In the short story “In the Gloaming” by Alice Elliot Dark,
the title alludes not only to the time of evening, but
is
symbolic of the changes in the characters lives. It is
the
‘gloaming’ of Laird’s life, and in many ways, of the
mother’s life as well. The gloaming represents a
transitional phase for these characters.
One of the many
realizations in this story is the fact
that Laird is gay. While his sexuality is not directly
stated, it is shown that it has been in question for
several
years. When the mother is reminiscing about her
children’s
younger years, we are given our first glance at the
doubt
that has apparently lingered. Later in the story during
a
dialogue with her son the mother says, “‘I’ve been
wondering. Was that side of life satisfying for you?’.
..
‘Did you love, and were you loved in return?’” With
this
careful wording of her questions, we see that the mother
has
come to accept her son’s sexuality at this point, and is
instead more concerned with his happiness (101).
Throughout the story, the mother gradually changes.
Each evening that she sits with her son, she sees her
life
through new eyes and with new understanding and
awareness.
Her inner dialogue suggests such complacency with her
life
and especially her marriage, and yet she is now
realizing
how unhappy she once was, but how fulfilling her
children
were to her. She demonstrates this when she is thinking
of
her husband: “…Martin was never going to be the lover
she
had dreamed of….It was such a relief …she wanted to
share
the news with her children” (99). She then goes on to
show
her happiness with her children, Laird especially.
It is
as though they are both coming out of their own ‘gloom’
in
many instances. This motif is indirectly shown when
Laird
says to his mother, “ ‘I remember when I was little
you…told
me that in Scotland this time of day was called the
‘gloaming’” and the mother replies, “ ‘You thought I
said
gloomy’. With this dialogue, the author again uses the
gloaming and the misheard word gloomy to represent
periods
of the characters lives. Perhaps gloomy was more
appropriate for the mood in which that these two had
found
their selves.
Finally, there are the waning days of Laird’s life.
While the ‘gloaming’ is obviously symbolic of his slow
death, and failing immune system, we also see that he is
coming into realizations of his own. He forgives his
father. He also is redeeming himself for not having
known
his mother better by talking to her each evening, and
giving
her a greater sense of self in doing so.
“In the Gloaming” is about the stages of life and the
knowledge that comes with that. Laird in his death, and
the
mother waking from the dream that was her life; they
come to
realizations of the truth that close a chapter on their
lives.