FULL ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL “PATH OF LUCAS; THE JOURNEY HE ENDURED” BY SUSANNE BELLEFUILLE

EZENECHE CHIDIOGO MARY (ENGLISH AND LITERATURE TEACHER)

EMAIL: maryezeneche@gmail.com cezeneche@yahoo.com

BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR

Susanne Bellefuille is a Canadian novelist and a graduate of Social Works from St. Lawrence College in Cornwall. Susanne was a school dropout and had become a mother at the early age of seventeen. Path Of Lucas is her first novel which was first published in 2017. Susanne is interested in assisting people with intellectual disabilities. Her story serves as a source of inspiration to everyone struggling with depression and different mental ailments.

BACKGROUND OF THE NOVEL

The story is a fictional representation of her father’s journey. Her mom had also suffered a psychotic depression and was hospitalized for almost a year. It is an autobiographical novel which showed the sacrifices her father made during her mum’s struggle with depression. Susanne having dropped out of school at 17, she decided to go back so as to be a good example to her children and grandchildren. The novel draws attention to the importance of mental health in our present world and society.

Canada’s colonial history and the aftermath is also referred to in the story through the character of Lucas and Isabelle. Lucas speaks English while Isabelle speaks French. We can say that their marriage was a coming together of two cultures. The story is both traumatic and tragic. Isabelle and her sister France had a traumatic childhood due to the abuse they went through at the hands of their parents, this abuse haunted them throughout their lifetime. The novel also captures the “baby boomers” phenomenon of the 1940 and 1950’s generation.

SETTING OF THE NOVEL

The novel is set in the small town of Alexandria in Ontario, Canada (20th century). The story spans between 1956-1993 when Isabelle dies. Other setting in the novel includes: Uxbridge, where Lucas moved to be a mechanic, Cold Lake Alberta where Steve died, Kingston Ontario where Lucy worked and lived, etc.

PLOT/SUMMARY

The story begins in the present (it has a non-chronological plot structure). Lucy had a car accident on her way to see Lucas her father. The story also begins from the end when Lucas visits his daughter at the hospital (she was in coma). Lucas decides to tell Lucy his story in the third person narrative (as though the story happened to someone else), he hopes that his story will help bring Lucy out of coma.

The story of Lucas goes back to 1956 when he is a dashing and handsome young boy of 17. Lucas lived with his parents John Clarkson and Elizabeth Clarkson in Alexandria alongside his siblings James and Mary. Lucas has a car he named Studebaker and he also assists his father in the farm, even though that wasn’t his dream. Lucas meets Isabelle and her sister France on his way to run an errand with his father and he is captivated by Isabell’s beauty, he drops them off at their home but he could not get his mind off Isabelle. Lucas has a childhood friend named Steve who is an Airforce personnel. Lucas and Isabelle go out on a few dates and they start a relationship even though Isabelle Bourgeois has difficulty speaking English at first. Their relationship is affected by Isabelle’s poor family background and childhood abuse and trauma. Isabelle has to work for Mr. Thomas in other to cater for her family. Mr. Thomas sells his land and John Clarkson is the one who buys it, Lucas concludes the land deal for his father and this was how he found out that Isabelle works for Mr. Thomas. They both rekindle their relationship after this.

Isabelle gets pregnant after her engagement to Lucas and they had a church wedding. Isabelle gave birth to five children in quick succession; Richard, Johnny, Steve, Lucy and Thomas. Lucas has always wanted to be a mechanic so he moves to Uxbridge to work with Jim an A Class Mechanic, who also offers to pay for Lucas’s schooling to get his mechanic license. Lucas’s dream is cut short by his father as he had to move back to home to help his father with the farm (John’s health was deteriorating). As Lucas moves back to Alexandria to help his father, he faces a whole lot of tragedies; he loses Steve his childhood friend to a plane crash, his father has to be on oxygen, his first son suffers from meningitis, Isabelle’s sister France dies of type 2 diabetes, Isabelle gets obese from bad food choices (caused by unresolved childhood trauma).

Lucas gets a job in a cable company and later on, he is posted to far away Kemptville. While he is away, Isabelle falls into unconsciousness and is diagnosed of psychotic depression. It took almost a year and Lucas’s commitment and love to get Isabelle well again, she gets her memory back and goes back to her normal life but she still had to take her meds regularly. Lucy, Lucas’s daughter gets pregnant at 16, Chelsea who is Richard’s girlfriend is also pregnant. Trouble continues for the family when Richard is with cancer of the throat and had to undergo a surgery. John Clarkson passes away shortly after Richards’s surgery. The tragedy wasn’t over as Richard becomes ill shortly after and dies of cancer of the nymph nodes, Isabelle goes into depression again, Elizabeth, Lucas’s mother is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and dies later one. Lucas loses Isabelle to a heart attack on the June 10, 1993.

Lucas finishes narrating his story and by then Lucy had come out of coma and her children and husband Mark were all around. Lucas excuses himself to call Lucy’s siblings to tell them of her recovery, and on his way back to Lucy’s room, he dies of a heart attack just outside her door. Lucy was strong enough to read the eulogy at her father’s funeral.

N/B: When Richard dies. Lucas saw a monarch butterfly at his funeral.

When Isabelle died, Lucas saw a rose breasted grosbeak at the window of the hospital

When Lucas died, Lucy saw two rose-breasted grosbeaks singing on the ledge and a gorgeous monarch butterfly flapping its wings above the two birds.

MAJOR INCIDENTS IN THE NOVEL

Lucy’s accident on her way to see her father.
Lucas is with Lucy at the hospital decides to tell Lucy his story in the third person narrative.
Lucas meets France and Isabelle her sister on his way to the store and gives them a ride home.
Lucas’s childhood friend Steve comes back from the AirForce and they hang out.
Steve beats up Kris the town’s bully at the bar.
Lucas receives a telegram from Steve that he was stationed overseas.
Isabelle agrees to have dinner with Lucas.
Lucas and Isabelle go out for a date at Mama Jean’s diner.
Lucas takes Isabelle to go see John Wayne’s movie “Legend of the Lost”. She accepts to be his girlfriend.
John Clarkson buys land from Mr. Thomas.
Isabelle tells Lucas about how her dad abused her emotionally and her mum abused her physically.
Lucas engages Isabelle on her 18th birthday.
Julia takes Isabelle to the hospital and the Doctor confirmed she was pregnant.
She tells Lucas about the pregnancy and they get married in November.
They both announce the pregnancy to Lucas family on Christmas day
Isabelle gives birth to her first child Richard after a 24hour labor.
She gives birth to another son Johhny a year later, and another year later, she gives birth to her third son Steve.
They rent their own apartment and Lucas had to sell his Studebaker.
Lucas got hired as a mechanic (his dream job) and still worked parttime in the farm with his dad.
Isabelle gives birth to her daughter Lucy.
Lucas takes Jim’s job offer and moves to Uxbridge to work as a mechanic.
Isabelle gets pregnant for the 5th time and scared because of the doctors warning about getting pregnant again (her last birth was difficult).
Isabelle gives birth to her fourth son and last child, Thomas.
Lucas moves back to Alexandria to help his father with the farm as John is sick and getting old.
Isabelle loses her father and her childhood memories begin to taunt her. She starts eating a lot and gains more weight.
Steve pays Lucas a surprise visit and tells Lucas he bought a plane.
Lucas is called about Steve’s death (he died in a plane crash).
Lucas’s sister Mary loses her child Darcy in an accident
Richard, Lucas’s first son gets very sick (meningitis).
Lucas and Ron, his friend get a job at Cable company.
France gets obese and is diagnosed with type two diabetes. She died later on.
Isabelle collapses and is diagnosed with clinical/psychotic depression.
Isabelle, with Lucas’s care and commitment gets better after a year.
Lucy, Lucas’s daughter gets pregnant at the age of 16 for her boyfriend.
Chelsea, Richard’s girlfriend also reveals she is six months pregnant.
Chelsea gives birth to a girl, Paige.
Richard undergoes surgery to have a cancerous tumor removed from his throat.
John Clarkson, Lucas’s father dies.
Lucy gives birth to a boy, Daniel. Lucy and Justin get married.
Richard dies and Lucy reads the eulogy at his funeral.
Chelsea takes Paige away from Isabelle which leads her to depression and weight gain.
Lucy gives birth to another boy, Ryan. Johhny gets married, Steve follows shortly after and Thomas gets a girlfriend.
Elizabeth Clarkson (Lucas’s mother), develops Alzheimer’s disease. She died on the 17th of August, 1990.
Isabelle takes her life back and loses weight. Her children plan a surprise 50th birthday party for her.
Isabelle develops a heart attack which leads to her death on the 10th of June, 1993. She was just 53 years old.
Lucas dies of a heart attack just outside Lucy’s hospital door. Lucy reads the eulogy at his funeral.

CHARACTERS/CHARACTERIZATION

Lucas Clarkson: The main character of the story. He takes us through his life journey and all the sacrifices he had to make for the love he had for his family. He had to give up his dream of becoming a mechanic just to help his sick father with the farm. When Isabelle got sick, he gave up his job at the Cable Company just to be by her side and nurse her back to health for almost a year (he lost all his savings because of this). Oh, poor Lucas! He was a devoted father and husband, he loved and cherished Isabelle and their children. Despite all the tragedies he passed during the course of his life, he never stopped supporting Isabelle and his children (his parents inclusive).

Lucas’s character is an inspiration and one worthy of emulation. He is a hero and by extension, my hero.

Isabelle Bourgeois; Beautiful Isabelle! She had to go through so much childhood abuse and trauma at the hands of her parents, and this affected her throughout her life time. She was always available to support her husband’s every decision. She was a devoted wife and mother. After the death of her elder sister France, her childhood trauma came to haunt her and this led to her psychotic depression which she suffered for almost a year. She also had to battle obesity at some points in her life which was caused by bad eating choices (triggered by trauma).

France Bourgeois: Isabelle’s elder sister. It was she who helped Isabelle learn some English words so she would be able to communicate with Lucas on their first date together. She later moved out of Alexandria and got married to a farmer, she was also present at Isabelle’s wedding. She got obese and died later on of type two diabetes.

Steve Lewis; Lucas’s childhood friend who joined the Airforce. He always wanted to be a pilot and this he achieved; he was a great inspiration to Lucas. Steve purchased a plane but tragically died of a plane crash. He had instructed that incase anything were to happen to him; Lucas should take of all the funeral arrangements (this goes to show how close they both were).

John Clarkson/ Elizabeth Clarkson; Lucas’s parents. They always doted on him and supported his decisions. They also loved Isabelle. It was John who pleaded with Lucas to move back to Alexandria and help out with the farm as his health was deteriorating. He had difficulty breathing and always used an oxygen tank, he died later on.

Elizabeth was a wonderful wife and mother. It was she who cared for Lucas’s children when Isabelle was at the hospital. As she got older, she developed Alzheimer’s disease and died.

Other characters in the novel includes the following;

Lucy Ferguson; Lucas’s daughter. It was she whom Lucas told his life story when she was in coma at the hospital

Wendy; Lucy’s secretary

Mark; Lucy’s husband

James; Lucas’s brother

Debra; James’s wife

Ryan, Danny, Dwanye, Johnny; Lucy’s children

Emily; Danny’s wife

Paul, Scott, Donna; James’s children.

Mary; Lucas’s sister

Joe; Mary’s husband

Sandra, Brenda, Jeffery, Darcy, Janet; Mary’s children

William; Lucas’s late brother

Richard, Steve, Lucy, Thomas, Johnny; Lucas’s children

Chelsea; Richard’s girlfriend

Angie; Johnny’s girlfriend

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis; Steve’s parents

Mr. and Mrs. Bourgeois; Isabelle’s parents

Kris; The mayor’s son and a bully.

Mr. Douglass; John Clarkson’s lawyer

Jean; France’s husband

Ron; Lucas’s friend

Janet; Ron’s wife

THEMES IN THE NOVEL

Child abuse and trauma; Isabelle and her sister France suffered from child abuse and trauma inflicted by their parents. This goes on to affect them later in life especially Isabelle. After the death of France. Isabelle falls into depression and also makes bad food choices which leads to obesity. The novel takes us through the danger and effect of child abuse and trauma and its effects.

Love and Devotion; this is a story of love and devotion which is seen in the character of Lucas and also other characters. Lucas undying love for Isabelle is shown in his tolerance to wait for Isabelle to take care of her siblings before they can get married. Lucas shows love for his family when he gives up his dreams to become a mechanic so as to help his sick father on the farm.

Lucas also shows devotion towards his parents, wife and children. When Isabelle was battling psychotic depression, he was with her every step of the way. He even had to abandon his job and used up his life savings. John who is Lucas’s father had to drive Elizabeth his wife to the hospital despite his ill health at the time.

Family and Sacrifice; Lucas’s life revolved round doing what was best for his family. Lucas was deeply committed to the well being of his family, he is very selfless, always putting the needs of his family first. He had to give up his dream of becoming an A Class mechanic in Uxbridge just to help out his sick father on the farm. This selflessness is a recurring element which demonstrates the true love can often come from the sacrifices made for those we love.

Mental Illness and Depression; This is seen in the case of Isabelle. Isabelle who was abused as a child had the memories of this trauma haunt her later in life. This led her to obesity and depression and finally psychotic depression. It took the care and devotion of Lucas to get her out of that state.

Tragedies of Man; This novel goes to show the life tragedies humans have to pass through at some stages in their life. Lucas had his own fair share of tragedies: beginning from his father’s sickness, Richard’s meningitis, Steve’s death, Isabelle’s sickness, Richard’s death, John and Elizabeth’s death. Also inclusive, Lucy’s accident and coma.

Death and Mortality; Lucas lost many of his family members to the cold hands of death, his son Richard and his wife Isabelle inclusive. Mortality is very poignant as regards Lucy’s coma. Her coma acts as a reminder to the readers that there is a very thin line between life and death. This reminds us that life is unpredictable and it is very important to cherish every moment.

Other themes in the novel includes: childbirth, obesity, family vicious cycles, determination, etc.

LITERARY TECHNIQUES/DEVICES USED IN THE NOVEL

Diction; The novel is written in American/Canadian English. The author also uses some French words and expressions to show the linguistic realities of Canada. Examples: spelling of words like “Labor” (pg. 167), “Program” (pg. 156), “Behavior” (pg. 305) etc. Some French expressions which were spoken by Isabelle during her courtship with Lucas. Examples: Oui which means “yes” (pg. 32), Merci which means “thank you” (pg. 41), Oui….je veux aller avec toi which means “yes…I will go with you” (pg. 56).

Point of View; the novel is written using the third person narrative (as though the story happened to someone else). The omniscient narrator takes over narration from Lucas, thereby telling Lucas’s story. It is important to note that chapter one if the novel was told using the first-person narrative. The story is also told using present tense.

Motif; It is a symbolic image or pattern/idea that appears frequently in a story. It is an element that reoccurs through out a work of literature. In the novel, the hospital is used as a motif. We notice that throughout the story, Lucas made many frequents visit to the hospital, it is also ironic that Lucas also dies in a hospital just out his daughter’s hospital door.

Flashback; The entire story is a flashback. Flashback is the primary device used to tell Lucas’s past and story, much of the story is revealed through flashback as Lucas recounts his life experiences to his daughter.

Symbolism; This device is used in the story to show or represent wider/broader themes. Lucy’s coma is symbolic, it symbolizes the life’s fragility and the uncertainty it brings with it. Lucas’s journey is also symbolic as it shows the struggles and resilience any human needs to survive in life.

Foreshadowing; It is used to give hints of what might happen in a literary work. In the narration of the story, some future events are hinted at. For example: Lucas’s sacrifices at the beginning of the story foreshadow the difficult decisions or sacrifices he had to take later in life/story.

Imagery; The author Susanne made use of some vivid imagery to bring the settings and emotions of the story to life. The way the rural environment where Lucas grew up is described is very detailed, it gives the readers room to visualize the physical landscapes that shape and were path of Lucas’s life.

Themes as a Literary Device; Throughout the story, we see recurring themes of love, family, sacrifice which are used as a literary device. It goes very deep throughout the narration of the story until the very end.

Tone; The tone used in the novel is hopeful and also reflective. Reflective in the sense that as Lucas tells his story at the hospital, he reflects back on his life experiences and life choices he made. The tone is hopeful in the sense that Lucas hopes that with the story he tells Lucy, even though she is unconscious is going to hell revive her. This creates an emotional journey and turmoil that mirror Lucas’s journey/story.

Other literary devices in the story includes; irony, euphemism, dialogue, humor, historical allusion, metaphor, etc.

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FULL ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL “PATH OF LUCAS; THE JOURNEY HE ENDURED” BY SUSANNE BELLEFUILLE