Literary Criteria: Rebecca, and The Ghost Road - Essay Example

Teacher 25 September 2007 Literary Criteria, Rebecca, and The Ghost Road When judging any work of literature, there are many criteria with which you might choose to contrast different compositions. Williams (cited in Brown 2005) suggests before one can construct a literary critique, that person must first have some understanding of what ‘literature’ really is; Williams offers five fundamental aspects of literature for the critic who must discern a difference among them: writing that constitutes polite learning, a body of writing produced by a particular nation, creative or imaginative writing, substantial or important writing, and finally writing with aesthetic interest that can be classed as art (p.4). The novel is something that often falls between the cracks of such taxonomy, however, since any given novel might embody one or any number of the above classifications of literature. As such, it becomes important to rely on a different, often personal, classification system and related critiquing methodology. Various prestigious literary awards are given to authors who meet the specific criteria of each organisation; for example, the Booker Prize is awarded for the work which is the “best work of fiction by a British or Commonwealth writer”, and the Nobel Prize for Literature is given to the author who has “produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction” (ibid., p.199). Often, the criterion for judging literature rests on the personal opinions of the original organizing committee, however once this has been established it is the role of recruited judges to stay with such ideals and work within the boundaries of the competition or publication. Danson Brown proposes that there are three terms which are of vast importance in any literature judgement: taste, aesthetic and canon (p.200). Taste, in modern society, is related directly to consumerism and to each individual choosing literature that suits his or her own idea of what a novel should be. The tastes of each reader and therefore each judge will vary from that of another and it is this simple principle that makes brass judgement of literary works so difficult. Aesthetic refers to (again in modern society, as the word has evolved since its inception into the English language) the role of philosophy in judging literature. This criterion would have a critic assume that each novel should have undertones that inspire deeper thought on the part of the readers and propose some otherwise hidden aspect of the world or of the human psyche. Canon refers to the ability of the literature to be used as a research basis or to be studied within the educational system. This is one criterion that is often disregarded by literary judging panels since a great many works of literature, and certainly novels, do not have specific canon value however will have many other positive attributes. Gupta points out that before one can properly judge a novel or any work of literature, one must consider the genre of the piece (2005). Genre is something that helps to define novels, in that it gives the reader a bit more of a guideline and something to contrast the book to instead of jumping in without any background information on where the ideas in the book have come from. While it might seem the better idea to some readers and critics to explore a novel without labelling or defining it in any way, this may actually mean that layers of meaning are missed and certain pieces of humour, reference and undertone are completely overlooked. Most importantly, genre is something that helps the reader to establish a wider context while reading and to further understand situations and conversations within the book that otherwise would be missed. An example of this could be in reading the Charles Dickens classes David Copperfield and not being acquainted properly with the settings his character exists in nor the language of the times – a great deal of humour and nuance can be found in the pages however if it is read without the background information much will be missed. In this case, 19th century classic British novels would be the genre and while keeping other counterparts in mind, the tone and many ideas in the novel are more easily discernable. In limiting your novel to a genre, you suddenly have many other works completed in a similar vein to compare it to, and thus a better platform on which to judge the actual content of the book. Gupta concurs with Brown on the idea of aestheticism versus didacticism in literature: more specifically, the idea that philosophy, and material that is intended to teach its readers, are and should remain separate. This separation may work in most areas of literature, especially since most novels will not pretend to have didactic qualities, however it is the opinion of many literary critics and regular readers that both aestheticism and didacticism can be encompassed within the same work. Indeed, it is the viewpoint of many that philosophy is in itself worthy of academic study and therefore if such a theme is included in a novel then the book must have educational merit. On top of this fundamental debate, Gupta looked at the style and ideologies of different literature, something that critics will all invariably do as well. When passing judgement on a novel, one must consider first the objectives of the organisation or committee on which he or she is employed. These objectives will be based on personal opinion, foremost, but they will also encompass different aspects of the novel that most other critics will be happy to base their own judgements on. Foremost in novel judgement is, undoubtedly, the content itself. What is the point of the book, and how are the ideas and ideologies presented to the reader? It is important to remain firm in one’s criteria so that all literature analyses will be founded in the same criticism and comparisons and therefore subsequently, comparable to one another. The most important factors to consider when performing a critique on a novel are genre, aesthetic, didacticism, style, context and ideology. Each of these factors will play a major role in the development of the novel itself, and will undoubtedly have rooted themselves firmly in the mind of the author before the piece was ever ready to be published. Because of this, each successive factor will be easily discernable in a novel and therefore open for debate and criticism. In comparing two novels, Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and Pat Barker’s The Ghost Road, these are the basic criteria that have been used. Rebecca is a British work first published in 1938, and The Ghost Road is another British novel and Man Booker Prize recipient first published in 1995. Both of the novels contain a certain level of mystery and not too dissimilar references to ghosts, although out-and-out haunting is not the theme of either novel. While du Maurier’s work can be classified as a crime or mystery novel, Barker’s is more of a dramatic or psychological fiction; both address very dramatic events and states of mind, however the style of the writing and the presentation of ideas in the books puts them in different genres when other writers might have put them in the same one. It is interesting to see how two stories that might have had so very much in common are portrayed differently to the extent that they are unlikely to attract the same readers. Du Maurier wrote a novel that fits well into a popular and established genre, while Barker crafted his novel differently and has instead fit into a more artistic genre that saw him praised by the international literary community. Rebecca is, comparatively speaking, the lesser of the two novels because of several qualitative factors. In terms of its genre, however, it is well-received and expertly crafted – a gem on a library shelf that is otherwise filled with poor writing and badly tended plots. The author has given her characters depth, mystery and in the end revealed a truth that was evading the unnamed protagonist and the novel’s readers the entire length of the book. The novel has stayed true to its genre in keeping the mystery alive throughout and also deepening it as the story progressed; basically in terms of its own kind this novel excels. As far as the aesthetic qualities of this book go, there are qualities of the main character and of her supporting cast that create the perfect atmosphere and state of mind for philosophy on the state of death, love and starting over again with a new spouse. While it can’t be said that there is any particular philosophy portrayed in the book’s pages, it cannot be denied that the plot and the plight of the main character serves to set the mind of the reader on a course that involves many theoretical situations. The unnamed protagonist in the book is struggling in a marriage as the second wife of a man whose first wife was extremely beloved. The book begins after the first wife, Rebecca, was drowned and the new wife has moved in with her husband in his mansion. As the plot develops, the second wife becomes increasingly uncertain about her place in the household and about her husband’s feelings for her. This is imperative to a good mystery story however it also makes way for emotional thoughts on the part of the reader. What this novel lacks in terms of literary criteria is didacticism. The story is purely that – a story. It has no lasting meaning or place in the life of its readers, but was created solely as a means of literary entertainment. In no manner could Rebecca ever be considered for academic study except in the case that it will eventually have historical merit on the basis of its place in popular culture. While it might be argued that lessons can be learned from the novel, perhaps by way of emotional growth and learning to trust, these are merely by-products of a book that uses emotional states of mind to bond with its readers and keep them interested for the duration. The style of the novel is very in keeping with its genre counterparts. The mood is established early on, and as the characters are revealed one by one their seemingly mysterious yet primarily innocent natures serve to heighten the tension when later circumstances change and the mystery of the plot deepens. Perhaps the most innovative aspect of du Maurier’s writing style is the fact that her main character never is named. The woman is portrayed in the book as a protagonist who sees herself always in the shadow of another, dead woman, and to mirror this fact the author never bothers to give her a name. Since the bulk of the novel is spent trying to uncover the feelings of the protagonist’s husband in the assumption that his heart is still with his first wife, the unnamed second wife receives the treatment she feels she deserves from the author. Rebecca is one of those novels that can be given context because of its genre. Mystery novels are unique in that they tend to stay very close to one another in terms of style and context, and because of this the mere knowledge that du Maurier’s book is a mystery denotes that it will involve the participation of the reader in trying to solve the problem presented in the book. The protagonist tries and is, for a very long time, unsuccessful in ascertaining whether or not her husband is actually devoted to her or whether she is doomed to walk in the memory of his first wife for the rest of their lives. The basic premise of this and the majority of mystery novels is to determine what the missing piece of the puzzle is, and to solve the problem of the character or characters. As with didacticism, Rebecca is largely lacking in any major ideology. There is no underlying message to be obtained from this book, however entertaining and gripping it may be. The author does not let a lasting idea shine through in her writing but instead maintains the role of a mystery writer in simply telling a story, getting the attention of the readers and successfully pulling them into the web of intrigue on the pages. It is in this factor, together with didacticism, that Rebecca falls into second place behind Barker’s novel. While du Maurier has done very well for herself within her given genre, the second book takes the literary prize for excelling in all six judging criteria. Pat Barker’s The Ghost Road is the third in a series of novels portraying several characters involved in the First World War, including Siegfried Sassoon, the famous war poet. In this instalment there are two characters who take the foreground: veteran Billy Prior and his psychoanalyst William Rivers. The two have a complicated relationship and Prior suffers the effects of participating in the War in his dogged determination to put himself in danger. Prior has very little fear of the consequences of his actions, a trait that is attributed to being in combat and seeing the reality and danger of the situation so close up. Although he has a steady job and a girlfriend, he persists in risking the positive factors in his life because he simply does not care about the consequences. Like Rebecca, The Ghost Road runs on a theme that is related to painful memories that threaten the current situation and lifestyle of the protagonist. The novel falls into a one of two genres: psychological drama or literary fiction. It is the second genre that gets a novel noticed by literary organisations and opens up the door to prestigious awards; although the book can be easily placed within a regular fiction category its style and aesthetic are quite flexible, unique and therefore the novel can be claimed by the self-proclaimed ‘art’ category of literary fiction. Books in this class are usually works that stand out from their basic category because of an inability or a determination to stray from the established plot lines, styles and ideas of other writers in the genre. Aesthetic in The Ghost Road is prevalent throughout the novel. Like Rebecca, the reader is called upon to imagine a devastating situation and imagine how this might affect personality and actions later on. The two characters in the book are also played off one another; one as the voice of reason and Prior as the troubled person. In time, however, the reader realises that Williams is also an uncertain personality in that he hasn’t quite realised his paternal feelings towards Prior and his other patients. He becomes not only a logical voice in contrast with Billy but more of a pleading voice for Prior to protect himself as time goes on. The philosophy of the novel on the whole is related not only to the state of mind following first-hand tragedy and personal danger but to the relationships of seemingly unrelated people. Unlike Rebecca, The Ghost Road has a little something to offer in terms of didacticism. Although the book is clearly a fiction, as have been its two predecessors, Barker’s novel does incorporate a real historical figure in Siegfried Sassoon. Sassoon’s character is rooted in reality however Barker has expanded on his own knowledge of the real character by extrapolating and making assumptions and theories about his relationships with other military personnel and other people in his life. While this cannot qualify the novel as purely academic or referential, this may allow it to be put onto the curriculum for English reading material. The style of this novel contrasts sharply with that of du Maurier’s book, and this can be attributed to the difference in genre. Where Rebecca stayed true to the course of a mystery novel and established the setting and characters as enigmatic so that the tension of the story could build throughout the novel, The Ghost Road takes a different route. Barker’s story is also quite mysterious, however he has decided to present it in a style that is very real and more elusive to the reader. Instead of establishing the tone of his novel outright, Barker leaves it up to the reader to take what they will from the opening pages and determine for themselves how they will look at the story and the characters within it. The context of The Ghost Road is something that is established quite clearly from the onset of the book. While the premise of the story is the mental anguish suffered by Billy Prior and his inability to keep his life straight and simple despite the tools with which to do so being already in reach, the context of this personality disorder and the strained relationships attached to it is WWI. The main character has to deal with what he has seen and dealt with during combat and subsequently the other people in his life must deal with the effects that the situation has had on him. While the personal difficulties suffered by Prior might have been caused by any number of events, the fact that the context of this story is the War means that readers can relate their own historical knowledge of the subject and even add to the impressions they have already amassed from the event. There is an underlying ideology in this novel, as well, which can turn the reader’s attention in one of two directions: that large-scale tragedies have personal repercussions that echo through the various levels of personal relationships; or that the human personality is a fragile thing that can be changed with every event, large or small, in such a way as to cause a person to try to overcome the personality changes for the rest of his or her life. For readers of The Ghost Road, it is possible to pick up on both of these fundamental theories and to follow its thread throughout the entire novel. Barker clearly had ideas to express on his subject and this intention comes through in his writing so that readers can appreciate his dedication to his own ideologies. For the literary award, there can be no doubt that Pat Barker’s The Ghost Road takes the prize. His work is eloquent, unassumingly pointed and meets each of the six criteria set down for this prize. In terms of his genre, the aesthetic, didacticism, style, context and ideology, Pat Barker has excelled and even in difficult categories like didacticism, brought something forward in his writing. While Rebecca was a fantastic accomplishment in terms merely of its genre and selling power, the writing style and intent of Barker means that his is the clear winner. References Barker, Pat. The Ghost Road, 1995, Viking Press. Du Maurier, Daphne. Rebecca, 1938, Victor Gollancz. Gupta, Suman. Aestheticism and Modernism: Debating Twentieth-Century Literature, 2005, Routledge. Johnson, David (ed.). The Popular and the Canonical: Debating Twentieth-Century Literature 1940-2000, 2005, The Open University. Read More