In Margaret Laurence’s novel a Jest of God, Mae Cameron
plays a critical role in the development of the main character as well as the
plot.
Mae Cameron’s fear of isolation in turn causes Rachel not
to develop as a person. Mae is so worried about being left alone that she
will stop at nothing to keep Rachel by her side. Mae Cameron isolates Rachel
physically by keeping her home on bridge nights to serve refreshments to her
friends, “Well, dear you do what you think best. I’d never suggested you
shouldn’t go. Only on a bridge night- well, never mind. We’ll just have to
stop playing while I do the serving, that’s all”(Laurence 106). Mae isolates
Rachel emotionally by trying to control her relationship with Nick. She tells
Rachel how inappropriate it is to date a Ukrainian and at that, the milkman’s
son. Mae is most defiantly unwilling to let Rachel arrive
at her own
decisions “ Rachel, do you think you should go out this evening dear? It’s up
to you, of course dear, but I would have thought what with getting back to
school and everything”(Laurence 178). Mae is always second guessing Rachel
and trying to make her feel guilty, so she will choose to do her bidding.
Rachel in all accounts doesn’t feel like she has a say over her own life.
This is why a women of 34 is still living at home with her mother and staying
home on bridge nights to serve refreshments.
God and religion play a large role not only in the lives
of Mae and Rachel but it also gives insight into their true beliefs. Mae
Cameron attends a very structured and ridged Presbyterian Church every Sunday
where nothing ever goes array. Where as Mae is deathly afraid of the
Tabernacle because it does not have a structured ceremony. People are
proclaiming their faith for all to hear, others are receiving the gift of
tongues and the sound of guitars and drums can be heard playing in the
church. Without structure Mae feels unsure of the situation and that instills
fear in her. Mae Cameron is the only reason Rachel even attends church.
Rachel is unsure of her faith and only attends the Presbyterian Church to
please her mother. There is strong evidence to support the theory that Mae
only attends church to be socially accepted in the town. For example she
speaks to Naill about not going to church, “It isn’t very nice Naill for a
man in your position not to go”(Laurence 89). In this exchange there is only
the implication that not going to church may be frowned upon by the towns’
people, but strangely enough there is no mention of how this act would be
interpreted by God.
Mae Cameron is responsible for Rachel’s journey from
adolescence to adulthood. Mae is to blame for Rachel’s lack of acquaintances
by making her feel guilty every time she tries to leave the house. Mae
continually treats Rachel as a child by always second guessing her decisions.
Mae is unwilling to let Rachel grow as a person in fear that she will become
independent and create her own life that does not include an aging mother.
Mae reasons that if she makes Rachel feel like a child she will be incapable
of independent thought and therefor unable to survive on her own.
The theme of communication is one that really adds
insight into the relationship between Mae and Rachel. Communication between
the two is not of choice but of routine. When they converse there is no
substance behind what they are saying, “walk slowly dear, but hurry back”
(Laurence 175) is an excerpt from typical conversation between the two. They
will chat about nothing and they are quite content to do so, partly because
after years of living together they are incapable of breaking away from their
exchanges of hollow dialogue. The only time they do voice opinions is when
they are discussing matters other than their own or when Mae is giving Rachel
advice on how to live her life. The lack of communication between the two is
the major factor resulting in Rachel’s inner voice. Rachel feels like she has
no one else that she can turn to so instead she decides to deliberate
questions she has with herself.
Mae’s inability in allowing Rachel to develop as a social
being has been detrimental to her growth. Rachel has missed out on her
formative years of learning about life and is only now beginning to grow and
develop as a self-directed individual.
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