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Discuss …..Christine Piper’s After Darkness.

Christine Piper’s novel, ‘After Darkness,’ exposes the weakness in society as action behind blind loyalties demand (topic).Set in World War Two, Piper illustrates the inescapable and unbearable nature of traumatic memories and the desire for absolution, in order to correct past mistakes.However, the notion of redemption for the past does not subside with all characters as they are constantly exposed to an environment corrupted by sin. ‘After Darkness’ shows readers the power of past memories as a person’s sense of identity stems from a collection of their personal experiences and 3 arguments

Piper explores the cruelty committed during war, resulting in regret and broken relationships. Authority figures, Ishii and Yamada, emphasise their belief that sacrificing a “few lives” is necessary for the betterment of their nation, manipulating vulnerable individuals into maintaining an unconditional sense of duty to their country. While this may seem harmless at first, Piper depicts how this manipulation can affect individual morals, as Ibaraki endures Yamada’s lack of remorse at the time of his brother’s death and the Broome bombing along with dealing with the internal shame and “stain” of his “association with the laboratory” because of ishii commandments. This consequently leads to ibaraki’s discretion and lack of ability to freely express himself, as “confidentiality” and “duty” to his country has become his “number one priority”. Thus affecting his relationship with Kyoko as he could not tell her what he was doing at the time of her “miscarriage”and Sister Bernice, as he was unable to talk freely about his past regrets and explain the “tag” and his surgery trauma. Piper depicts that Ibaraki’s discretion prevents him truly connecting with people as his interactions are ruled by deception and distance and how like the river he seems frozen, “saving face”, but on the inside he is damaged and his emotions are “straining for release”, causing him to lash out when sister Bernice asks about the “tag”. Ibaraki’s inability to share the truth because of his past prevents him from expressing the “very quality that (made him) human”, grief, love, regrets and friendships, as the interests of his nation were of greater importance.

Piper depicts how some characters do not seek reminiscences for their past as they are in an environment corrupted by sin and therefore fail to see their mistakes. This is epitomised by Yamada and Ishii as they are never seen punished or seeking forgiveness for their harmful actions. Yamada had assigned menial and “dirty jobs” to Stan as he was a “half-cast” and even mistreated him to the point of a suicide attempt, triggering a realisation in ibaraki that Yamada is not as good as he was led to believe. Thus allowing him to alter his actions and seek redemtion for the past by helping those around him as he refuses to blindly follow Yamada’s commands. Ibaraki did not only help out the internees by creating baseball games to allow outcasts like Johnny Chang feel more included, he also worked as a doctor on the camp and managed to finally diagnose Harada’s condition that he overlooked in Broome. While Shori ishii, like Yamada also avoids redemption for his past killing and dehumanisation of innocent victims of the EPL as

he had operated on them alive and referred to as “logs”. Unlike Ishii, ibaraki was unable to bear the burden of these innocent lives and made the decision to not operate on the child victim and as a consequence had to endure both the trauma of his association and the shame and dishonour of getting fired, as his job was given to him by his father, who is a well respected doctor. Piper likens both leaders to a “hostile” plant in a “white vase”, contradictory in nature, as it was ironically their duty as leaders to ensure “all internees are treated fairly” and that their country’s civilians were protected. Piper portrays how both Yamada and Shori never strive for redemption for their past as they saw their actions as a necessary means for the greater good of their nation.

Piper depicts that the only way to overcome past traumas is by facing them. The title “After darkness” symbolically portrays hope for Ibaraki, relief after a period of regrets and loneliness. Piper teaches readers the only way to overcome a problem is by facing it, this is accomplished through the comparison of Ibaraki’s drastic move to Australia to “Caisson Disease” as his problems should have been addressed in steps, like a diver progressively decompressing to ensure safety. Ibaraki’s internal conflict follows him to Broome and resurfaces when operating on a pearl diver causing his “hand (to) beg(in) to tremble '', as he has not sought redemption but rather hidden his “shameful” past, and it is only when Ibaraki returns back to Japan to fully face his mistakes, is absolution possible. Piper explores his desire for redemption through a Mallee tree as he vows to “regrow from the embers (of) his former life,” and decides to publish a letter and reveal the truth about his job in the EPL, through the encouragement of Sister Bernice letters.However, not all actions are redeemable as Ibaraki learns that absolution for his marriage to Kyoto late as he failed to put in enough effort at the time and like the elderly couple's house, he watches his marriage “fall into disrepair”, even though the “foundation” was “stable” as it was out of free will and love. Piper uses Ibaraki to depict that one can only ultimately reach redemption for their past and see light after hardship by facing their problems in steps and not by trying to escape it.

‘After Darkness’ demonstrates the importance of atonement and redemption in being able to develop oneself and move on from regrets of the past. Through the eyes of the protagonist, Ibaraki, Piper portrays how some might struggle to redeem themselves for their past, as their mistakes can be severe to repair, but ultimately vital in overcoming past horrors. Piper also depicts characters who do not attempt to seek redemption, almost unapologetic for their past misconduct, reflecting that some people never change, along with the past....