Another emergent conflict in the story, Swede's wavering conception of
good and
bad is challenged further by the conception that her brother is now to be
seen as the villain, pursued by the lawman. Therefore, to kill the
character of Valdez would be to apply a one-sided ending to a plight in
which she now saw herself as being emotionally involved.
Chapter Ten - The Substance of Things Hoped For
The purpose of the sequence shown here is to suggest the complex state
of right and wrong. In the scenes where we witness Reuben and Mr. Finch
interacting, we find a new nuance for the narrator. His empathy for Davy
and his understanding of right and wrong are not undermined, but are deeply
challenged by the experience here. He comes to understand that a sense of
loss and victimization may appear on any part of the spectrum of human
tragedy.
Chapter Thirteen - Something Warm
The first and most striking hint that Reuben offers is on page 177, where
he recalls that "it's hard to look back and describe Roxanna to you as she
was when we first saw her." This turn of phrase indicates that this would
be the first of many interactions with her. Moreover, the hint applied
here is that after coming to know her on a personal level, the features
which had seemed so physically salient upon first encounter would
eventually be softened by the kind brush of familiarity.
Chapter Sixteen - The Throbbing Heart of News
The 'throbbing heart' here is the terrible and sickening revelation
for Reuben, concerning the nature of good and evil. So dedication to the
recognition of Andreeson as the family's nemesis,...
The sequence here, and the
separation which has stretched considerably between Davy and the family,
requires Reuben to live up to the worshipfulness which has filled him to
this juncture. Accepting the imperfection in both his father and brother,
revelations increasingly dawning upon the boy, here become a painful part
of recognizing the complexities of manhood.
Chapter Twenty - The Ledger of Our Decisions
Though Reuben has been conflicted about the nature of good and evil
and questions over the haziness of right and wrong, ultimately we have come
to feel by this juncture that the importance of familial commitment is of
chief importance. As the whole family wrestles over how best to understand
and attend to the conditions of the bible, its commitment to Davy is rarely
in question. Here, Reuben leads authorities away from Davy in an act that
the reader finds eminently defensible at this late juncture in the story.
Chapter Twenty -two - Be Jubilant, My Feet
At this juncture, we anticipate that Reuben will relate to Davy that
the experiences which have transpired on the road to him have helped to
render a man out of the boy.
Works Cited
Enger, L. (2002). Peace Like a River. Atlantic Monthly Press.
