Doubt and Ambiguity

Doubt and ambiguity first appear in "Melanctha" in the guise of a suggested gap between appearance and reality: Melanctha and her mother are both "sweet-appearing," but apparently not sweet in a simple sense. The issue of false appearances comes to its peak with Jeff's fear that Melanctha is somehow deceiving him about herself or her feelings. Ultimately, however, the simple opposition between appearance and reality gives way to some more complicated suggestions about reality—in particular, that it is difficult or even impossible to know, especially over time, what is "real." Jeff's concern that Melanctha is deliberately deceiving him becomes overshadowed by his preoccupation with his inability to know her and her feelings. Even his own thoughts are, at times, uncertain to him. Consequently, Jeff learns to live with doubt and ambiguity. Conversely, those characters who never feel doubt—Rose Johnson and Jem Richards...