38 pages • 1 hour read
Brian MooreBlack Robe
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1985A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Profanity
Two distinct (and often combative) cultures trying to communicate with one another involves various languages. In the text, there is a marked difference between the speech patterns of the Europeans and those of the native peoples. While they are all presented in the same language, aesthetic differences illustrate to the reader that there is a separation between the various languages. One of the key differences is profanity, which is used frequently by the native peoples and almost never by the Europeans. Whenever profanity appears in the text, it functions as a motif, revealing to the reader the spoken language without explicitly stating so.
The choice to make the speech of the so-called “Savages” more profane reflects their different cultural values in contrast to the Europeans. Whereas the Europeans speak French and Latin (as well as the local languages), the local people speak only their own languages (which, in turn, have various dialects). The language of the priests is—as expected—clean and purposeful. They are educated, having studied long and hard in their seminary years. The locals have no such formal education. To them, language is spoken (not written), and changes are made to accommodate this difference. A repetition of previous points before every meeting and facetious emotional expressions to lessen the impact of a comment are two devices that appear frequently. They demonstrate the differences between the cultures but are not as explicit as the use of profanity, which gives their speech an ungodly, unrefined aesthetic, at least in contrast to the Europeans’ speech.
But the presence of profanity does not preclude the local peoples from profundity. Even though they swear frequently and demonstrate far fewer inhibitions (particularly regarding sex) in their conversational topics, the local people still have a deep discourse with which to express themselves. Laforgue discovers this as he talks to the sorcerers. He learns that—even if the words are profane—the people are capable of profound, insightful, and convincing thoughts. He must learn not to dismiss such conversations because they are framed in such a profane manner. Such an understanding regarding profanity becomes a symbol for Laforgue’s understanding of the local people’s culture.
Prophecies and Dreams
Prophecies and dreams appear frequently in the novel. The Algonkin assign great value to such dreams and, when Neehatin reveals what he saw in one such dream, they allow his interpretation to guide them in their journey. At times, Neehatin seems in debt to his dream, caught between his present situation and ensuring that the vision becomes a reality. When debating whether to accompany Laforgue up the rapids, his dream provides him with comfort: He saw the priest entering the town alone and sees this as a sign that the Algonkin were not with him. That other members of the community’s trust in this interpretation shows the collective importance that is assigned to dreams and their prophetic abilities.
Such prophecies are not limited to the people of the New World. Laforgue himself is indebted to a prophecy to a certain extent. From a young age, his mother has told him that he will become a martyr. She has seen a vision of him as a Joan of Arc-like figure, a vision that sets the course for Laforgue’s entire life. Though this pursuit of sainthood might seem somewhat blasphemous, prophecies are a long-established part of the church doctrine. Not only was Joan herself something of a prophet, but many books of the Bible are written by those who have seen visions. The similarity between the two cultures in this respect is pronounced. Though the Christian conception of prophecies and dreams seems familiar and juxtaposed against the Algonkin’s beliefs, their similarities reveal a shared framework of belief that could form the foundation of a mutual understanding.
To that extent, both prophecies described above have the potential to be realized: Laforgue enters the village alone and, once in the village, he has the opportunity to be martyred just as his mother predicted, but both prophecies lack vital context. Laforgue is alone in the village because of the sickness, not because he is a demon. Likewise, by the time he has the chance to become a martyr, Laforgue’s crisis of faith means that everything he has worked toward might be ultimately worthless. Just as both cultures invest a great deal of importance in dreams, both cultures are prone to misinterpreting and misunderstanding what is actually being prophesized.
The River
If the first part of the novel is a journey narrative, then the river becomes an important metaphor for the development of the characters. As they progress along their journey and are confronted with new worlds and new ideas, the characters change, and the river charts their progress. Most of all, the journey up the river reflects two important themes: the increasing distance from civilization and Laforgue’s gradual loss of faith.
The first of these points is perhaps the most explicit. The river itself is the means by which Laforgue and Daniel distance themselves from the culture that they know and understand. They leave Québec behind, disappearing into a world where no one speaks French, where they do not know instinctively how to deal with the environment, and where the people have a markedly different moral framework. They intend to bring their culture into this unknown world, hoping that Christianity accompanies them on the journey along the river. However, the further they travel on the river, the further they travel from their fellow Europeans, the more this task seems impossible. Laforgue has his crisis of faith, and Daniel falls in love with Annuka, both situations that deepen as they make progress. For each mile they travel away from their known world, the situation becomes more dangerous, more troubling, and more difficult. As such, the river becomes a metaphor for the rising scale of these issues.
The structure of the novel is built in accordance with this metaphor. The first part of the narrative charts the journey along the river. The second part of the narrative reveals what happens when the Europeans reach the end of their journey. By this time, the river has charted its course and has affected both Laforgue and Daniel. It has led them to a place of sickness and pain. If the metaphor of the river reveals the change in their characters that is documented in the narrative, then the structure of the novel helps to remove the characters from the river and their route home. In a metaphorical sense, the changes inflicted by the river can be undone by traveling in the other direction. Once the characters have removed themselves from the river, once they have entered the village, the opportunity to simply revert is gone. They cannot simply paddle back down the river. Instead, the changes inflicted on them are permanent. Laforgue’s crisis of faith and Daniel’s infatuation cannot be undone. The transformative river is no longer available to them in a metaphorical, geographical, or narrative sense.
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