Karen Joy Fowler’s “What I Didn’t See” February 6, 2010

In Karen Joy Fowler’s story “What I Didn’t See” (2002), the disappearance of a woman, Beverly, during an excursion to Africa leaves the reader guessing her fate.  The group on the trip is researching the life of gorillas in their native habitat. This excursion takes place before the lifestyle of gorillas was known to be so similar to humans.  While the group is on their excursion, they are accompanied by a group of natives who only recently ceased the practice of cannibalism.  Fowler leaves the reader with a web of possibilities as to what might have happened to Beverly.

Although it is impossible to be sure of what happened to Beverly, certain clues lead me to believe that her life ended by means of the porters. Toward the end of the story they act very strangely.  Some of the men notice this behavior, “How they wouldn’t talk to us, but whispered to each other. How they left so quickly” (p. 353).  This could just be the porters acting scared that the gorillas might continue to take people however, if the men in the group stayed to search the forest, I find it curious that the porters would not even stay at the base camp.  Also, there is not much evidence that points toward Beverly being with the gorillas.  Fowler writes, “The men stayed eight more days on Mount Mikeno and never found so much as a bracelet” (p. 352).  If Beverly had indeed gone off with or been taken by the gorillas, the men most likely would have found some trace of her. Additionally, she was in a tent at the last known time of her whereabouts and there were no prints seen around the campsite. Gorillas taking her from her tent is not very likely, especially since Beverly was not menstruating, which was believed to draw the gorillas to women.  Eddie’s belief that the porters did not take Beverly is the only time Fowler presents the reader with support for the gorillas taking her. The strange behavior of the porters along with their disturbing recent past supports Beverly’s life ending on their terms. There is no factual evidence in the story that tells what happened. Instead, there are many suggestions to various possibilities. Although I would like to believe that Beverly when with the gorillas on her own terms, I can’t help leaning toward the evidence of her being taken by the porters.