Reflections from afar

Many years ago, I had seen a painting called The Potato Eaters, most probably by Vincent Van Gogh. I still remember the gloom that emerged from that work of art in shades of grey and black. Reflections from the fire on which the potatoes were being roasted were the only source of colour in the painting. While reading The Last Days of Dogtown by Anita Diamant, I was reminded of the painting strongly as the novel is full of a similar sense of gloom born out of despair. To quote from the blurb on the front flap of the dust jacket, "The tiny rural backwater of Dogtown, nestled on Cape Ann and hugging the Massachusetts coastline, is a place that is reputedly dying, but its few remaining inhabitants show an enduring spirit that keeps a small flame of life alight."

The novel shatters the myth that America is a land of plenty and offers many opportunities. The picture of death and decadence is conveyed vividly throughout the novel. To quote: "The settlement of Dogtown was more and more like a cracked pitcher. In the three years following Abraham Wharf's death, the village leaked life at a steady pace." What makes the novel a pleasant read is that it is not a chronicle of gloom and despair altogether. The brighter and better side of human nature often emerges at an unexpected moment, surprising the reader pleasantly. The friendship between Sally and Molly reminds the reader that a relationship can be established between two persons with no strings attached even if they are both down and out.

In this poverty- stricken place, where survival is a struggle and often depends on the right strategies, one does not expect tender, romantic love to sprout. But the relationship between Polly Boynton, the young widow, and Oliver Younger slowly blossoms despite adversities, culminates into marriage and does not die out thereafter. Another thing that adds to the readability of the novel is the basic humane nature of most characters, the way they extend a helping hand to fellow sufferers without thinking of the inconvenience they might have to experience in the bargain. The way Oliver and Polly manage to place Cornelius on a rough plank sled and take him home after he had fallen down and injured a knee, is one of the instances which illustrates this. Cornelius responds by babysitting Polly's kids and enabling her to do housework.

As one reads The Last Days of Dogtown, one is reminded of Indian literature in regional languages, specifically in Hindi and Bangla, which this reviewer has grown up with. There are many commonalities, despite the geographical as well as socio-cultural differences. A person might live in a village near Purnea or Benaras or Dogtown on the coastline of Massachusetts in America, closeness to nature would give them a similar mindset. There are certain geographical, socio-cultural, and, to an extent, political boundaries that can be transcended by good literature. Survival under adversity is typical of literature written in and about nineteenth century America. The Last Days of Dogtown, based on the true story of a small community, has all that and more""a tenderness that brings the members of the community close to each other.

THE LAST DAYS OF DOGTOWN

Anita Diamant
Macmillan
Price: £12.99; Pages: 263