In the Distance by Hernan Diaz- Book Review Pt. 2 - Character Analysis

In the Distance by Hernan Diaz- Book Review Pt. 2 - Character Analysis

Title: In the Distance

Author: Hernan Diaz

Publisher: Coffee House Press

Publish Date: 2017

Rating: 4.5/5

Summary(blurb): A young Swedish boy finds himself penniless and alone in California. He travels east in search of his brother, moving on foot against the great push to the west. Driven back over and over again on his journey through vast expanses, Håkan meets naturalists, criminals, religious fanatics, Indians, and lawmen, and his exploits turn him into a legend. Díaz defies the conventions of historical fiction and genre, offering a probing look at the stereotypes that populate our past and a portrait of radical foreignness. 

**This book review contains heavy spoilers**

In this second part of the review, I focus more on the character of Håkan Söderström, and a major change brought about in him. If you haven't read part one, you can do so here. 

If you haven't read the book, you should go read it. 

If you haven't read the book but still want to read this character dive, go read this brief summary/background I give of the book. 

Main Character— Håkan Söderström

Håkan Söderström is an unusual man; standing impossibly tall and looking like an “old, strong Christ” (Diaz 2), he looks both intimidating and kind, but above all tired. Life has beaten the vigor out of him. But even in this state, it is clear that Håkan is a resilient yet emotionally complex man— his entire story is driven by trying to reunite with his brother Linus, and along the way, he examines himself multiple times. Even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, Håkan continues chasing his goal for most of the story. 

As we follow Håkan’s journey, we quickly realize that only Håkan’s desire to reach Linus propels Håkan more than halfway across the entire American continent. When Håkan encounters Lorimer, his mentor and greatest teacher, Håkan departs swiftly and continues east once Lorimer starts heading west. Despite captivity, abuse, and violence, Håkan stays steadfast in his eastward course until he is apprehended by the sheriff in the unnamed city. Even when Håkan starts traveling west again with Asa, they plan to reach San Francisco and sail again to New York— Håkan’s determination to find and reach Linus is strong and commendable.

This resilience cannot be entirely praised, however, because Håkan actually has no concrete goal; New York is merely an intangible name in the distance, which Håkan knows deep down that he cannot reach. He is heading east simply because he has been heading east— he struggles against change. Whether he is blindly traveling eastward or alone in an earthen maze, he struggles to keep his current lifestyle and vehemently opposes change— after long periods of isolation, he develops anthropophobia and avoids humans as much as possible. As a result, Håkan makes some unwise decisions, such as not entering a village although he would likely be welcomed and get some much-needed rest from his travels.

Overall, Håkan is worthy of praise due to his immense resilience and determination to reach Linus; however, he does not embrace change in any form in his life, which leads to negative repercussions in the form of many missed opportunities.

Major Change in Håkan Söderström

An immense change in Håkan’s psyche comes about from the raid of the Soldiers of Jehu on the wagon train, and Håkan’s ensuing violence. Devastated and furious after witnessing Helen’s death, Håkan unleashes his rage on most of the raiders, killing most of them— and discovers a capacity for violence in himself that he had not known about. Although Håkan saves many lives, the lives he takes leave a permanent scar on Håkan’s brain, leading to a deep psychological change in the man.

Immediately after the act, Håkan is consumed by pain and guilt, but after discovering that others know about his murders, Håkan is intensely ashamed and feels humiliated. He is “soiled in front of everybody” (Diaz 141), feeling a sense of disgrace that others know him as only a murderer— the title of ‘killer’ would forever be associated with his name, as is the case when the sheriff addresses Håkan as the “giant killer doctor” (Diaz 167). This intense shame makes Håkan retreat from human company, isolating himself from all contact with humans— he avoids humans to the point where he will not even go near the outskirts of a village, even if it means leaving his donkey behind. He becomes a solitary man, standing alone in the wide expanse of the plains, withdrawing from society to avoid judgment.

Håkan’s isolation leads him to become more introspective and think more deeply, reflecting on himself and discovering new things about himself that he did not know. Slowly, Håkan’s introspections and ruminations lead to a change in the journey itself— whereas previously the voyage was merely a way to reach New York and find Linus, the journey has become a quest for Håkan to find himself as an individual. This culminates in the final scene, where Håkan resolves to trek across Russia alone to return to Sweden— Håkan has fully embraced his individuality, not so emotionally bound to Linus anymore.

Thus, Håkan’s violent encounter with the Soldiers of Jehu not only triggers a significant change in his psyche, but also changes the course of his journey. His immense shame at his murders makes him withdraw from the world and live in isolation, which in turn fosters greater introspection and reflection, eventually leading to Håkan accepting his individuality by crossing Russia alone.