Previous
Chapter 35
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Yield, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Colonialism and Exploitation
The Power of Language and Cultural History
Family, Identity, and Belonging
Collective Trauma, Memory, and Guilt
Human Spirituality and the Natural World
Summary
Analysis
Reverend Greenleaf concludes his letter to Dr. Cross by repeating his belief that he will die in captivity. He fears his words will make no difference and questions the sensibility of defining a person by their place of origin (in his case, Prussia). Though he is a Lutheran minister, Greenleaf recently learned of Luther’s call to exterminate the Jewish people, which has made him question his faith. He feels guilty for supplanting the Aboriginal Australians’ “Baymee” with the Christian God, feeling he had no right to invalidate their faith. Though he feels his efforts are futile, Greenleaf begs Cross to advocate for him and the Mission residents. He reiterates his loyalty to the British monarchy before signing off at last.
Greenleaf’s comment about words suggest that language is only powerful if someone influential listens to its message. While place has played a significant role in many characters’ identities, here Greenleaf reflects on the way one’s country of origin can be used to unfairly generalize about a group of people. His ruminations on religion suggest his faith has been shaken by what he’s witnessed, and he now subscribes to a more universal view of spirituality. Greenleaf’s regrets show that he is finally comprehending his own complicity in colonialism, though it is too late for that to make a difference in the lives of the Mission’s residents.
Active
Themes
