We all need somebody to Lean on: Elizabeth's Source of Help and Hope

            In tough times I felt it is always better to keep a busy mind.  Many times I have resorted to staying active and surrounding my self with good people as kind of a way to cope with a bad situation.  Being around family and friends in hard times has always provided me with the comfort to move forward. I don’t know if this is a very healthy approach, but in the past it has provided a great deal of stability that can give you strength to move on.

            In the novel, A Question of Power, the protagonist Elizabeth finds hope and stability in a way that is very similar to me.  While working at the Co-op, Elizabeth encounters many individuals that help her and give the hope she needs to keep on living.  Kenosi is one character that has really provided Elizabeth with a great deal of stability.  She is a good friend to Elizabeth and they seem to connect in a very unique way. For example on page 111, the reader really gets a since of the bond these two women share.  “The two women paused. They were a perfect work-team together, silent, intent and yet always dependent on each other for a hand to lift a weight here and ease a load there” (111).  Kenosi seems to be the first person who is truly kind to Elizabeth.  Her kindness and dependability are major sources of help and hope for Elizabeth.

            Elizabeth and Kenosi seem to both need each other and the garden in their lives.  Elizabeth acts as Kenosi’s teacher in the garden.  She pretty much shows and tells her what to do in the garden. At the same time Elizabeth relies on Kenosi to provide her with a since of reality. On page 142 you can really see how important Kenosi are Elizabeth to each other.  Kenosi says to Elizabeth, “You must never leave the garden. I cannot work without you. People are teasing me these days.  They say: Kenosi, where’s your teacher…  Elizabeth struggled to an upright posture.  The way this woman brought her back to life and reality!”(142).

             The strange bond these women share have given them a since of meaning and stability to their lives.  Kenosi’s friendship has acted as a major catalyst to Elizabeth’s road to recovery. Without Kenosi’s kindness Elizabeth probably would have died or become even more insane. She has been vital in providing Elizabeth with the “Islands of Comfort and Stability” she needs to survive.