Hieu Minh Nguyen

ENG 206 Professor Mohler

Short Essay #2
03 April 2014
On the Psychological Development of The Snow Childs Protagonist
The Snow Child features the childless couple Jack and Mabel, both around fifty, who
homestead in a remote region in Alaska in 1920. As described at the beginning of the novel, the
couple seems to lead different lives, and between them, there is an apparent lack of
communication. Jack is burdened by his onerous work in an obligation to support the family
financially, while Mabel constantly fights feelings of forlornness as a result of the mundane
quotidian tasks for which she is held responsible. The couples familial life suddenly becomes
more interesting dynamic thanks to the company of their good-natured new neighbors and the
appearance of a feral girl whom they affectionately call child. In constructing the storyline,
Eowyn Ivey especially draws readers attention to the psychological processes that develop in
the protagonist Mabels mind, through which the author reveals many compelling liminal
characteristics of the narrative.
Prior to the emergence of the snow child, Mabel and Jacks marital life is designated as
replete with banality and silence. Following her miscarriage pregnancy failure, Mabel decides to
leave behind her intellectual family and comes to Alaska with Jack supposedly to start a new life.
She regards Alaska as an escape from the gossips and prying conversation talks of her relatives.
At the new land, Mabel grows averse to having company, even to the point where she balks at

Sarah Mohler 4/13/14 11:47 AM

Comment [1]: Strong intro

meeting people. As a result, Mabel immediately shows her resignation when Jack tells her that
the Bensons are going to join them for a meal. As evident from her discontinuous speech, Mabel
is taken by surprise by Jacks sudden announcement: I thoughtDidnt we agreeWhy are
they coming here? (Ivey 24). It is comprehensible to us as readers that she desires to seek
solace, and thus she implicitly disapproves of Jacks inviting strangers to their home.
While craving for tranquility at the new land, Mabel occasionally questions her impetus
to come north. She doubts her decision to leave behind all the trappings of an urbane life and her

Sarah Mohler 4/13/14 11:50 AM

Comment [2]: State clearly that this is a
psychological coping mechanism to defend
herself from revealing her hurt and how much
she is still grieving over the loss of their child.

escape with Jack into the wild: Did fear drive her? Fear of the gray, not just in the strands of her
hair and her wilting cheeks, but the gray that ran deeper, to the bone, so that she thought she
might turn into a fine dust and simply sift away in the wind (Ivey 32). To Mabel, it is the gray
that fears her and presumably drives her to an out-of-the-way place. It is also this invisible gray
that depletes her energy and fills her life with chores and tedium: She cooked and cleaned, and
cooked and cleaned, and found herself further consumed by the gray, until even her vision was
muted and the world around her drained of color (Ivey 35). Iveys portrayal of Mabels thoughts
and reflections may at first glance seem gratuitous and desultory, but under close scrutiny, it can
be seen that these minor details help emphasize the mild irony and confusion that occur in the
protagonists mind, thereby illuminating the liminal quality of The Snow Child. Exposing
Mabels chain of thoughts in detail, the author allows readers to experience the confusion,
hesitation, and exploration of the possible ways of interpreting events that characterize liminal
fantasy texts (Liminal Fantasy). In relation to the overall plot of the narrative, these seemingly
peripheral depictions also serve as a means to create a stark contrast between the protagonists
spiritual life before and after the advent of the snow child.

Sarah Mohler 4/13/14 11:51 AM

Comment [3]: Yes. Excellent textual
analysis.

As the storyline progresses, the child, along with a sense of anticipation associated with
her existence, appears to bring about a profound change in Mabels psychology. It is because of
the girl that Mabel starts to long for the Bensons visit: She was glad the Bensons were coming.
Certainly Esther could tell her something about the child; she knew the families in the valley
(Ivey 58). Contrary to her erstwhile uncomfortableness and easiness at the prospect of being
around strangers, Mabels mind now becomes steeped in excitement and anxiety. In addition, as
known to readers, Mabel has always been aware of her reputation as an imaginative person, to
the point where her family members and former teachers remarked that as a school girl, she was
excessively obsessed with fairy tales and imaginary entities. However, the mere thought of the
child gives Mabel a sense of confidence an ineffable one in her own judgment: It was
fantastical and improbable, but Mable knew it was true (Ivey 87). It is clear that to Mabel this
thought is more than enough to justify her wait, and that the childs existence is at once
supernatural and real.
The childs eventual emergence turns Mabels life into a whole new chapter. Mabel
becomes more cheerful, and her conversations with her husband Jack less stiff. Also noticeable is

Sarah Mohler 4/13/14 11:54 AM

Comment [4]: Relate this to your previous
point, demonstrating how her depression and
her imaginative nature makes the fantastical
explanation for Faina seem more doubtful, at
least initially.

Mabels zeal with which she welcomes the childs each arrival. When asked by the girl to draw a
portrait, for instance, Mabel gives great attention and care to the sketches that she draws: With
each stroke of the pencil, it was as if Mabel had been granted her wish, as if she held the child in
her arms, caressed her cheek, stroked her hairAll these details she took in and memorized
(Ivey 121). Apparently, Mabels actions and emotions stem not only from her maternal instinct,
with a natural urge to care and love, but also from her utmost faith in the existence of a fantasy
world distinct from her own realities.

Sarah Mohler 4/13/14 11:54 AM

Comment [5]: Yes

It is this faith that keeps Mabel hopeful about the childs return following her sudden
disappearance. Days after the girl has vanished, Mabel wallows in internal conflicts and is racked
by guilt. She questions her own motherly capability and her ability to love (Ivey 155). Even more
seriously, Mabel is also submerged in the loneliness accompanying the occurrence of unexpected
unpleasant events Jacks illness and her repeated haunting dreams. However, deep down this
woman still keeps believing in miracles and channels this inexplicable yet strong belief into
specific courses of action. Mabel involves herself in farm work, not as a way to kill time, but as a
source from which she derives new pleasures. She grows more sympathetic toward Jack and is
more appreciative of what he has been doing for her and for both of them. Previously, Mabel
never understood how Jack could fall asleep in a chair without washing up, talking to her about

Sarah Mohler 4/13/14 11:56 AM

Comment [6]: Yes

his day, or even filthy boots. As she gains certain insights into farming, Mabel feels grateful at
the end of the day for warm food and bedroll on which to collapse (Ivey 190). Happiness can, to
Mabel at least, be defined in the simplest terms. On the other hand, happiness is also
multiplicative when it is shared. In fact, as Mabel is discovering a sense of purpose in what she is
doing, her new zest has a direct positive influence on other peoples psychologies as well. She
makes Jack realize that his step was lighter in part because of her, and that the fate of it all,
the farm, their happiness, was no longer his alone (Ivey 196).
Mabel believes that To believe, perhaps you had to cease looking for explanations and
instead hold the little thing in your hands as long as you were able before it slipped like water
between your fingers (Ivey 204). Her unwavering faith pays off when the snow child eventually
comes back. She even becomes less fearful of Mabel and Jack and starts to communicate with
them more frequently and intimately. The author spends a large portion of the text discussing the
cheerful atmosphere associated with the childs each visit, as opposed to the unpleasant Alaskan

Sarah Mohler 4/13/14 11:56 AM

Comment [7]: Excellent analysis

winter weather outside. Once the child has informally become part of Jack and Mabels family,
Mabel cares for her as if she is their daughter. Like a typical mother, Mabel watches the childs
each step and desires for the child to live in a love-laden environment. Mabel also tries to prevent
any potential dangers from occurring to her child. Out of an understanding of her childs unique
traits, Mabel tells Garrett one of the Bensons sons to promise me that you will never let
Faina near any kind of fire as they two are about to go to the mountains (Ivey 109). Along these
lines, readers cannot help but sense that the childs presence is highly correlated with the
reemergence of Mabels innate maternal ability. It is also possible to observe that the child

Sarah Mohler 4/13/14 11:57 AM

Comment [8]: I think it is important to note
here how Mabels knowledge of the endings
of the various versions of the Snow Maiden
heighten her fears, beyond that of the typical
mother.

functions as a channel to showcase and to rekindle Mabels caring nature. Considering the
narrative as a whole, readers can see that the entire change in Mabels psychology may be
attributed to the introduction of the Bensons into the story, to the childs appearance, or to the
combination of both factors. While the relationships between these events may seem disturbingly
unclear, it is perhaps Iveys intention to leave readers with multiple interpretations and
speculations. Ultimately, it is these multifaceted explanations that make The Snow Child a truly
liminal text.
As seen throughout The Snow Child, Ivey adroitly explores the nuances in the protagonist
Mabels mental processes. By doing this, Ivey also paints for readers a complete and compelling
picture of Mabels psychological world. In relation to other elements of the narrative, it can also
be seen that Iveys detailed portrayal of Mabels thoughts and her interaction with other
characters serves as a means for Ivey to implicitly convey her perceptions of contemporary realworld issues, including maternity, marriage, and so forth.

Sarah Mohler 4/13/14 11:58 AM

Comment [9]: I agree.

Works Cited
Ivey, Eowyn. The Snow Child: A Novel. New York: Reagan Arthur, 2012. Print.
"Liminal Fantasy." ENG 206: Fantasy and New Fabulism. (Professor Sarah Mohler.) Truman
State University. Jan. 2014. Print.
Hieu,
This is a strong and well-written analysis of Mabels psychology and how it is affected by the
appearance of fantastic (Faina) and real (the Bensons, Jacks injury) events in the story. My
marginal comments will help show how you can develop your arguments even more. Well done!
Prof. Mohler
Essay #2 (15% of semester grade): A (93%)
Essay #1 (15% of semester grade): A (95%)
Quiz (15% of semester grade): A (96%)
Participation, Weeks 1-7, (10% of semester grade): A (93%)
= (55% of semester grade): A (94.4%)