Good And Evil In Eden Robinson's Monkey Beach

In Western horror, the distinction between good and evil is strictly enforced; the “evil” antagonist always haunts and is defeated by the “good” protagonist. In the Oxford English Dictionary, for spirits to haunt is to “visit frequently and habitually with manifestations of their influence and presence, usually of a molesting kind” (“Haunt.”). This definition further puts into perspective the Western view on haunting; spirits are usually depicted as an abusive entity. In Eden Robinson’s Monkey Beach, the Little Man’s motivations remain ambiguous throughout the novel, and he both comforts as well as haunts Lisamarie. The Little Man’s complex character and his multilayered relationship with Lisamarie demonstrate that good and evil are not necessarily

In the Western world, trolls are often depicted as stupid yet dangerous creatures; however, despite his appearance, the Little Man does not embody those characteristics. Instead, the Little Man is equally if not more knowledgeable and aware than Lisamarie; his complexity mirrors that of the protagonist. Lisamarie learns with time that “the pattern of the little man’s visits [was] unwelcomely obvious” and that there was something to be learned from his visits (Robinson 34). The juxtaposition between the Little Man’s elusive mentorship and simultaneous haunting of Lisamarie brings to light the ambiguity surrounding his motivations and his goals, which Lisamarie is unable to resolve. Again, the lack of clarity in what drives the Little Man prevents him from being categorized as “good” or “evil” or being a traditional “antagonist”. Like Agent O, the Little Man “is part monster, part residue of war, part paranormal figure outside of law, part opaque agent within the western project” and is therefore difficult to interpret; we “only know [he] is motivated” (Tuck and Ree 650). Being a spirit makes him a “monster”, and he is at the centre of Lisamarie’s internal “war” to find balance whilst also being an intermediary between the real world and the spirit world.

In Monkey Beach, Lisamarie is afraid of the source of her abjection, the Little Man, and yet she is also intrigued by him. When the Little Man is not present, Lisamarie deeply feels his absence; for example, when Mama-oo has a stroke and she is not forewarned of it by the Little Man, she thinks, “I had never appreciated the little man. This is … what it’s like for everybody else. Hello, it’s bad news. Bam” (Robinson 286). In this passage, Lisamarie compares the Little Man to a personification of bad news. At this point she is aware of the correlation between the Little Man’s visits and bad news; however, she does not fault him for it, rather she appreciates the routine they have developed over time in which he gently warns her of bad news. The one time the Little Man wakes Lisamarie, he does so with “a tiny shock, the kind of thing you get from rubbing your feet across a carpet” (Robinson 238). The literal light shock Lisamarie feels parallels how the Little Man minimizes the shock of bad news, while Lisamarie admits the personified version of bad news makes no such effort. Being haunted by the Little Man “beseeches, worries, and fascinates desire” for Lisamarie (Kristeva 1). As a result of his contradictory nature, Lisamarie begins to see him as a source of comfort despite being haunted by