55 pages • 1 hour read
Witness
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Symbols & Motifs
Sight
In Witness, sight is a recurring motif that coveys the theme of standing against injustice: What the characters see, how they interpret what they see, and what they choose not to see determines their stance toward the Klan and their ability to discern the truth. Even the title of the novel, “witness,” addresses both the idea of seeing or knowing the truth of something through personal observation, as in a court of law, as well as bearing witness against injustice. Bearing witness means to show something exists or is true. When a person can’t change an injustice on their own, they can still bear witness so the injustice will not be overlooked by those in power or brushed away by time. When characters “see,” it is on multiple levels.
For example, Sara claims that it took the Hirsches staying at her farm for her to see the Klan “straight through / to the end of it” (59). Esther constantly describes seeing birds, animals, and flowers. This childlike way of seeing uncommon beauty in commonplace objects creates a purity of vision that allows her to speak with God. Notably, she is the only one who sees her father’s shooter; her bearing witness to the crime brings about Johnny’s spiritual judgment, if not his secular punishment.
Johnny sees the flames from the burning cross as “a divine sight” (52); this symbolic statement illuminates how he misinterprets what he sees; flames are usually symbols of destruction, chaos, and Hell—especially when so closely associated with a religious figure such as himself, or with the religious symbol he is burning. He will not take a stand against the Klan, because their agenda aligns too closely with his own racism and misogyny. Instead, he chooses to see divinity in their acts of hatred.
The flames also have a strong effect on Merlin, reflecting his emotional reactions as well as his indecision on what kind of man he will become. He perceives the flames as “fierce” and reflects that he can still see them when he closes his eyes. He does not acknowledge that the burning cross is evil because he has not yet decided that he mistrusts the Klan; he only knows that when he sees the burning cross, he feels terror. However, when he sees Leonora running, he sees past his hatred and feels only admiration as he watches her save Esther. Seeing Leonora is the turning point in his feelings toward the Klan; that “sight” leads to his decision to stand up against the hate group.
Leonora believes that sight is a root cause of racism. When Mr. Fields tells Leonora about the brigade of Black soldiers in the Civil War, she notes that his glasses are dirty and “even if his eyes were clear / he couldn’t have seen much” (40). Because racism mars so much of her life, she decides that he could not have truly seen the bravery of Black soldiers because his sight is compromised. She gradually recognizes that even though Mr. Field’s sight is cloudy, he isn’t blind, and his clarity in recognizing the true nature of the Klan comes from an inner sight honed by his service in the Civil War. She realizes that she has “a lot more seeing to take in / before I can sit down and rest with it” (100). Toward the end of the novel, she comments that
maybe we’d be better off
if no one could see.
then nobody would mind about
a person’s skin color (152).
However, she recognizes this is not the answer to righting injustices, and she stands against the false charges against Merlin when she relates what she witnessed on the night of the shooting.
Voices
Hesse uses the characters’ voices to indicate power and gender dynamics. In the novel, the rural Vermont town reflects America as a whole during that time period: a patriarchy in which men are more dominant. Each character’s voice reflects their power or lack thereof. The men’s voices override the women’s, and the younger characters’ voices are mostly internal, symbolizing their vulnerability to adult power as well as their overall insignificance in the adult world.
Many times, the characters’ voices reflect their places in society. Reynard’s poems sound as if they are editorials in his newspaper, Johnny speaks in fiery sermons, Harvey’s and Viola’s voices are primarily debating dialogues with each other, and Constable Johnson appears to be justifying his actions to a superior. Dr. Flitt speaks mostly about the emotional and physical health of his patients, and his compassion gives voice to both females and the young. The men’s voices are put forth from powerful platforms: the pulpit, the media, the law, and the doctor’s office. The women’s voices, however, are not specifically linked to their occupations. Sara speaks more about Esther than politics, and she doesn’t directly confront any of the Klan members. Iris has a strong independent voice, but she is too vulnerable to take action because she engages in the illegal activity of bootlegging. Viola, by her own admission, watches and works from backstage, keeping her opinions to herself, despite demonstrating more intelligence and common sense than her husband.
The younger characters’ voices are often muted, reflecting their lack of voice in the adult world. Leonora doesn’t speak to anyone other than her father until she meets Mr. Field. She won’t even stand up for herself in school, signifying her lack of self-worth, but also her powerlessness and vulnerable position; if she stood up for herself, she may only be punished or further bullied. She only finds her voice after Mr. Field teaches her that she is worthy of being heard. Esther’s voice is childish and odd; the singsong quality and nonsensical grammar announce her naiveté and thus her vulnerability to the whims of the adults around her. While she speaks to and hears God, her conversations are secret because “no one is supposed to know the / thinkings of little girls” (141). Merlin boasts and brags, but his voice is indecisive and contradictory, and he, too, is vulnerable to the adults who steal his cars and arrest him for crimes he did not commit.
Train Tracks
Train tracks symbolize change in the novel. Sometimes this change can be death, as in the case of Esther’s mother, who took the “heaven train.” Other times the change can be a journey, as when Esther “did follow the train tracks” (5) to get back to Sara’s farm. The tracks bring phantastic unworldly strangers to town, such as the circus, yet they also are terrifying, as when Esther is nearly killed by a train. Likewise, both Leonora and Merlin are changed when Leonora saves Esther from the tracks; the town newspaper names Leonora a hero, and Merlin begins to see past his racism when he admires her heroism.
Animals
The animals listed and referred to in Witness far outnumber the human characters, proving that animals are important symbols that help the reader to understand characters. Esther in particular is connected to animals: dogs, cows, birds, circus animals; she is an innocent with a close bond with all living things in nature, which demonstrates her innate goodness and uncorrupted character.
Hesse also uses similes to compare characters to animals, a type of figurative language called zoomorphism. Esther’s weeping sounds “like birds falling” (17), signifying that her cries are nearly silent. Leonora is compared to a hunted deer, demonstrating both her fleetness and her vulnerability. Mr. Field “hawks his shoulders” (99) as he paints, capturing his tenacious and occasionally fierce personality. Sara is dependable and strong, like a “big horse” but also like a “hen over the warm eggs” (143), protective and worried. Finally, Harvey is twice likened to a “great mule,” a description that captures his stubborn and slow yet ultimately loyal nature.
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By Karen Hesse
