This chapter may have created loyalties between the three members of the sexual act. From now on, they seem much closer, becoming almost like Palinor’s disciples. Palinor takes care of Joffre and Dolca by giving them money to live from, in return they visit him everyday in prison. The pair even find themselves longing for Palinor to be laying in between them near the end of the book. The bond may have been formed the night of chapter 22 as sex is supposed to bring people closer together. This situation shows how religion can make a person feel inhibited, as it does not allow the body to be celebrated.
In this chapter, we see the real Palinor. We respect Palinor for holding onto his way of thinking, and not letting others imprint their views onto him. Now, a new Palinor is emerging. One with an imperative need, an experienced teacher, it is quite a transformation of personality. When he is around others such as Beneditx and Severo, he is ironically described in a Christ like way. His actions here seem to be anything but Christ-like. However, t could be argued that the image of Christ is continued in Palinor through this chapter. Jill Paton Walsh could be making the point that not even Jesus was perfect. He sinned when he healed on the Sabbath, as Palinor is doing now by breaking the laws of celibacy. In the extract, Palinor goes out onto the colonnade. Before he does so, he puts on a “cloak over his nakedness.” He does this because what has just happened in the bedroom, he does not want to reveal to the outside world. He wants other people to see him as the innocent party. If anyone-especially Fra Murta- found out what had just happened, there would be less chance of his release.
The theme of water and the flow of water is a continuous theme throughout the novel. A reference to this is used in the extract:
“The moonlight was casting molten silver over the moving column of water he
had raised up.”
This line does not suggest that something dark and sinful has just taken place. The references to light and silver show that sex is a beautiful thing. The column of water could possibly represent Palinor’s virility. He has always been portrayed as a handsome, sexual being. When Palinor was first found, all the women were amazed at how large his loincloth seemed to be. This perhaps reminds us that he is in fact a normal man, despite the comparisons to Christ. When Palinor built the column, he redirected the flow of the water, which symbolises the way he redirects the flow of Beneditx’s thinking. Consequently, it is virility and power he has ‘raised up’ as well as the column of water.
When Beneditx is described in his room, the references to light continue:
“At the far end of the colonnade Beneditx’s window was lit, and the grid between the
panes made it appear like a large lantern in which Beneditx’s head, bowed over his
books was centred like a flame”
This part of the extract demonstrates that Beneditx still has his faith. He is still enlightened with the knowledge of God, this is shown by the illumination of Beneditx’s head in his window. When Beneditx looses his faith, these images of light discontinue, leaving him to lye in the ‘deepening darkness’. There is almost a sense of innocence to Beneditx here. While Palinor has been engaging in extravagant sexual activity, he was sitting alone in his room reading his books. Beneditx is oblivious to sex, he does not understand it because he is forbidden to take part in such activities. This is shown in chapter twenty four when he flinches at being in Dolca’s presence and finds it disturbing. Palinor expresses this opinion in the line ‘I could teach you a thing or two about triangles.’ He could mean one of many things with the word triangles. The obvious meaning being the sex triangle he has just engaged in, knowing Beneditx has a lot to learn about sex. It could also be a link to the holy trinity or to one of Beneditx’s past philosophical arguments. Beneditx felt he had the power in that argument because he had the knowledge, now the power of knowledge lies with Palinor. The author’s voice is coming through here, criticising the church of being ignorant of sex and not allowing people to celebrate their bodies.
The idea of gaining power the most significant in this chapter. Before, it has been Beneditx and Severo who have the power because they have many ‘strong’ arguments for the existence of God. Now we see this change in Palinor, the holder of power seems to change. It is from here that we see the deterioration of Beneditx’s faith. Palinor has just taken away Dolca’s innocence, this prepares us for his to take Beneditx’s beliefs also. Although there seems to be an edge to the line about triangles, Palinor means no malice by it because he says it softly. However, this could also be read as having a patronising tone, Palinor trying to belittle Beneditx.
The whole idea of whether an atheist could be in good faith is put under question in chapter twenty two. Jill Paton Walsh is raising some important issues here. It is an ambiguous chapter, Palinor corrupting the innocence of Dolca as well disturbing the peace of the church. He is also celebrating the body and helping Joffre and Dolca to explore each other, leaving them suitably pleasured. Could it be his lack of religion that helps Palinor force Dolca to have sex with him? If so, it is his lack of morals that allows him to demolish the ‘learned’ Beneditx’s faith?
