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B. Phoebe’s Life Misery Reflected in David’s Tragedy
There are two ways to analyze how David portrays Phoebe. The first is the analysis based on the novel that is called surface meaning. The second is the
analysis based on the understanding of the novel that is called deeper meaning. To get the deeper meaning of this study, I used the theory of motivation.
1. Surface Meaning
Phoebe’s Life is the Repeating History of Tragic Life
It is clear in the novel that the birth of Phoebe is the first step that influence all of David’s life. This novel represent David’s past life that is repated
by Phoebe because Phoebe’s life can reflect David dark experience. Phoebe is born as David’s daughter who suffers Down syndrome. It makes him shock
because he remembers his sister, June, who suffered Down syndrome. “The doctor had felt transported back in time. His sister had been born with a heart
defect and had grown very slowly, her breath catching and coming in little gasps whenever she tried to run.” p. 21 Therefore, Phoebe’s birth reveal David’s life
because he can see his past life by seeing Phoebe. It makes David create a decision to send his daughter away. “ ‘There is a place,’ he said, writing the name
and address on the back of an envelope. ‘I’d like you to take her there.’ p. 23 He asks his nurse, Caroline Gill, to take the baby in an institution in Louisville.
Because of the condition in institution is bad, Caroline brings Phoebe back to Lexington. Caroline tells David that she brings his daughter back, but David asks
Caroline to bring the baby and he gives her some money and David also tells
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48 Caroline that she has to tell David about her plans about Phoebe. “ ‘Please,
Caroline, don’t do anything without telling me first. That’s the only thing I ask. That you give me warning, whatever it is you decide.’ p. 84 David prefer to ask
Caroline help than he has to tell the truth about the condition of his daughter to his wife. He has told his wife that their daughter was dead at her birth so that he
cannot tell the truth to his wife. “His face was pale, still, but determined. ‘No,’ he said. ‘It’s too late now. Do whatever you have to do, Caroline, but I can’t tell her.
I won’t.’” p. 82 His decision to keep the secret from his wife is he wants to safe his wife
and his son. He wants to protect them from sadness so that he keeps it by himself. He does not want to see his family sad and has the same experience as him. “Still,
he remembered the depth and endurance of his mother’s grief, the way she walked uphill to the grave every morning, her arms folded against whatever weather she
encountered.” p. 21 In the other hand, his decision makes his wife live in a grief. Phoebe’s death makes her shock and she cannot forget Phoebe. Although she has
son, Paul, she still feels lonely because she thinks that she also loses David. David makes himself busy with his job as a doctor and he has new side job as
photographer. David likes to be a photographer because he can eternalize every moment he wants and it can replace every moment of her daughter growth that he
never see. Norah realizes that there is a border in her family, but she does not know
what kind of border she has. Norah wants to forget Phoebe as David who spends his time for his job. Norah finally works in a tour agency but she still loses the
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49 figure of Phoebe and David. Therefore, she has affairs with some men. In the
other hand, David knows about Norah’s affairs but he can do nothing. David thinks that all of Norah’s secret is caused by him.
The secret had worked its way through their marriage, and insidious vine, twisting; she drunk too much and she began to have affairs, that sleazy
Raltor at the beach and then others; he’d tried not notice, to forgive her, for he knew that in some real sense the fault was his. p. 349
Till the end of his life, David never tells the truth to Norah. Actually, he wants to tell her but he cannot do because he does not know the place where
Caroline rise up Phoebe. “How he had woken up every morning of his life for eighten years thinking may be today, may be this was the day he would put the
things right. But Phoebe was gone and he couldn’t find her, so how could he possibly tell Norah?” p. 348 David can do anything because of his lying
decision so that he lets Norah live in her own way and David live in his, in a dark life that is made by him. He spends his life in a tragic life like what he has in his
past life. The same tragic life can see in the table below.
No. Phoebe’s Life
David’s Past Life
1. 2.
3. 4.
Phoebe suffers Down syndrome David loses Phoebe
Norah lives in a grief David loses his family
June suffers Down syndrome June pass away
His mother lives in a grief His mother goes to another country
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2. Deeper Meaning
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