Why Does Henri Stay on the Rock?

725 Words3 Pages
In Jeannette Winterson’s The Passion, the protagonist, Henri, makes a decision at the end of the novel to remain “on the rock” (in The insane asylum or prison of sorts) as oppose to escaping through Villanelle’s methods, and further traveling the world searching for a sense of home and freedom. Henri has spent huis entire life travelling the world searching for a sense of fulfillment, love, and purpose but fails to do so until he is forced to remain on the rock. Henri first chooses to remain on this rock for the purpose of saving the one he truly loves, villanelle, and does so in order to keep his love for her alive and possible. His second reason for remaining on the rock is the sense of control and routine he experiences here. The third justification for remaining on the rock, is the sense of home he feels in this place, and the fulfillment he obtains from staying there. Henri chooses to remain on the rock because this is the only means of saving the one person he has ever loved, and through staying on the rock Henri achieves a sense of control over his situation, a sense of fulfillment in many different aspects of his life, and a sense of home, belonging, and happiness, all factoring in his decision to stay imprisoned on the rock. The first reason for Henri entering the prison on the rock, and thus remaing there, is his love for villanelle, and his ability to put her safety in front of his, caring more about her well-being than his situation and to him this represents his freedom. Henri states “ I think now that being free is not being powerful or rich or well regarded or without obligations but being able to love. To love someone else enough to forget about yourself even for one moment is to be free.” (pg 165). Henri throughout his entire life searched for a sense of freedom, the idea that he was free to live how he pleased and not in accord with the norms of
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