The Lover by Marguerite Duras - Essay Example

?The Lover Order No. 804345 Introduction “The Lover” by Marguerite Duras is acclaimed as an international bestseller by critics all over the world and to prove this statement true, this book has sold over one million copies and is the proud winner of France’s Prix Goncourt. Duras’s book was first published in 1984 and drew the attention of critics because of its content. The book comprises of an interesting but haunting tale of a poverty stricken teenager and the steamy love affair between herself, an adolescent French girl and her lover who was Chinese. The backdrop of the story is set in Indochina during Marguerite’s childhood in the prewar period. The protagonist of this thrilling novel, Marguerite Duras, who also happens to be the author, unfolds in simple yet luminous prose, the tale of life, as lived on the borders of Saigon during the days of France’s colonial empire. The narrative focuses on the intricate and passionate relationship shared between two outcasts and their tumultuous love affair. Marguerite Duras’s scintillating novel is written straight from her heart and this is what makes reading it, all the more worthwhile. The author Brecht's Galileo (1940) uses a very emphatic quote that states – “Truth is the daughter of time, not authority” and in this essay we are going to examine different incidents in the life of Duras and see how they relate to the above quote. The aging author reminisces about the past and the impoverished life she had led with her mother and her belligerent brothers when they resided in Saigon. The style used for her narrative is like that of a memoir as she unravels the harsh realities of her colonial existence of the 1930’s in French Indochina. During her childhood and even as a teenager, Duras had to face the harsh realities of life while co-existing with her “beggar family”. However, she was not one to be put off easily by her misfortunate existence and decides that she needed to bring about a change for the better. The first thing she did was to wear a man’s fedora hat in addition to gold lame shoes. This change of costume enabled her to view herself as someone who was different. In fact, this costume acted as a sort of magic trick because it helped her to distance herself from her deadening mother and the rest of her poverty stricken family. The trick works for her and she feels much happier when dressed in this fashion. “The Lovers” (1984) by Duras is a postmodern dreamy fantasy that helps her escape from the wretchedness of her life. This teenaged French girl tries to make good her escape from her demented mother whose life is steeped in utter despair, depression and jealousy. In a twist of fate, the young girl of fifteen happens to meet a Chinese millionaire, a financier who was 12 years her senior. This chance meeting took place as they happened to cross the Mekong River one day. The girl goes all out to surrender and lose herself in his wealth and passion in the hope that her family would be provided for. The millionaire, who though much older to her has traveled across the world and hence has an impeccable refinement about him. Describing him in her first glimpse she states – “Inside the limousine there’s a very elegant man looking at me. He’s not a white man. He’s wearing European clothes – the light tussore suit of Saigon bankers. He’s looking at me”. (Duras, 17) Even though this teenager is surrounded and steeped in all that is cheap and humiliating, yet, her strength of character is poignantly etched by the author to be one of strength and great resilience. The protagonists strength of character is one of the most remarkable and memorable aspects of the novel. The courage she exhibits when dealing with matters relating to her demented mother is highly commendable. One of the clear incidents that portray her amazing capacity to help and love those who are weaker than herself can be seen when she interacts with her own mother. For example, when her daughter dresses in an interesting fashion, the bitterness within the jealous mother, wells up and turns into sadism. In her despair she undresses her and gives her a beating. Supporting this statement of her mother’s poor treatment of her is the following sentence – “…the mother represents madness. Our mothers always remain the strangest, craziest people we’ve ever met.” (Duras, 40) Even in such a situation she does not feel that her mother is loathsome and repulsive. In fact, she feels sorry for her because she understands that she is innocent, but a victim of her misery because of the harshness meted out to her by the world. She pities her and loves her unconditionally. Though quite young, she understands that seducing this wealthy man could bring about a great changer for the better and pursues her target with great determination. She notices that he is a bit backward and shy on their first meeting and this aspect is clearly seen when he offers her a cigarette with trembling fingers. Duras brings this to our notice in the following sentence. "There's the difference of race, he's not white, he has to get the better of it, that's why he's trembling." (Duras, 17) The poverty –stricken atmosphere she has to deal with everyday, prompts her to seek a better life for herself at any cost. She pushes asides her shyness and tries her best to make the Chinese millionaire feel more at ease with her. She desperately wanted him to come closer to her, in the hope that he would show compassion on her family and maybe offer her mother and brothers a good meal. She needs him to be less afraid in order that he could use her for his pleasure as he did other women. This eye- opening incident was also a contributing factor that goes to explain Brecht's Galileo (1940) quote that – “Truth is the daughter of time, not authority”. The clear message by the author is not only about truthful and reckless seduction, but it is more about how colonialism messes with people’s lives while shattering their desires and dreams in the stark emptiness of poverty and worthless living. The forbidden sexual encounter between them and the way she panics when she realizes that she desires him, strongly points to her background and the way she had been brought up in dire poverty. Though this encounter is filled with a deep intensity and mind- blowing passion, yet her impoverished upbringing is what makes her stop and cry uncontrollably about her hate for her mother and the poverty she is drowned in, to the man she thought of seducing. Nevertheless, their love and possession of each other is unrestrained, erotic, tumultuous yet devastating. Duras’s protagonist also exudes a nobility and generosity rarely seen in girls her age. She has two brothers whom she loves unconditionally. Her elder brother is a wastrel and still depends on his mother and sister for everything. He had never made a man of himself due to his corrupt and brutal ways. Yet, she shows him compassion and love because she understands that he is helpless in his impoverished condition. She also loves her younger brother with a tinge of sadness and reservation. She understands that though he is good looking, he is dull- witted and fragile. Yet, she loves him unconditionally. Both her brothers are ironically present in her sexual subconsciousness whenever her thoughts and emotions are related to her long lost lover. Another one of her loves that capture her sexual imagery is the only other white girl in the school who becomes her school friend - Helene Lagonelle. She openly declares her desire for Helene and fantasies about sexual relations with her. Her imagination goes to such an extent that she wishes to take Helene to her lover and make her experience the same pleasure she had experienced. The narrator of this heart wrenching tale is the author herself, who, now in the position of a mature writer is able to unravel the mysteries of unrequited love all through her growing years. She describes her true love for both her mother and her lover, the Chinese millionaire. Both these loves were incapable of giving her the true happiness she desired. The poverty stricken life and inadequacies offered by her mother only brought her sadness and pain. The relationship shared with her Chinese lover was left unrequited because society would never condone a relationship of marriage between them because of the disparities in their economic statuses, the difference in their ages and races. The pain, torture, remorse and anger she feels now as a prematurely aging adult, all the more explains her present wisdom of how she had been forced into permanent sadness and heartache which would remain with her until she dies. She is plagued with fearful memories of her childhood and adolescence when she was abused and ravaged at the young age of fifteen and she is helpless because she has no control over it. Looking back on her and experiences with deep regret and remorse the author explains that “Truth is the daughter of time, not authority”. Even though she understood the mistakes she had made in life, yet she was incapable of turning the hands of time to make any amends. Though wisdom has shed light through her experiences, yet, time has taken a toll on her physical appearance and all she is left with is a great numbness and a decaying body over which she has no control whatsoever. In her novel “The Lovers” Duras’s pain and agony of unrequited love is so beautifully explained that it pulls at the reader’s heart strings while making many of them identify themselves with her while relating to their own harsh realities in their own lives. This novel written in simple yet aesthetic prose, haunts any reader who dares to read her story and leaves them both saddened and empty. Reference Duras, Marguerite. The Lover. New York. Pantheon Books, 1997. Read More