Lam
Robert Lam
Ms. Power
ENG 3U7
20 Friday 2009
Mad Shadows: Truth Destroys Physical Beauty
“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth” (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle). Doyle’s insight reveals that truth forms the basis of reason. Blais’ Mad Shadows explores the way truth awakens Louise to the significance of spiritual meaning, yet Louise ultimately fails in recognizing Isabelle-Marie’s spiritual substance. Louise’s sole emphasis on physical beauty constricts her perception to her vanity and godliness. When harsh reality calls, she hides under the false illusions of luxury, unblemished beauty, and self-absorption in her own “fantasy world”. Louise’s “fantasy world” isolated from society, evaluates the “beautiful”, Patrice and Lanz, as the elite, while it marks the physically flawed, Isabelle-Marie, a deviant. Isabelle-Marie destroys Louise’s corrupt, materialistic ideals and dissolves Louise’s “fantasy” world until she suffers in hell. In Blais’ Mad Shadows, Isabelle-Marie’s truth, which gnaws at Louise’s blindness to spiritual substance, destroys Louise’s physical beauty, ultimately leading to destruction.
Louise’ rigid definition of beauty shapes her callous attitude and actions toward physically flawed people like Isabelle-Marie. Misunderstanding the source of her daughter’s pain, Louise asks blindly, “Isabelle-Marie, what is the matter, Isabelle-Marie?” (Blais 23). Louise’s contrast between her nurturing relationship with the flawless Patrice and her ignorant relationship with the scarred Isabelle-Marie signify her descent into illusion. Isabelle-Marie’s battered body, unable to mirror Louise’s beauty, carries no significance in Louise’s superficial “fantasy world”; thus, Louise limits Isabelle-Marie to the role of a servant, who performs menial, backbreaking tasks on the farm. Ironically, Isabelle-Marie acts as Louise’s last remnant for recognizing the emptiness of physical desires. She tries to create truth in Louise’s life by displaying hatred and revenge. All of Isabelle’s Marie’s actions warn that the unequal sharing of love based on physical beauty leads to disaster. Louise’s continued ignorance to these warnings, to Isabelle-Marie’s scowls and contemptuous looks, builds her own grave as Isabelle-Marie’s hatred intensifies. Isabelle-Marie reveals that essence demands a blindness and appreciation of spiritual substance. Louise’s physical beauty exists as false desire, one that sidetracks Louise from her fundamental needs and wants – unselfish love and freedom. While Louise highlights the despair and isolation in surface-level desires, Isabelle-Marie illustrates the openness and freedom in blindness as she tells Michael that “Yes, I am very beautiful. I have violet eyes and long blond hair. Feel my hair. It has the aroma of newly baked bread hasn’t it?” (Blais 41). Louise’s closed relationship with Lanz contrasts with Isabelle-Marie’s temporary, open relationship with Michael. Built on Michael’s blindness, their happiness communicates the basic human language of compassion and acceptance. However, once Michael regains the ability to see, he, like Louise and Lanz, demonstrates the human flaw of judging by physical appearances. When Michael looses the freedom his blindness built for him, his relationship with Isabelle-Marie crumbles. Likewise, Louise’s attention to superficial detail limits her to the language of wealth and power. Louise both pleasures and assures herself by contemplating the materialistic-rich kingdom she has established. Her relationship with Lanz, built on materialistic and physical desires, devoid of compassion, physically degrades her to a lifeless mannequin. Isabelle-Marie’s ugliness exists as an illusion that tests Louise’s faith and commitment. Isabelle-Marie’s ugliness disguises the reminder Louise needs to transcend her physical pleasures. Louise comments that “Her daughter exasperated her. ‘Can you expect anything but trouble from someone so ugly?’” (Blais 24). Louise fails this critical test as she unveils her corrupt nature: Louise’s physical looks and luxury comes at Isabelle-Marie’s expense. Louise does not recognize that her financial wellbeing shares a direct relationship with Isabelle-Marie’s hard work. Ignoring the spiritual value of Isabelle-Marie’s hard work, Louise focuses instead on the physical aesthetic. Focusing on the physical aesthetic, Louise consequently establishes even more mirrors for her “fantasy world”. The many mirrors for her fantasy world destroy Louise’s ability to love freely. Louise’s fractured definition of beauty based on superficial qualities demonstrates how reliance only on physical beauty not only tests people’s faith, it also alienates them.
