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Elle Williams

Heinhorst

ENG 2250

The Light of the World: A Reflection

Our story begins in 1962, with two babies being born. One in Eritrea, the son of

Zememesh Berthe. The other in the United States, daughter of Adele Alexander. Who would

have thought these star-crossed lovers would meet thirty-four years later in a caf. It was love at

first site, author, Elizabeth Alexander writes (Alexander 5). Immediately after their encounter a

relationship ensues. The author draws the reader into this perfect love story between herself and

Ficr. The reader is able to gauge Elizabeths feelings toward meeting Ficre through quotes like,

I felt a visceral torquelightning struck and did not curdle but instead turned to sweet, silken

butter (Alexander 5). By sharing their love story, Elizabeth is able to spread Ficres love as he

would have wanted. It is less of her selling a book but more of her celebrating the life the two of

them created. Elizabeth strives to show that Ficre is a well versed survivor by sharing details of

his past. Though she doesnt outright say it, Elizabeths life before him was insignificant. He is

what gave her life meaning. Its as if her life started with him and centered around the moment

they met, and the author exemplifies this feeling by saying, Our love began in an instant and

progressed inevitably (Alexander 8)

Alexanders voice isnt demanding yet she commands respect. The compatibility between

the couple is so apparent it is almost fantastical in nature. When describing the night her and

Ficre consummated their love, Elizabeth goes on to say, When we first became lovers, we

entered a three-day, three-night vortex (Alexander 50). This feeling is mutual among the reader

causing them to be immersed into a similar vortex while reading. The reader becomes enveloped
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in idea of having a man like Ficre. Ficre wouldnt appear to be a regular man, especially with his

bright wardrobe palette. He isnt regular rather hes an extraordinary man, lover, father, painter,

chef, and thinker. The reality is Ficre was a very interesting man. Being so culturally integral and

aware, he would put his unique identity in food her made or art he created. He would create

flavors that danced on tastebuds, and colors that didnt exist. Alexanders focus is that the reader

can see Ficre through her eyes, that they are able to envision her life with Ficre and capture every

detail about him. She notes all the wonderful things about him including his standard behaviors,

physicality, and attractiveness. Through her imagery, Ficre appears vividly to the audience. She

also adds that he was beautiful, and utterly without vanity (Alexander 54). The audience then

proceeds to fall in love with his mind and heart which is evident of what Elizabeth valued the

most. Whats also extraordinary is Ficre treated Elizabeth as an equal. They were in every sense

united, their relationship thrived as a result.

In this work Alexander is generating a new idea of how people fall in love. She and Ficre

courted over six weeks in the summer of 1996 (Alexander 50) where they talked all day and all

night for six weeks straight (Alexander 55). Here the reader sees two people in their mid 30s,

falling in love almost overnight and becoming pregnant, and marrying shortly thereafter. About

their marriage, Elizabeth writes that we waited a year impatiently (Alexander 61) [before

getting married]. On their wedding night Elizabeth recounts, I fell into a profound sleep, my

hand on the baby quickening within me (Alexander 62). This might call to question the social

acceptance of their love story. They didnt follow any guidelines, this allowed them to seize the

moment. The two of them shared a deep connection instantly, built a strong foundation upon it,

and added to its structure everyday. This plays on societys shifting interpretation of marriage

and whats important in a relationship.

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What makes Alexander an expert on love and loss? Its her experience in losing love. A

person doesnt know devastation until theyve built a structure entirely out of love only to have it

fall to the ground, and be lost forever. Ficre, who gave Elizabeth validation as a woman, a wife,

and a mother, gives the reader something to fall for. They can feel true empathy for a woman

whose life was completely altered by the loss of her husband. After moving into a home suitable

for a family, Elizabeth and Ficre carried the baby pasha to his palace (Alexander 66). A year

later their second son was born and its as if everything about their life was complete.Time

moved as though through honey (Alexander 70), Alexander writes, and she spends a lot of time

curating her life in moments according to their significance to Ficre. Every fond memory serves

as evidence that their love existed in many forms. There was romantic love, Alexander never

explicitly describes her and Ficre making love but her use of language helps the sentiment. She is

never graphic. She only says The penis that was mine alone but states that it gave her her sons.

When describing their romantic love, she describes that, When we kissed, we tasted minerals on

each other's lips (Alexander 59).

She found love in their everyday life. Ficre and her would have cappuccinos. Ficre

cooked for her and planted trees for her that were lush and romantic. Some days he would

pick her up from her office and theyd go see a movie. Every night they put a baby aspirin on

each other's tongues. Its these sweet moments give the reader a peek into an ordinary suburban

couple.

The reader experiences Alexanders longing for love in Ficres absence. Her dreams are

what she holds onto at night. She holds Ficres hand and walks with him in her dreams.

Alexander must then find solace in the love her family and friends give her in their support. Ficre

can cannot truly be gone without a trace because he lives on in each of their hearts. In his death
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she has learned the impossible, that there was even more to love about Ficre. She dwells on the

perfection of their life, which makes the healing harder. How does one recover when their life is

suddenly marred with imperfection? She resents not having the ability to talk with Ficre directly,

but his possessions reveal his wealth of knowledge and she can have an enriching dialogue with

him once more.

Alexanders writing structure is not chronological as time jumps and flashbacks are

common. Rather than a linear time line, she takes an event or emotion and makes it the theme of

a chapter. Those themes vary but all revolve around the same thing, Ficre. Ficre everywhere

she says after his death. Her purpose in writing this was to give something back. A gift to Ficre,

for all he had given her: love, a lasting marriage, sons, stability, and culture. She wants the

audience to grasp that Ficre was a significant being who did not deserve the die unnoticed. Her

gift is to immortalize him in literature, a passion of his. She compels the reader to fall in love so

they not only understand her struggle but also benefit from Ficres touch. If the reader cant

relate to her in the beginning, they do after she describes his death.Her devastation is so real and

raw. As the reader follows her journey to find peace, they spiritually and emotionally connect

with him as she does when reaching for him in her dreams. As the audience realizes their bond

and the dependency she had on him, they are challenged to make sense of the matter. They suffer

the stages of grief with her as if experiencing it in real time. Through her writing she wants to

know if the reader could have healed so easily, what questions must they have for Ficre, and do

they gain any satisfaction from her memoir. I think writing this memoir was therapeutic and

helped Alexander find peace in all the unanswered questions she had concerning Ficre.
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Abstract

Though I am a cynic, I am also very gullible. I look for certain aspects of story before believing

in it. One of those things is, the relatability. Could I see it happening to me? If the answer is yes,

I think of the circumstances Id have to be under for it to occur. If those prove realistic, then I am

sceptic if the story is deliberately trying to pull my leg or tug at my heartstrings. I need to know
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that the purpose of the story is genuine. Elizabeth Alexander has present me with a story of love

so perfect it could be a movie script. She also gives me a tale loss so captivating that her

credibility is undeniable. She engaged me as a reader and kept the story moving with beautiful

language. She has made me, a cynic, not only believe in love, but look forward to it. What does

this say about her as a writer? Shes a very good one. She captures the essence of her late

husband and gives it to the reader in capsules. These are doused with enough substance to make

the reader hooked. Hooked on Ficre and their love as if it was a drug. Her message is

intoxicating and invigorate the reader to the point where any doubt of the quality of her writing,

subsides. Do I buy into her story? Does she have a grip on reality? What is the take away? When

you find someone so amazing that they alter your realm of reality, embrace it. Cherish every

moment because it can all disappear, slip out of your grasp in an instant. When it is gone, you

will feel the void in every fiber of your being. Love makes you feel entirely unsure at first. Then

theres this moment when you know exactly what you feel, and who youre supposed to be with.

After that moment, you no longer want to live without this feeling of certainty. I invite a love so

great that it enables me to write with such depth and breadth on a matter most people wont

know. I invite a love so strong I could paint eight hundred canvases with colors that dont exist.

Works Cited

Alexander, Elizabeth.The Light of the World. New York, Grand Central Publishing, 2012.
Print.