Mystics and Outcomes

Mystics and Outcomes

        Tess Gunty’s The Rabbit Hutch includes characters such as Blandine, who seek and eventually experience a form of mysticism. While she appears to have achieved her goal, she is, in effect, much different from the past mystics whom she admires. The difference is in how she becomes happy despite having similar methods.

        Blandine’s fight against her town’s revitalization plan and development of Chastity Valley is a point Gunty emphasizes. Jack argues that she wants “everyone to hate the valley plan” and that the plan will “help [the] economy and make jobs” (Gunty 215). Her defiance seems impractical, and the book leaves her reasoning to speculation. If things went her way, the town might be worse off. Looking at it from the mystic perspective, her struggle is similar to that of the past saint who endured torture and died by a dagger. Blandine fights for Chastity Valley for the sake of the struggle. She does not seem distraught at the clearing of the valley by the end of the book either. Going against the revitalization plan is a means to become a mystic, not an end goal for her. This defiance is further explained by Gunty’s inclusion of Hildegard’s account in which an angel told her to “shout and tell” (Gunty 385) despite her lack of knowledge. Blandine is smart but clearly unable to make any meaningful impact. To be a mystic, she acts boisterously. Like

        Gunty portrays her as immature and somewhat impulsive at many points in the book. She “swipes at” (Gunty 298) Jeff instead of walking away and resorts to hitting James instead of finding a nonviolent solution (Gunty 329). Her loud and physical actions are the opposite of how she appears after her transcendence. Blandine finally being able to fit her name’s meaning of “mild” (Gunty 158) is the author showing that she has matured. As a mystic, she differs from the others referenced in the book. Past women became one so they could “assume as much [] authority” (Gunty 140) as powerful men such as priests or rulers. Blandine is still powerless to change her town by becoming a mystic. A modern mystic like her has authority over her own life instead. Because her maturation leads to losing her passion for protecting the valley, mysticism is more about her ability to let go. Rather than performing miracles to save Chastity Valley and being happy, she is happy because she “break[s] out of her body” (Gunty 142) and does not feel the loss by holding onto the attachment.