Plague of the Doves

I had so many questions prior to completing this novel, and was so frustrated I nearly left it unfinished. Once everything was explained, I was definitely content. The fact that all the characters in the story are intertwined made all the crimes that were committed and all the events that happened that much more interesting. My mind immediately started flashing back to all the mini-stories and narratives, and details popped up in all the blank spaces. I saw Mooshum, drunk, belligerent and happy-go-lucky, divulging his tale to Wildstrand. I saw Tobek, delusional at the sight of his lover's slaughtered family. And then I saw Warren, committing a cold-blooded murder. Though the events became vivid and clear, the blame, hatred and grief that I would've had for the characters in those stories became blurred. I started to think : "But oh, they survived and did this later on," or "That was the past, things are ok now." I feel like this is what happens to a small community where everyone knows each other. The lines connecting them are no longer like clear-cut branches, but rather numerous, broken and reformed like those of a web.

Something from the text that I thought was interesting and actually relates to my text is the quote when Allison realized why her mother allowed her brother to abuse the family: "Suddenly I understood why so many times the mother of a mass murderer claims her son couldn't possibly be guilty of any crime--craziness" (pg. 148). For many years, Allison's father never left her mother, no matter how unreasonable and destructive she acted. Perhaps Allison finally chose to leave Tom because she wanted to do what her father never could; what she wished he would do when she was younger. "I hate to think about it, but many times I begged my dad to leave my mom. My father never left my mother all those long crazy years." She wanted to show him that she was strong and could support her family on her own. However, I feel that mainly Allison was rebellling against her mother, who loved her younger brother so much that she tried to protect him no matter how badly he behaved. Allison grew up never relating to her mother and naturally wanted to avoid acting like her. By leaving Tom, Allison proved that she was not insane-her mother's most prominent characteristic.

"Insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"- Albert Einstein. I chose this title because I believe that as humans, we are all prone to make mistakes. But as analytical, creative and generally conscientious creatures, we tend to strive toward an idealistic existence. Often, we fail because there is no stability unless we balance both order and chaos (from Cherokee cosmology). To lean towards either would be like spinning a wheel, disrupting the present. Because of our desire to get our hands dirty, humans are innately insane.
Insanity is when scientists test something dozens and hundreds of time using the same method, waiting for a breakthrough, dispelling myths. Insanity is genius
Insanity is when a person runs back to the person that abuses them time and time again, hoping things will work out, believing that people change for the better. Insanity is love.
Insanity is paint thrown layers upon layers, colors upon colors onto a blank wall to be preserved and seen from all different perspectives. Insanity is art.