mary urges Dick to try out, among other things, planting tobacco crops. What is the significance of this practical interest of hers and of its ultimate consequence, with regard to her development as a character?
When Mary FINALLY decides to take an interest in the farm, she persuades Dick, against his better judgement, to grow tobacco, which Lessing describes as being an unethical crop (she was way ahead of her time) but very lucrative. This venture fails, like all of Dick's, but this time the weather is partly to blame. If it had been successul perhaps Mary would have continued to take an interest and the farm may have been more prosperous, but she sinks into depression and loses any interest she had in making things work.
6. What is the role of "white civilization" in the drama of Mary and Dick's marital life?
Because "white civilization" believed in the superiority of the white race and that any admission of humanity in the natives would undermine this civilization, the fact that Dick and Mary were struggling, but too proud to accept help, undermined the superiority they were bound to maintain. They were "letting the side down". Nobody really tried to help them because they were seen as exemplars of a crack appearing in the system. If the locals could see that there were white people who were obviously not superior, the situation could be dangerous. As it proved to be.
Mod
2. Is this novel a tragedy? If so, who is the tragic figure? definition of tragedy in lit; A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances. Yes. I believe this is a tragedy. Mary and Dick are both sinking into ruin. Mary is a very flawed person and is unable to cope with the situation that she put herself into.
3. What is the significance of the novels Mary reads and the books she finds at Tony Marston's in relation to the lesson(s) that The Grass is Singing is trying to express? Mary reads romance which is a fantasy an escape. The books Tony brings with him are to help him understand and fit into the place rather than escape.
4. Analyze the narrative significance of this statement: "‘Next year’ might mean anything. It might mean another failure. It would certainly mean no more than a partial recovery. The miraculous reprieve was not going to be granted. Nothing would change: nothing ever did." it's could be a statement of optimism but in this case it is more a statement of resignation. One will never really get to "next year". It is always out of reach.
5. After taking more responsibility for the workings of the farm, Mary urges Dick to try out, among other things, planting tobacco crops. What is the significance of this practical interest of hers and of its ultimate consequence, with regard to her development as a character? She wants there to be enough money so she can escape
6. What is the role of "white civilization" in the drama of Mary and Dick's marital life? There is a code of behavior that separates the native from the foreigners. Mary doesn't really understand the code. She is afraid of the natives. The book explores the ideology of white supremacy and exposes the flaws of that ideology. The author tho a white African writer of her generation, is able to point out the injustices, racism and sexual hypocrisy.
I really enjoyed Pip's comments above. Such great responses.
I’m learning from everyone’s comments! That is what makes these group readings so valuable for me. Thanks to everyone for participating!
Gail wrote: "I read this book last March and it is still a book that haunts. I really tend to react negatively to a book which starts out bad and you know from the get go that it is all down hill from there. Ho..."Yes, I need to remember to do that. Thanks for reminding me.
Carol wrote: "I’m learning from everyone’s comments! That is what makes these group readings so valuable for me. Thanks to everyone for participating!"I agree. I always get much more out of the books when I follow a discussion in here.
1. Why is the title fitting in this story? 3. Is this novel still relevant in depicting racial relationships or does it represent a period of history that no longer exists?The noise from the grass veld is the background music to the tragedy. 3. Unfortunately, while this level of racism is rare today (or at least hidden), the white supramacy attitude still lives on .
2. Is this novel a tragedy? If so, who is the tragic figure?
Yes, a depressing tragedy. Mary is the most tragic figure in my opinion, but they are all tragic. Dick could have had a happy life even while being poor if he had chosen his wife more carefully. Mary could have had a happy life if she had stayed in the city doing the work she enjoyed. Etc.
3. What is the significance of the novels Mary reads and the books she finds at Tony Marston's in relation to the lesson(s) that The Grass is Singing is trying to express?
She reads trashy romance and Tony heavy non-fiction about politics and history. She is trying to escape from reality and he is trying to learn more about his new country.
4. Analyze the narrative significance of this statement: "‘Next year’ might mean anything. It might mean another failure. It would certainly mean no more than a partial recovery. The miraculous reprieve was not going to be granted. Nothing would change: nothing ever did."
Í believe this is when Mary finally understands that they are doomed. It's not just that the farm is failing, but also that she and Dick has very different wishes for the future, and that hers can never happen.
5. After taking more responsibility for the workings of the farm, Mary urges Dick to try out, among other things, planting tobacco crops. What is the significance of this practical interest of hers and of its ultimate consequence, with regard to her development as a character?
Finally she tried to keep herself busy doing something real! She had a successful career as a secretary before marrying Dick, and if she took an interest in the farm that could have helped her find new purpose in life. Unfortunately that didn't last, and she fell further into depression.
6. What is the role of "white civilization" in the drama of Mary and Dick's marital life?
That is what is expected of them, to have a certain standard of living keeping the apart from the natives. Dick and Mary's failure to do so is one of the tragedies of the story.
I’ll just hop in to discuss now that we’re at the end of the month and I’ve got some time today. I read this book last year for the diversify Africa challenge and didn’t re-read, but I’ll answer the questions. I’m a fan of Doris Lessing, was enraptured with this book even though the protagonist is so unlikable, and gave it 4 stars. 1. Agree about the cicadas. I love the imagery there about Mary wanting a quiet trouble free existence and the sound of the bugs reveals how unsettled everything is in reality. It also made me think of how in some African traditions the grass and all living things can whisper and transmit information, which seems appropriate to this story. I was just talking about intersection power dynamic son another thread here and funnily enough I think it works here again: the racial dynamics portrayed in this book are dated in the specifics but are still generally true in that who is privileged and who is marginalized/oppressed is not step wise simple. Mary experiences some of the latter as a white woman, but can exert power over Moses still, and does. White women still do use their status over black people- including black men – in various ways (I mean how about the large amount of BBQ Beckys in the US?)
2. I would say yes, and while all the characters are tragic to an extent, Mary fits the prototypical tragic character archetype the best, with her tragic flaw being her prejudice.
3. I think Pip answered this one awesomely: yep, they romanticize colonialism, which is something that contributes to Mary’s downfall.
4. This really speaks to what feels like the endless slog of her life and that there is no true “making it”
5. Once again agree with Pip (great answers!): it is an unethical route to wealth, and its failure also spurs her downward spiral.
6. Mary, by her relationship with Moses and other failures of “white” propriety, fails to adhere to the norms of “polite white civilization” which further alienates her from the greater community and contributes to her spiral, and goes to show how arbitrary these norms and proprieties truly are.
What a complex and intriguing book. I'm so glad I read it, despite it being dark and disturbing. While I've enjoyed Lessing's writing before, this one stands out for me in showing how radical she was. It's a wonder this was written in the 50's.
The overt racism (both in terms of descriptions of society, and the interpersonal scenes) was very hard to take at times. But I agree with comments here that it's so necessary to read these stories if we are to 'believe' these societies and attitudes existed - and still do today.
I would have loved to spend more time in the minds of the slaves, but that would have been another story. As it was, Mary was a fascinating protagonist. I found her utterly unlikable, but sympathetic at the same time. She endured plenty of trauma in childhood. Her whole life was shrouded in illusion and dissolusion - I thought her return to the town was a perfect scene to demonstrate the extent to which she had a tenuous grip on reality.
And I thought Lessing's ability to dig deep into the complexities of her relationship with Dick were simply breathtaking. She really got to the root of the power dynamics - namely, her efforts to influence Dick (and their collective futures) in how the farm was managed. She tread a careful line of wanting to improve their situation, and wanting to protect his masculinity and their entrenched gendered roles. She dared only go so far, but it literally destroyed her to watch failure upon failure and live the same pattern.
Mary's behaviour toward the natives is just impossible to tolerate, despite her own trauma. She had a terrible and uncontrollable temper, and made bad decisions throughout. Still, I thought Lessing did a brilliant job of painting a full picture of her and enough to create sympathy for her situation, which was hopeless.
Dick is a pathetic figure. He demonstrated (relative) kindness to the natives, but this seemed his only redeeming quality. He didn't do anything to actually improve their lives. He certainly did nothing to improve his own.
I found the restraint Lessing showed in painting the relationship between Moses and Mary to be incredible. I was craving more explicit development there was was so much tension toward the end.
For this reason the ending seemed perfect and yet very unsatisfying at the same time.
I thought it was a brilliant book - and her first book, wow! Having said that I'm glad to leave this story, it's a tough read and Dick and Mary were most unpleasant to spend time with. This is between a 4 and 5 star read for me. I need to sit with it for a bit.
I love the comments here, great discussion!
I read this several years ago and enjoyed it. I thought it was a powerful book that explored racial prejudice during the time of Apartheid. Very progressive for its time.
