words by Katerina Ouzouni
How long can a character cling onto their morality in the face of injustice and inequality? What happens when humanity contributes to ecological destruction disrupting the balance of nature? Can one individual be the voice of reason in a society that is set on taking from nature without regard for the consequences. Uncover how Janina, an astrology-loving social recluse investigates who is behind a mysterious string of deaths that occurs in her village in Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead.
Tokarczuk, through a captivating and gripping crime thriller, masterfully crafts the portrait of an eccentric and unconventional elderly woman named Janina, who lives in a remote Polish village. Her days pass tediously and mechanically, consumed by diverse health problems, looking after animals and a monotonous routine of isolation and loneliness. Janina takes the responsibility to write reports and letters to the authorities denouncing the illegal killing of animals, even though she knows that she will have to face the ridiculous comments from the others who live in the community. Secondly, she firmly believes that animals are not inferior beings, and should be treated with as equal respect as human beings. Her primary interests and pursuits are the study of astrology and assisting her friend, Dizzy, in translating William Blake’s poetry into Polish. Although the region in which Janina lives is usually peaceful, something changes radically when a series of inexplicable deaths that bear a likeness to suicides unsettle and shock the villagers. The mystery deepens with each death, and everyone starts to speculate and wonder how and why these events came about
In a gloomy, frozen, and wistful winter landscape, Janina resolutely sets out to investigate, supported by a couple of neighbours, as she strives to shed light on the mysterious case and assist – or perhaps direct – the police towards the truth. The number of victims is increasing, and it seems that animals have been involved, perhaps even causing their deaths. Janina wonders if this is mere coincidence, or if it hides a deeper meaning linked to how the victims behaved towards animals and how such behaviour eventually backfires on individuals? The attention of the town progressively shifts towards Janina because of her ‘peculiar thoughts’.
Janina's ''forward-thinking'' - especially her defence and advocacy for animal rights - is often met with skepticism and sarcasm, and she is characterised as an unconventional and ''strange person''. For others, such as the neighbours and the authorities, she is just an eccentric woman that claims nonsensical things owing to her age. Is it rational to suspect a woman who peacefully translating poetry and reading astrological charts? Or perhaps not everything that glitters is gold, and the truth lies somewhere in between? Yet, this is not just another mystery story. It is an absorbing thriller with thoughtful psychological depth, where the heroine fluctuates between fate and nihilism, between sin and madness, and between justice and tradition. In the end, will she grasp an unchangeable truth, or will she fall into confusion and lose her sense of self within the boundaries of her mind?
The title of the novel is particularly stimulating and affronting: the author urges us to engage in a deep, meaningful dialogue with ourselves, to recount memories of the past and the values and ethics our actions convey – values that may have become subconscious or dismantled by now. Or perhaps they seem unreasonable and need to be reformulated and reformulated. The conditions may be demanding, even overwhelming, yet sometimes change is not an option but a deep personal and social necessity, especially when its ultimate purpose is to remodel the messy order of things.
One of the most fundamental and crucial axes around which the novel revolves is the unstable and unclear notion of justice. Torkarczuck poses questions such as: Who ultimately decides what justice is? When can an action, in actual fact, be perceived as unjust? Is there an unassailable moral code of justice that, once broken, unavoidably leads to retribution? Surely, the novel makes you wonder whether customs and traditions can influence the functionality of justice. For this reason, Tokarczuk portrays a closed, patriarchal community where hunting animals is not deemed as a crime but rather as a normal and accepted tradition by an overwhelming majority of people.The most interesting aspect here is the fact that the heroine, Janina, represents the voice of dissent, advocating for a different moral order and the equal treatment of all living creatures. Nevertheless, the issue remains uncertain and ambiguous: What happens when the institution of justice does not fulfil its function and an individual takes it upon themselves to define justice from their own perspective?
In the novel, particular focus is given to the theme of ecological disruption and the impact this disharmony has on human life. Nature is not an intangible being, yet it holds a strong power on human things, as it cannot endure whatever is illegal, depraved and unethical. Humans, sometimes, behave quite unscrupulously, driven by an inner sense of supremacy. To put it another way, they want to be the most powerful being in the whole world. Nature, however, seems to have other plans for humanity, as, according to Janina, it can retaliate for the immoral actions done by people, forcefully restoring balance when rules are broken. The protagonist’s viewpoint is almost astonishing, as she gives human qualities to nature. According to her, nature can offer people unforgettable moments of joy and delight, provided that man does not act in a harsh way against it.Janina feels this way , after noticing a series of ongoing deaths and events, she eventually concludes that if a man does something harmful to Nature, he is bound to face the negative consequences due to the special and unique interdependence between humans and nature.From her viewpoint, Nature cannot tolerate anything illegal, immoral, or harmful, and when a person breaks these "rules", a forced change is inevitable in order to restore her balance.
Another equally significant theme examined in this novel is the issue of social detachment, as Janina is often characterised as an excluded figure owing to the reactionary and conservative mindset of the village’s insular community. Clearly, anyone that stands out in such a uniform environment is often marked and singled out. In this way, they become the centre of attention - and not in a positive way. This underlines the double nature of Janina’s character: on one hand, she is susceptible and delicate in the face of social norms, yet on the other she embraces frankness and she displays independent thinking. An enlightening example is how Janina is openly disregarded by society itself and even by the authorities when, despite sending a great deal of forewarning letters to condemn the slaughter of animals, her apprehensions are disregarded by the police as the ravings of an eccentric.
Furthermore, another important component of the story worth concentrating on and examining is the psychological journey that Janina goes through. Amidst the events, she hits her psychological boundaries and is called to challenge herself. The author underscores the grey zone and the conflict between sanity and madness, clarity and chaos. The boundaries seem to be indistinct and the lines fuzzy. While she attempts to reestablish and reclaim her mental harmony and stability, she is also trying to fathom the reality that surrounds her, and she often wonders if the things that she knows are entirely true.
Janina carries the load of profound existential worry as she tries to justly and neutrally assess the distressing events around her, hoping for the enforcement of justice and also for the alleviation of the problems afflicting society. Yet, she acknowledges that the world is not perfectly formed and often relies on fragile footing, as the people who compose it are attached to antiquated beliefs, leaving things to chance instead of taking proactive steps and decisive actions. Therefore, humans adapt, in a way, to a world of vanity - especially when they become conscious of their transience and impermanence, recognising their finite nature.
The takeaway of this novel is not that Tokarczuk creates a character who has constant doubts about everything that is associated with the meaning of life and consequently has questions for the legitimacy of institutions. Rather, she highlights the urgency with which vulnerable individuals desperately cling to something or someone and eventually believe in the progress and exaltation of higher ideals, in a world where humans align with nature and whose ultimate purpose is to strive for justice.
This novel is far from an ordinary thriller. It stands out in the genre because of its truly compelling and puzzling plot, that holds the reader in relentless suspense: who is ultimately responsible for these mysterious events. It offers a thought-provoking insight into themes of justice, equality, and the coexistence of living beings, with philosophical undertones, ecological sensitivity, and an acute social critique of fallacies and delusions. The protagonist efficiently fulfils her role, as she is nonconformist, constantly inquiring, inspecting and resisting to settle for shallow and cursory truths. This novel certainly does not offer quick fixes and simple solutions but pushes its readers to question what is really true.