 |
| http://www.americanaexchange.com/ae/AEMonthly/AEMonthlyArticleDetail.aspx?ArticleID=936&Type=Articles&Month=5&Year=2010
So who is it that the narrator has followed? The deathless man? The mora? Someone else? What evidence leads you to your conclusion?
Is there irony in the fact that the narrator has promised not to tell the wife, yet she is telling us the whole story?
What are your thoughts on the ending of this novel? Is it a satisfactory ending? Why/why not?
Now that you have finished the novel, look at the last page where there are questions for a book club. Some of them are very good. You may want to address one or more of these here. If your version doesn't have the questions, find someone who does have the questions. |
Friday, August 24, 2012
The Tiger's Wife: Chapter 13
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
30 comments:
At first I thought it was the deathless man that Natalia had followed. However, on further inspection of the reading, I began to think that maybe it wasn’t the deathless man; maybe it was someone else. Evidence in chapter 13 led me to believe that the man Natalia followed may be Barba Ivan. When Natalia follows the unidentified man into a house in the abandoned village, the man says “Hello, Doctor” and Natalia replies with “It’s you.” This casual introduction leads me to believe that Natalia has already met this man, or knows him fairly well for that matter. Natalia says that she had made a mistake by following him to the house and he says, “But it is all right now, and will be. You are here, and safe. We’ll walk back together.” I remembered that Natalia was staying with Nada and Barba Ivan while she was inoculating children at the clinic, so it would make sense that they would go back to the house together. Earlier in the novel, Fra Anton told Natalia that his brother was found dead in the dumpster after he left to go camping with some kids, who were actually serving with the paramilitary on the border. Fra Antun says that the death of his brother was especially hard on their mother, Nada Ivan. When Natalia is speaking to the unidentified man in the house, he says, “My wife believed nothing, she couldn’t believe after what happened to my son. She would come home from his grave and say, the drawings people are putting there get wet and the colors run everywhere, and the flowers get old and dirty and they smell, and all for what? For me to feel better? There is a hole in the ground and my son is buried in it.” These two pieces of evidence are coincidentally similar and they lead me to believe that the wife that the unidentified man is talking about is actually Nada Ivan. Towards the end of the conversation between Natalia and the man, the man asks Natalia to not tell his wife. All of this evidence leads me to believe that the man is a human being, not a spirit, and Natalia knew him before this encounter. I would have to say that all the evidence points to Barba Ivan.
I personally think that the ending to this book is a satisfactory ending. The topic at the final end of the book is Natalia’s grandfather’s tiger. The story of tiger was a crucial part of the book, so I think that it is fitting that the book ends with the tiger.
I believe Natalia followed Barba Ivan. When the man she followed talked to her, he said many things to lead me to his identity; such as “My wife believed nothing, she couldn’t believe after what happened to my son.”(331). Another thing that the man said that me realize who he was was “You’ll not tell my wife, Doctor? You won’t, will you?”(332). Natalia asks if the man’s son knows that he is the mora. That shows that Natalia knows the man and his family. The only other family that Natalia knows in that area is Dure’s, and I really don’t think he’d be taking his relative’s jar.
Natalia said that she wouldn’t tell Nada that Barba Ivan was the mora because some stories you keep to yourself. Actually, Natalia never told us the whole story. She never gave us the man’s name.
I liked the ending to this novel. Everything seemed to tie itself by the end of the story. The only piece of business that was left unfinished was the deathless man, and what happened to him. I like how Natalia ended her story with the same words her grandfather had once told her.
The narrator has followed the "mora," who has really been Antun and Arlo's father all along. At first I really thought she had been following the deathless man, but it became evident that she already knew this man. Without giving and obvious description of who she's talking to, she reveals to the reader that it's the man she's been staying with as a guest. I found the way she revealed his identity entertaining.
I'm not sure if narrative's count as telling secrets. The narrator never really broke the 4th wall in the book, so it feels like I'm just reading her journal rather than her telling me directly.
I really like the ending of this novel. The beginning of the story seemed aimless and wandering, but as the narrative progressed, all the seemingly-pointless storylines started to branch into eachother and intertwine. The ending is bittersweet. On one hand, I give the author much credit for creating an ending that is left unfinished and makes you wish there was more, but on the other hand... I wish there was more! Something to finish the deathless man's story.
In the edition I have, there’s a quite intriguing interview in the back of the book with Tea Obreht. When asked about distinguishing between the modern world which Natalia lives and the folkloric world of her grandfather’s past, Obreht replies, “Pretty early in the writing I realized that mythmaking and storytelling are a way in which people deal with reality. They’re a coping mechanism. In Balkan culture, there’s almost a knowledge that reality will eventually become myth” (351). This reminded me a lot of Life of Pi and the way the entire plot is built off of the idea that the main character has to invent a myth in order to cope with the reality of his incredible ordeal. In those couple sentences, Obreht summed up the theme of Life of Pi and seemingly the theme of her own novel. Not only has it become apparent that Pi and The Tiger’s Wife are similar because of the motif of the tiger and use of storytelling, but now it’s plain to see that these two novels also have a very similar theme. It’s almost as if Mr. Earl is some kind of English teacher and assigned us these two novels for a reason.
At the beginning of this chapter I was also under the assumption that the man the narrator was following was the deathless man. As I continued through the chapter as others have said, it became more apparent that the narrator knew this man. That ruled out the deathless man as the man she followed, though because of the way this novel is written, you almost feel as though the narrator knows the deathless man. It really confirms that the man she followed was Nada Ivan. On a side note, I found it rather interesting the way Nada explained to the narrator about the mora. I'm not exactly sure why I liked it, but I particularly enjoyed that little section.
I don't really see irony because as Ray put it, a narrative doesn't exactly feel like we are being told. The explanations made sense but it seemed like there was enough left out that you could pass off not knowing if someone asked about the mora.
The ending of the novel I thought was a satisfactory one, but again I would always like a little more. I wish we could have gotten a little more at the end about the grandfather's tiger, but overall, I was satisfied with the ending.
From what I read I think that Natalia followed Barba Ivan. What led me to believe this is how he addresses Natalia when he first sees her and that is by saying “Hello doctor.” This shows that he knows who she is and that they have met before. The other thing is that he talks about how his son died during the time around the war. The son sounds like it was Arlo who was killed by the paramilitary. Also he talked about how there were paintings at his son’s grave which could’ve been the paintings of Bis.
I thought that the ending was ok. It wasn’t a book that just left everything hanging. But I thought there could’ve been a much better ending. There were a number of things left unanswered for me. Some questions were what happened to her grandfather when he died, what happened to The Jungle Book, what happened to Dure, and what happened to the deathless man, and was he even real?
Initially, I didn't think she was following the deathless man. I thought it was just a random person. I was expecting the person to be the deathless man, but I soon realized it was not just by the way he talked. After reading some of the comments, it makes a lot of sense that the person she was following was Barba Ivan. The way they communicate makes them seem familiar. Natalia was so interested in finding the deathless man, she seems turned off by the fact that it was Barba Ivan. She wants to leave, but he wants to assure her safety. He also wants to make sure that Natalia doesn't tell his wife. I find it ironic that she is telling this story to the world when he asked her not to tell Barba Ivan's wife.
The ending of the novel was satisfactory. I like the idea that the deathless man and her grandfather did meet again, and her grandfather repaid his debt. I also like that she gave closure to the story of the tiger and Galina.
When I read that Natalia was chasing after a man that took the jar, I was convinced that it was the deathless man. Sadly, I now believe it was Barba Ivan. All the evidence points to Barba. In the novel, when Natalia first meets up with the Mora he says, “Hello doctor”. This introduction proves that he knew Mora in a somewhat personal way. Also, the mora mentioned his wife, and asking not to tell his wife. If the mora were a spirit, he would not have anything to worry about. I was disappointed that Natalia never have to meet the deathless man, even though all the stories revolved around him.
I do see the irony between keeping a secret and writing a book about it. It is ironic because if you promise not to tell a secret, then that secret is kept between you and that person. The fact that the narrator is willing to tell everyone the story about the mora is extremely ironic. However, the narrator never truly comes out and tells who the mora is.
The ending of the book was amazing I thought. I loved how everything connected in way I never expected. At first, I thought all the stories were just dragging on and pointless, but when I found out later that they all had a point, it made everything fall into place. I also liked that there was a twist at the end involving the deathless man.
Some of my questions were not answered, i did want to learn more about how Natalia's grandfather died. I also wanted to know about her grandfather, and the deathless man last meeting, i was just looking forward to more of a story.
At first I thought the narrator was following the deathless man, but after she talks to him, it seems to me that it is just some random person. Some might think it is Barba Ivan because he greets her by saying "hello doctor", like they have met, but it said she was wearing her white coat, so the man might not be someone she knew.
The ending of this novel was not satisfactory to me in the least. I would have liked to know more about the deathless man and if he did in fact meet with the grandfather before his death. I guess I just feel like there are a few loose ends that could have been tied up before the ending.
I was almost sure that the reader was following the deathless man, but the way she almost seemed to know him by her entrance into the house tells me otherwise. I think like others above that she is with Arlo's father, because he talks about his son's death. I feel like the novel's ending is alright. It answers a couple questions that I had in my mind.
At first, I was sure the man was the deathless man, but after reading on, I believe she followed Barba Ivan. I think it is Barba Ivan because he says not to tell his wife and I don't believe the deathless man is married and even if he is, how would Natalia know his wife? Secondly he refers to his dead son who I believe would be Arlo. The greeting also would lead one to believe it was someone she'd met, considering he greeted her with "Hello, Doctor."
I don't think that there is irony in Natalia telling her account to readers and not his wife because she never mentions to us that it is for sure Barba Ivan.
The novel's ending was only somewhat satisfactory to me. I still don't understand what the deathless man has to do with the grandfather's death... There were a few loose ends that weren't tied up for me.
Like everyone else, I also thought at first thought that Natalia was initially following the deathless man. The author protrays it this way to make you believe that it is the deathless man. However, Tea Obreht gives little hints that it is not the deathless man. This man says "hello doctor" as if he has met and knows Natalia. When he says don't tell my wife that I am the mora, Natalia agrees and this shows the reader that the only person Natalia knows that has a wife is Barba Ivan.
I don't think there is irony in this situation because as a reader we don't know 100% sure who Natalia is talking about so there is high chance that his wife will never find out.
I was dissapointed with the ending just because a lot of my questions went unanswered. But then again what kind of great novel would end without making their readers think and be creative on their own? The ending makes you think and make inferences using clues to figure out small details.
You know throughout the novel it seems so clear that it is in fact the deathless man! But I honestly wasn't sure when the novel ended if I thought it was Barba Ivan or someone else?? Reading some of the other comments, the only thing that really stands out to me is the fact that Natalia was so casual and almost familiar with whom she followed at the end that it made sense for it to be someone she has spent time with. Barba Ivan would be a great candidate so I'm going to have to agree.
I think sometimes when you have that big of a secret you want to share. Maybe she could not tell the wife, but she could honor everyone that was a part of the stories by sharing their stories so their legends live on. Maybe she couldn't directly tell the wife, but through a way in which voices aren't used she could've?
I liked the end I was just confused until I read a few comments. I agree with meridith that the tiger was a sufficient way to end the novel.
While Natalia was following the man, I wasn't sure what to think. I thought it would have been a small miracle if it did turn out to be the Deathless man. Natalia would have gotten what she had been hoping for all along and she'd have some closure. But that would have been too easy. I would have loved to read about what the Deathless man had to say about Natalia's grandfather but it wouldn’t have been a proper ending for this story.
After I continued reading the chapter I realized that Natalia knew the man that was posing as the mora. Having caught on to the way Obreht writes, I figured that the answer to who this man was had been revealed earlier in the book. As the mora spoke of his dead son and his wife, I arrived at the conclusion that the man was Barba Ivan. Barba Ivan and his wife had two sons, one of which was dead. The mora told Natalia of his wife's feeling about all the flowers and drawings people were putting on his dead son's grave.
I don't see the book as Natalia breaking her promise. I don't see the novel as her telling the world her and her family's secrets.
I loved this novel. The way she wrote the book and had so many subtle connections kept my mind constantly wondering if the words I was reading at that moment had some deeper meaning and connection. The ending was more than satisfactory. She hinted at how each part ended but left the reader to make the final connections.
I want to reread this book. I feel like I'd be able to spot so many more connections now that I know what to look for.
At first I thought, like everyone else, that she was following the deathless man. But has you read farther you are given clues that she is not following the deathless man. You really really figure out that is not the deathless man when he says do not tell my wife I am the mora and we know that the only person with a wife is Barba Ivan. I also think its not that ironic because I guess this person she is following could be anyone and for us to assume its one person isnt right. I am not a fan of endings like this i like to have my questions answered but i guess it allows me to think up my own ending with the clues left in the book.
It seems that the deathless man that that Natalia was following turned out to be Barba Ivan. I wonder why he felt he had to collect the items left at the graves? And what happened to her grandfather's copy of The Jungle Book? Is it possible that Barba Ivan is the deathless man? I do find it ironic that he doesn't want his wife to know what he's been doing and yet the whole story is told. The ending of the book left me with some unanswered questions, but it was satisfactory nonetheless.
When I first read the chapter, I figured the narrator followed the deathless man, that seemed the most likely but reading closer I figured otherwise. It become clear that she knew the man but Natalia never reveals the man's name. It is obvious though that she knows his family, but won't let on that he is the mora. It seems ironic that she would write all her secrets but promise not to tell, but at the sometime she writes it more of a journal than actually confiding in a person. The ending of the book was nice, it wasn't spectacular but I still enjoyed it. I was hoping for a little more information about the deathless man but now I guess it's left for interpretation.
I thought the narrator was following the deathless man the entire time. But now I'm not sure who it is..the most likely one is Barba Ivan.I dont like books that end with a ton of questions unanswered... its a pet peeve actually. So I wasn't to happy with the ending.
I had assumed that the narrator was following the deathless man, however after I had read more closely it seems that she was actually following someone she had previously known. I don’t feel that there is any irony, as I read the book I felt more like I was reading a journal or diary and not like I was being told a story. The ending was good, I didn’t feel that it completely brought the whole story together but overall I think the ending was very well written. My copy of the Tiger’s wife doesn’t have any questions but it does have an interesting interview with Tea Obreht. They discussed one thing that troubled me while I was reading the book. They talked about how some of the stories inside of the novel were randomly place and why that was and Obreht responded with” I tried several ways to get them in and nothing worked.” I really like that she was so completely honest and didn’t try to give a giant false explanation.
I had assumed that the narrator was following the deathless man, however after I had read more closely it seems that she was actually following someone she had previously known. I don’t feel that there is any irony, as I read the book I felt more like I was reading a journal or diary and not like I was being told a story. The ending was good, I didn’t feel that it completely brought the whole story together but overall I think the ending was very well written. My copy of the Tiger’s wife doesn’t have any questions but it does have an interesting interview with Tea Obreht. They discussed one thing that troubled me while I was reading the book. They talked about how some of the stories inside of the novel were randomly place and why that was and Obreht responded with” I tried several ways to get them in and nothing worked.” I really like that she was so completely honest and didn’t try to give a giant false explanation.
From all the hints inside the chapter i am pretty sure that Natalia followed Barba Ivan. I think it is very ironic that the narrarator is not telling the wife, and telling us. She comes from a secretive family, and she is very secretive herself, but yet she tells us everything. I didnt like the ending of this book but at the same time i LOVED it. I didnt like it because it left my questions unanswered. But then again, i loved it because it was the final book we had to read over the summer and now im done.
I have come to the conclusion that the narrator has followed Barbra Ivan up the hill and into the little cabin. At first I thought it was the deathless man, but after reviewing the story, I've now come to believe that it is indeed Barbra Ivan. The narrator wants to find the deathless man so while reading, this is what most people assume. There are, however, small details that lead me to believe it is Barbra Ivan. Barbra Ivan tells Natalia that his mom had a hard time coping with his brothers death and someone taking the things she left at the grave for him made her feel better. At another point in their conversation he mentions to Natalia "please don't tell my wife." This leads me to think it is Barbra Ivan because he doesn't want his wife to out it is actually him taking the things and not some spirit.
I don't particularly like how the novel ended. I was hoping at the end it would tie all the stories together and everything would make sense and somehow be connected but that didn't happen. I like that it makes you think about the possibilities and interpret it in your own way but I still wish I could find out if what I thought was right.
The narrator has followed Fra Antun's father. Everything he says leads you to that conclusion. The way he talks about others in reference to himself especially.
Ignorance of the fact that people still put things at his grave gave her peace of mind that it would provide no one else with.
I'm satisfied with the ending. I felt closure, things were wrapped up. I didn't have a love/hate relationship with this book, but rather a appreciate/dislike kind of relationship. If that even makes sense.
How does a small boy become a gentleman? By a task. With taking responsibility for others. It is what I believe to be one of the things that separate adults and children, along with experience, intelligence, maturity, and wisdom
What is the "difference between rituals of comfort and the preventive rituals that come at the end of life?" The first you do because you want to and the second you do because you have to.
I initially (like everyone else) thought that the deathless man had been followed. The end of the novel however left me clueless. Yes it could be Barba Ivan, but its too hard to tell. The ending left me lost and in a daze and it was quite unsatisfactory.
I also thought Natalia was following the deathless man. The narrator makes it seem that it is the deathless man but there are details to suggest that it is not. It was mentioned to Natalia not to say something to his wife. Natalia only knows one person with a wife that we have met and it is not the deathless man. Like every good book, a lot of my questions went unanswered. It always makes me disappointed but at the same time it leaves my mind open to create my own ending. A sure ending would make me feel better but this ending suffices.
I thought Natalia was following the deathless man but after reading more closely I began to think she was following someone she had already known.
At the end of this novel, a lot of my questions went unanswered but that's what makes a good novel for me. I love being able to sit there and ponder things after I finish because then I can discuss with others and see their thoughts and opinions which I really enjoy.
When I first started reading the book I didn't really think I would like it but then as I kept reading the more interested I got. The ending really made me love this book. Although I was left with a lot of unanswered questions and was a bit confused, all in all I really enjoyed it
I seriously thought that she was following the deathless man. Though the end of this novel left my absolutely clueless. I do not know what to think of it...but it left me a little unhappy, and longing for more storytelling. Overall great book, with a truly awful ending..
This is now one of my favorite books. I already answered the question about who she was following in an earlier post so I’ll focus on the others.
First, I do find it sort of ironic, but it seems to me as the narrator is trying to get a point across. (Warning: I’m looking way too into it but just entertain me) When the narrator and her grandfather are watching the elephant, before he first talks about the deathless man, he says that these stories can only be shared with people who deserve it. I think she then tells everyone because she feels all humans are worthy. It goes along with other points in the novel too; characters that I originally disliked or had no sympathy for I ended up somewhat liking or understanding by the end. For example Luka, I could not dislike that man more but after hearing his background and more about him, I disliked him slightly less and even felt a bit sorry for him. Also, the deathless man, I thought of him as a con-artist and deserving of his punishment, after all he did it to himself, but after hearing his story and watching him become more mature I liked him. So I think by her sharing the story it is putting the same point across; that we are not all horrible people and deserve no more and no less than anyone else.
I did like the ending very much. It tied up most lose ends and left a lot for the reader to ponder over and come to his or her own conclusions. It is the type of book you could read again and again but still find some new detail that you missed before.
I feel like it could have been the deathless man honestly, and the narrator may have possibly done this on purpose. Made it so the reader would believe she was following someone like Barba Ivan instead, somewhat of a 'cover the tracks" or "I was framed" sort of deals. But maybe I'm just being irrational.
Not much irony. It's more like we're just listening to her thoughts than anything else.
I'm fine with the ending. It's nice that the author stuck with the original themes and ideas the whole way through, instead of totally going off the rails like countless other books that had the potential but flopped in the end.
Post a Comment