The Violent Bear It Away

As the extent of the psychological damage caused by Mason dawns on Rayber, his early enthusiasm over Tarwater’s arrival dulls. In its place is a fierce determination to help reverse that damage so Tarwater can live a normal life. At every turn, however, Rayber fails to elicit responses from Tarwater aside from mockery and defiance. Books and new clothes go unnoticed, and Tarwater’s brand of backwoods arrogance—clearly inherited from Mason—inspires fits of rage in Rayber that he must constantly suppress. Of particular annoyance to Rayber is Tarwater’s straw hat, a constant reminder of the boy’s old life that he refuses to take off, even while asleep. It is likely Tarwater has never removed the hat since the day he loses it on a trip to the city with Mason years earlier.

Over the next four days, Rayber takes Tarwater and Bishop on long walks around the city. To Rayber’s great dismay, the only building that seems to arouse Tarwater’s interest is a Pentecostal tabernacle. Each evening, Rayber exposes Tarwater to the cuisine of a different culture, none of which elicits any excitement from the boy. Meanwhile, all efforts to administer intelligence or personality tests to Tarwater are fruitless.