Author explores justice
Corporate executives work hard; party people play hard; David Adams Richards writes hard. Richards author of over a dozen novels constructs ruthlessly edited narratives grounded deeply in Canadian realism exploring the moral struggle of individuals challenged by overwhelming circumstances.
Consistently enough in Incidents in the Life of Markus Paul Richards repeats a formula thrashed out in his other recent works. Something bad happens (plot). Individuals within the collective take sides (character development). Some people are right and others are wrong — will justice be served? (Narrative and suspense).
Markus Paul launches right into it. His grandfather the elder First Nations Chief Amos Paul drives youthful Micmac and aspiring doctor Hector Penniac to his first day of work on the Dutch cargo ship the Lutheran on what becomes the last day of Hector’s life. As Bill and Trevor “Topper” Monk president and secretary of Stevedores Local 837 and Brice Peel the waterboy all testified a load of lumber fell upon Hector’s head as Hector stood in the wrong place on the ship. Everybody blames unemployed stevedore Roger Savage — everybody except Micmac Chief Paul. The fact that Roger lies about hooking the load that eventually fell on Hector’s head which everybody knows but nobody can prove reinforces this presumption.
New faces stake their claim in the ensuing conflict. Local journalist Max Doran takes clear sides. Micmac hero Isaac Snow opposes Chief Paul’s refusal to rush to judgment. Fellow Micmac and salmon thief Joel Ginnish backs Isaac publicly and undermines him privately. Blue-blooded trust-fund hipster Mary Cyr organizes the undergraduate protesters. And throughout everything Markus Paul loyal companion to his grandfather observes records and settles scores.
Like most characters in Richards’ later novels all characters take sides in a dispute. Good characters stand for truth and justice as they become victims. Evil characters seem to stand for truth and justice as they secretly protect their ignoble self-interests. Richards’ genius shines through when he communicates that such black-and-white scenarios are not only plausible but in fact inevitable.
Significantly within the black-and-white of Markus Paul Chief Paul stands out as a fascinating shade of grey. Richards believably depicts Chief Paul old enough to recognize how the situation will unfold but too wise to know what to do about it enduring “the paralysis of analysis.” Chief Paul makes too much sense — and because he makes too much sense those who make no sense at all take control of a sophisticated complicated political firekeg way beyond their ability to control.
Simultaneously Markus Paul hones Richards’ narrative formula. In both the overrated Mercy Among the Children and the superior The Friends of Meager Fortune Richards introduces characters before somebody steals dies or kills and only then does all the action unfold. Markus Paul differs because the main event happens first. The entire novel is aftermath — an aftermath spanning 25 years with both psychological revelations and disturbing action-filled climaxes up to the last sentence.
