In an existence so convoluted, a fallen angel becomes a beacon of hope and salvation in an otherwise dark journey. This angel is Lucifer. "Unlike most rouges, who tended to be hotheads an malcontents and very often dangerous - this creature ... was smiling, soft spoken and beautiful." (pg 59) Naturally this rouge angel chose

through the air to find the true and absolute culprit: the inevitable cause of all

The faithful of Yahweh are schooled in blind obedience rather than being taught to challenge and search for truth. With this they deny reality and free will. Noah fondly reminisces of a time when "the Fear of God would put women in their place again, and the young would bow before the Wrath once more," (pg 48) but even he longs for his son, Shem, to "let out even a single word of opposition - one little no that would indicate there was someone in there, thinking." (pg 240) Conversely, those who are in opposition to Noah and thus Yahweh are always questioning and are "always complaining - always saying 'no!' and succeeding - that [is] the wonder of it all." (pg 20) In Heaven, "all [Lucy] ever said was why ? " (pg 108) and it was this single word that resulted in her banishment and not, as commonly believed, her pride. This word is echoed by her husband, Ham, in his scientific inquiries and by Mrs. Noyes who "would not say 'yes sir' and never had." (pg 15) Despite that "the answers ... could only be troubling and were better left unknown," (pg 7) they always quest for truth and when they find it they risk punishment and say "NO" in order to uphold it. These questions are the only way that they can improve themselves and develop their own moral codes and values instead of being mindless automatons without free will. It is their only form of defiance and their refusal to obey Noah and Yahweh is the only way they can remain true to the law that is written upon their hearts. To Yahweh it is "monstrous that even the wisest of the wise should attempt to usurp their God, that they should ask of God: why and how ?" (pg 110) Only those who knew not to reach out with their hands and who knew not to dwell upon the word were worthy of his salvation. "Only the single chosen of the Lord may hear the Word," (pg 110) and the man chosen was Noah - thus taking the wisdom and truth of the Word away from the people and placing it within the hands of the man who would corrupt it. The building of the ark, to Noah "produced a thoroughly satisfying atmosphere of 'no more questions asked - no more questions needed'... as if the grandeur of the ark was its whole justification." (pg 119) Perhaps this is also true for his own religion, and if any questions were put forth they would expose the callousness that would allow only eight people out of countless nations to survive the forthcoming flood.

Not Wanted on the Voyage creates a world that is a negative photo image of all that we would wish it to be. The reversal of good and evil in the novel compels the reader to sit back and look at their own individual world objectively. What they find may be disturbing because their questions may unveil much injustice that has been done under the guise of goodness, and they may discover that their own personal biases towards what is "evil" may be just that - a basis that is founded in ignorance, not fact. After reading the novel you learn to challenge reality in order to find the truth buried within.

that was threatening, all that was dangerous; all that was foolish; all that was

Some topics in this essay:
Love Yahweh, God God, Creation Purity, Lucifer Unlike, God Noah, Divine Purpose, Lotte Hannah, Heaven Lucy, God Voyage, Unfortunately Shem, god pg, pg 110, death pg, pg 271, noah yahweh, death pg 271, doctor noyes, pg 66, pg 15, appearances deceiving, pg 69,