Voice in the Wind: Bitten at Both Ends

Voice in the Wind, pp. 241-244

There has been a lot of wrong in this book, but for some reason these short paragraphs hit me harder than much of what has come before. Julia has just arrived home, dragged there by Marcus, and upon arrival they find Phoebe waiting.

Julia launched into her story about worshipping Hera, then added that she went to the marketplace afterward to look for a healing amulet for Father. Surprising Marcus, she produced a carnelian pendant from a leather pouch. “The merchant assured me that the stone is a highly evolved healer.” She handed it over to Mother. “Perhaps if Father wore it, he might feel better.”

Phoebe held the carnelian crystal in her hand and looked at it for a long moment. Phoebe didn’t want to ask any more questions; she wanted to believe that Julia’s motivation for leaving the villa had been a desire to worship and buy a gift for Decimus, but she knew in her heart that it wasn’t so. The carnelian pendant came from a pouch filled with other pendants Julia had bought for herself. The “gift” was, in truth, a bribe—or an afterthought.

She let out her breath slowly and handed the carnelian crystal back to her daughter. “Give this to your father when your mourning ends, Julia. If you give it to him now, he’ll want to know when and where you purchased it.”

This passage bothered me so much I flipped back to where Julia bought the crystal to confirm what had actually happened. I’m going to quote that section in full here:

[The merchant] set a pale turquoise-colored crystal before them. “This aquamarine is a rare variety of beryl and is known to strengthen the viscera and purify the body,” he said. “It enhances the clarity of one’s mind and aids in creative expression. It will bring you into balance with the gods.”

“My father would like this one,” Julia said and set the aquamarine aside. “Mama thinks he’s sick.”

“Oh, my lady, then you must see this carnelian crystal. It is a highly evolved healer, opening the heart and encouraging communion with the spirits of the underworld, thus finding the many ways to escape death.”

“What a pretty red,” Julia said and took it. She rolled it over and over in her hand. “I like it too,” she said and set it aside.

I suppose you could call this an “afterthought,” but I wouldn’t. Julia stopped at the crystal seller’s stall because she wanted to buy something pretty for herself, yes, but her interest in Decimus the moment the merchant mentioned that some crystals had healing powers was genuine.

Julia loves her father and cares about him, but Phoebe’s attitude toward Julia has come to the point where she will not believe that Julia could actually genuinely care about Decimus. Phoebe has made up her mind about Julia, and will throw out any evidence to suggest that she might be wrong about her. I know what it feels to be on Julia’s end of this. There is no getting out, and it eventually feels pointless to even try, as your every action will be interpreted in the worst possible light.

In a very real way, Julia’s mother has shut the door on her. What’s worse, Rivers doesn’t appear to see it this way. She writes as though Julia’s anger at her mother constantly assuming the worst of her is unreasonable and petty. Poor Julia, stuck in the hands of this author.

Julia clenched it tightly in her first. “You don’t believe me, do you? My own mother thinks the worst of me!” she said, full of angry self-pity. She stuffed the carnelian pendant back into her hard, expecting her mother to protest. When she didn’t, tears sprang to Julia’s eyes. She lifted her head and saw the disappointment in Phoebe’s eyes. Guilt made her blush, but rebellion made her stubborn. “I’d like to go to my room. Or must I ask your permission to do that as well?”

“You’re excused, Julia,” Phoebe said quietly.

Julia stormed through the room and down the hallway. Phoebe watched her beautiful young daughter stalk away in anger. She was weary of trying to make Julia see reason. Sometimes she wondered if either of her children possessed a conscience.”

You know what? Phoebe may be my least favorite character in this book.

Marcus begins pleading Julia’s case to their mother—Julia is young, the length of the mourning period is unreasonable, etc. This part doesn’t get any prettier.

Phoebe said nothing for a moment. She struggled with her own feelings. She frequently agreed with her son, for Decimus could be harsh in his dictates, not taking into account youthful zeal and individual differences. Yet, neither Marcus nor Julia understood where the real issue lay. She lifted her head and looked at him solemnly. “Your father is the head of the household.”

“I understand that only too well,” Marcus said. It was one of the reasons he spent so little time at the villa and had purchased his own apartments.

“Then respect and obey him.”

The argument goes on and on, and Phoebe tells Marcus that while he may not realize it, he has encouraged Julia to defy her father run after whatever pleases her.

“You have so little confidence in the morals of your children?”

Phoebe’s smile was pained. “Of what morals do you speak, Marcus? The old ones that say children are to obey their father, or the new ones that tell you to do whatever pleases you?”

“I’m of age, Mother. Julia is sixteen and a widowed woman. Neither of us are children, though you and Father seem determined to see us as such.”

Again, not a Phoebe fan. But also? Men did not come “of age” in Rome until their father died. Until then, they remained under the control of the “pater familias.” Interestingly, with this one comment, Marcus has changed my interpretation of this entire passage.

I had assumed that Phoebe was telling Marcus to respect and obey his father because Rivers was aware of family law in Ancient Rome—namely, that even at twenty-four Marcus would have been under his father’s authority, like all others in the household. But if Rivers does not know that—if Rivers believes Marcus is “of age” and thus independent—Phoebe’s comments take on a different meaning.

I grew up in a conservative evangelical community where “children obey your parents” was often assumed to extend well into adulthood. While what I experienced may have been extreme, even mainstream evangelical communities frequently emphasize the importance of adult children showing a level of respect toward their parents that includes listening to and heeding their advice.

If Phoebe’s words are not the result of Rivers’ knowledge of the Ancient Roman “pater familias,” they are likely an extension of her evangelical ideas about the importance of even adult children showing deference to their parents. Phoebe’s urging Marcus to “respect and obey” Decimus is no longer an outgrowth of Roman culture but rather an insertion of evangelical sensibilities.

The argument goes on, and on, and on.

“Can’t you see your father doesn’t want to destroy her pleasure, only protect her from harm?”

This statement by Phoebe is interesting, because I think protecting children from harm is important—it’s just that, unlike Phoebe, I don’t think parents can do that forever. Instead, I think parents are responsible to help their children learn how to protect themselves. If Decimus is so worried about Julia being taken advantage of, why not teach her about business, and give her the skills to learn how to differentiate between friends, and those who would simply use her?

Julia should not have reached sixteen with so little understanding of how the world works. Julia is portrayed as vapid and silly. Certainly, part of her temperament and approach to life may simply be individual personality. But I cannot help but fault Decimus and Phoebe for spending more time separating Julia from the world than preparing her for it. What, did they expect to be able to cloister her and dictate to her forever? Even on a purely traditional pragmatic level, this girl is in no way prepared to run a household and navigate the nuances of polite society. And that’s on Phoebe.

The argument continues, with witty exchanges like this:

“Too much freedom can sear a conscience.”

“Too little can wither a mind.”

In the end, Phoebe agrees to suggest that Decimus shorten Julia’s mourning time, and Marcus suggests that Phoebe place certain limits on who Julia can associate with (he’s thinking of Calabah, of course). I think that’s what bothers me about Marcus—in theory, he stands up for Julia, but in practice, he’s just as interested in putting limits on her as Decimus and Phoebe—just different limits.

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