The Prophet of Yonwood - Jeanne DuPrau, B-Readers who enjoyed the first two books in the City of Ember series will likely be disappointed by Yonwood. While DuPrau again develops the main character with considerable skill, the story moves much too slowly and never reaches its expected destination. Most readers hoped this book would elaborate on the events leading up to the Disaster and the rush to preserve mankind underground in Ember. DuPrau doesn't truly address these topics until the afterword, and when she does, the information is so sparse and condensed that the reader is left frustrated and underwhelmed.
Instead of describing the building of Ember and its settlement as expected, DuPrau explores the themes of misguided religious devotion, intolerance, and authoritarianism. Perhaps this was an attempt to explain the cause of the Disaster (a theme already explored in Sparks), but her tactic failed. Her moral perspective is confusing at best and dangerous for young teens.
The story takes place in Yonwood, where a woman has had a vision of the world utterly destroyed by nuclear war. The townspeople hail her a prophet of God. 11-year-old Nickie, armed with big plans and an even larger curiousity, travels to Yonwood with her aunt to fix up an old home. There she meets Mrs. Beeson, who claims to be able to interpret the prophet's messages, supposing them to be instructions from God on how to protect her town from nuclear disaster. Ambitious Nickie becomes ensnared in her misguided witch-hunt for all "sinners."
DuPrau's use of Beeson to illustrate the folly of misguided, fanatical religious devotion could have been very successful had she used another character as her antithesis, someone who could demonstrate authentic faith. As a result of this omission, the reader does not have any idea of what true religious devotion looks like, or even if there is such a thing.
While the theme of intolerance appears throughout the book when Beeson and Nickie ostracize people who "feel wrong," it is also this theme that DuPrau uses as the eventual cause of the Disaster. Nickie struggles several times to understand tough religious issues involving God's will and the fate of nations. She wonders, if two warring parties both pray to God to help them win a war, how does God answer? Whose side is He on? Disturbingly, she never finds answers to these questions. In the afterword, the narrator divulges that the Disaster eventually ravaged the earth after two powerful groups, both insisting they had the truth and God on their side, refused to back down. The implication is that no one can know for sure what truth is. Truth isn't absolute. And those who insist on being right, who follow their faith at all costs, are the true enemies of the world.
Ironically, it is this philosophy, that there is no absolute truth and that those who claim to know the only truth are intolerant, that is the greatest enemy to the true peace of mankind. If a person believes this, they will never find the source of Life, Peace, and Hope. Only in placing faith in One Way, one man Jesus Christ, who is the "way, the truth, and the life," can we find the salvation of our souls, peace with God, and the hope of a secure eternal home.
DuPrau addresses the theme of authoritarianism as Mrs. Beeson and her followers try to build a "shield of goodness" around Yonwood, which would somehow cause God to spare them from the impending disaster. Since Mrs. Beeson belongs to the inner circle of people with access to the prophet, she uses her newfound power to make life miserable for people she dislikes, those who are unusual, and those who won't fall in line and do exactly what she says. Beeson punishes those who disobey her by shackling them with an unbreakable bracelet that emits a piercing humming sound. "Undesirables" either leave town or comply. Of the three major themes, DuPrau handles this one appropriately, showing readers the dangers of blindly following a leader who has no accountability and whose moral compass doesn't point north but instead wavers like a drunken man. Again, though, DuPrau does not reveal how readers can find the true source of truth, the Word of God confirmed by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Readers will be underwhelmed by this book and left confused as to what truly is the source of truth and righteousness. Use this book as a springboard for discussion about truth claims and religious devotion.
6 comments:
Thanks for the warning shot!
I'm interested in reading this series, but will be sure to skip this edition. I've an intolerance for the intolerant right now. Reading a novel such as this would make me cranky. Before I knew it, I'd be marching over to the author's house to bang on the door and scream, "What's your problem, jerk-face?"
When was this book published? I've noticed a resurgence in anti-war art/music/literature lately. Reminds me of the 80s punk scene. Anyway, I think it's interesting that, to many creatives, anti-war and anti-Christianity sentiments go hand-in-hand.
Yonwood was published 04/2006. Yes, anti-war sentiment and anti-Christian sentiment do seem to dwell together, along with an intolerance for anything or anyone making truth claims (unless its MY truth claim...because I'll claim that my view is legitimate and yours is just narrow-minded). I definitely think that C.S. Lewis nailed it on the head when he used the Dufflepuds to represent modern philosophy. Do you remember what i'm referring to? I ought to blog about the Dufflepuds from Voyage of the Dawn Treader some time. The book is such a joy to teach.
It's great to get a comment from you (so I know you're still alive :) What are you two reading nowadays?
Kevin's reading Augustine's confessions. I recently finished "Assassination Vacation" by Sarah Vowell. Check out Amazon for a summary. It's an interesting read. I would have liked it more if it weren't sprinkled with her comments on today's political climate. Some were necessary to comment on tensions of the past; others were gratuitous.
I read this one, I don't recommend it, despite the fact that she (DuPrau) was gracious in her reply ro my questions about it, I still didn't get the answers I was looking for. The resulting feeling I got from the book was one of being preached at.
I think the point of the book based on our e-mail exchange and the book itself, is one of questioning "absolute answers"
Highly disappointing after the charming City of Ember the preachy-ness of it made it feel like most of the Christian fiction books I've read, only coming from a completely opposite viewpoint.
I have read all of the books in this series, and I am currently reading another book in this series called the diamond of darkhold. None of the books seem or feel preachy at all. I hate hypocrites, though sometimes it feels like everyone is a hypocrite, that is how I feel now. I am sure if the book was presenting the image that religion is always wrong, you're comment would be valid, but it did it do that? No, I refuse to jump on that bandwagon. All it did was question blind faith, that is not a crime. The same amendment that gives you you're right to free speech gives the writer that right too.
I picked this book up because my 7th grade son was reading it. I knew nothing about the series but was very quickly annoyed with the author clearly setting up false Christianity without having any authentic Christian characters. I am only half-way through but I was curious to know what others were saying about the clear anti-faith message that is tying the story together. Any co-incidence that Grover is fascinate with snakes, the traditional Christian symbol of temptation and sin? I think not.
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