Parker's Back

Throughout his life, Parker searches for meaning through the acquisition of tattoos. When he first sees a tattooed man as a young boy, he notes that the colorful design on his skin seems to have a “subtle motion of its own” (513). The tattoos are described as an intricate network of designs, all moving together in harmony, which reflects the spiritual idea of unity or oneness of all creation. Before this moment Parker has been simply existing, without any thought or concern for the deeper meaning of existence. But at this moment, he sees the tattoos as something mystical and powerful and feels compelled to imitate the tattooed man to add meaning to his life. He begins to accumulate a network of tattoos in imitation of the man at the fair, hoping that they will bring him a sense of inner satisfaction and completeness.

However, Parker is not fully satisfied with the acquisition of tattoos. He changes tactics, instead of picking designs of “lifeless ones like anchors and crossed rifles” (514), he begins to select designs of vibrant animals and powerful figures. Still, the narrator says, “something about it that had attracted him would wear off” (514), and he would once again find himself dissatisfied. With each additional tattoo, this dissatisfaction seems to deepen “from being chronic and latent” to being “acute and raged” (514). Parker’s attempts are unsuccessful because he is attempting to create spiritual meaning through physical processes. They leave him frustrated.

When Parker does at last find meaning, it is through embracing his divine calling. Parker has resisted any sense of spiritual meaning until he overturns a tractor and finds himself lying before a burning tree with his shoes removed. This is an allusion to the story of Moses and the burning bush. At this moment, Parker knows what he must do, and without thinking about it, sets out toward the city to get another tattoo. There he flips through a book with religious images. He passes one that is a Byzantine Christ with “all-demanding eyes” (522). This design speaks to him: “His heart too appeared to cut off; there was absolute silence. It said as plainly as if silence were a language itself, Go back” (522). Without being fully aware, Parker acquiesces to the divine plan for his life.

When he returns to Sarah Ruth, he finds the door locked. She says she does not know him and refuses to let him in until he says his biblical name: Obadiah. Because Obadiah means servant of God, Parker speaking his name aloud can be read as an acceptance of his divine identity. The narrator says, “he felt the light pouring through him, turning his spider-web soul into a perfect arabesque of colors, a garden of trees and birds and beasts” (528), showing he finally found the meaning he sought. The outer unity and harmony of the tattooed designs he saw as a child are engraved on his soul in a moment of redemption and clarity.