Of parents and children
Nausheen Rahman has some questions
It is believed that parents know their children better than anyone else. But do they really? And do they always know what's best for them? Jodi Picoult's The Pact, like several of her other novels, deals with adolescents and their dilemmas. It is an eye-opener, a wake-up call for all parents. The story begins with the death of 17-year-old Emily, and in the wake of all the shock and grief, loom huge questions: Was this suicide? If so, why did Emily kill herself? Had there really been a suicide pact between Emily and her boyfriend, Chris - or did he kill her? If it was murder, what was the reason? Chris, also 17 year old, and the prime suspect, is taken to jail, and the reactions of the two youngsters' family members to the tragedy, are outlined with the writer's signature perception and sensitivity. The book is fast-paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat. As you read the chapters (under the headings "Then" - followed by the month and year, and "Now" - also followed by the month and year), you will learn about the various relationships. Like the main characters, you will wonder what went wrong - and why. The extremely unexpected event will shake your equilibrium, and you will feel unsettled and unnerved by the unpredictability of life and of people's behaviour. Picoult's innate skill with words, a distinctive flair, makes even the most profound of feelings recognizable. Another very admirable feature in her books is that you never know what is going to transpire at which point; this gives rise to a healthy curiosity throughout. You become involved in the emotions, observations and arguments of parents, lawyers, psychoanalysts, detectives, etc. The court proceedings are extremely interesting (though the "heavily detailed police testimony" makes the judge and the jury "glassy-eyed"). The victim's parents, quite naturally, are hard-hit, especially the mother, Melanie; she becomes bitter, unforgiving and "mean-spirited". Michael, the father (who refuses to believe that Chris has killed Emily) is guilt-ridden because he feels he should have seen or sensed his daughter's depression. Chris's mother, Gus, confirms the idea that "Being a mother gives you a singular sort of vision, a prism through which you can see your child with many different faces all at once". James, the father, experiences his own share of remorse; it was his gun with which Emily had been shot and he was the one who had taught Chris shooting. You get to know Emily after her death (mainly through Chris's thoughts). She was very talented and had ambitions of becoming a great artist, but she also had complex emotions - which had caused her to become obsessed with her own death. Apparently she had everything going for her - doting parents, a devoted boyfriend, good grades in school, a gift (of drawing). But the human psyche is not so easy to fathom or gratify. It is not necessary that two people who have grown up together, are each other's best friends and who genuinely care about each other, will find true happiness with each other. More mystifying questions crop up: Does familiarity breed contempt? How does one know for sure that so and so is the right person as a life-partner? What things take precedence when one counts one's blessings? Are things actually what they seem?, etc. Chris loved Emily completely, unreservedly - which is why he did what he did. He didn't seem to have a choice under the circumstances - given the fact that he valued Emily's happiness above everything else. This is not a book you will feel like recommending to others because of the acute sadness it causes one to feel. It comes as a jolt when we read (at the very outset) of a young person's death - and its very unpleasant effects. But, because it has been written with such depth of understanding and clarity of vision, it is definitely worth reading and mulling over. Besides, its ending is somewhat optimistic. The story will reach out to one and all as it details happenings and emotions with a keen accuracy and insight. It explores the complexities of human nature and relationships - and is very relevant in today's rootless, restless world, a world in which communication is becoming increasingly difficult (for various reasons). The Pact invites us to to be more sensitive to those around us, to look within, and not to take things or others for granted. It most certainly shows us an aspect of life we don't normally see, or perhaps don't want to see.
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