Drawing upon the spiral of events that occur in
Clara’s recap, the question of Wieland’s sanity rises repeatedly; however,
perhaps Wieland is not the only individual residing in question of common
sense. Indeed, Clara Wieland’s sanity is a question that we must take a closer
look at. Because the story is told in the first person point of view, we are
given a direct look into Clara’s thoughts, essentially leading us to believe
that she is a sane woman telling an insane story. However, a series of
suggestions and encounters could possibly indicate that Clara is clinically
insane.
A three-generation history of insanity is the first
hint to Clara’s possible madness. A man of incredible faith, the Wieland father
was driven to insanity through his profound devotion, or obsession, to
religion. This faith, however, caused him to hear voices, most likely in his
head, which would eventually lead to his death (Brown, 18). The Wieland
grandfather heard voices as well; these voices commanded him to take his own
life by jumping from a cliff. Finally, Wieland himself claimed to have heard
the voice of God, telling him to kill his beloved family. These voices take
over Wieland’s mind; he takes the life of his wife with slight hesitation, but
ultimately reaches tranquility after listening to and obeying the voice (Brown,
195).
Indeed,
Clara is depicted as the reasonable and rational voice of Wieland, yet she too is a victim of the voices. Perhaps the only
significant reason that Clara is characterized as sane is that she herself is
telling the story; the recurring voices, however, suggest a different
conclusion. Certainly a more minor case than that of her ancestors, Clara is
just as susceptible to irrationality and fear. In her letter, Clara comes to
admit that her “narrative may be invaded by inaccuracy and confusion” (Brown,
112) because insanity runs in her family and the events that occurred took a
psychological toll on her. Indeed, Clara’s susceptibility to madness is
explained not only by her family history, but also by her constant hysteria,
repeated night terrors, and life-threatening experiences.
