In many mysteries to this Cosmic system, the best and ironically the worst system remains the Human Being. In the “Man Vs Wild” episode I still fear the Man more than the Wild. Because wild has a structure, they have a way of behaving, that they take care of their kith and kin, that they protect their hound at the cost of their life; while Man has no principles, none at all, there are no said behavioral patterns and every said regulation is bent as per convenience.
He was used to Perfection, an Imperfect Happening Was Beyond Him.
Phoebe is born with a Down ’s syndrome, and coincidentally delivered by her own Dad Dr David Henry. So is Paul, her twin brother with not an inkling of abnormality. That stormy night he takes the decision of doing away with this Girl child to an institution, churning the sands of time, events, and bringing in a major catastrophe in the lives all attached to the Little Girl. Caroline the nurse, who decides to keep the child to herself and leaves the town with her, his wife Norah, his son Paul and eventually he himself could never recover from the decision. A small act of inadvertence draws all these lives into a world of lifetime guilt, insecurity, damaged relations and parallel worlds of mistrust.
They could never recover from the Loss; it hung between them like an Unspoken Wall
There are arguments to his decision, the explanations which he knows by heart- that he never wanted a repetition for his son the way his childhood was- taking care of a sick sister. The fact that all his family funds, their lives slowly depleted taking care of her till the day she died. A perfect gentleman who never committed any misogyny in his entire life, focused on his work, eventually his wife, much younger to him. But that stormy icy night changes him forever.
Norah is never able to fathom what slipped away from her that night, she believes Phoebe to be dead. Conducting the prayer service to visiting her pink grave, she grieves the loss in her heart. As she tries to make up for the grown distance between herself and David, she starts searching routes out of the marriage. Though her mindset is bit more difficult to contemplate than David’s.
Caroline, nursing a huge dedication and love for Dr David Henry looses him twice. Once when he decides to get married to Norah, and second when she decides to keep his child as her own and leaves the town . She chooses a life of pain and obscurity, for the sake of bringing an innocent child as a normal one. She closes her heart to a usual life, and focuses just on her growth. Finding a Guy loving her more than death, understanding her and giving her world to travel and accomplice him, she still chooses to keep Phoebe’s preferences as above hers.
What they shared was a Constant Fear and Regression
“The Memory Keeper’s Daughter” is a saga of Human Relations written by Kim Edwards, the Nuances which connect them- of the Way Our current societal structure is. The Prevailing lies which go behind the Curtains of Money, Wealth and Power. How Blood relations are put at stake and so are the Binds of Love for some mindset which is sickening and damaging. That with every wrong that was committed by a Generation was repaid in Karma.
Phoebe, his sister a secret kept for a quarter of Century
He decides to Undo the Wrong..