47 pages 1 hour read

Timothy Findley

Not Wanted on the Voyage

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1984

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Important Quotes

Quotation Mark Icon

“But others who knew the meaning of her colors asked no questions. The answers, in times like these, could only be troubling and thus were better left unknown.”


(Page 7)

The messenger’s colors indicate that she comes directly from Yaweh. Those who knew this understood that nothing good can come from his direct involvement and that ignorance is therefore bliss.

Quotation Mark Icon

“WHAT HAVE WE DONE, THAT MAN SHOULD TREAT US THUS?”


(Page 17)

The first message Yaweh sends to Dr. Noyes contains this ominous message. Indicating God’s outrage at his treatment, it is the first sign that the almighty might be vulnerable to harm at the hands of humans, if only emotionally. Noah is disturbed by the question, wondering why God would bother to ask such a thing. This begs the question, if God is not infallible, is he still God?

Quotation Mark Icon

“Imagination was a curse and she wished devoutly she had not been ‘blessed’ with it. Blessed. Who did the blessing, she wondered.”


(Page 20)

Try as she might, Mrs. Noyes can find no respite from the recent events and her duties. Even if she closed her eyes and ears to them, and her calls to action, her imagination would force her to experience everything just the same. This, she believes, is more curse than gift. It is certainly demonstrated that Shem, devoid of such things, has comparatively little to give him stress.

Related Titles

By Timothy Findley