Travel Essays · Chapter
The Monks explained
The narrator visits the Trappist monastery of Our Lady of the Snows, guided by a friendly Irish deacon.
What happens
The narrator visits the Trappist monastery of Our Lady of the Snows, guided by a friendly Irish deacon. He explores the cloisters, library, workshops, and gardens, observing the monks' daily routines, their vow of silence, and their austere yet cheerful life. He reflects on the wisdom of the monastic rule, the division of time, and the peace it brings, and attends the evening compline service.
Themes in this chapter
Human Connection and Community
The narrator finds the monks singularly sweet-tempered and full of kind and healthy interest in various subjects, despite their vow of silence.
Freedom vs. Confinement
The narrator reflects on the monastic rule as a model of wisdom, dividing the day into manageable portions and bringing peace of mind, contrasting with the mismanagement of life outside.
Mortality and the Passage of Time
The monks' life is of uncertain tenure, death is a frequent visitor, and the joy-bells ring at a monk's death as for a marriage, emphasizing the passage from life to heaven.
Characters to notice
- Father Michael
A pleasant, fresh-faced, smiling man of about thirty-five who gives the narrator a glass of liqueur and listens indulgently to his talk.
- Father Apollinaris
Mentioned as a monk who busies himself with making roads.
- The Abbot
The mitred abbot who employs himself in binding books and whose mother was permitted to witness his consecration.
- Brother Ambrose
A hearty, conversible French brother who waits on strangers and leads the narrator to his room.
- The Irish Deacon
A fresh, young little Irishman of fifty, a deacon of the Church, who has lived seven years in retreat in Belgium and five at Our Lady of the Snows; he guides the narrator through the monastery.
Key passages
“He showed me his own room, where he passed his time among breviaries, Hebrew Bibles, and the Waverley Novels.”
The Irish deacon displayed his personal cell, filled with prayer books, Hebrew scriptures, and Sir Walter Scott's novels.
Illustrates the blend of religious devotion and secular literature in the monk's private life.
“A happier nor a healthier company I should scarce suppose that I have ever seen.”
I doubt I have ever encountered a group more cheerful and robust.
Highlights the narrator's surprise at the monks' vitality despite their austere regimen.
“Into how many houses would not the note of the monastery bell, dividing the day into manageable portions, bring peace of mind and healthful activity of body!”
The monastery bell, which segments the day into small tasks, could bring mental calm and physical vigor to many households.
Reflects the narrator's admiration for the structured monastic schedule.