2. The Symbolic Act
There is a symbol through Kathryn’s action that is explained in this
first part. The symbolic act, which becomes the focus in this study, is Kathryn
’s action when throwing her wedding ring at the place where the airplane’s debris is firstly found. The action of throwing the wedding ring is
considered after the writer analyses the symbol that comes before it. Symbols are rich in associations Guth and Rico, 1997: 189. To show the
idea of social castration through the symbol found in Kathryn’s action, the writer firstly analyses its assosiation. The symbolic act found in the story is
the assosiation of a symbol found in a story that fulfil the characteristics of a symbol.
To recognize something as a symbol, there are some symbol’s characteristics.
The symbolic act in this study is firstly started from the words ‘marriage’ and ‘marry’, two words which come from the same association.
The writers often give the symbols emphasis, for example by describing them at some length, or introducing them at times when they might not
seem strictly necessary, or calling attention to them repeatedly Barnet, et al, 2005: 70.
In this story, the word ‘marriage’ and ‘marry’ are mentioned repeatedly.
The word ‘marriage’ is mentioned few times in the story, showing its being emphasized. The first is mentioned when Robert Hart
comes to inform Kathryn about the airplane crash. “It was a good marriage” Shreve, 1998:41. Kathryn tells Robert Hart that her marriage is a good
one.
The second is mentioned when Kathryn and Jack fights for Jack’s having changed. They have fight and her daughter asks what happen to
them. They cry and Jack hugs them tight to apologize. She thinks it is a good marriage.
“Which means, on the whole, she thinks, that it is a good marriage” Shreve, 1998: 71.
The third is mentioned when she talks to a priest in Jack’s funeral and says that her marriage is a good one.
“How is your marriage?” The priest asked. “As far as I know”, she continued, “he was healthy, both
physically and mentally. We were happily married. We were a happy, normal family living within a smal
l community.” Shreve, 1998: 89.
The fourth is mentioned when Kathryn talks to a priest she meets in a church w
hen she is in Ireland after knowing the truth about Muire. “It was a good marriage. We were close. I would say that we were in love for a long
time, longer that most couples” Shreve, 1998: 100. The fifth is mentioned after Kathryn finds the truth about J
ack’s another wife. “She’d told Robert they had a good marriage. She felt foolish,
exposed for a fool, and she wondered if she didn’t mind that most of all” Shreve, 1998: 154.
Marriage is a sacred thing that involves God in it. The marriage vows, love, devotion, promise and commitment between two people are
spoken under God’s name Barney, et al, 2006: 37. Kennedy and Gioia mentions that writers often give the symbol particular emphasis which is put
in any particular position, moment or situation Kennedy and Gioia, 1999: 219.
The word ‘marry’ is also mentioned for few times in the story. “Kathryn said incredulously. It was one thing to be married in a Catholic
church because a lover wanted it, quite another to be devout oneself” Shreve, 1998: 153. Through her thought about it is one thing to be married
in Catholic church, Kathryn questions her marriage that is not in a church. It shows how to be married in a church is something important for her as it
involves devoutness. “They were married. In a church. In a Catholic church” Shreve, 1998: 168, “We weren’t married in a church” Shreve,
1998: 40, “Jack had been married in a Catholic church” Shreve, 1998:
113 , “...the question wasn’t so much why Jack had taken up with Muire
Boland and married her in a Catholic church ” Shreve, 1998: 136.
To be married in church is one thing for Kathryn. It is seen through the word ‘backing away’ and ‘blow’ from following quotation that show
how hurt she is with the information “We were married in the Catholic Church,” Muire volunteered.
Kathryn felt herself backing away from this information, as if from a blow Shreve, 1998: 112.
She also questions herself about who is the real wife for Jack empasizing that it is an important situation to be married in a church.
Had she herself been the pilot’s wife or had Muire Boland? Muire Boland, who had been married in the Catholic Church
Shreve, 1998: 141
The words ‘marriage’ and ‘marry’, two words which come the
same association, are mentioned repeatedly in the story. It fulfils one characteristic of symbol as both words are mentioned repeatedly and given
emphasis in a situation that is felt to be important for the main character. According to Hans P. Guth and Gabriele L. Rico on Discovering
Literature 1997, some symbols come into a story from a shared language of symbols and literary symbols are rich in associations. “Much in human
experience has traditional symbolic associations” Guth and Rico, 1997: 190. In human tradition, wedding ring has association with marriage or
marry. Wedding ring is the same as marriage ring. The shape of ring is
circle, which means it does not have either a beginning or an end. The shape means ‘eternal’, ‘forever’ or ‘endlessness’. Wedding ring is a perfect
symbol of unity. According to James Hall in Illustrated Dictionary of Symbols In Eastern And Western Art 1996, circle symbolizes the creative
principle of the universe, having no end and beginning which denotes eternity. Therefore, wedding ring symbolizes eternal love, devotion,
promise and commitment. Marriage and wedding ring has a strong relation as wedding ring is
the object symbolizing unity in a marriage. In the story, wedding ring or marriage ring is assumed as a symbolic object. In The Etymologies of
Isidore of Seville, the significance of the wedding ring was defined by the bishop Isidore of Seville in the seventh century. The Bible seals two hearts
in marriage and has them promise in God to become one entire life in a commitment Barney, et al, 2006: 37. Based on it, the bishop Isidore of
Seville mentions that wedding ring is given by the spouser to the espoused whether for a sign of mutual fidelity or still more to join their hearts to this
pledge and that therefore the ring is placed on the fourth finger because a certain vein is said to flow from thence to the heart.
According to the ancient Romans, the vein in the fourth finger moves faster at once from the heart,
affirming that it is so close to heart. Wedding ring is to remind the love, the promise and the commitment made in a marriage between two people
Barney, et al, 2006: 37. Therefore, in a marriage, wedding ring is a symbolic object of eternal love, devotion, promise and commitment.
In the story, wedding ring is put in an important action and situation where Kathryn throws her wedding ring in her deepest sorrow after
finding out the painful truth about Jack’s betrayal. Wedding ring, an object symbolizing unity in marriage, is positioned a
nd involved in Kathryn’s action. An object can be counted as a symbol if it gives clue and wedding
ring is a percebtible object that gives clue related to Kathryn’s action in throwing it.
In the story, Kathryn’s action of throwing her wedding ring is a symbolic act and it suggests more than its literal meaning. A symbolic act is
a gesture or an action with larger significance than usual. It represents a particular idea than its meaning through action. The thrown wedding ring
can not be taken as ordinary action in this story. The wedding ring has an
extended meaning as the betrayed love, the shattered devotion, the failed promise and the broken commitment.
Kathryn throws her wedding ring in a place where the airplane’s debris is firstly found and let it go
with Jack’s body which she believes will not be found.
She took her wedding ring from her finger and dropped it into the ocean. She knew that the divers would not find Jack, that he
no longer existed. To be relieved of love, she thought, was to give up a terrible burden” Shreve, 1998: 189
Before finding out the truth about her hus band’s another life, Kathryn
always thinks that her marriage is a good marriage.“It was a good marriage” Shreve, 1998: 41,
“…. That it is a good marriage” Shreve, 1998: 71, “…. We were happily married. We were a happy, normal family living within a
sma ll community” Shreve, 1998: 89, “It was a good marriage….” Shreve,
1998: 100. “She’d told Robert they had a good marriage. She felt foolish,
exposed for a fool, and she wondered if sh e didn’t mind that
most of all” Shreve: 1998, 154
She at the end finds out that her marriage is not as good as what she always thinks. The truth that they live in lies is in contrast to what she thinks
about their having a good marriage. She throws her wedding ring in the sea where Jack’s airplane falls after crash. The action of throwing the wedding
ring is put in a particular moment in the story, which is in her deepest sorrow after finding out all the painful truths
about her husband’s betrayal and in the situation where she wants to be freed from the pain. Through the
action, it is depicted that Kathryn wants to end all the pain she feels and forget everything about Jack by forgiving him if she wants to relieve. The
action of throwing the ring means forgiving Jack and throwing the pain and memories drowned with Jack’s body.
Had the future began? Or the past ended? Did change invalidate all that had gone before?
Soon she would leave this place and fly home and drive to Julia’s. She would say to her daughter that we are going home
now. Kathryn’s life was with Mattie. There could be no other reality.
She took her wedding ring from her finger and dropped it into the ocean.
She knew that the divers would not find Jack, that he no longer existed.
“You all right, then?” asked the fisherman. She smiled briefly at him and nodded.
To be relieved of love, she thought, was to give up a terrible burden. Shreve, 1998: 189
The statement before she throws her wedding ring, which is “there could be no other reality”, implies that she wants to stop seeking the painful
fact regarding he r husband’s betrayal and she wants to end and leave all the
pain she feels. Throwing the wedding ring in a place where the debris is firsly found implies that she wants to forget everything about Jack as she
lets the ring drown with Jack body which she believes will not be found. The last statement after she throws her wedding ring, which is “to be
relieved of love was to give up a terrible burden”, implies she wants to be freed from the pain of betrayal. Through Kathryn’s thought and dialogues,
Shreve gives the readers clues that throwing the ring is a meaning of
forgiving Jack as she has no other option. She can not get the right that Jack does not give to her as a wife.
She wondered, and not for the first time, if a woman could forgive a man who’d betrayed her. And if she did, was that an
affirmation? Or was it merely foolishness? Shreve, 1998: 198
Her asking herself if forgiveness is a foolishness or not shows her doubt, which indirectly shows her having no other option but to forgive. She must
accepts the betrayal and she can not do anything to heal her pain except to forgive. The forgiveness she gives does not only represent her lack of power
but also her way to leave all her pain. ‘The worst is I can’t grieve,’ Kathryn said. ‘How can I grieve
for someone I may not even have known? Who was not the person I thought he was? He’s gutted my memories’ Shreve,
1998: 198
Besides forgiving her husband betrayal, she also forgives her own self for what has happened. “She felt briefly sorry for herself and thought
that in addition to every thing else” Shreve, 1998: 165, “I’m over the worst
of it” Shreve, 1998: 168. Dwelling upon a record of wrongs or painful past weighs us down and heavily burdens us. Kathryn wants to end the pain and
forget all the memories of Jack to be relieved of her burden. The memories she has is depicted to give sorrow to Kathryn whenever she remembers
them. And anyway, my life is filled with these. Hundreds of little
memories that catch me off guard. They are like mines in a field, waiting to detonate. Honestly, I’d like to have a lobotomy
Shreve, 1998:116
The memory is mentioned in another situation when she remembers the time Jack marries to her. All the memories she has are depicted as a painful ones
that she tries to forget. Where was Kathryn to put these memories now? She was, she
thought, like a woman after a divorce looking at a wedding dress. Could the dress no longer be cherished if the marriage
itself had disintegrated? Shreve, 1998:157
She tries to forget all the memories that always follow her and remind her to her pain. “As she drove, certain memories picked at her,
nagged at her, and she knew it might be months or years before they stopped” Shreve, 1998: 182. The action of throwing her wedding ring is
situated in an important moment. It is placed when Kathryn feels she can not stand the pain and deep sorrow any longer. She feels the pain is getting
bigger every time she remembers her beautiful memories in Jack’s lies. The symbolic act of throwing the wedding ring is taken as
Kathryn’s forgiveness, which is the symbolic meaning of the action. According to Hans P. Guth and Gabriele L. Rico, symbols may be
ambiguous Guth and Rico, 1997: 190. The forgiveness Kathryn gives, as the symbolic meaning, is ambiguous. There are two ways to interpret the
meaning behind her forgiveness. The first is internally, which means Kathryn is a strong woman as she forgives her husband’s betrayal and it
takes strong person to forgive. The second is externally, which means Kathryn lack of power as she does not have other choice but to forgive her
husband’s betrayal.
Kathryn’s throwing her wedding ring is a symbolic act, while forgiveness is the symbolic meaning regarding her lack of power.
Forgiveness in the story is interpreted externally that Kathryn lacks power. Her lack of power shows the idea of social castration, a term that signifies
women’s lack of power. Symbol possesses its own reality and meaning and may function at
the normal level of reality within story Kennedy and Gioia, 1999: 218. According to Barnet, Berman and Burto, the writers often give the readers
some clues to determine something as a symbol. In the story, Anita Shreve gives clues to the readers so that throwing the wedding ring is found to be a
symbolic act which have another meaning than its literal meaning. The first clue is sh
e emphasizes the words ‘marry’ and ‘marriage’. Wedding ring is a symbolic object that has association with marriage, the word that is
mentioned and emphasized more than once in the story. The second clue is she puts wedding ring in
Kathryn’s action. The third is throwing the wedding ring puts in an important situation.
B. The Idea of Social Castration
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