Much of C.E. Morgan’s novel, All The Living, explores internal conflicts such as the effects of
isolation and the grieving processes both internally and externally for both
Orren and Aloma. For Aloma specifically, whose life has never been
picture-perfect, these conflicts often manifest themselves in an escapist
mentality and inability to be content in her current stagnant state of life on
the farm with Orren. In the novel, Aloma has a fasciation with the imperfect-
much like her life- and often finds beauty in the small imperfections of her
world. She admits it herself, hearing the off-key singing of the churchgoers
saying, “It was not perfection that moved her, only that rub, what others found
ugly. She sought the joy of misshapen things” (Morgan 78). Aloma finds pleasure in these small instances of
discord in her music as well. Morgan writes, “It was always dissonance she
liked best” (14). Even near the end of the novel when she feels more
disconnected from Orren than ever, theses small appreciations for the imperfect
appear in the small details of the text. As she collects eggs in the barn one
morning Aloma confesses, “…she found that she actually liked searching out the
eggs and holding them, smooth and even in her hand- the fawn brown carapace of
the eggs far more beautiful than the white…” (131). In these infinitesimal
details, Aloma’s distrust of stability is revealed. Because she has never
experienced a perfect life she finds comfort in things that are never quite
flawless. In this sense, Aloma’s
yearn to escape to the perfect “real-world” beyond the mountains
is complicated by the satisfaction she finds searching for the beauty of imperfect
aspects of her mundane life.
I never considered the various ways Aloma praises dissonance in All the Living. Aloma’s tendency to appreciate the misshapen and broken parts of life contributes to the ending successful relationship between Orren and her. It could also contribute to the eventual “breakup” of her relationship with Bell Johnson. From the Bible study Aloma attended, readers learn that Bell has strong opinions toward marriage, stating, “But I believe that’s what we’re called to do, to keep ourselves as something precious and wait” (89). At this point in the novel, Aloma and Orren live together as an unmarried couple. Aloma is committing a cacophonous act in comparison to Bell’s vision of a harmonious, religious lifestyle. When Bell discovers Aloma’s living situation, he tells her “Maybe you think it’s some small thing to stir up love, but you’re wrong” (172). Although ashamed, Aloma chooses to focuses on her deteriorating relationship with Orren. After the intense night with the birth of the calf, Aloma admits that Orren “should look like hell...He’d taken a two-day harvest...not slept at all last night and yet here was, better than daylight” (184). Although not written, Aloma realizes her need for imbalance and imperfection in her life. While Bell would provide her stability, Orren will challenge her and force her to grow and evolve in ways she would never otherwise consider. As Aloma begins to embrace the beauty of dissonance in Orren, their relationship can begin to flourish.
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