I Who Have Never Known Men
Issue 17: Isolation and It’s Impact On The Human Experience, As Written by Jacqueline Harpman
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I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman has been one of my favourite books this year. I’d seen countless social media reviews of creators who had absolutely adored this book, and I can see why. This book is written with so much consideration for the nuance and complexity of circumstances that this book bridged the gap between the two worlds for me. A story that initially seemed completely beyond my comprehension, became an immersive experience.
If there’s any book that will incite empathy and give insight into the complexity of the human experience, then there has been no better book that I’ve read this year than I Who Have Never Known Men. Although the plot itself is quite dark, the entire human experience under the given circumstances are completely accounted for, which not only transports us into the character’s world, but also give us the opportunity to develop true understanding of what we’re reading.
Books have always been a gateway into other people’s experiences, for me. Good writing can help us develop a greater understanding of other people and their circumstances, in that regard. Although much of this story encompasses elements of survival, this book also describes feelings of isolation and disassociation from human civilization. Which in itself leads us to question, “What is my purpose?”
In this email we’ll cover:
The Book of The Week
Quotes and Questions to Reflect On
Insights and Inspiration
Closing Remarks
“The landscape had changed a little, and the long undulations had become hills, and I never climbed them without hope.”
Jacqueline Harpman, I Who Have Never Known Men
What’s New?
Book of the Week:
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
Genre:
Distopian Science Fiction
Synopsis:
I Who Have Never Known Men plunges the reader into a dystopian world where forty strange women are locked in a cage with no indication time and space. With nothing to rely on by the guards that occasionally rotate with provisions such as food, water and other necessities, these women are left to rely entirely on the circumstances that they find themselves in.
However, one day a siren goes off just as a guard is about to open the cage. The siren prompts the guards to completely abandon their station, and a young nameless woman, brave enough, takes the opportunity to grab the keys and unlock their freedom.
They soon discover, though, that the outside world is nothing like what they expected. Relying on each other, the forty women set out to together to regain a sense of humanity.
Why We Love It:
This book is so beautifully written, despite the heavy context of the story. It felt as though I was living out the details of the narrator’s experience based on how poignant and nuanced the writing was. Although I don’t naturally lean towards sci-fi as a genre, this book helped me lean in that much farther.
This is a story that touches on much of what isolation can accomplish in a person. Not just in terms of stripping the person away from people, but also stripping an individual from everything that we consider to connect us to humanity; knowledge, connection, civilization, skills such as reading, or our connection to the possibilities that people have created for our world. It is a complete eye-opener to a different life.
This book left me in a trance upon completion, and the only real element that the protagonist brought to the story that would prevent a reader from consuming further, would be that there was always a hint of hope. Every forward movement of the protagonist went in search to advance her life in some way, whether it was through creation or knowledge acquisition. Her pursuit didn’t end until she eventually passed away.
With thoughtful attention to the protagonist’s experience, this book is an immersive story that captivates readers. Although the story is sad, I enjoyed how much the book activated my critical thinking mind and opened various avenues for empathy.
Key Message:
Despite the bleak circumstances, our young protagonist always maintains a sense of hope. Even if it is slight. Her curiosity about the world and her desire to seek more, is what maintains her active approach in this story. Although she suggests throughout the narration that this is due to her youth, I would debate that this could be because she has no past life to compare her situation to.
The nameless protagonist is the youngest in the group of women, and as a result feels as though she doesn’t have much understanding of the human world, nor what her life would have been like otherwise. This leaves her with an entirely blank slate, which I read as more of an opportunity for her whereas the other women felt this more as a disadvantage. The world that they find themselves in strips them from all sense of humanity. Which leaves them holding on to every sense of it that they can.
The protagonist, despite knowing that she may never experience any different, is consistently staying in touch with her sense of humanity by either creating or seeking knowledge. Even if that information may not be obtained, she goes out for weeks at a time to have the chance to find it. When we are stripped of all things that make us feel human, we will seek it externally as a result.
It’s a story about the core essence of humanity, but also female companionship. Although our protagonist feels disassociated from the group for the most part, she learns over time with reflection how love felt and what it means to add meaning to a life, even in one that has remained void of any human civilisation.
Quotes and Questions To Reflect On
Quote of the Week:
“I only know the stony plain, wandering, and the gradual loss of hope. I am the sterile offspring of a race about which I know nothing, not even whether it has become extinct. Perhaps, somewhere humanity is flourishing under the stars, unaware that a daughter of its blood is ending her days in silence. There is nothing we can do about it.”
Jacqueline Harpman, I Who Have Never Known Men
Reflection Questions:
The book strips away all forms of humanity from its characters. What do you consider in your world to be a connection that grounds you to humanity?
What decisions did the character make that you found empowering or thought-provoking?
There were several holes in the plot that left us just as just as disoriented as the characters in the book.
What effect did that have on you as a reader?
Based on its impact, would you have written it the same way?
This book reminds me of a play I studied in high school called, “Waiting For Godot.” In many ways the women of this story experience a similar outcome, but approach their world more actively.
If you were to be placed in a similar position, what are your thoughts on being active in that situation?
Did our ‘child’ protagonist live out her days as best she could?
Insights and Inspiration
Author Spotlight:
Jacqueline Harpman
Background:
Jacqueline Harpman is a multi-faceted author that not only has several literary accomplishments to her name, but has trained in a variety of different fields as well. Although she already had already studied French literature, After WWII, she began training as a doctor, although she unfortunately couldn’t complete her studies. her life took a turn to writing, Once she has written her fourth book she eventually qualified as a psychoanalysit, put writing to the side, annd eventually picked it back up 20 years later.
Other Works:
“Orlanda”
Beyond the Book:
Closing Remarks
Although themes of isolation are incredibly prominent in this book, the opposite is also true. Themes of intimacy are also very relevant. As the YouTube Creator, “hunter is kinda cool” mentions in the link above, there is intimacy in the way that these women interact with our narrator. Although our narrator feels as though she is isolated from the other women in the group, in a way they are also protecting her from knowing too much. Knowing more can lead to feeling a deeper loss.
Although these women were isolated, it was their empathy and their consideration of each other that made their circumstances livable. Although not entirely fulfilling, their connection was what had kept them going for as long as they had. The key element that was lacking was their sense of purpose, which is why our narrator held that objective so close. How does one keep that light of hope alive? You keep traditions close and you seek what you do not yet know.
In a way, I consider the narrator’s lack of information to be what drives her. It is her sense of knowing that there is more but not knowing what that may be that keeps her moving forward. It can also be a condition of the human experience to seek out information and stimulate our minds by uncovering the world around us, or by creating a purpose for ourselves.
There are a variety of ways in which the message of this book can be interpreted; for example, the creator above expressing how this could be a metaphor for the experience of being a woman. Which I do think resonates with women who have been placed in circumstances of restriction. How many societies have existed where the women were governed to the point of despair?
This book is a thought-provoking read which surfaces one question after another. Most prominently though, it may have you question whether there was any reason to hope in a world that caused so much despair.
Until Next Time!
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Keep living life on your terms.
Warm regards,
June Tara
Founder of Spark Siren