Leprosy: Nonfiction vs Fiction
Bringing along blistering deformations, scarring disfigurement and a cold, social and physical isolation, “Ma'i Lepera” hit the Hawaiian Islands. Commonly known as leprosy, this foul disease ravaged the Hawaiian Island chain throughout the 19th and 20th century. Virtually untreatable at the time, the disease wreaked havoc on the population and caused social isolation and disparity amongst the people. Moloka‘i, written by author Alan Brennert, is a historical fiction novel that depicts the journey of a girl that contracts leprosy at a very young age. The novel follows the character through her trials and tribulations of blending in and adjusting to life on a leper settlement in Moloka‘i. Brennert’s writing style is informal and allows readers to connect to characters and build relationships with them during the course of the storyline. Kerri Inglis’s Ma‘i Lepera: A History of Leprosy in Nineteenth-Century Hawai‘i, offers a different set of values. This nonfiction text allows for a specific targeted audience and offers strict intellectual value. Each writing style is distinct and offers different elements of significance, however, a foundation of similarity can be drawn between the two. This essay will compare and contrast the writing styles and techniques used from the two pieces of literature and will discuss with purpose, differences and similarities established within the texts.
In attempting to understand the significance found in each of these passages, one must comprehend what they entail. Moloka‘i offers a rich account of a young girl, Rachel Kalama, who is sent away to the Kalaupapa peninsula on Moloka‘i. Here, she matures over the years and is able to learn and grow despite the isolation and seclusion from the outside world. She transitions into adulthood immaculately and comes out as a striking, beautiful, woman who shows little signs and outbreaks of the disease. Although a fictionalized story, Brennert performed arduous research in creating the most authentic story and environment possible. In an interview by BookBrowse he communicates:
I read oral histories and biographies of patients, distilled them down to
their common elements, and made that the armature of Rachel Kalama's
life—on which I then expanded and embroidered. Rachel is entirely a
fictional character, but the events and people that shape her life are inspired
by actual people and events. (BookBrowse 4)
Moloka‘i offers a bridge between fiction and fact. Brennert’s efforts of producing a genuine account provide readers with a passage that is both captivating and of historical value. Although the story itself may not have occurred, the events were mirrored by instances transpiring during this time period. Rachel begins to lose contact with her family and audiences are allowed an understanding of how relations can fall apart from the vast isolation brought by the disease. Brennert relates, "But gradually Mama's letters went from once a week to one every two weeks to once a month, and then... once in a while" (Brennert, 136). Brennert's informal writing style allows him to capture the emotion in Rachel's voice while still portraying a genuine scene where a family member contracts leprosy and is cut off from the outside world. Moloka‘i flirts with fact and fiction in creating an ideal environment for the hungry reader.
Next, one must come to an understanding of what nonfiction writing entails in the form of Ma‘i Lepera: A History of Leprosy in Nineteenth-Century Hawai‘i. This text goes in-depth in depicting how individuals coped with the disease, legal aspects and the impact it had on the land. Kerri Inglis's passage offers great intellectual value aiming towards an audience at the collegiate and scholarly level. Offering many different resources and backings from various academic journals, this text is extremely informational and is a first-rate option for learning about the impacts and effects of leprosy on Hawai‘i. Although nonfiction writing may be seen as dryer than fiction pieces, it is nonetheless imperative for youth development. The organization Common Core feels that nonfiction writing is wrongly being undermined in youth teachings:
The Scarcity of Informational Texts in First Grade found that primary teachers dedicated the vast majority of instructional time to fiction. Now, though,
nonfiction is getting its turn in the spotlight. The Common Core State
Standards require that students become thoughtful consumers of complex,
informative texts—taking them beyond the realm of dry textbooks and
self-selected reading. (Greene 2)
Common core strongly feels that nonfiction writing should hold a greater priority over fiction. This organization aims at taking a more progressive approach: promoting creativity, while still surrounding youths with a sufficient amount of factual text. Observing this, one must understand the importance of balancing engagement with intellectual value in nonfiction text. Inglis's passage, while still strongly accurate, allows audiences to remain captivated through attention-grabbing facts and clever wording:
The best metaphors are found in the Hawaiian language itself, for language is
intimately connected with cultural concepts. 38 ‘Āina is the Hawaiian term for
land, but it is much more than that. Literally, the term means “that from which
one eats. (Inglis 10)
Inglis is relating researched information but is displaying it in a fashion that holds readers and focuses their attention. One way she accomplishes this, is the use of the Hawaiian language. Inserting a few words and their definition, Inglis creates an appealing word structure that catches the reader’s eye. Inglis also broadens her audience circle by bringing up the idea of culture. In delving into such a passionate subject, readers become absorbed into the material and continue reading.
Formal writing, as seen in Kerri Inglis's work, holds great value in its academic integrity and reliability. Take for example the excerpt, "Ruling chiefs competed for resources and challenged for power, and many strove not only for interisland kingdoms, but also to unite all of the islands under one" (Inglis 18). Due to the publishing and academic prowess of the text, this information is scholarly reviewed and accurate. Nonfiction writing often times holds this benefit as it is seen in almost all academic resources. Ma‘i Lepera: A History of Leprosy in Nineteenth-Century Hawai‘i gives readers an opportunity to view factual information free from biases and fantasized, entertainment-purposed, knowledge. This leads to a direct understanding of the material.
Although the two passages are very different pieces of work, one is able to draw connections and similarities between the two. For instance, the environment and surroundings of Moloka‘i are portrayed as strikingly beautiful and pristine, despite being an isolated prison and the final resting place of individuals with leprosy. The academic journal, Exiled in Paradise offers the foundation for this description:
With its sandy beaches, misting rainbows, and lush valleys, Molokai’s
Kalaupapa Peninsula was a South Pacific paradise. But Hawaiian leaders sent
victims of Hansen’s disease here because of its Alcatraz-like inaccessibility, not
its beauty. (Grange 1)
In looking at this depiction, Grange sets the groundwork for discovering a similarity between Inglis's and Brennert's work by touching on the environment. In Inglis's writing, she goes in-depth in explaining the surroundings in a nonfictional method:
It is a singular plain or valley bounded on one side by the sea, and hemmed in everywhere on the land side by impassable precipices, except where there is
one narrow and difficult pass. This fine ranch has a running stream, has
pleasant groves and other agreeable features. (Inglis 143)
In this account, Inglis is relaying the concept that although the environment of Moloka‘i is pleasant and beautiful, it still remains in the form of a natural prison. This is crucial because Brennert's Moloka‘i offers the same depiction. Although a fictional account, Moloka‘i conveys the same ideas present in Kerri Inglis's, Ma‘i Lepera: A History of Leprosy in Nineteenth-Century Hawai‘i:
It wasn't simply a barren, rocky pit, but a green thriving world bursting with
color and life. The slopes and floor of the crater were thickly forested:
wiliwili trees blooming with bright red tiger's claw flowers; iron-woods
carpeting the ground. (Brennert 112)
Brennert describes the surroundings as a thriving environment vibrant with color. He begins the passage by saying "it wasn't simply a barren, rocky pit..." in order to lead the audience to the idea that some force in the novel felt it to be seen in this "barren" manner. Interpreting the terminology of "rocky pit", one may find that "pit" represents a sense of difficulty in escaping and "rocky" as extra obstacles blocking the path. Brennert does this to relay the concept that although the environment is eye catching and appealing, it is still a prison that is impossible to escape from. Inglis's and Brennert's excerpts are very similar because they both attempt to display historical context, but do so in using different writing techniques. Inglis's writing is formal and directly relays the idea that Moloka‘i is an intriguing environment, yet is in essence a natural prison. Brennert, on the other hand, uses more indirect terminology in relaying the same message. He lets his audience know that the environment is pristine and unspoiled, yet has the underlying image that it is a place of no escape. Both authors strive for the same awareness and use different techniques in communicating this.
Another similarity found between the two passages comes in the form of the social stigma accompanied with leprosy. The academic journal, The Cultural Validation of Two Scales to Assess Social Stigma in Leprosy offers:
Persons affected by neglected tropical diseases, such as, Buruli ulcer,
lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, leishmaniasis and leprosy, can experience
stigma... Neighbors, religious leaders, and community leaders can exclude,
reject, blame or devalue a person affected by one of these diseases. (Peters 2)
This off-putting stigma is seen in both passages and holds the concept that after obtaining leprosy, an individual faces exclusion, blame and other negative connotations. Inglis's work does an excellent job in explaining to readers this stigma. Adding to this, Inglis describes that leprosy was criminalized in an attempt to prevent the disease:
[T]he forcible separation of individuals from their friends and the world,
although necessary for the welfare of society at large, must appear harsh to
many of those afflicted, and even to many persons not personally interested in
the matter. (Inglis 49)
This fact created great disparity amongst Hawaiian families and added a legal aspect and punishment to the seclusion of lepers. Legality enforced a stricter isolation of those with leprosy and tore apart families located throughout the Hawaiian Island chain. Looking at Moloka‘i, one sees a similar pattern where individuals are treated differently and abandoned for having the disease:
A distraught crowd huddled behind a wooden barricade, sighing their
mournful dirge as a procession of others-young and old, men and women,
predominantly Hawaiians and Chinese-were herded by police onto the old
cattle boat. (Brennert 16)
Observing the terminology and word choice used by Brennert, one finds that those who have contracted leprosy are treated as animals. Words such as "herded" and "cattle" refer to them being cared for as nothing more than a nuisance that must be shipped off. Brennert and Inglis's messages are noticeably similar as they portray the idea that leprosy creates isolation and separation from the outside world.
In analyzing both of these passages, it is important keep in mind that although they have similarities, distinctions may be found. For example, in Moloka‘i, audiences are taken through a plot where although contracting leprosy is seen in a negative light, the novel still highlights a positive image of adjusting to life with the disease. Brennert relates, "With summer also came more and longer trips to the beach and a lassitude that seemed to infect everyone when it came to chores, even the sisters" (124). The author is describing that even in the leper settlement, youths are finding the same issues as they would on the outside. Brennert portrays the idea that despite the hardships lepers face, they are still normal, functioning humans, who feel the same emotions associated with the seasons. Comparing this to Inglis's work, one finds a very different understanding. Ma‘i Lepera: A History of Leprosy in Nineteenth-Century Hawai‘i, delves into the issues brought from leprosy and focuses more on how the disease impacted social life. This contrasts with Brennert's piece because Inglis does not go out of her way to create a fictionalized setting where one is content living in a leper colony. Although it is likely that there were individuals who did adjust to life in a leper colony, Inglis's account does not spend a heavy amount of time on this. Instead, Inglis's account focuses more on the social and physical effects leprosy had on the people of Hawaii:
Leprosy caused physical, social, and cultural disruption. It was devastating
from many perspectives. Thus when Ka‘ehu the chanter asked, he was crying
out not only against the disease itself, but also against the displacement it has
caused and its subsequent devastating effects, to bodies and to families and to
the future of Hawaiians. (Inglis 44)
This differs greatly from that of Alan Brennert's work because Inglis displays this message solely for the purpose of intellectual value. She does not add any fluffy or warming facts to benefit or capture the reader's attention; Inglis describes exactly what is happening whether it is positive or negative.
The two narratives also differ in the form of audience appeal. Looking at Moloka‘i, one is immediately struck with an informal writing style that aims to capture, entertain and captivate readers. Passages with vivid word structure and flow attempt to create a vibrant image of the environment surrounding Moloka‘i. Brennert offers readers a look into his fictionalized world in relating, "It seemed to Rachel that the lush garden of her childhood had been pruned of much of its foliage, the greenery now merely garlanding block after block of concrete asphalt" (326). This smooth flow and easy content allows for a greater range and variety of audience. Looking specifically at the word choice used in this passage, readers analyze a meaning other than just the described lush foliage and surplus of concrete. The concept that this passage is displaying, double meanings through clever word choice, highlights a major difference compared to Inglis's work. Inglis's nonfiction writing style does not offer multiple interpretations and various meanings. Instead, it remains factual, compact and of scholarly intellectual praise. This formal writing style allows Inglis to display a great deal of information with a high probability for retained comprehension. This better chance of understanding the material correlates to Inglis's projected audience of college level students. Inglis's target audience is smaller than that of Alan Brennert's Moloka‘i, yet those searching for an analysis of the effects of leprosy are likely to benefit from and utilize Inglis's text.
Alan Brennert and Kerri Inglis each offer beneficial pieces of literature that hold different significances to their targeted audiences. Brennert's Moloka‘i offers an informal and fictionalized account of a young woman facing the hardships of having leprosy. Inglis's Ma‘i Lepera : A History of Leprosy in Nineteenth-Century Hawai‘i contrasts this with a nonfictional point of view, discussing the physical and social effects leprosy had on the Islands of Hawai‘i. These passages appeal to different audiences and have distinct target readers. Although the texts contain contrasting writing styles, they share similarities in attempting to both relay historical significance. Brennert and Inglis utilize and exploit their distinct writing styles, yet through strict analysis of the texts, one is able to compare and contrast the passages and appreciate the individual significance each holds.
Works Cited
Inglis, Kerri. Ma‘i Lepera: A History of Leprosy in Nineteenth-Century Hawai‘i. Honolulu, HI, USA: University of Hawaii Press, 2013. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 23 April 2015.
Grange, Kevin. "Exiled To Paradise." National Parks 86.3 (2012): 1-2. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.
GREENE, KIM. "COMMON CORE: Fact Vs. Fiction." Instructor 122.2 (2012): 23-27. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.
Peters, Ruth M. H., et al. "The Cultural Validation Of Two Scales To Assess Social Stigma In Leprosy." Plos Neglected Tropical Diseases 8.11 (2014): 1-13. Academic Search Premier. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.
Inglis, Kerri A.. Ma‘i Lepera : A History of Leprosy in Nineteenth-Century Hawai‘i. Honolulu, HI, USA: University of Hawaii Press, 2013. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 23 April 2015.
Brennert, Alan. Molokaʻi. New York: St. Martin's, 2003. Print.
BookBrowse. "Alan Brennert - An Interview with Author." BookBrowse.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.
