Vizovono Elizabeth
*Can you understand? Someone, somewhere,
Can you understand me a little? - Sylvia Plath
So begins the novel with an epigraph from the poet Sylvia Plath, setting the tone for the story. Coming from the winner of the Gordon Graham Prize for Naga Literature 2019 (which Mepfhu-o won with her debut novel My Mother’s Daughter), you would obviously expect greater things, and the author does not disappoint. Out of the Woods is in fact a better and more refined work of fiction, in terms of the writer’s craft and storytelling. It is yet again a brave book that tackles another very pressing reality – mental illness and our society’s perception and treatment of people suffering with it. Excluding the plot summary, I want to focus on other important aspects.
The plot is so well planned, and the characters are very authentic. I liked how each chapter begins with an epigraph that so precisely captures the theme of the events following. The choice of using unnamed characters including the boy protagonist shows the kind of care this tight-rope-balancing-act requires in telling such a story. It helps in keeping things objective while dealing with a sensitive matter. It also indicates that it could be the story of any one of us. But it may also be caused by the nature of our society’s cultural perceptions, since the setting is so typically Naga.
The prologue directly introduces us to the woods, the world of the boy, which is an alternate reality that exists parallel to our reality. And this is a world that we, the so-called normal beings, are strangers to. The author takes you on a journey to another world, another realm that is in our midst but we are oblivious of. The boy’s story is a revelation to a reality that we must all be sensitized about. But the greatness of the storytelling lies in the point of view, notwithstanding the equally important theme of the story. It matters how a story is told, not just what the story is about. The ‘how’ is what makes all the difference.
The choice of a distanced 3rd person omniscient narrator, who tells the story in an unbiased, objective manner, is the perfect point of view for the story. This is how the quality of empathy is achieved with each of the characters. Mental illness is a difficult and sensitive subject to tackle, as it is. But to portray it in a way that is not only palatable but engaging, relatable and acceptable? That is no mean feat.
The tone suits the mood of the story, creating an extended gnawing feeling and atmosphere. It reflects the invisible weight and burden of the characters, from which there seems to be no respite. But despite the indescribable heaviness, it is never tedious. The author lures you into the woods so subtly but surely that once you begin reading, you are hooked from the prologue through to the epilogue, eagerly turning the pages to find out what happens next. It is superbly done and the book is simply unputdownable.
Mepfhu-o displays great sensitivity and psychological understanding in portraying her characters. It is a moving tale of love, sacrifice and the enduring power of rising above our situation against all odds. There is absolutely no biasness for, or prejudice against anyone. Each is struggling with his/her own inner demons. She skillfully brings out their pain, grief, and emotional turmoil, while also dissecting the many complexities and intricacies of our society, placing them before us like mirror reflections. In the end, you find that no one is to be blamed. Each seems to be right in his/her own way.
However, the fact that the boy is driven to the woods, in his own world, is a sad statement of the way our ignorance and insensitivity allow no space for those that are different from the rest of us. This is the silent cry that is inaudible in our world; the plea for understanding that falls deaf on our perfectly hearing ears.
The author has stated that she wrote the book to create awareness. But if the intention of the book is didactic, it certainly does not come across as such. The author simply peels the layers off and lays things bare before us, so that we cannot help but face the reality that confronts us. We have no option to run from the truth, but we also see it with new enlightened eyes. This then, is how Mepfhu-o effectively demonstrates that literature and stories can be a tool for opening up difficult conversations and demystifying complex social issues.
Like her first novel My Mother’s Daughter which dealt with the theme of domestic violence, Out of the Woods is another masterpiece. It is also a shining example of how Naga literature is evolving, and the present generation Naga writers are invested in contemporary issues beyond the stereotypical themes of politics, violence and folklore. It challenges the readers to keep up with such developments and be abreast with the present reality because the times – they are a-changing. Also, together with Avinuo Kire’s riveting debut novel Where the Cobbled Path Leads, these recently published novels display great mastery over literary technique. And such progressive developments are significant in taking our literature forward.
Neikehienuo Mepfhu-o is a writer with a difference. She is on a mission to take on tough challenges, break barriers and usher in changes, one reader at a time. Hers is not art for art’s sake. It is art for life’s sake. Her concern is not limited to personal indulgences but encompasses the benefit of all. And if writing is her weapon, then so be it. The pen is mightier than the sword. Always.
So then, “Can you understand? Someone, somewhere, Can you understand me a little?” This novel made use of epigraphs to make us understand things better. Perhaps we need epigraphs in life too. Isn’t this novel an epigraph itself, to help us understand why some of us are driven to an alternate reality in order to find joy and laughter, while only crying in silence in this reality? I’m making a plea too. Is anybody listening?
