After the death of his daughter during childbirth, Henry becomes
affectionate towards Samuel, Henrietta’s son, and reflective of his life. He
finds that his past and present cast an unsavory image of him and he wishes to
escape, “to the future…the safe house where he could escape his old self,” (478).
From this point on, Henry aims to redeem his character. Although the attempt seems
to be genuine, the usage of African American characters and Henry’s action of
hiding Allmon’s son reinforces the fact that Henry, and the Forge clan in
general, can never truly be redeemed from the crimes of their past.
The usage of specifically Maryleen and Rueben, serve to contradict
the redemptive angle that is taken of Henry Forge. When Maryleen returns to the
Forge household as a writer, Henry’s first horrible sin of getting a man killed
is re-exposed. Additionally, Henry’s explosive temper leaks out of him. Henry’s
entitlement and rage leads Maryleen to put him in his place: “You may believe
you can still order me away,” (478) The word “still” implies that Henry has not
really changed since Maryleen last saw him, which contradicts the redemptive
tone. Even when Henry’s actions were moral, like pulling Hellsmouth from
racing, the reaction of Rueben demonstrates that not everything can be forgiven.
When convincing Allmon to take revenge on the Forges, he states, “The man that
stole your child is the same man that killed your mother…” (514). By reminding
Allmon of the deep-rooted racism in America, Henry’s racism and his past transgressions
are not forgiven. Thus, Henry Forge cannot be forgiven due to his character not
changing genuinely and his transgressions being so historically horrible.
Besides outside characters reacting towards the new-and-improved
Henry Forge, Henry himself raises suspicion by keeping Allmon’s son and not
informing him that the child is Allmon’s. Even Henry acknowledges that he
should have told Allmon the truth, but instead he “was returning to his grandchild
as quickly as technology allowed,” (427). By selfishly keeping the secret of
his grandson’s father, Henry and his previous obsession for genetic purity
leaks. Additionally, when it is revealed that Samuel is Allmon’s son, Henry
tries to mend the relationship with a simple apology. This is not only totally
inappropriate for hiding a child from his father, but for thinking that a
simple sorry can mend this despicable act. The lack of genuine remorse Henry
feels towards Allmon is an indicator for readers that Henry has not fully changed.
The whole Forge clan can never be fully redeemed as well, since
their transgressions of the past were passed down from generation to generation
with little penance for their sins, or at least an appropriate apology. Henry
Forge follows this pattern, even while he attempts to become a better person
for the sake of his grandchild. C.E. Morgan’s shifting tone with redemption towards
Henry Forge is perhaps one of the most complex pieces of the ending, but
overall the question of his redemption is truly simple: no.
Although I do agree that the Forge family name can never be fully redeemed under the guidance of Henry, I do believe it is possible for the family name to gain some of the luster that it once held under the guidance and leadership of Samuel. The first piece of evidence that would support this contention is the name Samuel Forge in itself. The choice to name the baby Samuel has significance as Samuel Forge was the first Forge to enter the Kentucky valley in the search for something more. Samuel Forge began the great legacy of the Forge’s and I believe that the decision to name the child of mixed race Samuel was intentional and was meant to symbolize the new beginnings of the Forge family name. Additionally, once Samuel was born, there is a quick and sudden change in Henry and his surroundings. For example, “It was Ginnie Miller from across the road, no longer a redheaded child in pigtails but a woman well into middle age,” (405). This excerpt from the book shows the impact that Samuel has on Henry and the Forge name as immediately following his birth Henry rekindles a relationship with his neighbors and begins to change his opinions on how the world functions. Lastly, the heavy symbolism at the end of the novel sets the perfect framework for Samuel to send the Forge’s down a new path. The burning of the old family home symbolizes the death of the original Forge family and provides a new path for the Forge’s to travel, a path of redemption. I do agree with the contention that Henry can not redeem the family name, I do believe that it is possible for the family name to be redeemed under Samuel.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Henry’s efforts to redeem himself are futile and often seem half-hearted, as seen in his quick turnaround in behavior when confronted by Maryleen. However, I think in discussing the idea (both in ability and capacity) of redeeming oneself, especially in terms of the Forge family and Henry more specifically, it’s also important to look at the role of legacy The entire novel emphasizes the importance of legacy as discussed particularly in regard to the Forge family, and Henry is certainly no exception. Legacies and last names are practically stamped into him as a child and leave a profound and influential imprint long after he has entered into adulthood and raised a daughter of his own. There were a few times throughout the novel that I thought Henry would give up his pursuit for greatness and thus cease his efforts to contribute to the Forge legacy, such as when he notes that “a surname was a useless thing really, signifying nothing, a word that began with force in your ancestor’s lungs and died with a curl of the tongue behind your teeth” (476). In this statement, it seems he recognizes the futility of building a legacy behind a simple surname, the meaningless of it all, however, even by the end, Henry is once again obsessing over how to preserve that legacy, concerning himself over the fact that “his family would be exposed and naked to the world, that the taproot name […] would be ridiculed as some kind of fraud or, worse, would become synonymous with the way things fall apart” (516). I think part of the reason the Forge family cannot redeem itself is because they refuse to devote themselves full-heartedly to redemption. Instead, they still focus a great deal on their legacy, a legacy which is tainted by the sins that call for repentance in the first place. As long as Henry continues to prize legacy over other things, such as repentance, his efforts will be fruitless because in building his legacy he is unable to make amends, and that is why, even by the end, he is unable to redeem himself.
ReplyDeleteI think the question of redemption really revolves around that guiding question "How far away from your father can you run?" (Morgan 3). Both Henry and Henrietta ultimately could never run from their fathers - never forget the lessons they learned as children. Henry would like to believe he changed the game by making the family farm into a horse-breeding farm (Morgan 92). Henrietta rebelled against her father quietly, in journal entries and private affairs with men she did not know. But ultimately, horse racing was an allegory of the elitism the Forges had always felt toward the rest of society. Horses are inbred, as the Forges hold themselves away from the unwashed masses. Henry's continued racism is also a result of this elitist upbringing. I agree with the sentiment that there is no redemption for the Forges - as long as they continue the elitism each has been taught by his or her father. Henrietta's quiet rebellion proves just how difficult this is to do. That is exactly why Morgan's guiding principle is "How far away from your father can you run?" (3). That elitism, that lack of penance, the inability to properly apologize - all of that comes from that principle. No member of the Forge family has yet been able to escape. Maybe Samuel II can.
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