S. comments on how he worries that he is becoming one of the crew with his appearance. He struggles to sleep and is distracted by his hurt pride and lack of purpose. Maelstrom wakes him up and announces that there is another ship approaching.
We’re nigh to nudgin y’ship. Ye’ll want t’ viz it, asure.
Footnote 5 mentions an Ash Wednesday play performed in the fictional Bavarian village of Fünfherzen. In this play “the protagonist is compelled to don the Belastunghemd.”
Ash Wednesday is the title of a poem by T.S. Elliot. On p. 158, Jen references the The Waste Land, which is also by T.S. Elliot.
The Bavarian town of Fünfherzen is nonexistent in both the world of S. and real life. “Fünf herzen” means “five hearts” in German. The only animal that has five hearts is the earthworm. This may refer to the city of Worms, Germany, or a literal earthworm. In the Black Forest of Germany, there is a species of giant earthworm called Lumbricus badensis. These all connect to Germany and are in similar locations. Bavaria is in the southeastern part of Germany and Worms is located just above the Black Forest in the southwestern part of Germany.
Belastunghemd is translated to “burden-shirt” in the footnote, but this word is nonexistent. The idea of a “burden-shirt” may refer to another of T.S. Eliot’s poems. In Little Gidding, Eliot wrote the below:
The intolerable shirt of flame
Which human power cannot remove.
We only live, only suspire
Consumed by either fire or fire.
This may be a reference to the idea of a burden-shirt, giving a definition for the fabricated word. Eric and Jen decide the footnote is a clue because they cannot make a connection to these ideas, but the shirt in Eliot’s poem may be a symbol of S.’s feelings of helplessness and lack of control in life’s situations, particularly on the ship.
Eric and Jen also mention the appearance of Isla and Moody at different points in their relationship.
First, just a comment about Jen’s classes and Eric’s affirmation on Jen’s perception of her. This reveals Jen’s struggle in class and how she attributes it to Ilsa. It also reveals that Eric must know Ilsa fairly well.
Ilsa’s vague about what she wants & surly when she doesn’t get it.
That’s the Ilsa I know.
In the next set of notes, there is a change of tone and the evolution of their relationship is evident. The issue Ilsa and Moody has not only become more prominent, but Jen is skeptical of Eric and may feel like he does not trust her. In response, Eric gets defensive. It is obvious that his history with Ilsa is distracting to him and Jen is attempting to push him to move past it, whether it be for professional or personal reasons.
Moody sent her.
Why didn’t you mention it?
Because I’m generally happier when I allow myself to pretend she doesn’t exist.
You need to get over that. Really. It’s a big problem.
You can’t just decide to.
No, but you can decide to try. And you haven’t