{"id":35423,"date":"2018-03-02T05:00:52","date_gmt":"2018-03-02T09:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/lovejoyfeminism\/?p=35423"},"modified":"2018-02-26T22:54:42","modified_gmt":"2018-02-27T02:54:42","slug":"voice-in-the-wind-is-calabah-a-vampire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/lovejoyfeminism\/2018\/03\/voice-in-the-wind-is-calabah-a-vampire.html","title":{"rendered":"Voice in the Wind: Is Calabah a Vampire?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Voice in the Wind, pp. 467-472<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This section opens with the birth of Julia\u2019s baby. Julia tells Hadassah to \u201ctake hi mot the temple steps and leave him there\u201d so that he can \u201cgrow up a temple prostitute, or a slave just like his father. Then she changes her mind and tells Hadassah to \u201cput him on the rocks to die.\u201d Hadassah is aghast, and so is the midwife.<\/p>\n

The midwife protested. \u201cBut there\u2019s no flaw in this child. He\u2019s perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd who are you to say? It\u2019s for the mother to decide what happens to the child, not you.\u201d Calabah came from the shadows of the room, where she had been waiting for the ordeal to end. \u201cIf Lady Julia doesn\u2019t want a man\u2019s issue, so be it. It\u2019s hers to discard or keep as she wishes.\u201d The midwife shrank back at her advance. Calabah turned her cool, soulless eyes on Hadassah.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hadassah begs Julia to change her mind and tries to convince her to look at the baby, but she refuses, covering her face.<\/p>\n

It absolutely was the Roman practice to expose infants, but this generally happened if the child was deformed (hence the midwife\u2019s comment that the child had no flaw) or if the parents were unable financially to care for it. But here\u2019s the thing\u2014this would have been up to the paterfamilias, not the child\u2019s mother. In other words, this would have been Primus\u2019 call (as the presumptive father), and everyone involved here would have know that.<\/p>\n

Rivers, through Calabah\u2019s language about \u201ca man\u2019s issue,\u201d is almost certainly trying to connect Julia\u2019s decision to expose the child with abortion. I do have a question, though. Does Calabah literally not have a soul? I mean come on<\/em>. Unless she is actually a vampire, this is just sloppy writing. Actually. Hmm. Waiting in the shadows of the room, soulless eyes\u2014has Rivers also described Calabah as especially pale? Because honestly, Calabah as a conniving vampire would make this a tremendously better book.<\/p>\n

Oh look, more abortion parallels:<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Atretes didn\u2019t want him, neither do I! What is he to me that I should be made miserable every time I have to look at him? It\u2019s not my fault I got pregnant. Must I suffer forever for a mistake? Get rid of him!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

With that, Calabah pushes Hadassah toward the door; Hadassah hugs the baby tight and runs. It takes a while for her to figure out what to do, because first she has to determine whether she is bound by God to obey Julia. Um hmm. When this is where your morality takes you\u2014to wondering whether God wants you to murder a baby just because your mistress told you too\u2014I have some questions about your ethical system. I have other questions too, though.<\/p>\n

She closed her eyes tightly, searching her mind for words that would instruct her, and the Word came. \u201cSlaves, be obedient to those who are you masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eye service, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart\u2026\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n

But did that mean she must obey Julia? Did that mean she must put Atretes\u2019 son on the rocks to die?<\/p>\n

The will of God from the heart. <\/i>Her mind stayed firmly on that beacon of light. God\u2019s will, not Julia\u2019s. Not the dark will of Calabah Shiva Fontaneus. Not even her own will. God\u2019s will.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Hadassah is quoting from Ephesians, which most scholars believe wasn\u2019t written until 80-100 AD. Even if it has been ten years (and it hasn\u2019t quite), it\u2019s only just now 80 AD. Of course, it\u2019s quite possible that the unknown author of this piece (not Paul) wrote down sayings that were already circulating. Still, Hadassah is quoting word for word from Ephesians. Rivers likely assumes that Paul wrote that letter. Does she believe that Hadassah would have had access to that letter?<\/p>\n

The only reason I ask is that reading about Christian history is something of a hobby of mine. There would have been a variety of letters and gospels circulating at this time, not merely the ones that made it into the New Testament (as Rivers seems to assume). Doctrine wasn\u2019t all worked out yet, and groups that would later be labeled heresies abounded. And yet Rivers gives us a modern evangelical transplanted into the period quoting from a New Testament canon that wasn\u2019t finalized for hundreds of years.<\/p>\n

With that, Hadassah heads to find John. You know, the Apostle John. Hadassah has resolved her ethical dilemma. As Rivers explains:<\/p>\n

Romans believed they had the right of life and death over their children. But Hadassah answered to God, not to Rome.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Romans believed that fathers<\/em> had the right of life and death over their children. Fathers<\/em>.<\/p>\n

When Hadassah arrives, she finds that John is with Rizpah, a young widow \u201cwhose husband and infant son had succumbed to one of the many illnesses plugging the Empire.\u201d This is all extremely convenient, of course.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry to intrude, my lord,\u201d Hadassah whispered in grave respect. \u201cShe wanted him left on the rocks to die. I couldn\u2019t do it, John. It\u2019s not God\u2019s will that a child be left to die, but I didn\u2019t know where else to bring him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou came where God led you,\u201d John said and took the child from her arms. Rizpah stood slowly and came to him. Her eyes rested tenderly on the child. \u201cA mother without her child, and ac hold without a mother,\u201d John said.<\/p>\n

Rizpah held her arms out and John placed Atretes\u2019 son in them.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

So that\u2019s that, all easily settled and worked out.<\/p>\n

At this point, we return to Julia\u2019s villa. It is now some time after Julia gave birth. Marcus comes to visit. Primus tells him that the child is dead by \u201cthe will of the gods.\u201d I am suddenly uncertain whether he knows and is lying, or whether Julia and Calabah simply told him the baby died. That could have been an interesting detail to add\u2014Calabah telling Julia that they\u2019ll tell Primus that the baby died, so they don\u2019t have to worry about him thinking he has some say over what happens to it, say. I suppose we can imagine such collusion.<\/p>\n

Julia spends an hour telling Marcus some of Primus\u2019 stories and gossip. Rivers tells us, through Marcus\u2019 eyes, that while Julia pretended everything was normal, \u201csomething had gone from her \u2026 some spark, some part of her life.\u201d<\/p>\n

All he knew was that some of the light had gone out of her eyes, and a hardness had taken its place.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That really is what this whole story is about, right? Julia going from an bubbly young girl, interested in the better things life had to offer but still innocent and full of life, to a hardened, course, self-absorbed, cruel woman. I\u2019m curious what Rivers thinks made her this way.<\/p>\n

After asking Julia whether she was okay\u2014she assured him that she was, that he was the only one who understood her, and that while Hadassah no longer understood her she was sure things would soon go back to the way the way they were\u2014Marcus left without speaking to Hadassah, not wanting to give Primus \u201cmore fuel for his rumor mill.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Marcus came back. This time he found Julia laughing at Primus\u2019 stories. Honestly, this match doesn\u2019t seem near as dysfunctional as Marcus seems to think\u2014Julia seems to genuinely enjoy Primus\u2019 stories, and he enjoys telling them to her. But all is not well with Julia.<\/p>\n

Marcus ignored [Primus] and directed his attention to his sister. \u201cHow are you feeling, Julia?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m well,\u201d she said lazily. Ever since Calabah had introduced her to eating lotus, she had stopped having bad dreams and drifted on a calm sea of cloudy sensations. She giggled at his frowning look.<\/p>\n

\u201cPoor Marcus. You used to be so much fun. What\u2019s happened to you? Is it because you\u2019ve been worried about me? Don\u2019t be. I feel better than I\u2019ve ever felt before.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Um. Lotus eating. No. Probably not. Opium, maybe.\u00a0Lotus eating was a myth<\/a>. No really\u2014the lotus eaters were a fictional group in Greek mythology. Still, you get the idea\u2014Calabah has Julia taking drugs now. You can already imagine where this is going to go.<\/p>\n

At this point in the conversation, Primus pipes up.\u00a0\u201cGive him what he wants, Julia,\u201d he says. \u201cGive him your little Jewess.\u201d This part of Primus has always been disturbing. There\u2019s antisemitism in play, but something else too. Rivers tells us, through Julia\u2019s eyes, that Primus \u201csaid it was as though there was a fragrance\u201d about Hadassah that was sweet to some, \u201cbut to him it was a stench in his nostrils.\u201d Besides, Rivers tells us through Julia\u2019s eyes, Primus said that \u201cif [Hadassah] were gone, Prometheus would act more like himself again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Primus wants Julia to get rid of Hadassah\u2014she\u2019s cramping his style\u2014and Rivers tells us that Julia hesitates, saying \u201cI don\u2019t know if I can part with her,\u201d specifically to toy with Primus. Maybe this relationship isn\u2019t so functional after all.<\/p>\n

\u201cJulia,\u201d Marcus said, his voice taut with annoyance. He didn\u2019t have to remind her that she had already agreed to relinquish Hadassah.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

WTF? No, no she did not. I flipped back to verify, and no\u2014Rivers is gaslighting us. Hadassah never said Marcus could have Julia. Never. When Marcus asked for Hadassah, Julia freaked out and then said \u201cI need her,\u201d which prompted Marcus to say \u201cthen I\u2019ll wait until after the baby comes.\u201d Julia did not respond to him. Marcus is an entitled, gaslighting prick.<\/p>\n

Still, at Marcus\u2019 annoyed voice, Julia demurs and tells him that he can indeed have Hadassah. \u201cJust promise you\u2019ll send her back to me when you tire of her,\u201d Julia says. Marcus jumps up immediately and goes looking for Hadassah. Primus begins mocking Marcus, but Julia shuts that down post haste. \u201cNo one laughs at Marcus,\u201d she says. \u201cNo one!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll leave you to imagine what Hadssay says when Marcus finds her.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rivers, through Calabah’s language about “a man’s issue,” is almost certainly trying to connect Julia’s decision to expose the child with abortion. I do have a question, though. Does Calabah literally not have a soul? I mean come on. Unless she is actually a vampire, this is just sloppy writing. Actually. Hmm. Waiting in the shadows of the room, soulless eyes—has Rivers also described Calabah as especially pale? Because honestly, Calabah as a conniving vampire would make this a tremendously better book.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Click through to read more!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":845,"featured_media":35429,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[630],"class_list":["post-35423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-voice-in-the-wind"],"yoast_head":"\nVoice in the Wind: Is Calabah a Vampire?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I do have a question, though. Does Calabah literally not have a soul? I mean come on. Unless she is actually a vampire, this is just sloppy writing. Actually. Hmm. 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