The Bible Symbol Analysis

Peering in through the window of a church, Robin sees moonbeam alighting on an open bible. This Bible represents the structure, purpose, and certainty that is seemingly absent from the political unrest in Massachusetts Baby, as well as Robin’s ambiguous decision between returning home and staying in Massachusetts.  After wandering around the city looking for Molineux, his kinsman, the sight reminds Robin of his home and clergyman father, evoking loneliness and wistfulness. He thinks of his father reading from the scriptures and the welcoming atmosphere of his home, in contrast to his cold reception in Massachusetts Bay. The Bible thus symbolizes surety of the deliverance from sin and is emblematic of the goodness that he has so far found lacking here in the wider world. Torn between the familiarity of home and his current unfamiliar environment, Robin wonders, “Am I here, or there?” Outside the church is a graveyard, and Robin wonders if his kinsman isn’t dead and buried. This thought intrudes on the sense of peace Robin feels from the sight of the pews, windows, and the Bible in the church. Robin has come to Massachusetts in hopes of “begin[ning] in the world] and thus attaining manhood, but to do so he must face a world far more complex than the simple life that he is accustomed to. Hence, the Bible beckons Robin back to his old life while the kind gentleman—who, significantly, emerges from the shadow of the church steeple—advises Robin to remain and make a life for himself without the help of his kinsman. At the conclusion of the story, it is unknown which Robin will choose. Thus, the Bible remains a symbolic half of the unresolved conflict between familiarity and new opportunities that Robin now faces.