Literature 8 No. 4: New Critic

For The Judges, I decided to be the New Critic. My job was to identify key passages. This was kind of exhausting because this was a long chapter and this book is like one gigantic Key Passage, especially when Orleanna is narrating. I would be here forever if I typed out the whole quotes, so I’m just going to give the page numbers.

“That was the last I would ever hear… good fortune.” (196)

This is Orleanna talking about Nathan. This is a significant quote because it gives us some reason why Nathan is the way he is. Orleanna explains about Nathan being drafted, and how much it changed him. This reassures us that Nathan is not just a psychotic at random; he has his reasons.

“I’d lost my wings… Kingdom.” (201)
This is at the end of Orleanna’s narrative where she talks about her history with Nathan. She relates herself to the Congo. “Poor Congo, barefoot bride of men who took her jewels and promised the Kingdom.” It’s significant because it helps us to understand Orleanna better. A lot of the passages I chose explain why characters are the way they are. It’s Catcher in the Rye all over again.

“He explains the difference… she is named Leah.” (209)
This is Adah talking about Nelson explaining the concept of names to her. This reminded me of the Woman Warrior and the No Name Woman. Names have a lot of significance in the Congo. This topic of names and the names that the girls are given by the villagers comes up again a lot throughout The Judges.

“Now our whole family… we hardly understood them.” (230)
At first, it can seem like the Prices are the perfect family, but quotes like these show that they are as far from perfect as can be. Leah is narrating this, talking about the dysfunction that seeps into the family when they are in the Congo.

“All my life… He has no inkling.” (244)
This is Leah talking about how she is starting to doubt how her father handles their situation. This is a huge turning point for Leah, and it goes back to what Orleanna says earlier about “The day does come, finally, when a daughter can walk away from a man such as that – if she’s lucky. His own ferocity turns over inside her and she turns away hard, never to speak to him again.” (191)

“If I die… But you won’t see me.” (273)
This is Ruth May talking about all the bad things she’s done. Earlier, Nelson gave her a nkisi, a little box that the people in Kilanga wear around their necks to make them disappear if they’re about to die. He tells her to think of a safe place, and her chosen place is to be the green mamba snake in the tree.