Sylvanus Now (37 page)

Q:

The lives of Addie and Sylvanus are constrained by their place of birth. Although some of your characters long to leave their home province and venture forth into the wider world, very few actually do. What is it that ties them to their homes?

In most of the outports in Newfoundland, travel was exceedingly difficult during the fifties and early sixties. Newfoundland has ten thousand kilometres of coastline. There were few roads during those early years, and fewer dollars. It wasn’t until those outports became integrated with a cash economy and the outports linked to larger communities did travel become prevalent. And too, Newfoundlanders are known for their deep familial ties.

Q:

You write about fishing and the fishing industry, and life on the flakes or in the plants, with such clarity. How did you research this aspect of the novel? How do your own life experiences manifest themselves in your book?

I grew up in the outports, where fishing and curing and flakes were a part of everyday life. I also read quite a few books on the industry during the researching of this book. Two years preceding my university years I worked in a fish plant. This was invaluable to me in describing Adelaide’s experiences.

Q:

Themes from the Bible run through all your novels, including
Sylvanus Now
. Why? Which comes first when you’re writing—stories and passages from the Bible, or the story itself?

I love the imagery and profundities found in the Bible. It gives such strong impressions and says so much more than mere words. Story always comes first. Imagery from the Bible helps strengthen the story.

Q:

Since
Sylvanus Now
was first published, the public perception of our need to act on environmental issues has heightened dramatically. If you were writing this story today, would you change anything?

No.
Sylvanus Now
is about character and the impact of the devastation of the fishery on his life and that of his family. I don’t write to give messages. I write to tell stories.

Q:

One review of
Downhill Chance
commented that there’s no mention of the greater political situation in Newfoundland. There’s no talk of Joey Smallwood; people aren’t “ferociously political.” Why is this? Why aren’t your books more political?

I write about characters who are near to my heart and to my experience. Given that I have not been politically inclined, there has been no need to delve more deeply into the political scene.

Q:

Your characters seem particularly real, and much has been said about your expert use of the Newfoundland dialect in the novel. How did you go about crafting characters and dialogue that ring so true?

The Newfoundland dialect isn’t a thing I need to craft, as it is still very much present in the outport where I was born and raised. I continue hearing it every day from my brothers, sisters, aunts, etc. We always speak in dialect when we’re together. Times when I’m writing and I go too far afield, I simply close my eyes and listen for one of my aunts’ or my 333 uncles’ voices and there it is … a whole sentence, a thought, totally rewritten in that beautiful, metaphoric manner the outport Newfoundlanders so casually call upon.

Q:

What They Wanted
, published in 2008, continues Addie and Sylvanus’s story. It’s the first time you’ve followed up on some of your characters. What was it about Sylvanus and Addie that made you want to return to them? Has their story ended with this last book?

What They Wanted
was supposed to have been part two of
Sylvanus Now
. But a book has a way of dictating what it wants, not what the author wants. Thus, there wasn’t room for
What They Wanted
in
Sylvanus Now
. It demanded its own covers. Stubborn, eh?? And I’m not sure if their story has ended. Well, actually, I know their story hasn’t ended. But will it continue in the characters already put forth? I don’t know yet.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Why do you think Morrissey named her main character Sylvanus Now?

2. Sylvanus knows he isn’t good at math, but that he has other smarts. He knows how many cords of wood it takes to fill a crawlspace and how long it takes to cure a fish in brine. Addie, on the other hand, laments that she can’t go further in her education. But given their prospects, is a formal education a good thing? Would Addie have been better off without learning things that lie beyond her own reality?

3. Sylvanus feels proud when he releases a mother fish, her belly filled with roe. Where do you think Sylvanus gained his respect for the natural world? How can pride be used to motivate others to respect the environment?

4. Morrissey once said in an interview, “People either had to compromise who they were or leave, which was also compromising who they were. It was either be exploited or become an exploiter.” What do you think Sylvanus and Addie should have done when faced with this choice?

5. Sylvanus can’t imagine leaving his home; it would mean leaving behind too large a piece of himself. Do you think this is the result of living in a small community? Does it hold true for you?

6. It seems commonplace for people to lose their loved ones to the sea in Newfoundland. Eva handled it by taking walks by herself. Do you think, though, that she’s really accepted the death of her son and husband?

7. The Trapps are clearly the villains of the novel. Do you think they deserve the treatment they receive?

8. What do you think of Eva’s “widow’s walk” and the idea of marking the steps of “those still labouring”?

9. Addie and Sylvanus finally succeed in their struggle to have a baby. How do you think Addie will fare as a mother? Will their child face similar disappointments in life?