It turned out Jack knew what he was doing, was aware of the demon, and strengthened his mental barriers enough to win over the monster! Cool. I'll take it.
The Yattering itself perfectly fit its ranking of a lower demon. It was childish in some ways, with its pranks and temper tantrums, and of course when it broke the code of demons. It was interesting how there was a code in the first place. Sometimes we think of monsters as being all free-reign, do whatever, kill whomever, no rules at all. But by having rules in place we are able to build a stronger image in our minds of a kind of monster society (with laws, higher-ups, bosses, etc...), which for me is more interesting to read about than the same old "kill to kill because I'm a big bad monster" trope.
One thing I was not sure about in the story was Jack's indifference toward his life at the beginning, before the Yattering really got started trying to break Jack. When Jack's wife cheats, and even when she commits suicide, Jack does not have a strong reaction to either of those events. That's a bit hard to believe, even if Jack knew the demon was lurking, it's difficult to think someone could a wear mask so well that he would not crack a little at either of those events.
So I have to wonder how long was Jack expecting this demon? If he's constantly living his life with that indifferent attitude, perhaps he was aware from childhood that this thing would be coming for him? But if that was so why would he even get married and have kids in the first place? So yes, I have a circle of questions, but I don't think that's a bad thing. Rather, I think it shows the strength of Barker's writing that a reader can wonder more about the characters, want to know more of their story, and formulate theories. There's enough information present that I was not thrown out of the story at any point questioning a missing connection between anything, but reflecting on the story at the end of it definitely got my brain whirling.
You pose some interesting questions about Jack. I also found his character to be enigmatic. How long has he known about Yattering? How does he know? Is he truly a heartless bastard? As you said, these questions don't ruin the story, but linger nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think Barker's head-hopping was at its best here. I was occasionally confused/disoriented. I know he can do it well, I thought he handled it masterfully in "Rawhead Rex," but overall I'm not a fan of this this POV style.
I found the notion of a hierarchy to Hell, accompanied by the rules imposed on demons, to signify some degree of world-building. We don't think of horror as employing world-building techniques, but there's three elements right there: bestiary (demonic,) laws (occult,) and hierarchy (infernal.) Hell becomes a world in this short story.
ReplyDeleteI think that Barker's reasoning for Jack getting married is that there's a very English sense of propriety. Jack does what all Englishmen do because he needs to seem like any other Englishman and not (as it turns out) a grand occultist capable of capturing a demonic familiar.
-Victor Cypert
Interesting questions about Jack! I now wonder whether his lack of emotion was entirely a mask. When his daughters visit, he could easily take them for a walk and confess about his demon, but he chooses not to, even after the Yattering directs some efforts at them. This, together with his lack of emotion about his wife, suggests that Jack is a cold person. And at the end, Jack chooses to keep the demon even though it might damn him to hell. This reinforces the idea that Jack is cold; he'd rather go to hell than give up his right to return the torment he's suffered for years. Perhaps, Jack is cold and calculating, and it's more than merely a mask.
ReplyDeleteSomething I realized while reading your post: Rawhead and Yattering are almost complete opposites. One is senseless killing, the other is bound by rules and regulations (almost makes hell seem a little like working for the federal government).
ReplyDeleteAlso, you raise a great point about Jack. I think he was aware of it for a long time. His mother had even told him, perhaps. I think Jack spent his live being suppressed. I like to think he was heartbroken about his wife leaving him and just putting on a show for the demon...maybe that's just the romantic in me, though.