The Power of Dreams

My initial impression of Waiting for the Barbarians was a negative one; I thought the novel was quite odd. I was thrown off by the strange emotional and physical relationship between the narrator and the barbarian girl. I, however, have since become fond of this allegorical story. I enjoyed the Magistrate as the narrator. He seems an honest, observant, and unassuming man who seeks the truth and wants make sense of the cruelty around him. He is heroic in his own simple way. He defends those who cannot defend themselves, shows pity and mercy for the victims of the Empire’s torture, and quietly but firmly defies the Empire. I also enjoy the simple, straightforward style of the novel; it is refreshing after the dense writing of Joseph Conrad.

My favorite parts of the novel so far have been the dreams of the narrator. I am particularly fascinated by the symbolism in the dreams about the children playing in the snow. The Magistrate first has this dream after he sees the barbarian boy who has been tortured. The dream reflects his internal struggle over the evil in what the agents of the Empire have done to the little boy and his father. The Magistrate has always been a loyal servant to the Empire, but now he cannot allow innocent people to be treated so unjustly. According to www.mydreamvisions.com, a dream interpreting website, the snow in these recurring dreams represents “the idea of covering up, blanketing, hiding or obscuring what lies beneath.” Throughout the novel, the Magistrate is obsessed with uncovering the truth. He cannot simply turn a blind eye to the hidden evils of the Empire. The girl child building the snow castle in the Magistrate’s dream is a symbol of innocence. She represents the innocent barbarians who are tortured and mistreated by the agents of the Empire. According to the dream interpreting site, children in dreams can represent a feeling of responsibility for something or someone else in your life. The Magistrate feels responsible for the cruel treatment of the barbarians because he is a representative of the Empire. Thus far the novel has captured my attention, and I am anxious to see how it will end.