Night Watch: A Novel

Part 1 opens in 1874, nine years after the conclusion of the Civil War, introducing the theme of The Societal Impacts of War. Though the war is over, ConaLee still notes that Papa fought for the Confederacy, and O’Shea’s scar reminds ConaLee of other wounded soldiers. In the Reconstruction Era, the tensions of the Civil War remain (See: Background). ConaLee remembers her mother telling her, “We are hiding from the War and men leaving the War” (33), and they are still hiding from the remaining conflicts and men nine years later. Since they live in West Virginia, which “betrayed the South and stood for the Union” (18), tensions are particularly high. ConaLee inadvertently exposes the uniquely individual motivations within this conflict by stating, “If Papa was for the South, I was for the Union” (18), showing how personal relationships impact each person’s perception of the war. Phillips specifically includes these details to show the reader how the Civil War reached far past its conclusion in 1865.

ConaLee’s mother is in a semi-catatonic state, and Phillips provides early hints of the cause and nature of ConaLee’s mother’s affliction. ConaLee notes that her mother spoke before Papa came home, implying that Papa’s presence or something he did caused ConaLee’s mother to withdraw into herself. These observations foreshadow the reveal of the sexual and physical abuse ConaLee and her mother have suffered at Papa’s hands. When ConaLee and her mother are alone, ConaLee tells her mother, “Whatever came before—it’s not true here,” prompting her mother to say, “Here, we are safe” (40). “Whatever came before” refers directly to ConaLee and her mother’s life with Papa in the mountains of West Virginia, which was fraught with struggles. ConaLee’s mother gave birth to three other children since Papa came to them, which implies that Papa assaulted ConaLee’s mother. Combining this evidence, Phillips develops the theme of Trauma and Its Long-Term Effects through Papa invading ConaLee’s home and assaulting her mother. The trauma forced ConaLee’s mother to withdraw, and ConaLee’s mother cannot come out of her catatonic state until she is safe.

ConaLee’s “fits,” in which she sees lights, connects with Dearbhla telling her to go to Dearbhla in her mind “[n]o matter what that man do” (36). In addition to encouraging ConaLee to withdraw, like her mother, Dearbhla gives her roots to “stave off [her] monthlies, keep [her] scent and sweat pure as a child’s” (36). Dearbhla wants to prevent ConaLee from menstruating to protect her from getting pregnant because of Papa’s assaults. The importance of keeping ConaLee childlike, through scent and sweat, is to try to keep Papa from wanting to assault ConaLee. At the same time, ConaLee sees lights at night when Papa is making noises, and she feels uncomfortable thinking about Papa’s hands. ConaLee’s fear of Papa is intrinsically linked to her “fits,” in which ConaLee loses consciousness and cannot remember what happened. Dearbhla’s “conjuring,” in this case, is psychological, encouraging ConaLee to protect herself from trauma by blacking out.

Though ConaLee struggles to communicate with her mother, their relationship introduces the theme of The Importance of Family. ConaLee helps her mother manage her breastmilk, and ConaLee cared for her siblings prior to leaving the mountains. ConaLee and her mother also share their defense mechanism of withdrawing into themselves to ward off Papa’s violence. When Mrs. Bowman asks if ConaLee’s mother knows ConaLee, “Mama incline[s] her head toward [ConaLee], and h[olds] out her hand to seek [hers]” with tears in her eyes (28), highlighting the intensity of their familial bond. Their shared trauma and resistance to Papa’s invasion shows the value of their relationship in surviving the Reconstruction Era in which the novel takes place.

Papa reveals that he is not ConaLee’s father, and his devious behavior indicates that he is not a trustworthy character. He decides to avoid towns and gives ConaLee and her mother false names, both showing a desire to avoid legitimate association with others. When ConaLee responds to Papa, she calls him “sir,” adding that “he like[s] to be addressed as such” (16). Papa insists on being called “Papa” or “sir,” implying a desire for control and authority over ConaLee and her mother. Papa also “named Mama to suit himself—called her Mrs. until she was Miss Janet,” and he mispronounces ConaLee’s name as “Connolly” (13). Such behavior—renaming people to dehumanize them and insisting on titles of authority to maintain dominance—is common in abusive relationships. Though Papa leaves ConaLee and her mother at the asylum, his devious characterization foreshadows the possibility that he will return later in the novel to antagonize ConaLee and her mother.