I would like to analyze "The Good Gardner" character from Women Without Men. We talked about this character in class a bit, but he really struck me as interesting for a few reasons:
1. The gardener never reveals his name. On page 93 he says, "'What's the use of knowing my name? Everybody calls me the gardener. You can call me the gardener.'" It is odd that this man's name is never revealed, especially when all the other main male characters in the book have names that are used often (Ostovari, Amir, etc).
2. Zarrinkolah saw him as the first man with a head since she started seeing all men with no heads. Then she ended up marrying him and their baby was a lily.
3. He has a weird control over women. First off, Farroklaqa instantly hires him without asking many questions about himself. On page 92 she just asks if he is a gardener, can do construction work, and then just questions about the women with him. Then she just hires him on page 93, pretty quick decision in my opinion. Second of all, he tells his wife that they must go on a trip. Immediately, "Zarrinkolah swept the house, wrapped up the bedding, and packed their things" (131). Then he told her that she didn't need to bring anything and to leave everything behind. Again, immediately "Zarrinkolah toke her husband's hand" (131). Then (same page) they disappeared into smoke through their baby (the lily). Zarrinkolah did not ask questions or argue despite how odd the situation was (or at least seems to us).
Why does "the gardener" have no name? How could it be related as a symbol of someone else we may know or believe in or wish we knew in society? Why does Zarrinkolah see him with a head? It does not talk about his virginity, which is what the whole book seems to be freaking out about. How could her seeing him with a head be related to their future marraige? And why was their child a lily, what does this lily symbolize comes from a whore (Zarinkolah) and a mystical kind man ("the gardener")? And why does he have such power over women, yet this power seems gentle and genuine? Essentially, what does this "gardener" represent in society?
I would like to think of him as a powerful spirit who blesses those who want to change as long as they stick to their word (like Zarrinkolah not being a whore anymore, or Farroklaqa creating her own sanctuary where she can be a happy individual without the influence of men). At the same time he creeps me out the way he invades all of their lives when the book is titled Women Without Men.
Thoughts?
Hey guys I looked back on my post and realized I made like 1000 confusing questions. I just wanted to clarify the main point I was getting at was what do you this "gardener" represent in society? All the other questions were just my processing of the data (quotes) I collected about the gardener. Hope that helps if there is confusion.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, I also had a hard time figuring how to place the gardner and what he actually represents. I feel like he seems to represent something spiritual, especially when looking at the effect he seems to have on some of the characters in the story. All of the effects seem to be possitive, and I feel like the "child" they have along with the acts that happen with the other characters at the end, it almost seems to represent some sort of freedom. They are all at this garden and end up with some sort of re-birth or fredom representation (ex. seeds floating away in the wind). I guess I just find it ironic that these women were able to come to these life conclusions a this garden where the only man is the gardner.
ReplyDeleteDuring my reading I got the impression that the Gardener was a spiritual being and could be considered a God-like character. As you mentioned, he never provided his name, and I think that was certainly intentional on his part. Not having a name makes him mysterious and also ambiguous. I feel like if God was acting as a human on Earth, he wouldn't want people to know who he really was and would try to remain as mysterious as possible. Also, because he is the first person Zarrinkolah sees with a head, I couldn't help but think of him as a "good guy." I think the fact that she saw him with a head foreshadowed that good things were to come and he was not someone to be afraid of. In addition to all of this, I would consider him the caretaker of the group. He offers suggestions for writing poetry, he takes care of Zarrinkolah, and he is able to make the tree grow and flourish. Also, if we think about the garden in relation to the Garden of Eden, his abilities and his mannerisms seem even more spiritual.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aimee too in the sense that the gardner represents something in society. It is challenging to sort through everything and figure out what exactly he is intended to represent. I can't figure out if he is intended to represent this spiritual figure/ figure of power. He clearly has an effect on the other characters. To be honest I feel like he is this positive magical man/ superhero. In the end it is all speculative but I just always wonder what exactly the author wanted him to represent.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allison that the gardener almost had a "god-like" aspect to him. I also related him to the Garden of Eden, that idea of the perfect, happy, man without sin. I wonder if he may display some traditional female characteristics as well, as he was sort of the "caretaker." I'm really not sure what he was supposed to represent, especially with the title "Women Without Men." Perhaps he is only in the form of a man, but more of a god-figure, similar to Jesus? That may be quite a stretch, I'm grasping at straws to make sense of it. What do you guys think?
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