In the Lake of the Woods.
In the Lake of the Woods.
By Tim o’Brien
In the Lake of the Woods is a disturbing tale which vividly confronts the reader
with the dark side of human nature. Set in the state of Minnesota, USA, near
the town of Angle Inlet, the tale evolves as a compelling mystery. The story
opens with a married couple, John and Kathy Wade, sharing an idyllic cabin in
the woods by a lake. John Wade is recovering from losing election to the
United States Senate, a goal he and Kathy had set their sights on achieving.
They had given up everything to attain this prize, including a home and family
and are devastated by the loss. In trying to rebuild their lives they examine
what went wrong and try to convince each other that things will improve.
Thirty-six hours after the novel opens, Kathy Wade disappears amid strange
circumstances. The search for Kathy uncovers the secret life of John Wade,
‘the Sorcerer’, who has lived a life of deception and deceit in an effort to
conceal a terrible secret.
Some central ideas
● the portrait of a marriage where the aspirations and dreams of one partner
dictate life for both, and where now the relationship is in crisis
● the devastating consequences of trying to hide the past
● the study of childhood influences which later shape the adult person
● the horror of war and its terrible consequences for those who return
damaged by their experiences
● the power of the mind and the poignant realisation of the fine line between
sanity and madness
● the darkness of the human heart and what real or imagined horrors people
are capable of committing
● the nature of politics, its manipulation and deceit
● the structure of the novel – narrative in the present, flashbacks to Vietnam,
hypothesis, evidence.
This novel is your next assessment and final one in class for the year. You will be writing a text response on it and it is vital that you have an understanding of the Vietnam War and an image of the Lake of the Woods .
