After reading the first 50 pages of Not wanted on the Voyage by Timothy Findley we discussed the significance of each character. The members of Dr. Noyes’ family and the animals each bring a different aspect to the novel, which we get a strong sense of even though they are not fully developed.
The novel begins with Dr. Noyes receiving a message notifying him that Yaweh will be visiting with the next 48 hours. Mrs. Noyes is a typical obedient wife, whose husband puts G-ds commands in front of his families, and she prepares for the visit as Noah instructed. Her cat, Mottyl, accompanies her while she relaxes in her rocking chair and escapes with a bottle of alcohol.
We observe the story from Mottyl’s point of view many times, which gives the readers an understanding of the animals’ sufferings. Animals have a stronger instinct for sensing trouble and change; they are acting abnormal because they sense a presence around them. The wolves are acting abnormal; they will not drink and continue to howl boisterously since their master, Japeth, is now blue.
When Japeth came back from his walk down the road he returned blue, which was a shock to his wife, Emma. She is an 11-year old girl who refuses to have sex with her husband much to his dislike. She represents the innocence of children and does not desire to be corrupted. Hams innocence is also taken away when Dr. Noyes insists he performs the sacrifice, during which Ham injures himself. Shems emotional standpoint is unclear at this point, he is the strong brother and known as the Ox. Hannah is Shems wife and we do not get a good sense of her personality either. As the novel continues I am looking forward to seeing each of the characters develop.
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