The Good Shepherd By Ai: The Narrative Behind The Narrator
One of the greatest flaws in many humans could be the lack of care towards others while having a selfish amount of care for one's own pleasure. For some, however, this could be taken too far. The title of this poem is “The Good Shepherd”, written by Ai and is found in the category of dramatic monologues. Although the monologue’s narrator remains unknown, the poem is based on the real life serial killer Wayne Williams. The narrator appears reliable, because he can easily talk about his committed crimes as if his actions are normal. He has no persona since he has yet to be caught. The listener is implicit, since it seems that he is speaking more to himself than another person.
What inspired the narrator to speak now is the fact that he has just finished taking the life of a child and is now facing the outcome. The poem is assumed to have taken place during the night, and the setting takes place in both the outdoors and in the comfort of his home. While society’s majority can all agree on the belief that taking a life is one of the worst wrongs that can be committed, the narrator is blinded by his cold-hearted and self- assured traits that he is doing no wrong. This poem reveals the twisted character of the narrator through comparison, shifts and symbolism. Through comparisons, Ai can expose the narrator’s self-assured and cold-hearted figure. This is first introduced through the simile of himself and a shepherd; which reveals the trait of self-assurance, and how he believes he is on the right path. When it is rhetorically questioned, “And don’t I lead them like a good shepherd?”, the narrator is compared to a shepherd; a person who guides or directs others (usually sheep) in a direction.
The narrator sees murdering these children as a way for him to lead them in ‘the right direction’- that not only is he killing for his own satisfaction but views it as if he is doing them a favor. The narrator’s belief that his cruel acts are both honorable and justifiable perfectly highlights his pretentious attitude. The second point is the validation of his cold-hearted characteristic through a metaphor. In a connection between himself and God, the narrator says, “An ordinary man, though, a man like me/ eats and is full. / Only God is never satisfied”. Eating represents one's actions, while being full does not mean the literal, physical sense but instead defines satisfaction. This is cold- hearted behavior because even if God himself is disappointed by these atrocities, if it is keeping the narrator content, he will keep doing it. The writer uses her skills to represent the narrator’s personality through the view of comparisons. Applying shifts throughout the monologue shows simple examples of the narrator's egotistical and heartless demeanor. The first time this is exhibited is when the narrator is easily distracted, proven by the poem’s consistency of topic shifts.
These constant distractions prove that he is confident enough to have his mind on other things; that he is not worried enough about the flaws and failures of his plans to stay focused. There are many examples proving the narrator’s distractive attitude. While he is finishing disposing the body and preparing to leave the area, he thinks to himself, “I know what I’d like- some hot cocoa by the heater”. The narrator has not even left the scene, yet he is already debating on how he should treat himself once he gets home. He is so confident his activities that it is all he sees it as- simple activities. If the narrator was even slightly doubtful of his actions, remorse would be one of the first things on his mind. But instead his thoughts stay, although distracted, calm and collected. Another example is when the narrator describes the details of the child(ren)’s deaths, then appears a quick change of subject to the narrator’s personal values, showing a lack of empathy for others. As the narrator begins to clean up the trail left behind from his latest victim, the topic is quickly changed to what he does next: “After the last sweet mouthful of chocolate burns its way down my throat, I open the library book, the one on mythology, and begin to read”.
It is so easy for the narrator to move on from both getting rid of a body and cleaning up the mess to just going back to relaxation as if tonight’s causality meant nothing to him. He shows no emotion to the situation not just because he's had previous experience, but by reason of his cold-hearted personality. The pattern of shifting is not only used for poetic value, but a much bigger meaning in the narrator’s true values. The poem’s exaggerated symbolism acknowledges the narrator’s merciless, arrogant nature. It is initially determined through the narrator and the coat. The fresh new coat the narrator considers on purchasing another day is a hidden symbol for his self-assurance. While watching the child’s corpse roll into the river, the narrator thinks to himself, “Lord, I need a new coat, not polyester, but wool, new and pure”. As if a pat on the back, the narrator now wants to buy himself a new coat. But not just any coat, he wants one fresh, pure, and made of wool.
The wool symbolizes the lambs- which represents the children, who are as well the hidden meaning to both being new (young) and pure (innocent). The narrator not only wants the children, but he feels as if it is a treat for himself, that he deserves to do what he does. Another example of the symbolism is mythology. Ai uses this connection to give an even deeper meaning to the character’s cold-heartedness. After hiding the body and cleaning up the aftermath, the narrator relaxes himself by reading a novel on mythology. While reading, he mentions, “Saturn, it says, devours his children”. This symbolizes the mythological story on the Titan, Saturn (the Roman name for the Greek Titan, Cronus), who ate his children to prevent them from overthrowing his throne. The relation between Saturn and the narrator is both characters harm innocent youth for their own personal pleasure; Saturn eats his children to continue ruling- the throne being his pleasure- and the narrator kills children for although an unconfirmed reason, does admit that it gives him pleasure.
Including multiple examples of symbolism gives a better understanding of who this narrator really is and the flaws that come with him. Though society is a constant reminder on just how cruel and frowned upon murder is, the narrator’s personality causes him to ignore it. Ai’s use of figurative language, shifts, and symbolism highlights realistic symptoms to being either cold-hearted or overly self-certain- whether that is proven through comparisons between Titans or shepherds, or the constant shifting. In the end, the narrator believes his killings are no mistake, nor does he care for his victims in the first place. From his perspective, society is the one who is unjustifiable. The narrator continues to murder because not only does he lack compassion for his victims, but his own personal confidence causes him to believe there truly is no wrong in his actions.
Works Cited
- Ai. 'The Good Shepherd.' November 1991. https://wcdsb.elearningontario.ca/d2l/le/content/12524738/viewContent/100455391/View?ou =12524738.
