The Hundredth Chain
At one point in life, everyone is held back. Whether it is a lot or a little, forever or for a day, we all feel the metal cuffs tighten around our wrists. It is not hard to break free from these chains, but for some people, there are more than just one thing holding them down. Hugh, in the short story “The Hundredth Dove” feels these restrictions, and lives with them every day. Unfortunately, it is not as easy to escape from this cage. When a person of power gains a hold on us it is almost impossible to get away, but if we are also trapped in our own selves, only a tragedy can set us free.
Hugh the fowler was most dedicated to his work, and to the king in which he served. His motto “servo” or I serve, was fastened to his chest day and night, eager to show itself to anyone willing to look. If not observant, few could tell that what really hung over his heart was more than a promise on a piece of fabric. Chains held it down; belonging to the king, and to his own self. Though Hugh captures birds, he was the one who was trapped, and showed it while in the King’s castle. “And indeed he felt uncomfortable in the palace, as though caught in a stone cage.” He feels as though the King has caught him in a net, unable to break free. The reason Hugh finds so much pleasure in his profession is because he feels in control when capturing those small, innocent things, but in reality, he is still lost inside.
A dove is a beautiful creature, symbolizing love, promise, and grace. It seems as though it would be a crime to kill one of these birds, but for Hugh, it brings pleasure. Being forced to carry out these tasks has made his heart cold, and his mind confused and weak. At one point in the story, Hugh looks into a fire, but does not see warmth. He has been trapped and lost for so long that fire does not bring warmth to him anymore, only a numbing feeling, and what a dangerous feeling that is. He then placed his hand upon the motto over his heart, letting the cage get the best of him, not even trying to break free.
On the last day of bird catching, when Hugh has only one dove left to find, he travels through the forest early in the morning. Throughout the day, the meadow teems with life. Animals come out, flowers bloom, and a beautiful picture unfolds, but it is all unknown to Hugh, as he waits for the last dove to arrive. By being trapped inside his own head, the fowler misses a heart-warming event, all because of a cruel task with no point or purpose. When the dove finally comes in Hugh’s grasp, he captures it, and comes to a jaw-dropping conclusion. The milky white dove was not just a beautiful bird, but the queen herself, and though she tried and tried to pursued the fowler otherwise, he snapped her neck, completing the task. Though the event was heart-breaking, Hugh breaks free from the ropes that bind him down, and tears the motto from his chest. Though he will be free for the rest of his life, he will have to live with a heart as mangled and shredded as what used to be the “servo” on his chest.
People like Hugh are few and far between, and the chances of them freeing themselves from their chains are even less. The strength it takes to do something as big as what the fowler did that day at the forest is monumental, but the horrible outcome was the thing that unlocked the cell doors in Hugh’s mind. Unfortunately, the consequences of his actions will have a heavy hand in his future years, almost as much as his newfound freedom. There is no real answer to whether it was worth it or not, but what happened was the only way for Hugh to find himself, and find himself he did.
