Summary
Digby awakens from the accident to discover his body is severely burned and the conflagration killed Celeste. Overwhelmed with guilt and the fear he will never work as a surgeon again, he enlists Muthu to transport him to Lena and Franz Mylin's household where he hopes to hide indefinitely. His hands deteriorate and, in an act of desperation, he attempts to perform a skin grafting surgery on himself, with little success. Lena offers to introduce Digby to Rune, who is her friend and who specializes in healing hands; Digby reluctantly agrees. Rune, suffering from frequent bouts of angina, receives Digby as a patient, recognizing him as a "comrade in arms" as a fellow surgeon. Using techniques he learned from Indian and French doctors, Rune first restores mobility in Digby's left hand before using a novel surgical technique, then grafts new skin for Digby's hand.
After the successful surgery, Digby finally writes to Honorine, apologizing for his failures as a surgeon and as a friend. Honorine then surprises him by visiting, affirming that she loves and forgives him, and encouraging him to forgive himself. Later, she informs him that Claude was found guilty during his hearing and dismissed from the Indian Civil Service. Though Digby is relieved that some measure of justice was enacted, he fears that Claude will continue operating on patients elsewhere, with potentially lethal consequences.
As part of Digby's recovery plan, Rune suggests he take up art again to regain motion in his hand and prompt healing. To facilitate this, Rune invites Chandy's nine-year-old daughter, Elsie, to draw with Digby. Digby is astonished by Elsie's talent, but ashamed and frustrated by his own failed attempts to put his ideas on paper. In a moment of compassion and inspiration, Elsie ties her hand to Digby's, guiding him as he develops his motor skills. Together, they draw an image of Digby's mother, as he remembered her before her death. Digby is emotionally overcome and unable to express his gratitude to Elsie who, through gentle guidance, helped him replace the memory of his mother's "death mask" with a vision of her authentic self.
One day, while bathing, Rune sings a Swedish work song and then collapses, suffering a heart attack that abruptly ends his life. Digby is unable to revive him, and the entire Saint Bridget's community is deeply affected by his death. Many friends and former patients come to pay tribute to Rune, and the future of the facility is unclear. Hoping to be kept on as a surgeon, Digby writes to the bishop who heads the mission; unfortunately, the bishop decides to have a group of nuns take over, leaving Digby's fate up in the air. Several weeks after Rune's death Philipose and the boatman arrive at Saint Bridget's. Though the residents initially shoo Philiopse away, as children are not allowed in the facility, Digby hears the commotion and examines the patient. Philipose attempts to convey the emergency medicine he performed on the baby using phrases he learned by reading Moby Dick. Unable to properly use his hands, Digby guides Philipose through performing an emergency surgery on the infant's throat. Though the procedure is successful, Philipose is horrified and repulsed by the ordeal and scared of the people with leprosy. Chandy drives Philipose home to his family, who, believing he drowned, all await his return. Chandy regales the family with Philipose's story, insisting that this is a sign the boy should be a doctor. Philipose is less certain; he is also entranced by Elsie, who he discovers has drawn an image of him experiencing his first car ride.
Digby attends a New Year's Eve party and memorial to Rune hosted by Franz and Lena. A large group of friends from the surrounding area attend, and after several drinks, concoct a plan to purchase a distant estate called Müller's Madness. Two days later, Digby and a man named Cromwell venture into the mountains to reach the estate; no roads lead there, and their car breaks down. Unsure of his future as a surgeon, Digby vows that if the mysterious Müller accepts the offer to purchase the estate, he will take it as a sign to reinvent himself as a planter.
Analysis
Part Four deeply explores the symbolic significance of hands, a motif used throughout the text. As a surgeon and painter, Digby relied on his hands to heal others, and express himself; his hands represent his identity. When his hands are too damaged to perform basic surgeries or draw, his sense of self is damaged, and his hands become a constant reminder of his personal failings and mistakes. Looking at his hands, "the anatomy is laid bare, the shiny ribbons of the tendons are displayed, framed by blackened flesh," a visceral description that serves to highlight the compounding devastation of his injuries. Not only does Digby experience tremendous physical pain, but he is also burdened by immense guilt over Celeste's death, his potentially discredited testimony, and the disappointment and judgment he expects from his friends. Seeing the damaged anatomy of his hands, representative of himself and his value, reflects how his affair with Celeste exposed the weaker, selfish aspects of his personality. Digby's damaged hands help him learn to receive help and create a found family with the Saint Bridget's community.
At first, Digby attempts to fix his hands alone, performing a risky, poorly planned skin grafting surgery on himself. This dramatic choice demonstrates how community and help from others are essential for healing. Hiding in shame and trying to heal himself alone, Digby temporarily improves his situation, but ultimately harms himself more than he would have if he asked for help. The connection between emotional pain and physical pain is stark, as Digby's shame negatively impacts his health. Once he accepts help from Cromwell, with whom he goes on healing walks through nature, and Rune, who creates a non-judgemental treatment plan, Digby begins to heal himself and then extend his skills to others. This non-judgmental attitude is also displayed by Elsie, who binds Digby's hands to her own to help him draw, which is a clear example of how relying on others is essential for healing. Digby regains more than his motor control; after a life defined by isolation and shame, connecting with Elsie helps him reclaim his memories of his mother, opening him up emotionally and expediting his healing process. Unlike the Parambil family, who experience death and rebirth through the symbolic element of water, Digby is symbolically reborn through fire. Though it injures him, the fire offers him an opportunity to reinvent himself. Before, Digby built his entire identity around being a surgeon, and having that stripped away from him through his own actions is the death of his former self. This transformation allows Digby to later rely on Philipose to perform a life-saving surgery.
Hands also serve as a point of connection as Digby becomes part of the Saint Bridget's community. Though Digby's injury is the result of burns, not leprosy, he receives similar treatments to regain motor control and feels a striking kinship with those whose hands are damaged. Rune calls the scar he leaves on Digby's hand the "mark of Zorro." Zorro is a fictional, masked vigilante who defends vulnerable people, such as the Indigenous people of California, from unjust authorities. Like Digby, Zorro has a tragic past, including the untimely death of his mother. By marking Digby with this scar, Rune alludes to Digby's newfound responsibility to protect and care for the people at Saint Bridget's who have been excluded and abused by their communities.
The Saint Bridget's community embraces and respects Digby not because of his career or nationality, but because he is "one of them," meaning he bears physical signs of difference and disability. Digby's feeling of being "wounded, winged, and disfigured" earns him the empathy and support of "the flock." Bereaved by his lack of family, Digby claims the lepers as his "brothers and sisters." These relationships, born from shared pain, encourage Digby to reach out to his friends in Madras. Surrounded by people like him, his shame is reduced and he no longer feels the need to hide his mistakes or his wounded physical body. When Digby reveals the secret of his affair and his present location, Honorine responds by visiting and forgiving him, demonstrating the idea that revealing secrets connects people and bridges barriers in relationships, another example of the theme of secrets.
Elsie views Digby's hands with curiosity and respect, despite the revulsion the wounds inspire in other people. This artistic mindset allows Elsie to connect with Digby; her patience and physical touch are instrumental to his healing and represent courageous acceptance. As Rune argued that the greatest wound of leprosy was abandonment and shame, Elsie "heals" these wounds for Digby by guiding his hands and helping him create art. This small act leads to a more profound healing experience. The motif of portraiture is also evoked as Elsie helps Digby draw a portrait of his mother, which replaces the image of the gruesome "death mask" by which he previously remembered her. This pivotal scene foreshadows Elsie's future role in Digby's life, and adds additional layers to the novel's conceptual understanding of healing, as art is presented as an avenue to identity, which is essential for recovery. To express his thanks, Digby gives Elsie one of his most treasured objects, a copy of Gray's Anatomy, which eventually becomes a form of inheritance and knowledge for future generations, when Mariamma inherits the text. These gifts connect Digby and Elsie. The motifs of hands and portraits are evoked again as Chandy drives Elsie and Philipose to Parambil. In the backseat, Elsie and Philipose touch fingers in the car, sparking a connection between them. Elsie draws Philipose's portrait, creating an enduring bond, even as they grow up apart. Both Philipose and Digby remember Elsie for years, crediting her portraits with helping them face their true selves.
The symbolic power of water is evoked again during Rune's death. Rune dies of a heart attack while singing in the shower. As Digby later explains, Rune died "living," expressing joy and vitality through song. This tragic death contrasts with the fear of death the Parambil family experiences; unafraid of death, Rune's life and abilities were not limited. He did not fear contracting leprosy and was thus able to open a life-changing community. Similarly, Philipose discovers his purpose in life and the depth of his courage when he prioritizes the boatman's baby over his fear of water. Philipose's arrival at Saint Bridget's is an example of the theme of fate. Guided solely by the water, Philipose arrives at Saint Bridgets, where Digby, a skilled surgeon, happens to be present. Philipose's recent English education, a consequence of his serendipitous meeting with Koshy Saar, is the only way he can communicate swiftly and effectively with Digby. Philipose uses direct quotations and strange vocabulary from Moby Dick to explain the situation, foreshadowing how literature will become part of Philipose's identity and later save his life. Philipose helps Digby perform surgery on the baby, acting as his hands, and though he is successful, his fear and revulsion demonstrate that his fate is not to be a doctor, despite his mother's wishes.
