I will not go into the details of this episode as the synopsis gives a fairly detailed description of the plot. What it does not do however is provide any insight into the philosophical questions raised in this episode which have relevance to the United States psyche perhaps even more strongly today.
In this episode Caine is placed in an interesting position, a monk trained to respect all life he encounters a woman Annie who as she has been raped and does not want the child, Whilst his position may seem callous or unfeeling to some, he counsels Annie to release her anger, recognising the destructive energy of this emotion.
As with all such destructive emotions, the desire for revenge leads to death, that of her brother and the baby, born prematurely as a result of Annies rage at Caines refusal to collude with her in revenge. This it should be added is also strongly driven by her father whose hatred runs to that of all 'Yankees' for the destruction of his farm (no doubt worked by slaves).
Whilst Annie on the death of her baby sees the futility and destruction of her emotions the father cannot. This then is the hard medicine for the psyche. Whilst the feminine is able to forgive and let go the masculine falls into decrepitude when faced with the impotence of its inability to exact revenge.
It see,s a shame that we cannot learn from these lessons as even after Ghandi and Mandela the path of non-violence is seen by others as weak.
In this episode Caine is placed in an interesting position, a monk trained to respect all life he encounters a woman Annie who as she has been raped and does not want the child, Whilst his position may seem callous or unfeeling to some, he counsels Annie to release her anger, recognising the destructive energy of this emotion.
As with all such destructive emotions, the desire for revenge leads to death, that of her brother and the baby, born prematurely as a result of Annies rage at Caines refusal to collude with her in revenge. This it should be added is also strongly driven by her father whose hatred runs to that of all 'Yankees' for the destruction of his farm (no doubt worked by slaves).
Whilst Annie on the death of her baby sees the futility and destruction of her emotions the father cannot. This then is the hard medicine for the psyche. Whilst the feminine is able to forgive and let go the masculine falls into decrepitude when faced with the impotence of its inability to exact revenge.
It see,s a shame that we cannot learn from these lessons as even after Ghandi and Mandela the path of non-violence is seen by others as weak.