Sinful Actions?

        What is the meaning of sin? For a dictionary definition, defined by Merriam Webster, sin is an action that is or is felt to be highly reprehensible.  In other words, sin is an action created by someone in which someone else, such as us, view as wrong. The word sin is thrown around a lot, mostly in cultures such as Christianity where there are specific “commandments” in which one should follow to avoid committing a sin. Katherine Dunn’s novel Geek Love plays around with the human norms on morals and ethics. From the beginning of Geek Love to the very end you can question the actions of several of the characters portrayed throughout the novel. Oly, the narrator in the novel is often pinned between a rock and a hard place when it comes to making the right decision for her siblings. A good example is when the twins turn 18 and want their own van. They move out, and almost immediately lose their virginity to a random man that Oly chooses. He pays them for the honor, which entices them. They make Oly promise not to tell anyone about their encounter. And after thinking it over, she decided not to revile their secret to anyone. She instead reveals to the twins that Arty has frequent relations with "norm" girls. The twins then set a high price for the people coming to sleep with them to make sure they only receive men who are highly interested in what they have to offer. They also have their piano teacher, Jonathan Tomaini, become their pimp. Obviously Oly was faced with the hardships of ratting out her sisters, or letting them continue onward. I think Oly decided to let them go on because if she were to revile what the siblings were practicing, it may have in the long run affected the similar acts that Arty was pursuing in. Sin plays a huge role in this chapter, and the morals of normal human beings cringe at the thought of 18 year old girls selling their bodies to complete strangers. Oly who could have put a stop to this horrible set of events, didn’t because she didn’t want to lose the relationship she hold with her brother Arty. Because of this I think that the usually innocent character Oly, shows a little bit of a monstrous side. By letting such a sin slip by with her siblings, I believe that she is showing a bit of a “non innocent” side of her very own character. We can say this because she wants to maintain her relationship with Arty, even if that means not intervening in something that she probably should have intervened with. Katherine Dunn’s novel Geek Love has proven to be a novel of interesting situations that unravel one by one at almost spontaneous times. I think this tactic keeps the reader involved and hungry to know more and more as the story continues on. It will be interesting to see if Oly has anymore “-monstrous” moments to come.