Karen Russel’s “The Bog Girl”: Going Beyond ‘Normal’ Essay (Critical Writing)
Updated: Jun 13th, 2021
Introduction
The main characters in Karen Russel’s story The Bog Girl are situated on a mythical island somewhere in Northern Europe, where peat cut out of the bogs is the main source of fuel. The story’s protagonist, Cillian, discovers-and falls in love with a dead but perfectly preserved girl. This means that cultural considerations of the relationship between normal and abnormal should be studied more carefully due to implications for future analysis. Also, exploring how the author conveys the themes of pleasure and desire may shed light on important aspects of the human psyche.
What’s Normal and What’s Abnormal
The story’s protagonist, Cillian, works as a peat cutter and discovers the body of a girl who used to be around his age. Since her body is well-preserved, the boy does not feel fear or even disgust that is usually associated with seeing a dead body (Davidson). The line between the normal and abnormal reactions is blurred here, leaving readers to judge for themselves on whether Cillian exhibited acceptable behavior.
However, given the real-life accounts of finding human remains in bogs, like the 7,000-year-old Native Americans found off the Floridian Coast, one may argue that the girl could not look all that perfect (Katz). From a cultural perspective, treating the dead as if they are alive is an aspect of numerous traditions. For instance, in an Indonesian village, citizens treat the corpses of their relatives as if they are alive (Da Silva). This shows that for some people, Cillian’s decision to take the Bog Girl home with him and treat her as if she is a family member may not be as disturbing as it seems. The theme will later tie in with the exploration of pleasure and desire from the perspective of people’s values.
Pleasure and Desire
The Bog Girl is a story that has many angles despite being simple and straightforward in what the author was trying to convey. The themes of pleasure and desire come hand-in-hand, challenging readers’ perceptions. When Cillian says, “I know that I love her,” one is expected to think whether it is truly possible to love or even desire a dead person (Russel).
For the main character, desire is reflected in the idea of having someone belonging to him, sharing important life moments, and simply being close. Because of this, he treats the Bog Girl as if she can feel his presence also. The bond that Cillian created with the deceased girl was strong and brought him the pleasure of being with someone who will not judge. “Falling in love with the Bog Girl was a wonderful thing – it was permission to ignore everyone else” is a quote representing how the protagonist feels about his relationship (Russel).
Cillian was focused on getting to know his companion, imagined her personality, and could even distinguish different facial expressions. It was the desire to have a future with someone and live happily ever after. It was the pleasure of being needed and having a companion that will not judge one’s actions, argue, or subsequently disappoint.
Conclusion
Therefore, the difference between what is normal and abnormal is rooted in cultural perceptions and ideas, and not only in the sense of morality or ethics. The themes of pleasure and desire tie in closely with normality as they can explain what the protagonist felt. These themes are reflected in the relationship that the protagonist built with the Bog Girl. Considering these topics has encouraged a deeper exploration of the story from both cultural and personal standpoints. [588 words]
Works Cited
Da Silva, Chantal. “Living with the Dead: The Indonesian Village Treating Relatives’ Corpses as if They’re Alive.” The Independent. 2017. Web.
Davidson, Willing. “This Week in Fiction: Karen Russell on Balancing Humor and Horror.” The New Yorker. 2016. Web.
Katz, Brigit. “7,000-Year-Old Native American ‘Bog Burial’ Found off the Coast of Florida.” Smithsonian Magazine. 2018. Web.
Russel, Karen. “The Bog Girl.” The New Yorker. 2016. Web.
This critical writing on Karen Russel’s “The Bog Girl”: Going Beyond ‘Normal’ was written and submitted by your fellow student. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly.
