Afar but not Apart
Peter: Nothing is thousands of light years away. The universe is simply not that vast. Nor need it be to inspire the deepest human wonder.
Henrietta: How could you say that the universe “isn’t that vast?” How could you say that? … It’s a good thing the universe doesn’t care what you think. Or me. Or Newton, or Kepler. It just marches on. And waits for the blind to catch up. That would be you. (Silent Sky 48)
A number is laid on a table with people on either side of the table. One person says the number is a six. The other says it’s a nine. Who’s right? They both are. This is the essence of Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, summarized in the following points:
- Our perception of motion is relative to our reference frame. If we are on a train, we may think that we are at rest, but we are actually moving as fast as the train. A stationary observer would perceive our motion on the train, and simultaneously believe that they are stationary, but that is not necessarily true. Because the Earth is spinning around itself and orbiting around the sun, we are never truly at rest.
- Space and time are the same thing: spacetime or the spacetime continuum. This is due to the fact that the speed of light is constant and our standard for which we can determine distance of far off galaxies.
- Objects warp spacetime, curving it, which results in objects experiencing gravitational attraction to each other.
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity was introduced and explored between 1905 and 1915. When the characters of Silent Sky first learn about this, Peter in outrage says, “We are in an age of defiance. Relativity! It’s impossible. Except that it isn’t. Time is elastic, space is part of time. It’s ridiculous” (29). Today, our perception has shifted, and we completely accept the terms of Einstein’s relativity. Now, what if this idea of relativity were applied to our own interpersonal relationships? Instead of planets and stars, what if people are seen as objects in motion attracting and influencing one another?
Like Peter, we typically view life from our fixed reference frame, and we see the world in black and white, setting our perspective against the perspective of the other. In Silent Sky, Gunderson beautifully illustrates that though we have our own perspectives (our own reference frames), they are continually evolving, moving, orbiting, and changing due to the presence of others and their own perspectives. Henrietta has an effect on all of the characters she comes into contact with, and all of the other characters have a huge influence on her. The characters and their journeys are like planets and galaxies in orbit.
The chart above summarizes the different perspectives offered by the characters. They are all experiencing the same reality, but they each perceive different versions of this reality. More importantly, each character indirectly inspires, motivates, and shakes the reference frame of the others. Henrietta, who passionately lives with curiosity about the world and science, challenges Margaret, Peter, and Annie to live and work more passionately. Margaret, who takes Henrietta’s advice to work on her passion and begins working on a concerto, consequently causes Henri to discover that the pulsing of the Cepheids is not random but has a standard period. Without Annie and the encouragement of Williamina, Henrietta might have never studied the Cepheid stars. Each character profoundly impacts the trajectory of the other.
When Peter admits his love and Henrietta has to decline his offer to go on a European cruise due to her father’s failing health, the theory of relativity is brought up beautifully in their parting conversation (36):
Henrietta: It’s just space.
Peter: And time.
Henrietta: Which leaves us…?
Peter: Afar. But not apart.
Gunderson brings this collective together to illustrate that we all perceive reality differently, but when we live and embrace this relativity, we can discover that though we may be “afar” we are “not apart” from one another in this world. The people around us who influence our path may have a reference frame that seems to contradict or go against ours, but their truth can inspire our own if we continue to “insist that there is much more beyond ourselves” (62).