Appearance
Excerpt
Excerpt from At the Back of the North Wind, by George MacDonald
The door now opened quite easily, but to his surprise, instead of a
closet he found a long narrow room. The moon, which was sinking in the
west, shone in at an open window at the further end. The room was
low with a coved ceiling, and occupied the whole top of the house,
immediately under the roof. It was quite empty. The yellow light of
the half-moon streamed over the dark floor. He was so delighted at the
discovery of the strange, desolate, moonlit place close to his own snug
little room, that he began to dance and skip about the floor. The wind
came in through the door he had left open, and blew about him as he
danced, and he kept turning towards it that it might blow in his face.
He kept picturing to himself the many places, lovely and desolate, the
hill-sides and farm-yards and tree-tops and meadows, over which it had
blown on its way to The Mound. And as he danced, he grew more and more
delighted with the motion and the wind; his feet grew stronger, and his
body lighter, until at length it seemed as if he were borne up on the
air, and could almost fly. So strong did his feeling become, that at
last he began to doubt whether he was not in one of those precious
dreams he had so often had, in which he floated about on the air at
will. But something made him look up, and to his unspeakable delight, he
found his uplifted hands lying in those of North Wind, who was dancing
with him, round and round the long bare room, her hair now falling to
the floor, now filling the arched ceiling, her eyes shining on him like
thinking stars, and the sweetest of grand smiles playing breezily about
her beautiful mouth. She was, as so often before, of the height of a
rather tall lady. She did not stoop in order to dance with him, but held
his hands high in hers. When he saw her, he gave one spring, and his
arms were about her neck, and her arms holding him to her bosom. The
same moment she swept with him through the open window in at which
the moon was shining, made a circuit like a bird about to alight, and
settled with him in his nest on the top of the great beech-tree. There
she placed him on her lap and began to hush him as if he were her own
baby, and Diamond was so entirely happy that he did not care to speak a
word. At length, however, he found that he was going to sleep, and
that would be to lose so much, that, pleasant as it was, he could not
consent.
“Please, dear North Wind,” he said, “I am so happy that I'm afraid it's
a dream. How am I to know that it's not a dream?”
“What does it matter?” returned North Wind.
Explanation
Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald
Context of the Source
At the Back of the North Wind (1871) is a fantasy novel by Scottish author George MacDonald, a key figure in 19th-century children’s literature and a major influence on later writers like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. The novel follows Diamond, a young boy who befriends North Wind, a mystical, sometimes severe but ultimately loving figure who takes him on extraordinary adventures. The story blends Christian allegory, fairy-tale wonder, and philosophical musings on suffering, faith, and the unseen spiritual world.
This excerpt occurs early in the novel when Diamond, exploring his family’s attic, stumbles upon a hidden room where he encounters North Wind in a moment of transcendent joy and mystical union. The scene is lyrical, dreamlike, and deeply symbolic, capturing the intersection of the ordinary and the divine.
Themes in the Excerpt
The Sacred in the Ordinary
- Diamond begins in a mundane setting—his family’s home—yet discovers a hidden, moonlit chamber that feels both strange and familiar. This reflects MacDonald’s belief that the spiritual world is not far from our own; it is often just beyond a door we haven’t noticed.
- The attic (a high, secluded space) symbolizes a threshold between the earthly and the heavenly, a place where the wind (a recurring symbol of the divine in the Bible) can enter freely.
Joy as a Path to the Divine
- Diamond’s dancing, his lightness, and his eventual flight suggest spiritual ecstasy—a loss of self in divine presence. This mirrors mystical traditions (e.g., St. Teresa of Avila’s "spiritual flight" or Sufi whirling dervishes) where physical movement becomes a metaphor for spiritual ascent.
- His fear that it might be a dream is a common trope in mystical experiences—the difficulty of distinguishing between earthly and heavenly reality.
The Wind as a Divine Force
- North Wind is both a person and a force of nature, embodying God’s power—sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce, but always purposeful.
- The wind’s movement through the room mirrors the Holy Spirit (often associated with wind in the Bible, e.g., John 3:8: "The wind blows where it wishes...").
- Diamond’s surrender to the wind (letting it blow in his face, being lifted by it) symbolizes faith—trusting in a power greater than oneself.
Childlike Faith and Intimacy with the Divine
- Diamond’s unquestioning love for North Wind (clinging to her, being cradled like a baby) reflects Jesus’ call to childlike faith (Matthew 18:3: "Unless you become like little children...").
- His speechless happiness suggests that some divine experiences are beyond words—a theme in negative theology (the idea that God is beyond human language).
The Blurring of Dream and Reality
- Diamond’s question—"How am I to know that it's not a dream?"—is central to the novel’s philosophy.
- North Wind’s response—"What does it matter?"—implies that the distinction between dream and reality is irrelevant when experiencing the divine. This aligns with Romantic and mystical thought, where truth is found in experience, not just rational proof.
Literary Devices & Stylistic Analysis
Imagery & Sensory Language
- Visual: "The yellow light of the half-moon streamed over the dark floor" → Contrast of light and dark suggests mystery and revelation.
- Tactile/Kinesthetic: "The wind came in through the door... blew about him as he danced" → The physicality of the wind makes the spiritual feel tangible.
- Auditory (implied): The silence of the room (no dialogue until the end) enhances the sense of awe.
Personification & Mythic Symbolism
- North Wind as a Woman: She is both maternal (hushing Diamond like a baby) and cosmic (her hair filling the ceiling, eyes like "thinking stars"), blending human warmth with divine majesty.
- The Beech Tree as a Nest: The tree as a place of rest evokes the Tree of Life (Genesis, Revelation) and safety in God’s care.
Metaphor & Simile
- "Her hair now falling to the floor, now filling the arched ceiling" → Suggests her unbounded, ever-changing nature, like the wind itself.
- "Her eyes shining on him like thinking stars" → Stars often symbolize divine guidance (e.g., the Star of Bethlehem).
Repetition & Rhythm
- The dance motif (skipping, turning, flying) creates a circular, trance-like rhythm, reinforcing the ecstatic, timeless quality of the moment.
- "More and more delighted" → Gradation (increasing intensity) mirrors spiritual ascent.
Dialogue & Philosophical Undercurrent
- Diamond’s question about dreams is existential—it challenges the reader to consider what is "real."
- North Wind’s nonanswer ("What does it matter?") is profoundly mystical, suggesting that some truths are beyond proof.
Significance of the Passage
A Moment of Theophany (Divine Revelation)
- This scene is Diamond’s first direct encounter with the sacred. Unlike traditional religious visions, it is playful, physical, and deeply personal—reflecting MacDonald’s belief that God meets us in joy as much as in suffering.
A Blueprint for the Novel’s Theology
- The novel explores how suffering and love coexist in God’s plan. Here, we see only the love—the wind as a nurturing, playful force. Later, North Wind will also bring pain and loss, showing that divine love is not always gentle.
Influence on Later Fantasy
- The hidden door, the mystical dance, the blurring of dream and reality foreshadow C.S. Lewis’ Narnia (e.g., Lucy’s first entry into the wardrobe) and Tolkien’s Faërie—a world where magic and morality intertwine.
A Meditation on Faith
- The passage does not explain—it invites. Like a parable or a fairy tale, it doesn’t argue for God’s existence but shows what meeting the divine might feel like.
- North Wind’s lack of a clear answer mirrors real spiritual experiences, where doubt and wonder coexist.
Final Interpretation: What Is Happening in This Scene?
Diamond, a curious and innocent child, stumbles into a liminal space—neither fully his home nor fully the spiritual realm. There, he abandons himself to joy, and in doing so, becomes receptive to the divine. North Wind, a manifestation of God’s power, meets him in his playfulness, lifting him into a moment of pure, wordless communion.
When he fears it might be a dream, she does not reassure him with logic but with presence—implying that the value of the experience lies in the feeling, not the proof. This is faith as MacDonald sees it: not a set of doctrines, but a living, breathing relationship with the mysterious.
The scene is both a fairy tale and a prayer—a reminder that the sacred is not far off, but as close as the next hidden door, the next breath of wind.