Taylor Burger
Dr. Aaron Moe
ENLT 109w
Take-home Essay IV
November 11, 2015
An Exploration into Literature to Enact Social Change: “Much Madness is divinest
Sense”
Madman [ˈmadˌman, ˈmadmən]: a man who is mentally ill.
Throughout humanity there have been madmen: Schizophrenics, Serial Killers,
and so on. These are people who have a mental disorder. They have little control over
themselves and can sometimes accidentally cause harm to others, but there are other
types of madman in society. Galileo Galilei was labeled a madman due to his discovery
that the earth was not the center of the solar system, but the solar system was in fact
heliocentric. Abolitionists were considered mad because they thought slaves were people
and had rights. The greatest example of a madman was Jesus Christ. The Romans that
persecuted him thought him crazy, but his knowledge was a divine one. These types of
madmen were those whose views differed from the previously held opinion. They were
compared to the mentally ill. Society has taken to calling those who have differing views
madmen to discredit their ideas and beliefs.
Emily Dickinson fights against this condemnation when she writes, “Much
Madness is divinest Sense” (Dickinson 620). This “divinest Sense” is otherworldly. It is
almost God-like. Only madmen can truly understand the world as it is meant to be. In this
poem she talks of how those who are mad are the sanest, but they are in the minority
(Dickinson 620). Those who appear to have sense have none at all. Dickinson further
goes on to talk of how society deals with those who hold differing opinions. She writes,
“Assent - and you are sane - / Demur - you’re straightway dangerous - / And handled
with a Chain -” (Dickinson 620). She explains how if one agrees with those in a majority
they will be considered sane, but if you disagree you are a madman and be dealt with.
Madmen are essential in literature, and many of the great writers were considered
mad in their time, but it is the “divinest Sense.” The madness within literature is viewed
as divine. Literature is awe-inspiring. When reading a piece of work a reader can feel the
madness, the sense of otherworldliness whether it is in the structure of the piece or in the
content itself. Literature uses the madness within to bring about a sense of awareness and
enlightenment to those who read it.
Dickinson was a forerunner in the use of structure within a poem to convey a
meaning and sense of dwelling. This novel way of writing caused many to believe she
was mad. She had a new idea, a divine sense of understanding that few actually
understood. The wildness found in Dickinson’s works is further exemplified in those of
Brenda Hillman. Hillman has discovered a way to personify plants and animals within a
poem, as well as breakdown the barriers separating humans and nature. She writes,
o—o—o o—o—o o—o—o o—o—o
the new woods
the fire sits back
terminator seeds refuse to sprout— (Hillman 82)
Terminator seeds are genetically altered seeds whose second generation is sterile and
unable to produce seeds. This poem is using the madness within the structure to bring
about an understanding of terminator seeds in order to enact change.
The first line is comprised of Os and dashes. Three Os are connected by dashes.
They are next to three Os and so on. The Os in the first line represent terminator seeds.
These terminator seeds are connected by dashes. They are bonding together. They are
refusing to sprout.
The last two stanzas talk of the civil disobedience of nature. Nature is fighting
back. Fire usually engulfs everything, but in Hillman’s poem it “sits back” in protest. The
terminator seeds are refusing to sprout. Through the personification of seeds power is
given to nature. The seeds are not remaining in the ground because they are genetically
modified. They are refusing to sprout by their own cognition. They are disobeying. They
are fighting back against being genetically modified.
Fire and seeds don’t normally show resistance. It is inevitable that the fire will
spread and the seeds will sprout, but they don’t. They disobey the standards of society.
Hillman portrays the disobedience of the seeds by causing letters to take on the shape of
seeds giving the reader a visual aid. There is madness in using letters and dashes to show
something in nature. Her words take on the physical appearance of these seeds. Brenda
Hillman breaks out of the norm as Dickinson does. She uses her poetry to create a unity
between the reader and nature. Through the madness in the structure she causes the
reader to understand nature better and through that understanding bring about a change in
society.
Jamaica Kincaid also uses the madness that can be contained within the structure
of literature to talk of the devastating impact of tourism on the people of Antigua.
Kincaid uses parentheses throughout her entire book. These parentheses allow for her to
find a voice within the normal text. Kincaid writes, “(you are on your holiday; you are a
tourist); this might excite you (you are on your holiday; you are a tourist)” (Kincaid 6).
These parentheses allow her to have a chance to comment her thoughts. They are her
asides, her snide comments. In these parentheses Kincaid’s madness is contained and
unleashed upon being read. Kincaid’s madness causes the reader to feel a tension with the
natives. She separates the tourist from the people of Antigua. She enacts social change by
causing the reader to become uncomfortable.
Kincaid doesn’t just stop at the structure she also uses madness that can be found
in the content of her novel. Kincaid is fighting for the freedom of her people from
tourism. She is fighting to allow her people to find themselves without the influence of
the tourists. This idea in itself is mad. It goes against the idea of tourism. As tourists one
is simply wanting to understand the beauty of a new place and through their contribution
help out those who live there. This returns to Dickinson’s “divinest sense.” People may
view Kincaid as mad, but she has a divine sense. Perhaps she knows more than the reader
ever could about the effect of tourism on Antiguans. She has a divine knowledge. She is
not part of the majority, but her understanding of the people and the effect of tourism is
far greater than one could understand. She is divinely mad. She has a higher
understanding and with this madness she is trying to enact social change. Her novel is an
attempt at madness to change society.
Sherman Alexie also tries to bring about social change by madness. In Alexie’s
novel The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven Alexie the madness is contained
within the humor of the text. He makes the plight of the Native Americans satirical at
times and this humor causes readers to become uncomfortable and therefore develop a
sense of awareness about Native American turmoil.
Alexie often downplays the tragedy that is experienced by characters in his novel.
By making light of tough situations the reader looks at these situations with a new light
because they are made uneasy. In his novel a character jokes about having cancer. His
wife does not find his humor funny and she leaves. Alexie makes cancer humorous when
he writes, “’My favorite tumor was just about the size of a baseball, shaped like one, too.
Even had stitch marks.’/ ‘I told her to call me Babe Ruth. Or Roger Maris. Maybe even
Hank Aaron ’cause there must have been about 755 damn tumors inside me. Then, I told
her I was going to Cooperstown and sit right down in the lobby of the Hall of Fame.
Make myself a new exhibit, you know? Pin my X-rays to my chest and point out the
tumors. What a dedicated baseball fan! What a sacrifice for the national pastime!’”
(Alexie 157). Cancer isn’t funny. There is no humor in a deadly disease, but in making
light of the situation it becomes all that graver. It takes on an ominous tone. Alexie uses
humor to bring out the real, darker truth. Throughout his entire book he makes jokes that
aren’t funny. He finds humor in misery.
The Indian plight is made humorous when Alexie writes of Adrian and the
narrator pretending to take their own life with a BB gun. After Adrian pulls the trigger
the narrator asks, “Are you dead yet?” Adrian then replies, “Nope. Not yet. Give me
another beer” (Alexie 44). This scene plays on the alcoholism of Native Americans. They
aren’t dead yet so they ask for another beer. Alcoholism has killed many Native
American. It is a horrible addiction and by satirizing it Alexie gets at the gravity of the
situation. It is so normal to ask for another beer that one may not realize that the two boys
had just pretended to take their life. They were only pretending to take their life by gun
but they were succeeding in taking their life with beer. If it doesn’t work one way why
not try it another? He very casually connected taking one’s life with alcoholism and the
madness of this connection allows for the reader to understand and address the gravity of
the situation.
There is also a madness found in Alexie’s use of narration. The narrator within
Alexie’s story is never the same. They change faces, and voices, and memories. This
allows the reader to view the Native American tradition. It is like the totem pole. One
pole made up of many faces. The Native American tradition is one tradition made of
many people. All people are affected by each individual story. No one person’s story is
their own. The suffering of each Native American is felt by everyone. It is a unified pain.
This madness in narration allows for the Native American culture to be understood and
felt. Once the reader feels the Native American on a human level they can bring about
change because Native Americans are human. They are deserving of respect. The pain
and suffering that they experience every day is brought to life through humor. This
humor has madness in it. It is unsettling. How can one make light the situations the
Native Americans have to endure? By the reader asking this question and feeling this
unease they address the topic. The madness in humor allows for the reader to change how
Native Americans are treated.
All writers must dwell within madness. Dwelling in madness can bring about
change to sanity. Through madness literature can make a difference. It can break down
walls and destroy previously held notions. Madness is an otherworldly gift. It is a divine
knowledge that may be originally be fought against but can will mankind to make a
change. Wildness and insanity in literature causes an unease that can tip the balance of
order in society for the better.