John Inglefield’s Thanksgiving

The novel begins with Prudence returning home to spend Thanksgiving with her family on the big day, which creates a joyous atmosphere. The Inglefield family is surprised and thankful for the Prudence return, which is a rare occurrence since it is common to come back home as one of family members. Thought to be something to be happy about, Prudence chooses to leave the house during domestic worship, as described in the book, “as if she were struggling with a fiend…The fiend prevailed.” It is the dark power in her heart who draws Prudence Inglefield from her father’s hearth and her visit to Thanksgiving fireside is the realization of her waking dreams. Away from home, Prudence goes back to the neon world among the painted beauties and the family is still left once sadness and loneliness, and perhaps hatred. Whether Prudence makes this choice of her own accord or out of necessity, her departure has hurt her family. The joy she brings to the family is short-lived, and the emotional damage her absence causes, I think, is permanent, which makes me wonder if she had made a mistake in coming home for Thanksgiving at the beginning because her departure is so cruel for her family that John Inglefield curses her. It's a family tragedy and the triumph of sin over morality.