Thursday, September 25, 2008

Setting and Theme Analysis of "IND AFF"

In the story, “IND AFF” Fay Weldon demonstrates the comparison between her secret passionate life with a professor of hers, and the historical assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand through the setting in which it takes place. The narrator creates a struggle within her mind on whether or not to end the relationship between her and her married professor. She relates her struggles with Princip who was the assassin of the Archduke. The opening description of the setting helps create an understanding of what the narrator’s emotions were. The setting ties directly to the theme, since both crimes of passion had occurred in the same exact locations.

Fay Weldon opens up her story by describing the beautiful location in which the story takes place. The location is Bosnia, Yugoslavia. She sets up foreshadowing by how the story will end saying, “This is a sad story. It has to be. It rained in Sarajevo, and we had expected fine weather.” (Weldon, 201) This shows that the story shall open up with a promising mood, yet end with a diminishing ending. During the forbidden love that was occurring, everything was fine. Towards the end was where the guilt had come in. She had to make a dramatic decision whether or not to end the relationship. Weldon also writes, “It couldn’t possibly go on raining forever. Could it? Satellite pictures showed black clouds swishing gently all over Europe…” (202) The idea of a storm comes into mind, rain is a symbol for purification and refreshment. After everything was said and done, she could get on with her life and begin as a new person. After every storm there is a new beginning, and she was waiting for hers. The realization of a new beginning is set up ironically due to them being located in the same place.

Weldon relates the narrator’s realization to the process of Princip dying within his prison cell. She decided to base her life off of logic rather than pure emotion. She uses this through the realization of Princip’s life. Princip had made a horrible decision by murdering the Archduke and his wife. He was put into jail, and forever lived and died with the feeling of guilt inside of him. The narrator and her professor were in the exact same location as where Princip had committed his crime. The narrator came to the realization that she did not want to base her life off of guilt and live a life that was not meant for her. The weather really acted as a compass for the narrator’s life. As rain fell, she realized that this was not the life for her. The purification process had begun.

The narrator and her professor Peter visit a café together located near the assignation markers on the ground. They discussed present and historical events together, including the assassination itself. Peter has never quite decided who he would rather be with, his wife or the narrator. Without Peter making a decision, the narrator decides that their love is nothing more than a mere “inordinate affection.” She wants to live her own life and start fresh. Although feelings are there, she knows that she must move on and not follow the steps that Princip did that just lead to his death. Weldon writes that “Second chances are rare in life: they must be responded to.” (205) Although Princip took that chance to fire at the Archduke (having missed the first time); the narrator knew that her second chance would not be taken lightly. She decides to leave Peter and end any relationship that they had ever had. She is beginning a new life that is not based on guilt and lies. The ties that were once binding her down are now the broken. It was once said, “In order to be free, one must be chained.” The narrator is a living example of that. She was once bound down with the idea of her being a mistress, but now as the ties are broken; she may now be herself and move on with the life that she wants to live.

The setting and the theme of “IND AFF” are directly related to one another. The narrator’s life and Princip’s life were occurring at the same location in different time periods. Outside a café in Yugoslavia, both characters got the second chances that they needed. Princip was able to try and shoot the Archduke again while the narrator was able to end a relationship that just wasn’t meant to be. It was as if the spirit of Princip itself had given the narrator that once chance to seize the opportunity that she was looking for. She came to a realization and began her own purification process of breaking away from a not so great situation. Within this small town, two non-related events directly ended up coinciding with each other, settling the idea of realization into effect.