The Brutal Telling

Louise Penny

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2009

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-12

Chapters 13-24

Chapters 25-37

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Three Pines

The village of Three Pines is both a setting and a symbol. Three Pines is a symbol of community, quiet, and undercurrents of danger. For many villagers, Three Pines represents a new start. It is where people escape the stress of cities to find true happiness. It is a respite, a sanctuary. However, the village has its own stresses, such as the pressure to fit in with the tight-knit community. Three Pines is a neighborly place but can feel closed off to outsiders. The small size of the town both protects and endangers it. Crimes occur in and around Three Pines, exposing secrets. Because of this, the village is attached to Inspector Gamache, who has led a local homicide investigation more than once. The villagers are respectful of and welcoming to Gamache, as he is an honorary member of their community. Yet, Gamache is still an outsider in his own way.

The Hermit’s Cabin

In The Brutal Telling, the Hermit’s cabin is a symbol of isolation. Though within walking distance of Three Pines, it is safely ensconced in the depths of the forest, a private oasis for a man—Jakob—who is hiding from his own betrayal. The cabin is made in the style of the Haida people, making its infrastructure an homage to the Indigenous community of Canada who have long stood strong against colonialism. The structure reminds Gamache of Henry David Thoreau, transcendentalist author of Walden, a personal narrative about living in an isolated cabin in the woods. The romantic aura of Jakob’s cabin initially suggests he was a man who craved simple things, who wanted to live with purpose and be one with nature. However, the cabin is a facade. It instead hides priceless, rare artifacts that Jakob presumably stole from people who trusted him. The cabin is a means of hiding from the people searching for him, a prison grounded in guilt and fear.

The Hermit’s Wood Carvings

The Hermit’s wood carvings tell the story that Olivier used to manipulate the Hermit—Jakob. This story reads as mythological, but to Jakob, it is real and must be recorded in art. He sees a fundamental human truth in Olivier’s story, even if it scares him. He whittles the story in great and terrible detail, so much so that his fear reflects in the carvings; those who see the carvings share this fear. Being isolated, Jakob doesn’t know his carvings’ worth or the emotions they evoke. The carvings tell a story of conscience, representing the power of art to express humanity. They are a cry for help, a depiction of the fear that motivates isolation, secrets, and dishonesty. In terms of evidence, the carvings help Gamache create a better picture of Jakob’s circumstances.