Apeirogon: A Novel, Colum McCann, author and narrator
Before reading this book, the reader should know the definition of the title word because it will help to understand the style and format of the novel. The definition of an apeirogon is a polygon that has an infinite number of sides and vertices. As you read McCann’s book you will discover that so too does his story. Parts of it repeat and repeat throughout the narrative as with phrases like “rise up little girl”. It does sometimes get tedious, but it is never boring. McCann intersperses this novel with facts that I guarantee most readers will claim ignorance of until he reveals them. How many readers will have known that the torah and the pomegranate have something in common? That said, the novel itself is subtly about the Middle East conflict in much the same way that “Let the Great World Spin” was about 9/11. McCann’s use of symbolism is exceptional. His use of vocabulary to create images is superlative.
Ten years apart, two terrible tragedies occur. One involves Rami, whose daughter Shadar was murdered. He happens to be a Jerusalemite. The other involves Bassam, whose daughter Abir was murdered. He is a Palestinian who lives on the West Bank. One fights wars in defense of Israel, one fights wars to gain freedom from Israel. The book itself seems to slightly favor the side of the Palestinians as it uses a term that is often unacceptable to some Israelis and Jews, i.e. Occupation. However, in the Arab/Israeli conflicts, the wars were won and the land was part of the spoils of war which belong to the victor. In this novel, both men believe the conditions are unfair, both become allies working to bring both sides together to end the Occupation through a group called the Parent’s Circle.
However, when you drill down, one of the victims was blown up in a deliberate act of violence, and the other was killed in an unpremeditated act. Nevertheless, both actions resulted in the death of innocents. Still the death of Abir is treated as a bit more tragic and undeserved. It is Bassam who receives remuneration. Who would Rami sue? In the end, both acts were intentionally committed, regardless of whether they were intentionally planned. Israel is always on patrol, and the Intifada and Jihad are ongoing, which necessitates the patrols…thus it is an infinite action and reaction, it is like an apeirogon.
The fathers of the murdered girls become involved in a group called the Parent’s Circle. They begin to work for peace and understanding between Arabs and Israelis and begin to try not to hate. This conflict is ongoing; both sides believe the land is theirs. They have to find a way to live on it together.
Through the use of symbolism and historic facts, McCann knits together a story that humanizes both of the bereaved families, shining a light on the way all people suffer the loss of a loved one, but especially the loss of a child. In Israel, all children serve in the military and are at risk, as are all Israelis from the constant attacks. In the Arab territory, they all feel oppressed and are often abused by the Israeli soldiers who have more sophisticated weapons..
When this author introduces birds, they are not just beautiful creatures floating in the sky, they are also capable of bringing pain, becoming weapons. In a symbolic way, McCann had Philippe Patek walk a tightrope carrying a dove with him to symbolize peace, but the bird wouldn’t fly away. Was that a symbol of the unending conflicts, not only in the Middle East but throughout history? McCann also manages to make a rubber bullet become the symbol of a parachutist ejected from a plane that has been shot down. Both events will result in the death of someone, although both were not intended for that use. When McCann introduces Arab hang gliders, they can seem utterly graceful, but he also makes them weapons of destruction. He compares them to the beauty of birds, the same birds that the Arabs traditionally treat tenderly yet they attach little bombs to them. It is these same birds that innocently fly into the engine of a plane and are destroyed and cause destruction.
Using 1001 anecdotes, McCann opens the readers’ eyes to the Middle East conflict and to historic conflict. Is his message that conflict is unending? His style is unusual. The anecdotes increase, counting upward until half way through the book when they begin to decrease until they go back to one. Through the use of these little anecdotes and bits of information, he subtly points out that all parents, Muslim and Jew, love their children and would do anything to keep them safe and make them well. They all pray for them to survive the perils they face everyday. They all may want justice and revenge. Just as the Jews say never forget about the Holocaust, when the fathers say they will never forget, it drives both messages home.
The message of the book is that the Occupation is unfair. The Palestinians are humiliated and abused by Israel, since they cannot pass freely into Israel and are overpowered by them. The reason for the strict security is not stressed in the novel, and the author does not play up the terrorist attacks on the Israelis that require the security. He does not mention that they fill ambulances with bombs, strap them on children whom they turn into bombs, or that their madrassas, teach them to hate Israelis and train the young to kill them. He does not dwell on the fact that Israelis often are forced to run to shelters with only seconds to spare, or that they have compulsory military service because of their lack of national security, due to the never ending Palestinian hostility.