The concept of exile consisting of contrasting ideas of an “unhealable rift” and “enriching” was brought forth by literary theorist Edward Saif. In Ann Patchett’s novel, State of Wonder, she creates the protagonist Dr. Marina Singh who experiences exile as she first relocates to a small Brazilian town and later ventures into the much larger Brazilian rainforest. The exile that Marina experiences demonstrates the novel’s theme of abandonment through the exploration of exile as a phenomenon that is alienating through the unawareness of surroundings and nostalgia, enriching through the procurement of knowledge and experiences, and requires an individual to survive the mounting pressures.
Dr. Marina Singh first enters her exile when she voluntarily
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By stepping outside of her comfort zone and travelling to Brazil to inquire upon the death of her friend and investigate the research of Dr. Swenson, Marina was able to overcome her longtime nightmare of blinding a baby during her residency period and delivered the child of a native woman. By doing so, she was able to set aside her fears of making a mistake and obtained the ability to forgive herself for harming a patient. In addition, her experiences in the Amazon jungle, away from the reach of society’s hands, enabled her to experience the life of the Lakashi tribe and understand how the women were able to bear children at great age and be inoculated against the malaria virus. While the Lakashi women possessed almost supernatural abilities, Marina was able to learn that all humans are similar Furthermore, the duration of the exile provided Marina with insight regarding herself and the loved ones she left behind and allowed her to be at peace with her father’s abandonment. This revelation of knowledge demonstrates the human ability to adapt and conform to obstacles and utilize the experiences of exile to become enriched with knowledge end experiences, reflecting the main meaning found in State of Wonder: abandonment necessitates the need for