Saint Marie

Being one of the longer and more complex stories we have examined thus far, it should come as no surprise that there are many possible interpretations of Edrich’s “Saint Marie” as well as many different elements of the story on which to focus. The topic on which I wish to focus primarily is the devil or “the dark one” and what he may symbolize in the context of the story.

 Throughout the story, both Marie and Sister Leopolda refer to their ability to detect “the dark one”. They both seem to notice the dark one in the same places doing the same things. For argument sake and purposes of the story, this would rule out the possibility of the dark representing a symptom of any psychological disorder. In turn, this would mean that (assuming he doesn’t exist as an entity), the dark one is used symbolically or as a literary device. My theory is that “the dark one” exists for two reasons. First, it creates a common thread or link between Marie and Sister Leopolda. Following this thread, we can examine the way the dark one might illustrate the things Marie and Leopolda have in common, and what this might represent in terms of good, evil, and saintliness.

 In both the case of Marie and of Leopolda, there are (for lack of a better word) evil or sinful characteristics that serve to motivate either of the two. I say evil because, when contrasted with their end game, which is to become saints, the characteristics that motivate them are more similar to those of foreign dictators than those of saints. This is very interesting in the context of the story, especially because they never actually touch the notion of what characteristics might constitute or coincide with those of a saint. Marie is motivated by what seems to be pure spite. Her ambition is driven by a burning desire to prove herself to the white catholics and to be worshipped. Such is evident when she claims “And they never thought they’d have a girl from this reservation they’d have to kneel to. But they’d have me. And I’d be carved out of pure gold” (Edrich 43). Though she is truly ambitious to become a saint, the things that motivate her are, from a saints perspective, selfish and riddled with sin. This is the common thread that ties her to Leopolda. What motivates Leopolda is less clear. At face value, it may seem like ridding the world of the dark one and doing god’s work (or perhaps a very twisted version of gods work) is her motivation. However, I have no doubt that some part of her is motivated by pure sadism, evident by her stabbing of a 14 year old girl after pouring a kettle of boiling water in her ear. Like spite, sadism is not a trait that best compliments a saint. Because they both see the dark one, this might represent the bond they share with respect to what motivates them. As a result, it seems they are undoubtedly drawn to one another, while simultaneously harboring hatred for one another. Marie claims "Sometimes I wanted her heart in love and admiration. Sometimes. And sometimes I wanted her heart to roast on a black stick" (Edrich 49).

 As for what this might mean in terms of the story as a whole, I have two theories. The first is that those who are motivated to do gods work by selfishness and sin will receive no pardon in terms of their fate. Another type of Karma, if you will. Evidence to support this claim is found when we look to our characters at the end of the story. Leopolda, after stabbing Marie, was forced to lie and assist Marie in transcending to Sainthood. In layman’s terms, she “lost” to Marie. Similarly, Marie has now risen to sainthood, but receives no gratification. She uses the same terms in both the beginning and end of the story, describing her lips and hair, to articulate that how what was once golden in her vision was now dust in her life. She took no pleasure in spiting sister Leopolda, evident by the section where she whispered “Receive the dispensation of my sacred blood” and then followed that statement with “But there was no heart in it”. She then proceeded to explain how she even pitied sister Leopolda, even though spiting people like her was one of, if not her primary motivating factor. Second, tangential, and perhaps less rational, is the theory that (and I’m not sure why I’m so stuck on this) no light can exist without the dark. That is to say, good and evil fuel one another in a never-ending cycle that blurs the lines between right and wrong. This begs the question, though Marie has technically achieved sainthood, how can she ever truly be considered a saint? (I.e Saint Marie). If she was to lead and instruct others on the road to saintliness, would she not taint them with her selfish desires, lies, and deceit? I digress. In the end, I believe "the dark one" embodied the common thread that was the motivation of both Marie and sister Leopolda. This, in turn, bound them together and determined their fate.

(I’m very unhappy with this blog post, which is usually an indicator that I cannot settle on one interpretation. To that end, I will leave it as it is for now, in fear of making it any longer.)