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Articles

Volume 07, Number 2 (1982)

The Circle of Conversation in The Sacrifice

  • Marco P. LoVerso
Submitted
May 22, 2008
Published
1982-06-06

Abstract

Adele Wiseman's The Sacrifice is usually interpreted -- quite correctly -- through its relatively blatant Biblical themes and symbols. But conversation is equally important to the novel, in terms of Wiseman's implicit ideas about art and morality. Her concept of art, as an extension of consciousness, is closely related to her idea of conversation as an expression of consciousness. Wiseman's use of the circle as symbol defines the relationship between artist and society. As well, language is a moral implement, and so must be used properly: Thus, when individuals in a community use the language in an ego-central rather than a public way, when they become monologuists rather than conversationalists, they become destructive to themselves, to the community, and to the language.