The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

What is the context?

Russell drew from the events and art around her to create the Sparrow Series.  The ideas presented in the book are ideas that leave you thinking long after the last page is turned. Russell draws inspiration to enlighten readers through her own experiences. Mary Doria Russell wrote this novel in the 1990s. The book is a science fiction masterpiece. The Cold War just ended when Russell wrote The Sparrow. Science Fiction around the time was a hugely popular genre. Battlestar Galactica and Star Wars premiered 12 years before Russell started the book. The Cold War brought a significant cause of science fiction. The United States and Russia were competitively building a space program to go to the moon. These actions spurred the science fiction revolution.

The matriarch of the trip, Anne, is a doctor who studied anthropology in college as well. Anne also shows Russell’s humor more than any other character. Russell was a paleo-anthropologist. Anne’s relationship with her husband, George, mirrors Russell’s own marriage.

The largest way Mary Doria Russell draws from her life is the theme of linguistics. Russell draws from the anthropology background she has to study three types of people. Russell studies humans, Runa, and Janata. Language is a huge factor in the novel. Sandoz is a professional linguist for the Jesuits. The plot is formed through Sandoz traveling and meeting people through his job. Once the group arrive on the foreign planet and meet the Runa  Emilio quickly goes to work to learn the language. Language is among the differences between the three species. Russell used something she studied in the past to construct the backbone of the novel.

What is the artist communicating and how?

The Sparrow, written by Mary Doria Russell, invites you to question God and His path for creation. The novel’s plot surrounds a group of Jesuit Priests and their companions while they go to a foreign planet, Rakkhat. The main character and only survivor of the voyage suffers tremendously. Emilio Sandoz is mutilated, raped, and lead to believe his God hates him.  The priest begins the journey finally experiencing God for the first time throughout his priesthood. Sandoz is enlightened in the beginning of the trip then slowly begins to question God until Sandoz believes God is making sick jokes on creation. On the trip everyone dies except Sandoz.  The first death brings the most questions about God. Alan Price dies from seemingly nothing. The doctor, Anne, can not determine the cause. The Priest in charge, D.W., becomes agitated from this because he believes there has to be a reason. However, it seems that there is no cause. The Priests become troubled from this and the rest of the crew too. The entire journey was spurred by the belief that God wanted them to come to this planet but why would He just kill one of the members? These questions continue to build as Russell elaborates the theme of God’s impact on creation.

A second theme is the debate of celibacy with Priests. On the trip celibacy is brought up in a conversation with Jimmy and Fr. Sandoz. Jimmy struggles with celibacy even though he is not a priest and asks jokingly how Emilio and the other priests do it. Emilio divulges that Marc loves women and has broken the vow. Emilio speaks about the personal vow taken to become focused to carry out God’s work. The irony of a Priest who loves women is not lost on the reader or Jimmy. Emilio questions his vow he made as a boy or the woman he wants as a man. Emilio falls in love with Sofia with constant hesitation from both of them. Emilio decides to not act but when Jimmy marries Sofia Sandoz wonders if he made the right choice. Emilio becomes a sex slave to the aliens of the planet. When Sandoz recovers on Earth he says “It’s either there is no God or God is hilarious, making a priest a prostitute."  

The third theme is language. Linguistics is a central part of the plot. The study of language moved Emilio Sandoz region to region meeting Sofia, D.W., the Edwards, and Jimmy. The three species known on Rakkhat are the Janata, Runa, and the humans. Language is a huge barrier for the humans but Emilio works hard and learns the Runa’s language. Through studying the language with one of the Runa he develops a close bond with her. Language is a vessel for Sandoz to develop sincere relationships with everyone around him. Language also contributed to his trauma because once Sandoz came home he mixed up his which language anyone was speaking. 

Why do you find it beautiful?

The first chapter of The Sparrow entrances the reader. The plot is a mixture of the Da Vinci Code and Star Wars. The point of a great science fiction novel is to entertain and make you think. The Sparrow does exactly that, M.D.R. creates a unique book that makes reader repeatedly stop reading and think in the middle of the chapter. After thinking, the reader finishes the book. astonished.

Russell wrote the novel in two perspectives. The first shown was in Rome. Sandoz was in his mutilated state. Russell spoiled the ending. The Jesuits tried to learn what happened on the foreign planet. The reader learns that a priest was found in a brothel, everyone dies, and the once popular Jesuits were plagued by bad press of a murderous prostitute priest. These initial revelations shock the reader. In a world where shocking the consumer is harder than ever before The Sparrow completely shreds the reader’s shock. The reader is astonished and amazed by the beautiful and horrifying story of Fr. Emilio Sandoz S.J.  

The relationships developed in the novel are artfully created. A beautiful quote is said about Anne and D.W. by Emilio Sandoz: “The father of my soul and the mother of my heart is dead.” This quote explains the sincere and intense relationship the members had with each other. Sandoz valued Anne and D.W. more than anyone in his life. The members of the trip loved each other. Jimmy and Sofia decided to get married and have a child. That choice was spurred by need for companionship but the two valued each other immensely. Mary Doria Russell constructed a masterpiece of Science Fiction and Catholicism that formed The Sparrow.