The Violent Bear It Away

Hoping to cure Tarwater of his baptism compulsion, Rayber brings the boy back to Powderhead as a form of immersion therapy. He does so under the guise of a fishing trip at the Cherokee Lodge, located 30 miles from Powderhead. As always, Bishop comes along, and Rayber hopes that the more time the boys spend together, the easier it will be for Tarwater to resist the urge to baptize Bishop. At the lodge’s reception desk, Rayber writes out the names of his party, putting down “Frank” instead of “Tarwater,” which makes Tarwater furious. Compounding this fury is Rayber’s casual implication to the receptionist that Tarwater is his son. In a fury, Tarwater crosses out “Frank” and writes, “Francis Marion Tarwater. Powderhead, Tennessee. NOT HIS SON” (158).

For the first time in many chapters, the narrative is told once again from Tarwater’s perspective. Though keenly aware of the trap Rayber has set for him, Tarwater considers it a mere distraction from his internal struggle over whether to baptize Bishop and thereafter take on his great uncle’s mantle as a prophet. The only thing stopping him is the invisible friend from Mason’s gravesite.