#426 What the Ax Forgets the Tree Remembers- Edith Pearlman
The title of this one alone blows me away. Too often we hear
the opinions of those giving offense or those doing damage explaining how that
offense or damage isn’t that bad.
“For a half century Gabrielle had avoided good causes as if
they might defile her. Efficiency and orderliness were what she cared about,
and her own lively good looks.”
Now inspired to do good things, she is taken to work for The
Society Against Female Mutilation. However, like many people who suddenly “wake
up” and want to help the world, they still cling to their vanity and the
viewpoints of their privileged experience. Just because you are not the AX,
doesn’t mean you can understand what a tree goes through.
When Gabrielle’s normal speaker gets ill, she employs a
stand in for a fundraising event. The stand in gives strong opinions that seem
to be against their work. But truth is truth and hearing it may change the way
you think, if you are open to it of course.
There is a nice thread through this piece about intimacy and
acceptance. I’m not sure I agree with how the group dealt with the two
divergent testimonies. With such a short story, I’m not sure there was enough
space to give adequate discussing.
Rating: 8-7-7-7 Total= 29
No comments:
Post a Comment