A Jest of God concludes with the curious and ambiguous quote: “God’s mercy on reluctant jesters. God’s grace on fools. God’s pity of God” (p 209). The quote opens up many probing ideas and appears impossible to decipher. However, the following is my interpretation of the above quote.
In my opinion, Rachel Cameron, coinciding with the rest of her closing, addresses herself in this quote. She, the reluctant jester, avoids immature, irresponsible, or/and stupid actions and appears perpetually self aware of these actions; continuously worrying about what everyone thinks—including children who never truly judge only observe. She was never able to laugh at herself or enjoy the small things in life. In addition, she is a fool. A fool traditionally does not lead themselves; walking in darkness following not leading. She may be categorized as a fool through her inability to stand up for herself as well as her crippling servitude to her mother. These two lines are directed to people who share the same inabilities as well as to herself. However, the final line is addressed to God. God alone is able to have mercy and grace on such people for they are alone to themselves and to their thoughts. Additionally if one is a God fearing person then God alone bestowed these gifts of awkwardness upon them. With this idea at hand, Rachel asks God to have pity on Himself. God is an un-reluctant jester and a wise “man”. However, if God thinks that such things are funny then He alone deserves His own pity.
This is a very loose idea and I have much to play with it. But I believe that she is asking God to question Himself and His inability to be serious. However, the novel itself is trying to avoid or move away from seriousness. I believe that one must be able to laugh at oneself in order to enjoy life—But is God laughing too much?
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Adam--if I understand this correctly, you're basically arguing here that, while Rachel might have been a fool throughout the novel, she learns to accept her foolishness? And that this new-found irony she learns to apply to God? So that the joke that she's become--the middle-aged sex-starved spinster-schoolteacher formerly pregnant with a tumor--acquires cosmic dimensions? What a fascinating idea.
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