In Miriam Toews's Irma Voth, Mennonite shunning is practiced within the Mennonite community; being shunned is a form of punishment for unacceptable behaviour in which an individual is ostracized or "ghosted" from Mennonite society (Dirks). The use of shunning influences the quality of life and is the primary purpose of this novel. In this essay, I will analyze the consequences of shunning, which are shown through the impacts on Irma Voth's relationships and self-actualization. The author reveals the emotional and mental effects of shunning as Irma deals with the consequences of being banished from her family. During Irma's journey and the aftermath of being shunned, the readers gain insight into the complex structure of the Mennonite culture
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Irma and Jorge get married secretly, but she ends up telling her family, and her father disapproves and slaps her (9). Irma's father tells her and Jorge "to get out and that [they] were no longer welcome in his home" (10). Her family is ostracizing Irma because her father does not approve of her behaviour, as it is morally wrong to marry a non-Mennonite man. He proceeds to inform Irma and her husband by threatening Jorge's life that they are shunned from the family but are not allowed to leave and must work for him. As Irma is being banished, she loses all connections with her family, creating a divide between her and Jorge. At the novel's beginning, it is shown that Irma is mistreated and abandoned by her husband, leaving her completely isolated and alone (1). By going against the Mennonite society, Irma is living the consequences of being shunned by her father, which in turn is destroying her relationship with her family and her husband. The relationship between Irma and her father has been completely diminished as he is ashamed of her and leaves Irma as an outcast as a form of punishment for her
Irma and Jorge get married secretly, but she ends up telling her family, and her father disapproves and slaps her (9). Irma's father tells her and Jorge "to get out and that [they] were no longer welcome in his home" (10). Her family is ostracizing Irma because her father does not approve of her behaviour, as it is morally wrong to marry a non-Mennonite man. He proceeds to inform Irma and her husband by threatening Jorge's life that they are shunned from the family but are not allowed to leave and must work for him. As Irma is being banished, she loses all connections with her family, creating a divide between her and Jorge. At the novel's beginning, it is shown that Irma is mistreated and abandoned by her husband, leaving her completely isolated and alone (1). By going against the Mennonite society, Irma is living the consequences of being shunned by her father, which in turn is destroying her relationship with her family and her husband. The relationship between Irma and her father has been completely diminished as he is ashamed of her and leaves Irma as an outcast as a form of punishment for her