In reading the section of Trembley’s books assigned for today’s class, one particular scene stood out to me. The incident in the basement, which seems to be the first normal interaction between Merry and Majorie since the beginning of the book, brought to mind the uncertainty of reality and question of reliability as discussed in class. In this scene, Majorie discloses her “biggest secret of all”: she is faking her possession. Her story seems likely, and almost noble, as she is sacrificing herself for the wellbeing of the family and home. However, as Merry points out, the story is not completely air-tight, but rather is Majorie “trying to convince herself that she was okay and in control of what was happening to her and to us.”
This quote struck me for a number of reasons. First of all, it adds to the theme of unreliability in the novel- what is real or not- a trope of postmodern horror. Second, Marjorie’s questioning of her own state of being and subsequent attempt to feign control makes me think about our society’s need for predictability and authority over a situation. This control that we long for often comes in the form of knowledge, disseminated through and digested by technology. Much of our modern day fears, as evidenced through popular horror, stems from the lack of knowledge or understanding of a situation. When we do not have information automatically at our finger tips, or an easy solution is not readily available, we tend to panic. Majorie is quick to defend herself and her self-governance, stating that her behavior is a game over which she has control and design. Her father, unsure of how to explain his daughter’s behavior, turns to the church to “fix” the problem. While dealt with in different ways by the members of the Barrett household, the main source of fear seems to rise from the uncertainty and lack of “diagnosis and solution” to their family situation.
With the aid of technology and global communication, there is often little in this world which we cannot explain or google to find an answer. However, the inconclusiveness and mystery surrounding Marjorie’s ailment, as reinforced by her own failure to understand what is going on, adds to the fear of both the family and the reader.
Just as Marjorie’s father easily adopts the idea of possession and Majorie herself claims that it is all an act, our society tends to jump on the easiest explanation for things to dissolve fear and restore normalcy. Scape goats, while first introduced to me as something from the time of the Scarlet Letter, are still very present in our culture. We have become accustomed to immediate gratification via technology, thus have lost the skill of patience in finding the worthwhile answer. If a solution cannot be reached within a certain period of time, panic ensues and we begin to grab at straws. Technology has been glorified for uniting the globe and providing a medium through which information can be shared. However, with the growing need for immediate gratification and the tendency to jump on the easiest, potentially detrimental, way out, technology may be hurting out society rather than helping.
After recognizing Marjorie’s bluff, Merry says, “in that moment, i was afraid for her instead of being afraid of her.” In this scene, the aspect of fear is not the possession itself, or even the prospect of possession, but rather is Majorie’s inability to grasp and make sense of what is happening to her. Funny how not knowing the facts may be scarier than possession by the devil himself.
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