by Alexander Shevlinn

 

Iain Mac a'Ghobhainn was born in Glasgow in 1928. Two years later, his parents, who were both of Highland origins, moved to the Isle of Lewis. His father died not long after this move, and the family, which consisted of three boys, was then raised by Mrs Smith in the crofting township of Bayble.

Until his death in October 1998, Iain Mac a'Ghobhainn was one of the most prolific writers of Gaelic fiction, and had been producing short stories and novels fairly continuously over almost four decades. For the purpose of this dissertation, I will be looking at approximately ten of his Gaelic short stories, and one of his novels. I will be commenting on the authors pre-occupations within these stories, his use of imagery and symbolism, his views on religion as seen through his stories, the alienation of the exile, both culturally and geographically, and the author as an exile.

After leaving Stornoway Secondary School, Mac a'Ghobhainn left the Island of Lewis to attend Aberdeen University. One of his clearest memories was at the age of seventeen when he arrived at Aberdeen Railway Station. He saw a beggar wearing black glasses, and in front of him on the pavement, there was a cap with a few pennies in it.

As Mac a'Ghobhainn remembers. "Such a sight would have been unheard of in an island community. The beggar's blatant economic demand and his overt helplessness, this individual throwing himself on the mercy of chance, would have been a contradiction of everything that the community represented." Even though Mac a'Ghobhainn was only seventeen at the time, the importance of this early observation, demonstrated to Mac a'Ghobhainn why Island communities need to operate as a unit. This first observation of the beggar at the Railway Station was perhaps, Mac a'Ghobhainns first experience of alienation, and may have tempted him to write the first story which I am going to discuss.

"An Duine Dubh" is a story possibly set somewhere in the Islands, around the late 1950s or early 1960s. The story involves two characters, an old woman, and a Pakastani peddler who is selling jumpers and undergarments, on a door to door basis.The peddler produces his wares which fall from his hands, mar bhurn no bogha-frois". "Feadhainn dearg mar fhion, feadhainn glas mar mhuir, feadhainn uaine    mar thalamh, feadhainn buidhe mar ghealaich". The symbolism that has been used is very important because it gives the reader an insight into the background of the peddler. The colours used, can, if you want them to, represent the colours of the 'peddlers' national flag. If you do not wish to follow that avenue, then you can opt for one of many. For instance, imagine that Mac a'Ghobhainn has used the colours in such a way as to represent certain aspects of life, life the colours of the rainbow. Or another route to follow is that the colours represent the elements, grey for the sea, gr!
een for the earth, yellow for the moon, and red representing 'fire and damnation'. In Uirsgeul Mhic a'Ghobhainn, an essay by Richard Cox, he says. "Mac a'Ghobhainn makes frequent use of colours as symbols in his work - although their application seems to vary - and this is extended to the colour or quality of light. For example, yellow, gold and the sun may symbolise truth or understanding, while white, silver and the moon symbolise falsehood or confusion".

This may well be true, as Cox states."their application seems to vary". However, on this occasion, most simply of all, I think Mac a'Ghobhainn has used these colours to contrast the colourlessness of the woman's room.

The old woman notices that the 'black man' has left a book on the floor, and although she cannot read the writing, she is intrigued by the 'winter stars'. Simile played an important part in the writings of Mac a'Ghobhainn, and he managed to use these effectively when emphasising a point.bha aodann tana, geal mar rathad cein.Bha iad a'dortadh as a lamhan mar bhurn no bogha-frois.

Throughout this story there is very little dialogue between the old woman and the peddler. However, by visualising each scene within the context of the story, a fuller picture develops, and offers a deeper understanding to what is happening. For instance, although both characters are from entirely different backgrounds and cultures, both suffer from an isolation and loneliness. The old woman has only memories of what life used to be, and perhaps what it should have been. The peddler on the other hand, is trying to make money to either return to his spouse and family, or bring them over to stay with him. Both characters are looking forward to something that isn't there, and are displaced geographically and spiritually, from their culture. Mac a'Ghobhainn's preoccupation's within this story are clearly marked out, with loneliness, alienation, and a lack of communication being key elements.

"An t-Adhar Ameirigeanach", is a story which based in the form of a dream, jumps from present to past. Mac a'Ghobhainn's preoccupation in this story is that of the 'exile', and the psychological dimension of human existence. He deals with the subconscious influences in the individual's life, and through 'dream interpretation', the reader develops a better understanding of the exile's position. As Mac a'Ghobhainn says."To be an exile is to be a double man, living in a new world while still enchanted by the fantasies of the old. The exile sings Gaelic songs (sometimes knows more verses that the native does) and his dream is unbroken."

Throughout this story Mac a'Ghobhainn has used dream symbolism, in an attempt to show how our subconscious mind works, when trying to solve deep rooted problems. The character in this story finds himself in a number of bizarre situations, that he initially accepts without question. This is perhaps because dreams can be classified into two different types, latent, and manifest. Latent dreams are personal desires, where the dreamer sees either something that has already happened, replayed with either the same, or slightly altered conclusion, according to what the dreamer wants to happen. Manifest dreams are seemingly unconnected with your life, and are the messages, the visits to places where you have never been, or the playing out of fantasy scenes.

It would seem that our 'character' has had a latent dream, because the experience of this dream suggests a strong desire to return to his homeland. Mac a'Ghobhainn has very cleverly constructed this dream scenario so well, that you would think it was based on an 'Out of Body Experience'. The lucidity and clarity of the individuals experience, track the psychological gaps between adulthood and childhood. Mac a'Ghobhainn has constructed the beginning of the dream so well, that it is almost life a steam train going at full speed. There are shops, lights going on and off, cinemas, theatres, the hustle and bustle of a big city, people hurrying past in the mist and rain. This opening scene shows that this individual lives in a society that is fast moving, just like a train.

As the dream begins to slow down, so does the momentum of the train, when the dreamer stops to look at a white neckless in a shop window. Suddenly, the necklace looks like an 'eel', and from this association and the ensuing smell of crabs, the psychological gap between his adulthood and childhood, begins to unfold.

When the smell of crabs grows even stronger, his subconscious mind recognises an association with the sea, which in turn, triggers a desire to return to the Islands. This return to the past, applies to most of us who have experienced certain smells during our lifetime, and have associated these smells with certain events. For instance, the smell of 'tar' reminds me of the early 1960s, when men were laying tar on the roads. However, our dreamer takes this association even further by making plans to return to his homeland. When our dreamer arrives in Stornoway, he begins to wonder why he is there in the first place, because all his family are dead. Mac a'Ghobhainn has perhaps used this scenario as an example to show one of the problems that "exile's" face should they decide to return home.

"It is not that the returning exile passes judgement on the islander who has remained behind: the islander too exerts his judgement on the exile as he does on the tourist." Mac a'Ghobhainn has highlighted other problems that the exile must adapt to and overcome, particularly, the problem of 'change'. These changes are an essential part of the story, as our dreamer drifts from past to present. Mac a'Ghobhainn has used the scene in the 'Chinese Restaurant', to highlight the introduction of other cultures within a culture.

It is in the restaurant that our dreamer once again returns to the past, and the colour red that is dominant throughout the restaurant, indicates a disturbing influence.

These flashbacks to the past that our dreamer has, range from thinking that the restaurant was like achurch, with Gaelic music coming from the walls, to seeing his sister Mairi sitting at a table doing her lessons. Mac a'Ghobhainn is trying to tell us that when any exile returns to their roots, there is sometimes an unwillingness to accept the changes that have taken place, and many exile's try to hold on to memories of the past. The memories of the past may be unbroken, but they are always anachronistic. Mac a'Ghobhainn goes on."For to become an exile is to become an individual on one's own in a world in which there is no community. It is not leaving the island or the village that is the terrible thing, it is leaving the community."

When our dreamer leaves the Chinese Restaurant, he takes a walk along the street, and finds himself looking in a shop window again. However, this time his 'dream state' is in the present, and when he sees the necklace in the shop window, there is no association with the sea, or smell or crabs. So what has happened to our dreamer? Has his dream state in the past been merely a series of transitory thoughts, or has his subconscious desire to return home been prompted by seeing the necklace? Whatever conclusion the reader arrives at, Mac a'Ghobhainn's preoccupations within this story are clearly marked out. He explores the problems of the returned exile through dream interpretation, and through his own personal experience of living in exile from his own cultural identity.

"A'Bhan-Shoisgeulaiche", is a story about a female missionary who travels to Kenya, to teach the doctrines of Christianity to the local natives. Set around the early 1930s, the story jumps from present to past. The reader is informed within the first two paragraphs that the 'worship house' is one fire. Miss Scott, (the evangelist's name) does not move, but stands where she is with her right arm around a tree. She had just returned from attending a black child who was ill with a fever, and the worship house on fire, was the first thing that she saw. Mac a'Ghobhainn's use of jumping from the present tothe past, creates intrigue for the reader, and you are left wondering why the worship house is on fire in the first place. Perhaps Mac a'Ghobhainn has used fire imagery to describe the destruction of the natives community. Destruction of communities, is a theme which Mac a'Ghobhainn has re-worked many times in various poems and stories. Mac a'Ghobhainn states. "As we are talking!
about a real people in a real place, we have to admit that the community also has its negative side, that is to say it is nearly always conservative and hostile to change. There is a dislike of the person who individualises himself too much, who tries to succeed for his own purposes".

The next few paragraphs that follow, remain in the present with Miss Scott thinking about the children that she feels responsible for. She sees them as her own 'personal flock', and yet she cannot understand why the native men have come to collect their children, and are turning their faces away from her.

When Miss Scott first arrived in Kenya in 1932, life was different then. She saw the challenge of being a missionary as part of God's divine plan for her. The children were so innocent then, yet so unchristian. However, within a few years she was able to change all that, and she teaches the children about Christ, and other subjects. Miss Scott was in fact attempting to 'spiritually cleanse' a culture she knew very little about.

Mac a'Ghobhainn's preoccupations within this story are varied. We have on the one hand, an evangelist responsible for her own self-deception, by becoming a 'religious vampire' sucking onto another culture, and at the same time is responsible for her own downfall, by not accepting that the natives had their own cultural identity. Other preoccupations include, religious domination, greed, incest, hatred, and an unwillingness to accept that there are other religions and cultures out with her own.

Her domineering attitude stems from her upbringing by her father whom we are told was a 'great man', yet, on the night she had her revelation, when there was thunder and lightning in her room, she sees her father standing at the door looking at her, contemplating what to do next. Was her father about to make the worst decision of his life, or was he merely there to comfort his daughter? Mac a'Ghobhainn has left this particular scene open-ended, and the reader has to draw his own conclusions.

I believe Mac a'Ghobhainn was trying to put the point across that there is also a negative side to religious domination. In this particular story, Miss Scott's father had 'two faces', one for his congregation, and one for his daughter.

Because, when Miss Scott first arrived in Kenya, and Clarence (whom she was replacing as missionary) was lying on the floor ill with the Malaria, she felt 'hatred' when she saw his long black beard. This clearly suggests that Clarence reminded her of her father, and as such had taken an instant dislike to him. But, she does remember, her father was good to her 'sometimes' when she was sick. And now, although she felt hatred towards Clarence, she is the one who is now offering water.
The preoccupation of greed has been introduced to the story when Miss Scott decides to teach the children about Christ, and uses a 'Crown' as an aid. Unwittingly, she has introduced the effects of materialism, because the children are soon fighting for it. Mac a'Ghobhainn has perhaps used the symbolic colours of blue and red, to emphasise the battles that Scotland has fought against the English nation, for the right to have their own 'Scottish Crown'. When the crown disappeared from her house, were the natives responsible, and if they were, was it because they had the foresight to see what she was introducing to their culture?

Mac a'Ghobhainn introduces further symbolism in this story, when Miss Scott eventually gathers courage to enter the woods. Because she has no compass, she decides to cut a small piece of bark from each tree. At this stage of the story, Mac a' Ghobhainn introduces the symbolic colours of purple, red, and green. These colours may well represent spirituality, greed, and envy, which are problems that Miss Scott had been faced with throughout this story.

Trees have always been important in the mystical, magical and religious life of mankind. Even today, long after the ancient reverence for trees has succumbed to the advance of sophisticated religious systems, the older ideas continue to influence human thought and behaviour.
Many African tribes relied on extracts of 'willow bark', which, when brewed into a tea, alleviated gout, inflammations, and asthma. Whether Mac a' Ghobhainn was aware of this I do not know, but the coincidence is remarkable.

Had she desecrated a 'sacred place', and if she had, did this contribute to her downfall? On a personal note, I think that she had entered a place that was taboo, and because of her domineering attitude, and perhaps arrogance, she failed to recognise that when she felt 'eyes' were watching her, this was a warning that she was entering territory which was sacred to the natives.

Just before Miss Scott had her 'epiphany', she began to see the natives in a new light.'cha bhuin iad dhomh'. She sees their houses as sad and dirty, and yet, she cannot understand where she went wrong. In many ways she was acting like 'Shakespeare's King Lear', because she was 'blind to the truth'. I think Mac a' Ghobhainn has used this particular story, to outline the dangers that can happen to people, who force their own religious beliefs and cultures on others. Even at the end, Miss Scott was still defiant, and in true 'Joan of Arc' style, would be remembered as a martyr, rather that a failure. The suggestion is that, this act was not only to the detriment of the dominated culture, but also to Miss Scott, who has lived a false life.

"An Comhradh", is a story about a young boy who is dying, and how the relationship with his mother changes when the Minister is called. This is a very sad story because, again we have a picture of loneliness and isolation. Tormod experiences this isolation and loneliness at a time when he should be surrounded by the comfort and warmth of his mother. Instead, his mother cannot bring herself to comfort him because the Minister is there to oversee, and also, that would be 'wrong' in the eyes of the church. Tormod has to be seen to be reading his bible, as the Minister is hovering around, ready to act his part when the time comes, and his mother must give priority to converting him through fear (rather than to her maternal desire to comfort him) for the sake of his eternal soul. Again we have symbolism and imagery playing an important part, with colours representing aspects of death and dying."Bha e cho geal aig an deireadh.Ach bha am Biobull fhein fuar nuair a thog mi e, cho fu!
ar 's gun chuir e gairisinn orm".

Mac a' Ghobhainn seems to be preoccupied with the religious bigotry that stems from 'soul saving'. This religious routine plays an important part in the story, with overtones of Calvanism laying emphasis on the observation of evil and guilt, and specially, on the need to seek and face the truth."tha sinn uile a'dol a bhasachadh, ars am ministear". I believe that when Mac a' Ghobhainn wrote this story, he was clearly contributing his own personal views about the strict religious laws that are observed in Island communities. "An t-Aonaran", which was one of Mac a' Ghobhainn's early novels, (first published in 1976) is a story surrounding the reactions of a community (as seen through the eyes of Tearlach) when a hermit decides to live in their small rural township. The story is told through the narrative and throughts of Charles, who is a retired head-teacher. To achieve its aim, An t-Aonaran seems to follow two paths to tell one story. One path informs the reader of the events!
and reactions surrounding the hermit's routine, while the other gives an insight into what is going through Charles' mind. By doing this, we are able to learn about Charles' feelings and experiences.

The story opens with Charles introducing himself and telling us that a hermit has come to live in their township. Charles also mentions that like the hermit, he also lives alone, and is a retired head-teacher. Charles admits that he too, is at times lonely, but adds."Ach nach eil a h-uile duine faireachainn sin eadhon nuair a tha iad posda?" (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:1). Although Charles has mentioned that he lives alone, it is not until later that he mentions that he was once married, though his wife (Mary) has now died of cancer. There is an indication that perhaps his status as a head-teacher and the loss of that status, has now more bearing on his life than the loss of his wife. The reader is given the impression that Charles is suffering from an intellectual isolation, because he is no longer seen as a symbol of knowledge.
A the story moves on, the reader is gradually introduced to other members of the village, who, in their infinite wisdom, all seem to have construed their own opinions about the hermit. The first character that we are introduced to is Dougie.    He owns the local shop, which is the centre of gossip in the village. Charles and Dougie are good friends, and the reader is given the impression that Charles deems Dougie acceptable company. Perhaps this is because Dougie served in Italy in the last war, and has 'strange stories' to tell, and also the fact that Dougie is a businessman, which makes him a suitable companion for Charles who is an educated man."Cha robh gnothach aige a thighinn an seo idir, "arsa esan le feirg" Aonaran. Carson nach eil posd mar a tha sinn uile?" (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:2).

The next character that the reader is introduced to is Cairstiona, a staunch Christian who is ironically the local gossip. When she meets Charles, she simply cannot wait to air her disapproval of the hermit's occupancy. "Chan eil e nadurrach" ars ise. "Strainnsear" (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:9). As Cairstiona continues to push Charles to give his views on the hermit, he wishes he was somewhere else, perhaps listening to the music of the sea.

While Cairstiona is still jabbering, Charles reflects, his mind wandering to the past. It is only when the subject of her daughter walking the streets of Soho is brought up, that Cairstiona becomes reluctant to continue with the conversation.

Charles appears to respect the hermit's privacy and lifestyle, while the rest of the village seem to resent his presence. The more lonely Charles becomes the more preoccupied with the hermit he becomes. Before he retired, Charles was too busy with his work to take notice of anybody else's affairs. He goes on to explain how he and his wife had met, while he had been studying as a student in Edinburgh.

He had met her in the library, and had taken her to the cinema. In those days she had played the violin with a passion, and now, there was no music and no passion. His wife, Mairi, belonged to Edinburgh and it was there she was happy. They were lovers at one time, but as the years past their relationship had grown stale. Throughout the story Charles struggles to decide if he really did love Mairi or not. They didn't have much to say to each other, as he was too busy in other matters to care for her. She had become increasingly isolated when they moved to Charles' village. She was unable to speak a word of Gaelic, and was regarded as a stranger. To make matters, there was nobody to listen to her music. The violin is definitely symbolic in the novella, and as such represented life when she was younger. However, as age took its toll, she became silent, and the violin is used as her only means of escape from loneliness. When Mairi turns to drink she develops cancer, this leaves !
Charles for the first time on his own. Throughout the story cancer is used as a motif. He says."Tha cansair air feadh an t-saoghal uile, cansair a'ghaoil, cansair na h-aonaranachd, 's tha an fhidheall aig fois". (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:12) Mac a' Ghobhainn sees a breakdown in communication as a type of cancer, which eats away at people and leads to loneliness. He also sees love as a type of cancer, and blames himself for taking his wife to the village in the first place, not realising how lonely she was going to be.

The wendepunkt, or turning point in the story, comes when Charles becomes infatuated with Seonag. There are many possibilities as to why the scenario between Charles and Seonag took place. Seonag is like a spring flower ready to burst at the call of nature, and it appears she has had the calling many times before, she is a nature temptress, and Charles is her food. Each day he watches her passing his house, and each day he becomes more and more infatuated. Subconsciously, Charles wants Seonag in his life, but for what?    Perhaps this is a reaction to Mairi's death, or maybe loneliness has prompted him. He begins to question his own behaviour, and the behaviour or the hermit.
This culminates in him setting out to the hermit's hut in the middle of the night. He asks himself why he is doing this but is unable to answer, this inevitably leads him to doubt his own sanity."S math dh'fhaodte gu robh mi as mo chiall" (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:22). He repeats this sentiment throughout the story.

When Charles pays Coinneach Iain, who is a retired seaman, a visit, he starts a conversation lamenting about his past life at sea. He has great stories to tell of visits to San Francisco, China, New Zealand, and South America. He goes on to talk about his youth, and how he could climb to the top of the masts. Coinneach Iain is one of those characters that you could meet at any shore-side pub. Unfortunatley for Coinneach Iain, he is living in the past, just like Charles, with both of them trying to hold onto something that is no longer there. Strangely enough, both men have something in common, that is, Charles was married to teaching, and Coinneach Iain was married to the sea. Coinneach Iain concludes that the main reason he got married was to save himself from being a drunkard. He also makes comments about the hermit's freedom, something which he himself has now lost. This comment, in Charles' view is the first indication on the effect the hermit's presence is having on the!
village.

A neighbour of Charles, Murchadh Mor, is building a house, and has been for many years. He is in no great hurry to complete it, and his main reason for building the house seems to be to pass the time. Every character in this story is passing the time doing something or other, apart from charles. He begins to ask himself, how will he pass the time? While events in the village begin to unfold, Charles is contemplating on his own life, he thinks about Seonag and how he can get close to her. He decides to but some milk from her father, so that Seonag can deliver it. The reader is give the impression that Seonag knows exactly what is going on in Charles' mind. It becomes apparent that Seonag is soon to be married when Charles makes a visit to her house, and this causes him to question his own morals. Herehe was a retired head-teacher lusting after an eighteen year old girl."Dhia gleidh mi, Dhia gleidh mi, tha eagal orm" (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:34).

Throughout the story the hermit remains a mystery, not only to the people of the village, but also to the reader. Many assumptions are made, even though he has caused no harm to anyone.the hermit is a symbol of peace and contentment, and maybe more. In the life of Charles and Coinneach Iain's he is a catalyst for change, which prompts them to reflect on their own lives.

Events in this story begin to take an unexpected twist when Coinneach Iain decides to leave his wife. He decides that he wants to go back to sea, to San Fransisco in particular.

At this point Charles' view towards the hermit changes. The village no longer offers the security that it once had, and Charles blames the hermit."Bha an saoghal air a dhol bun os cionn"."An t-Aonaran, arsa mise rium fhin, 's esan is coireach seo" (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:38). At the outset of the story Charles was content to leave the hermit to his own devices. However, Charles began to blame the hermit for the troubles within the village. He viewed the hermit as a bad influence on the villagers."Cha robh e deanamh cron air duine ach an cron nach robh iad a'tuigsinn" (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:45).

When Dougie's brother and sister-in-law are visiting, Charles goes to see them. After a few drinks, the conversation gets round to the hermit, and the attitudes of Charles and Dougie drastically turn around. Dougie has accepted the hermit in the village."Se tha mise 'g radh, arsa Dougie a rithist, ma tha duine 'g iarraidh a bhith 'na aonar tha coir againn leigeil leis sin a dheanamh" (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:49). However, Charles has now grown extremely resentful that the hermit seems to be at peace, whereas he is now sad and lonely."Cha robh gnothach aige a bhith cho doigheil ri siud, cha robh e nadurrach" (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:54). Charles is now blaming the hermit for everything, including Coinneach Iain leaving his wife.

At the end of the evening when Charles returned home, he found Seonag waiting for him. She had already told him about a red suite that she saw in town and wanted very much, but was unlikely to own it as it cost two hundred pounds.

Charles went over to the dresser and handed her two hundred pounds. They did not speak, they did not have too. The curtains were drawn and they both walked to thebedroom."Thainig I mach as an fhasach airson da chiad nota, airson suite dearg" (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:60/62).
When Coinneach Iain eventually returned home, he seemed older and saddened by his experience. He came back because he now realised that places like San Fransisco no longer wanted him. He was no longer the young man climbing the masts, but an old man with memories of distant places, and nowhere else to go. In many ways he was doing exactly what Charles was doing, albeit in a different context, both were seeking to rekindle some of their lost youth.

When Charles gets a visitfrom the Minister, he is surprised to learn that the Minister confesses to him that he is having doubts about his faith. This for Charles, seems to be the final nail in the coffin, and he is now even more determined to rid the village of the hermit's influence. It seems that the entire village is on the brink of destruction. "An toiseach Coinneach Iain, 's a nis am ministear" (Mac a' Ghobhainn, 1991:70). Charles decides that the hermit must leave for the good of the village, and that he is the only one that is able to save it. He began to think of people who he could get to help him get rid of the hermit. He went through all the names; Dougie, Murchadh Mor, Cairstiona and Coinneach Iain. However, the bizarre thing was, these were people who were all against the hermit, but had now accepted him. Charles realised he would have to do it himself. The final and shortest chapter in this story, has the purpose of denouement. The hermit leaves town after Se!
onag accuses him of touching her. Dougie senses that Charles is behind the plot, and this results in Charles losing Dougie's friendship.

The only people that will have anything to do with Charles now are Cairstiona, Murchadh Mor, and the Minister, the people that he once had the least time for. Although Charles has saved the village from the hermit, he has now become the hermit himself, the figure that he feared most.

The structure of the novella is very good, and enables the reader to visualize each scene as it unfolds. The main events of this story surrounded the hermit and his reactions his activities generated. Other events like the ministers loss of faith, Coinneach Iain leaving his wife, Cairstiona having a daughter who is a whore, and Murchadh Mor's house that will never be finished, gave the reader the impression that this was a real village that the story was based on.

The novella is packed with symbolism and imagery. For instance, Mairi's violin can symbolise three different things. First of all a baby, (which is what Mairi lacked), secondly, life itself, because when Mairi played it, her spirits were lifted, thirdly, death, because of its resemblance in shape to a coffin. Other references to imagery include, lunar imagery, the music of nature and of the sea, the classical imagery of Greek busts, which suggest that Charles is an intellectual. There are also various references to classical and neo-classical paintings, which suggest an interest in the 'Gods'. Finally, there is the symbolism of dark clothes worn by Cairstiona, which suggests that there is a darker side to religion.

At the end of this novella, Mac a' Ghobhainn leaves the reader with many unanswered questions. I think this is deliberate because, this is a story where you have to read beyond the lines and explore your own imagination. However, when Charles finally settles down in his house after all the turmoil, he goes to the bookcase and takes out a book, opens it, and begins to read. Not realizing he is reading the bible, he has now become the hermit and a role reversal has taken place. Perhaps the bible is a justification of his actions towards the hermit.
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