At the end of Part Two, we see Will introduce his dream of owning land to Sal. This is the catalyst for the greatest change in their relationship. It was the first time that they disagreed on that actually "mattered" (114). Sal was so against the idea that "she could not imagine it" and "did not want to" (114). Will obviously has a hard time accepting this. He saw the land in all of its beauty. To be a landowner would be a massive step up from his previous title as a felon. To have this land is everything to Will. Yet, Sal seems closer to reality as "her dreams had stayed small and cautious" (115). She recognizes where she and Will have come from. They should be grateful for what they have, and not take unnecessary risks. Will has a different perspective, believing her conservative approach "was because she had not felt the rope around her neck" like he had (115). Perhaps he dreams bigger because he wants to separate himself as far away as he can from his old life.
As we go into Part Three, we see Will and Sal begin to prioritize different things. For Will, it was all about the land. His "blind passion" led him to devote everything he could to get himself and his family to live there (140). For Sal, her focus and priorities shifted to her children. While Will "loved his sons", he "could see Sal felt something for them beyond mere love" (124). We also see them make an agreement: "Five years then, Will, but not till I got this baby out safe and sound. Long as it ain't for the term if my natural life" (127). In five years, I have a hard time believing Will is going to want to leave the land. We also see the closest time Sal "had come to a reproach" (142). Even though these occurrences are negative standing alone, it does allow the reader to see their relationship as being more realistic. Every relationship is going to have struggles. However, not every relationship leads to one of the partners feeling like a "prisoner" (155). Also, later in Part Three we finally hear Sal speak "of her loneliness", something she had never talked about with Will because "he had never thought to ask" (162). So, their relationship is deteriorating a slight bit, but it seems both are still making an effort to hold on. After all, all they really have is each other at this point.
Hey John! It definitely seems like Will is starting to ignore Sal's dreams and wishes, or at least regard them as second to his own. In class today, I theorized that that might be due to the reversal of the class imbalance between the husband and wife. Initially, Sal is almost like a trophy wife for Will as she comes from more comfort, education, wealth, and influence than he does. In Sydney, the imbalance begins as Will becomes a more successful boatman, yet Sal is still about to hold her own by running The Sign of the Pickled Herring. However, on Thornhill's Point she loses any way of making her own income, and a loss of her agency and freedom coincides with that. Like you said, she is becoming more and more like a prisoner to Will instead of a full-fleged partner whose opinions matter.
ReplyDeleteHi John! I didn't think of Will's dream of owning land as the catalyst to the change in their relationship. It's somewhat of the catalyst to their relationship's (seemingly) downfall. I guess that might be proved or disproved later! From what you mentioned about how Sal's and Will's priorities changed, it's like Will's attention is only towards the land now and that he's neglecting the relationships close to him. He doesn't even care that much about how Sal feels about living there. He is focused on one thing and one thing only—the land. I wonder how their relationship will develop in the rest of the novel.
ReplyDeleteHey John! It's definitely interesting to see how Will and Sal's relationship evolves throughout the novel. It's clear that they both have different priorities and ideas about what they want for their future. Will's dream of owning land is a big deal for him and it's understandable that he's so passionate about it, but it's also clear that Sal is more cautious and practical about it. I think it's also important to note that their past experiences have shaped their perspectives, with Will having a harder time in the past and wanting to separate himself from that, whereas Sal is more aware of the risks and being more focused on her children.
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