Previous
Situational Irony
Definition of Soliloquy
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself, relating his or her innermost thoughts and feelings as if... read full definition
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself, relating his or her innermost... read full definition
A soliloquy is a literary device, most often found in dramas, in which a character speaks to him or herself... read full definition
Chapter 9: A Puzzle Solved
Explanation and Analysis—Concert for Papa Boaz:
The passage below functions as a soliloquy, a device that reveals the complex emotional and moral transformation occurring within Boaz during his prolonged confinement on Mercury. Although Boaz speaks this monologue aloud, it is addressed solely to the non-sentient harmoniums, creatures incapable of reciprocating conversation or understanding human language.
The soliloquy articulates Boaz’s pivotal emotional commitment and moral shift. Specifically, it captures his choice to reject the potential freedom of escape for a comforting delusion of belonging and love. The conversation happens entirely within Boaz's thoughts, as he speaks to an adult harmonium that stirred on his upper left arm:
"You asking old Boaz for a concert?" Boaz asked the creature in his thoughts. "That what you trying to say? You trying to say, 'Ol' Boaz, I don't want to sound ungrateful, on account of I know it's a great honor to get to be right here close to your heart. Only I keep thinking about all my friends outside, and I keep wishing they could have something good, too.' That what you trying to say? You trying to say, 'Please, Papa Boaz — put on a concert for all the poor friends outside'? That what you trying to say?"
Boaz grants himself dignity and purpose by projecting his own sentimental, selfless thoughts onto the creatures. He imagines them asking him to be selfless, requesting a concert for "all the poor friends outside" who are not lucky enough to be close to him. This self-justification allows Boaz to find inner peace, believing he has found a place "where I can do good without doing any harm" and where others love him "as best they can." This sense of purpose sharply contrasts with the state of mind he cultivated as a soldier, where he prized "unrounded" knowledge and suppressed his innate curiosity.
His choice is rooted in a profound fear of returning to unsatisfying human interactions. He recalls that people on Earth "push me this way, then they push me that — and nothing pleases 'em." He contrasts this confusion with the ease of making the harmoniums happy with music. Boaz deliberately protects this new reality from Unk, begging him: "Don't truth me...and I won't truth you," because he believes Unk holds a painful truth that would destroy his peace. By remaining with the harmoniums, Boaz achieves an illusory, deeply felt sense of belonging and love, concluding that when he dies, he will be able to say he "made millions of lives worth living."
Related Themes:
