In Alice Munro's short story Open Secrets the reader and the characters unaware about what happened to Heather Bell on the trip in the woods with Miss Johnstone. It seems that not even the author knows what happened to Heather all that is told is how they were going on a hike, Heather asked to return to their camping site to collect something, then catch up with the group. However, after she leaves the group on the trail she is never seen again and there is no report of her death. You are aware of this secret on the second page of the story where it says, "It was about twenty-four hours since Heather Bell had disappeared..." After that you want to know how she disappeared, if they found her, where she was found, or why she never returned.
This secret is similar to The Road where the boy leaves with a new group of people. The reader is unsure what happens to the boy, if he survives, if they are good people, or if the world became a better place? Both Open Secrets and The Road leave you never being able to answer those questions. The characters in the stories are also not able to answer these questions. In Open Secrets it seems that people never knew exactly what happened, they only have their assumptions. Same with The Road the father will not know what has become of his son even the son is un-aware of what his future will bring.
To understand the secrets is not a necessity for the reader. The secrets are what force you to keep reading and wanting to know more. However, the reader would appreciate to know what happened. I know I am wondering if Heather was killed, ran away, or is still living. Also in The Road I would like to know if the boy survives or if the people he went off with were truly, "carrying the fire."
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3 comments:
I agree that being unaware about what happended to Heather Bell in Open Secrets on the trip in the woods with Miss Johnstone is not necessary to know. It definitely keeps the reader wondering what really happened to her and unfortunately we never find out. The secrets force us to stay in suspense. When the constable told Heather Bell's mother, she didn't really seem as worried as another mother would. On Page 136, all she said was, "Well, you better find her. That's your job." She did not ask questions on why this happened in the first place. I am curious if she is still living somewhere and is lost or if she was killed. I am also curious if the boy does survive in The Road. We were told that he left with the "good guys" and that he will be okay, but we do not know for sure if this is true.
I agree that it's not truly necessay to the reader that the author tell what happened to Heather. It leaves much space for interpretation, however, Munro gave a few different possibilities as to who was involved, if anyone, in her disappearance. I think the somewhat subtle insinuation that Theo Slater may be involved, with his keeping his hands so firmly on the table, staying quiet and to himself, apologizing insesintly, and then stroking the feathers on his wife's hat, all may lead to his being involved, but it could also just be who he is, especially with such a strange and controlling wife as his. It's a mystery that you are trying to solve throughout the reading, and just like there are always different answers to so many questions, there are many possible answers to the disappearance of Heather Bell; it is simply something the reader must decide for themselves.
I agree with both Liz and Kathryn. The secrets certainly keep the reader wanting to read more, both in Open Secrets and in The Road. While I do feel that Slater certainly has involvement in the disappearance of Heather, I feel that it is everyone's involvement (or lack there of) on why no one knows of her status (dead, alive, killed, etc). Going back to the quote that Liz brought up: 'Well, you better find her. That's your job."... wouldn't you ask questions? It seems as if every character has their own nervous quirk or flaw in the story that relates to Heather's disappearance that would make the reader possibly consider that character being involved, which is why its even hard for the reader to exactly pinpoint the reason of the disappearance.
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