Agnes Belonging

Agnes’ sense of belonging is lost through a significant turning point in her life. Her mother abandoned her at the age of six at Kornsa, in the Hunavtn District. Her mother leaves her a “kiss and a stone” before she leaves, in which she spits out from her mouth on the day of her execution. Born an illegitimate bastard into a frigid world of cruel poverty, she is beleaguered from childhood, “bundled along from farm to farm”, and “left to the mercy of paupers, whether they had any or no”. She formed limited emotional connections, and the very few she had were severed, until she “didn’t have a friend left in the world”. Agnes had no place to belong, this grief and loneliness ultimately manifests in a feeling of worthlessness, and a paralysing fear of the loneliness that “threatens to bite at every turn”. Thus when Natan finally brings a “diversion” to the “silence” of “the chasm”, and made her “feel as though [she] was enough”, she latches onto his warmth and refuses to let go; she was “so happy to be desired”. Indeed, after the death of both mother and step-mother, and her step-brother in her arms, Agnes is vulnerable and alone. Six days prior to her execution, Agnes reflects upon the hostile …show more content…
She lives most of her life alone, lonely, and unsupported, which was probably not uncommon for women of her class at that time. This is a theme Kent wants to explore in her novel. There is a feminist reading to the book, but it is also more broadly sociological, to do with poverty and disempowerment. That women are more likely than men to find themselves in these positions is part of the problem. Natan’s slap, reminding Agnes to “remember your place” is a literal and metaphorical reflection of patriarchal power. Angered by her attempt to question his control and dominance, Natan reminds Agnes that “no one is out to get you ... You’re not as important as