Thoughts on “Good for the Soul”

I think Good for the Soul and Bugman shared the several common messages.  One, things that seem insignificant and meaningless may actually be very important and significant.  Good can come out of terrible situations if we let it. We briefly discussed this idea in class.  It’s something J.R.R. Tolkien called the eucatastrophe, “the good catastrophe.”   Both stories describe eucastrophes, bad situations that good later came out of.  In Good for the Soul, the irresponsible Father Ledet causes an accident driving under the influence on his way to administer Annointing of the Sick for the dying Clyde Arceneaux(100). Father Clyde is clearly a human priest.  He embodies the fact that good and grace can come through even flawed persons who sometimes give into temptation.  Some other themes found in Good for the Soul include temptation and forgiveness.

 When Father Ledet finally arrives from the crash site, Clyde asks for the Sacrament of confession instead.  In a humorous scene, Clyde begins by confessing missing mass “damn near seven hundred and fifty times.”  Clyde then interrupts his confession by asking questions about the purpose of hell.  After discussing hell and punishment, he goes on to admit he has withheld on sin.  Father Ledet responds “Well, it’s now or never,” something he immediately regrets.  Clyde eventually confesses stealing Nelson’s car to prevent him from waking him and everyone up in the neighborhood.  He is most ashamed of this (102).  Father Ledet leaves giving Clyde a light penance and suggesting that if he’d like he could tell Nelson his crime if he’d like.

Father Ledet is ticketed for driving under the influence and loses his license (103).  He struggles to stay away from alcohol (105).  Clyde’s wife later confronts Father Ledet, bemoaning the fact that Clyde wants to return the stolen car to Nelson and revealing to everyone before he’s dead that he’s a thief.  Later in the confessional, she proposes to Fr. Ledet that he return the car late at night.  He is later guilt tripped by Mrs. Barrilleaux who he had hurt in the car crash to go through with the plan.  He decides to drink before he returned the car in order to build his “courage.”  As he tries to return the car, he is found out in a very public way, but he doesn’t reveal who had originally stolen the car.

In the end, the rejection and shame Fr. Ledet endures is made worth it, when he sees Clyde in Mass for the first time in fifteen years.

            In Good for the Soul the eucatastrophe is presented in a more humorous way.  The eucatastrophe in Bugman is much more serious.  Mrs. Malone is impregnated and abandoned by McCall.  She schedules an abortion (117).  Later, we find out she decides to keep the child (119).  The heartbreaking and stressful experience with McCall results in a son whom she loves and cares for.  Felix the Bugman acts as a means of grace although he is also flawed.  Though Felix is usually gently and easy going he has the capacity for evil and violence as can seen in his attack against the Scalsons (118).  If it had not been for Felix, Mrs. Malone would not have experienced her eucatastrophe.  Felix seems to recognize this in the end.