The Sunlight Pilgrims Analysis

1946 Words8 Pages

How does one survive in a world that is nearing its end? How does imminent danger change people? The Sunlight Pilgrims tells the story of two broken, yet interconnected families. Through an intrinsic need to work together, these families learn how to adapt and survive together. Climate change is ravaging the small town of Clachan Fells in Jenni Fagan’s novel The Sunlight Pilgrims. Temperatures have dropped below zero and conditions are becoming unbearable. The Sunlight Pilgrims chronicles the adventures of Constance, Stella, Dylan, and Alistair. As they uncover the secrets of the world around them, they also discover the ways in which they are all connected. Whether they approve of it or not, “nothing is connected to everything; everything is connected to something.” Donna J. Haraway, a …show more content…

They were together until the very end. The novel ends with Constance, Dylan, Stella, and Alistair sitting on the couch waiting for the storm to pass. “Our task is to make trouble, to stir up potent response to devastating events as well as to settle troubled waters and rebuild quiet places (Haraway 1).” Throughout the novel, The Sunlight Pilgrims develops the idea that an iceberg is going to hit and potentially destroy Clachan Fells. However, by the end of the story, we do not find out whether or not the iceberg actually hits. The fate of the town takes a backseat to the relationships formed. “There is an impenetrability to absence (Fagan 8),” and Fagan illustrates this point by stirring up the emotions of the characters within the readers. The absence of a complete plot resolution leaves the reader wondering and eager for more, just as Constance, Dylan, Stella, and Alistair were left with an undecided fate. Similarly to the eye of a storm, there is a peace that washes over the four of them as they sit and wait for the torrent to