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University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses
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Kingsley Amis: Writer As Moralist
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Kingsley Amis: Writer As Moralist
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Xerox University Microfilms
300 North Zeeb Road
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I
I
74-26,048
SALWAK, Dale Francis, 1947-
KINGSLEY AMIS: WRITER AS MORALIST.
University of Southern California, Ph.D., 1974
Language and Literature, modem
University Microfilms, A X ER O X Com pany, Ann Arbor, Michigan
C o p y rig h t © by
DALE FRANCIS SALWAK
1974
THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED.
KINGSLEY AMIS: WRITER AS MORALIST
by
D ale F r a n c i s Salwak
A D i s s e r t a t i o n P r e s e n t e d to th e
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In P a r t i a l F u l f i l l m e n t o f th e
R e q u ire m e n ts f o r th e D egree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
( E n g lis h )
June 1974
UNIVERSITY O F SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY PARK
LOS ANGELES, CALIFO RNIA 9 0 0 0 7
This dissertation, written by
............... DApE _ _ FRANC_IS_ _ _SAL W A K _
under the direction of h..l£. Dissertation Com
mittee, and approved by all its members, has
been presented to and accepted by The Graduate
School, in partial fulfillment of requirements of
the degree of
D O C T O R OF P H IL O S O P H Y
Dean
Date June.,117’ A
DISSERTATION COMMITTEE
Chairman
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to e x p re ss my a p p r e c ia tio n to th e many people
who a s s i s t e d me in the p r e p a r a tio n o f t h i s stu d y . I am
deeply in d e b te d to P r o f e s s o r Stephen Moore, u n d e r whose
encouragement the to p ic was i n i t i a l l y chosen., and to P ro
f e s s o r James H. Durbin, J r . I am g r a t e f u l to them f o r
t h e i r c o n s tr u c tiv e c r i t i c i s m s and g r e a t help given in the
guidance o f t h i s m a n u sc rip t. In a d d it i o n , I must thank
P ro fe s s o r J . Wesley Robb f o r h i s su g g e stio n s and h elp w ith
the stud y.
I a ls o extend my deep a p p r e c ia tio n to Dr. Gordon N.
Ray, P r e s id e n t o f the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial
Foundation, f o r a rra n g in g my in te r v ie w w ith K ing sley Amis;
to M yrtle C. B ach elder a t the U n iv e rs ity o f Chicago, f o r
f i n a n c i a l a id in making my t r i p to London p o s s ib le ; and to
K ingsley Amis, who t r e a t e d me w ith the utm ost g e n e r o s ity .
His k in d n ess during o u r m eetings and through our correspond
ence i s d eep ly a p p re c ia te d .
And l a s t l y , I am most g r a t e f u l to my p a r e n t s , Dr. and
Mrs. S ta n le y F. Salwak, f o r t h e i r c o n tin u ed d i s c i p l i n e ,
su p p o rt and guidance thro u g h o u t my e d u c a tio n .
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
C h ap ter Page
I . THE M AN AND HIS REPUTATION.......................................... 1
I I . A COMIC W O R L D ........................................................................ 30
I I I . A DIMMER V I E W ........................................................................ 69
IV. TOWARD A DEEPENING DISILLUSIONMENT........................ 93
V. A NIGHTMARE W O R L D .............................................................. 117
EPILOGUE...................................................................................... 156
APPENDIX: INTERVIEW WITH KINGSLEY A M IS ............................. 163
SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................... 223
111
CHAPTER I
THE M AN AND HIS REPUTATION
In 1968, when Anthony B urgess o bserved t h a t " th e re I s
som ething ap proach ing an em ergent m oral p h ilo s o p h y In
Amis, he was r e f l e c t i n g a c r i t i c a l tr e n d o f th e i g 6 0 's - -
t h a t o f c o n s id e r in g Amis as n o t j u s t an e n t e r t a i n e r * a
" m u s ic -h a ll funny man," b u t as a s e r io u s w r i t e r w ith s e r i
ous t h in g s to say. M artin Green, f o r example, o bserved
t h a t A m is's n o v e ls a re " e s s e n t i a l l y concerned w ith s e l f
q u e s tio n in g and s e l f - c r i t i c i s m , w ith th e d i f f i c u l t i e s o f
the se x u al l i f e , and w ith e m o tio n al and i n t e l l e c t u a l s i n
c e rity ," - ^ whereas John Gross and Kenneth Hamilton both
n oted t h a t A m is's i n c l i n a t i o n s to a stro n g m oral l i n e have
4
always complemented h i s comedy. With the appearance of
h is l a t e r n o v e ls, th e r e fo r e , Amis began to be considered as
a w r ite r beneath whose s u r fa c e - -g a y , b iz a r r e , u p ro a rio u s--
there i s a grim v is io n o f the modern world, so that h is
n ovels are now r e c e iv in g c r i t i c a l a t te n tio n as works with
se r io u s in te n t and depth. However, a complete study o f h is
works to date remains to be w r itte n with the aim o f con
sid e r in g the development o f h i s career as a w r ite r w ith a
d e f i n i t e moral c o n c e r n --th a t i s the purpose o f t h i s study.
1
K in g sle y Amis was b o rn an o n ly c h i l d in suburban
London on A p r il 16, 1922, to W illia m R o b e rt {an o f f i c e
c l e r k ) and Rosa Annie (L ucas) Amis. He was e d u c a te d a t th e
C ity o f London S ch o o l and S t . J o h n 's C o lle g e , O xford (B .A .,
M .A .), and s e rv e d in th e B r i t i s h Army (1942-45) a s a L ie u
t e n a n t i n th e Royal Corps o f S i g n a l s . He m a r r ie d H i l a r y
Ann B a rd w e ll i n 1948, d i s s o l v e d th e m a rria g e i n 1 9 6 5 * and
m a r rie d th e n o v e l i s t E l i z a b e t h Jane Howard in th e same
y e a r . H is p o s i t i o n s i n c l u d e L e c tu r e r in E n g lis h a t th e
U n i v e r s i t y C o lle g e o f Swansea (1 9 4 9 -6 1 ), a V i s i t i n g F e llo w
i n C r e a t iv e W ritin g a t P r in c e to n U n i v e r s i t y (1958-59)* a
F ello w i n E n g lis h a t P e te r h o u s e , Cambridge ( 1 9 6 1- 6 3 ), and
a V i s i t i n g P r o f e s s o r a t V a n d e r b i l t U n i v e r s i t y ( 1 9 6 7 - 6 8 ) .
In 1955* Amis r e c e iv e d th e W. Som erset Maugham Award f o r
Lucky J i m . A f u l l - t i m e w r i t e r and j o u r n a l i s t , Amis now
l i v e s i n B a r n e t, H e r t f o r d s h i r e .
One a d v an tag e o f a t t e n d i n g O xford, in a d d i t i o n to e n
s u r in g a jo b , was t h a t i t b ro u g h t w r i t e r s t o g e t h e r , and
hence became a m eeting p l a c e f o r young t a l e n t . D uring th e
y e a r s Amis s t u d i e d t h e r e he became c l o s e f r i e n d s w ith
P h i l i p L a rk in and John Wain. T h e ir w r i t t e n comments n o t
o n ly c l a r i f y th e p e r i o d o f th e 1 9 4 0 's, b u t a ls o p ro v id e i n
s i g h t i n t o K in g s le y Amis, th e man.
L i f e a t O xford i n 1 9 4 l - - t h e y e a r Amis e n te r e d a s an
u n d e r g r a d u a te - - w a s a u s t e r e . Food, g a s o l i n e and c l o t h e s
r a t i o n i n g , su sp en sio n o f lu x u rio u s e a tin g and d rin k in g and
o f many c o lle g e f e s t i v i t i e s , a l l tended "to m inimize s o c i a l
d i f f e r e n c e s r a t h e r th an e x a g g e ra te t h e m , e x p l a i n s L ark in .
A lthough th e U n i v e r s i ty had n o t c lo s e d down to the e x te n t
i t d id in 191^ - 1 8, most o f the c o lle g e s were a t l e a s t p a r
t i a l l y used to house bombed-out M i n i s t r i e s and th e l i k e .
Moreover, a t th e end o f e v ery term somebody l e f t - - " F r i e n d s
rem ained p l e n t i f u l , b u t c o n te m p o ra rie s were becoming
s c a r c e ." ^ " I t was, f o r a lm o st e v e ry o n e ," adds Wain, "a
p e r io d o f l o n e l i n e s s , to say n o th in g o f th e e v e r - p r e s e n t
u n c e r t a i n t y and d a n g e r." There were few u n d e rg ra d u a te s
re a d in g f u l l - s c a l e c o u rs e s , f o r most o f them had to devote
s e v e r a l days a week to m i l i t a r y t r a i n i n g . U n d ergraduates
l i a b l e f o r s e r v ic e could ex p ec t th r e e o r fo u r term s a t
most, and th e r e was, c o n se q u e n tly , a la c k o f concern f o r
th e f u t u r e :
There were none o f the p r e s s in g dilemmas o f te a c h in g
o r C i v il S e rv ic e , i n d u s t r y o r America, p u b lis h in g o r
jo u rn a lis m : in consequence, th e r e was n ext to no c a
r e e r is m . N a tio n a l a f f a i r s were going so b a d ly , and
a v i c t o r i o u s peace was c l e a r l y so f a r o f f , t h a t e f
f o r t s expended on o n e 's p o s t-w a r p r o s p e c ts co u ld
h a r d ly seem an y th in g b u t a lu d ic r o u s w aste o f t i m e .9
L ark in c o n clu d es: "At an age when s e lf - im p o r ta n c e would
have been norm al, e v e n ts c u t us r u t h l e s s l y down to s i z e . " ^
N a t u r a l ly , th o se who were re a d in g A rts s u b je c ts
sought each o t h e r o u t, and i t was a t the b eg in n in g o f th e
t h i r d term t h a t L ark in met Amis. No one who knew Amis a t
t h a t time., sa y s Larkin., "would deny t h a t what c h i e f l y d i s
t i n g u i s h e d him was [ h i s ] g e n iu s f o r im a g i n a t iv e m i m i c r y . " ^
H is m im icry o f th e l o c a l com rade, th e I r i s h t e n o r , and th e
R u s s ia n r a d i o an n o u n ce r r e a d in g i n E n g li s h , f o r exam ple,
was u se d "as th e q u i c k e s t way o f c o n v in c in g you t h a t some-
12
t h i n g was h o r r i b l e o r b o r in g o r a b s u rd " - - a t e c h n iq u e ,
I n c i d e n t a l l y , which Jim Dixon (and many o t h e r c h a r a c t e r s )
w i l l u se to e x p r e s s h i s l o a t h i n g o f P r o f e s s o r Welch i n
Lucky J i m . L a rk in s a y s : "For th e f i r s t tim e I f e l t m y s e lf
i n th e p r e s e n c e o f a t a l e n t g r e a t e r th a n my o w n . " ^ In
195^ j A m is's f i r s t p u b l is h e d n o v e l - - Lucky Jim --w as d e d i
c a t e d to L a r k i n .
Som etim es, c o n ti n u e s L a r k in , Amis " s u f f e r e d th e f a
m i l i a r h u m o r i s t 's f a t e o f b e in g u n a b le to g e t anyone to
i l l
ta k e him s e r i o u s l y a t a l l . When he tu r n e d p o l i t i c a l
f o r a tim e and became e d i t o r o f th e U n i v e r s i t y Labour Club
B u l l e t i n , Amis was f r e q u e n t l y " th e t a r g e t o f d e l i g h t e d
l a u g h t e r and v i o l e n t ab u se i n th e same ev en in g and from
th e same p e o p l e . " 1^
L a rk in and Amis a l s o s h a r e d a common i n t e r e s t i n j a z z .
U n t i l th e p u b l i c jam s e s s i o n s o f th e Oxford U n i v e r s i t y
Rhythm Club began i n 19^1* e x p l a i n s L a r k in , t h e r e was n o t
much l i v e j a z z to be h e a rd a t O xford. T h e r e f o r e , Amis,
L a rk in and o t h e r s combined t h e i r e f f o r t s to b u i l d a c o l
l e c t i o n o f r e c o r d s . L a rk in sa y s :
K in g s le y 's enthusiasm fla r e d up im m ediately. I sup
pose we devoted to some hundred record s th a t e a r ly
anatom izing p assion norm ally rese rv e d fo r the more
e s t a b lis h e d a r t s . . . . R u s s e ll, Charles E llsw orth
"Pee Wee" (b. 1906), c l a r i n e t and saxophone p la y er
e x tr a o rd in a r y , was, m u tatis m utandis, our Swinburne
and our Byron. W e bought every record he played on
th a t we could fin d , a n d --l± te r a lly --d r e a m e d about
s im ila r item s on the American Commodore l a b e l . l o
U n lik e P ro fe sso r W elch's s t u f f y music s e s s io n s in Lucky
Jim, i n c i d e n t a l l y , jazz i s a l i v e l y , a u th en tic and com p li
cated a r t , t o t a l l y u n lik e anything Welch d evotes h is time
t o . Moreover, u n lik e the rock music and a l l o f i t s mani
f e s t a t i o n s Roy Vandervane (in G ir l, 2 0 ) g iv e s h i s a r t up
fo r , ja zz i s a d i s c i p l i n e , an a r t . Most ja zz e n th u s ia s ts
soon found th a t the war broke up t h e i r d e v o tio n , however.
I f n o t away i n th e s e r v i c e s and t h e i r c o l l e c t i o n s broken
u p , t h e r e was th e 1942-44 r e c o r d in g ban by th e American
F e d e r a t io n o f M u sic ian s, a s w e ll a s th e s h o r ta g e o f c o n
sumer g o o d s .
During the years 1942-45, Amis worked on h i s f i r s t
n o v el ( The Legacy--n e v e r p u b lis h e d ), and i t was during t h i s
time th a t he became acquainted w ith John Wain. In h i s
autobiography, S p r ig h tly Running, Wain says th a t he owes a
g r e a t d e a l to K ingsley Amis, fo r the enthusiasm and d e t e r
m ination w ith which he worked on The Legacy in s p ir e d Wain
to w r ite Hurry on Down. He e x p la in s:
Of course every second or th ir d undergraduate one met
was w r itin g a novel; but Amis spoke o f h i s w ith such
enjoyment, and seemed to be having so much fun w ith i t ,
th a t I caught the v ir u s; when, a few y e a r s l a t e r , I
6
s a t down . . . to "see i f " I could w r ite a n ov el,
A m is's example was c e r t a i n l y one o f my m otives. He
had made i t seem, as none o f th e o t h e r s d id , sim ple
and n a t u r a l to be tr y in g to shape o n e 's d a y -to -d a y r e
a c t io n s to l i f e i n to f i c t i o n . 17
Amis and Wain a lso shared a d m iratio n f o r L arkin, who by
t h i s time was w r i t in g what became memorable p o e tr y and
f i c t i o n . " I f I had n e v er met L a rk in ," says Wain, "my l i f e
would have been th e p o o re r, f o r h i s p e rs o n a l example has
18
always been o f the g r e a t e s t im portance to me." That i s ,
one f e l t in Larkin "a r o c k lik e d e te rm in a tio n to do w hatever
might be n e c e ssa ry to do in o rd e r to w r ite w e l l . " ^
During the y e a r s 19^6-50, th e focus o f i n t e r e s t moved
d e c i s i v e l y from E n g lish to American p o e ts . Wain r e c a l l s
the e x citem en t in 19^7 In Oxford, when Dylan Thomas read
from an American p o e try an th o lo g y . "We u n d e rg ra d u a te s were
v i r g i n s o i l f o r t h i s winged seed, sin c e n e i t h e r we, nor any
o f th e p eo p le concerned w ith o u r l i t e r a r y e d u c a tio n , knew
20
a n y th in g a t a l l about modern American p o e tr y ." As a r e
s u l t , th ey s t a r t e d rea d in g John Crowe Ransom, A llen T ate,
W allace Stevens, R obert Lowell, Marianne Moore and o t h e r s .
The stud y o f American p o e tr y , says Wain, h elped th e young
p o e ts back to an u n d e rs ta n d in g o f , and r e s p e c t f o r , p o e tic
form, a l l o f which gave them a sense t h a t they were b u i l d
ing som ething:
At such a tim e, when e x h a u stio n and boredom in th e f o r e
ground a re b a la n ce d by g u i l t and f e a r in the background,
i t i s n a t u r a l t h a t a p o e t should f e e l th e im pulse to
b u i l d . W ritin g in r e g u l a r and d i s c i p l i n e d v e rs e -fo rm s
i s b u i l d i n g i n a sim ple and o b v io u s s e n se , l i k e b r i c k
la y in g . 21
A lthough A m is's f i r s t c o l l e c t i o n o f p o e t r y - - B r ig h t
N ovem ber--appeared i n 1947* he r e a l l y d id n o t g a in p o p u la r
r e c o g n i t i o n as a p o e t u n t i l th e a p p ea ra n c e o f New L ines
(1 9 5 6 ), an a n th o lo g y e d i t e d by R ob ert C onquest. F e a tu re d
a lo n g w ith Amis and Conquest were P h i l i p L a rk in (by f a r th e
most p o p u l a r ) , John Wain, Thom Gunn, Donald D avie, D. J .
E n r ig h t , E l i z a b e t h J e n n in g s and John H ollow ay, a l l o f whom
l i t e r a r y j o u r n a l i s t s soon r e f e r r e d to a s "Movement" p o e ts .
A ccording to John P r e s s , th e e a r l i e r a p p ea ra n c e o f O scar
M e l l o r 's F a n ta s y P re s s Books and p a m p h le ts, o f W ain 's
s e r i e s o f r e a d i n g s on th e T h ird Programme, o f th e a n th o lo g y
S p rin g tim e (1953)* and o f George H a r t l e y 's L i s t e n , s u g g e s t
ed to l i t e r a r y j o u r n a l i s t s t h a t a new p o e t i c movement was
underway i n B r i t a i n . "Since nobody was q u i t e c l e a r what
i t sto o d f o r , i t was commonly r e f e r r e d to a s ’The Move
ment .
In r e t r o s p e c t , i t i s c l e a r t h a t th e "group" sto o d f o r
a movement away from th e symbolism and a l l u s i o n t h a t had
c h a r a c t e r i z e d th e p o e tr y o f E l i o t and h i s f o llo w e r s - - w h a t
L a rk in r e f e r s to as " t h i s 'm y t h - k i t t y 1 b u s i n e s s . < p G m0j
e x p la in s L a rk in , "th e whole o f th e a n c i e n t w o rld , th e whole
o f c l a s s i c a l and b i b l i c a l m ythology means v e ry l i t t l e , and
I t h i n k t h a t u s in g them today n o t o n ly f i l l s poems f u l l o f
.,24
dead s p o ts b u t dodges th e w r i t e r ' s d u ty to be o r i g i n a l .
8
Furtherm ore, in a review o f Dylan Thomas, Amis f in d s f a u l t
w ith th e p o e try o f " r a n tin g , c a n tin g Thomas the Rhymer."2^
There i s too much evidence o f s t y l e , says Amis. "The s t y l e
i s t h a t blend o f a n sw e rle ss r i d d l e , outworn p o e tic is m and
c a r e f u l l i n g u i s t i c f o l l y which those immune to the s p e l l
26
o f the Rhymer w i l l s a l u te w ith a groan o f r e c o g n i ti o n ."
In a movement away from a l l u s i o n , o b s c u r i ty and excess
o f s t y l e , t h e r e f o r e , the new p o e ts moved toward p r e c i s i o n ,
l u c i d i t y and c ra fts m a n s h ip . They c o n c e n tra te d on s i n c e r i t y
and ho n esty o f thought and f e e l in g in t h e i r work--what
R obert Conquest c a l l s "a re v e re n c e f o r th e r e a l person o r
e v e n t, . . . [s u b m ittin g ] to no g r e a t systems o f t h e o r e t i
c a l c o n s tr u c ts nor ag g lo m era tio n s o f unco nsciou s com-
27
mands." In h i s own p o e tr y , f o r example, Amis emphasizes
a b e l i e f i n common se n se , in s t a t i n g th in g s c l e a r l y , and in
avo id in g extrem es o r e x c e ssiv e e x p e rim e n ta tio n . He I s
w itty and s a t i r i c a l , o f te n d i d a c t i c , and t e c h n i c a l l y t r a
d i t i o n a l .
And f i n a l l y , th e p o e ts o f th e 1950’s were q u i e t e r ,
l e s s d ram a tic in t h e i r w r i t i n g s . Although New Lines p r o
vided much the same kind o f p la tfo rm f o r th e p o e ts o f th e
19 50's t h a t New S ig n a tu re s (1932) had o f f e r e d to the p o e ts
o f th e 1 9 3 0 's , the Movement p o e ts spoke w ith l e s s bravado
and to a sm a lle r au d ie n ce . "There i s a r e t u r n to a more
le v e l to n e ," says Wain, in which "panache and 'p r o p h e ti c '
9
28
pomp have d i s a p p e a r e d ." The new est t h in g i s to he c o n
s e r v a tiv e ., he c o n tin u e s,, s i n c e a f t e r Auden and Thomas.,
t h a t i s th e o n ly t h in g to_ b e .
These th o u g h ts a r e f u r t h e r d e v e lo p e d i n a p am p hlet e n
t i t l e d S o c ia lis m and th e I n t e l l e c t u a l (1 9 5 7 ) j i n w hich Amis
e x p l a i n s h i s own r e g r e s s to p o l i t i c a l d e f e a t i s m and a p a th y .
He condemns th e p o l i t i c a l ro m a n tic ism o f th e u p p e r - c l a s s
l e f t - w i n g e r s o f th e S p an ish C i v i l War d a y s, and r e f u s e s to
become in v o lv e d i n c a u se s which have o n ly an a b s t r a c t mean-
20
in g f o r him . ^ Amis sum m arizes h i s f e e l i n g s a b o u t p o l i t i c s
when he s a y s .
I t w i l l come a s no s u r p r i s e i f I c o n fe s s i n c o n c lu s io n
t h a t I f e e l v e ry l i t t l e i n c l i n a t i o n to go and knock a t
th e d o o r o f th e l o c a l Labour p a r t y h e a d q u a r t e r s . My
o n ly r e a s o n f o r doing so, a p a r t from mere v u l g a r c u r i
o s i t y , would be a se n se o f g u i l t . And t h i s i s n o t
enough. How a g r e e a b le i t must be to have a m otiv e f o r
b e in g p o l i t i c a l l y a c t i v e . 30
P e rh ap s th e key p o i n t i s A m is's c la im t h a t th e i n t e l l e c t u a l
b e lo n g s to no s o c i a l grou p and i s t h e r e f o r e r e s t l e s s and
u n e a sy .
A ltho ugh Amis began a s a p o e t and c o n ti n u e s to w r i t e
and p u b l i s h p o e t r y , h i s m ost c e l e b r a t e d work i s h i s f i c
t i o n . He f i r s t came i n t o prom inence a s a n o v e l i s t d u rin g
th e 1 9 5 0 's a s a "member" o f th e s o - c a l l e d "Angry Young
M en"--a term l i t e r a r y j o u r n a l i s t s a d o p te d to d e s c r i b e such
c h a r a c t e r s a s W a in 's C h a r le s Lumley (H urry on Down, 1953)*
A m is's Jim Dixon (Lucky J im , 195^ ) j John O s b o r n e 's Jimmy
P o r t e r ( Look Back i n A nger, 1956), John B r a i n e 1s Joe
Lampton (Room a t th e Top, 1957) and Alan S i l l i t o e ' s A rth u r
Seaton ( S a tu rd a y N ight and Sunday M orning, 1958), a l l o f
whom speak o u t a g a i n s t s p e c i f i c a s p e c t s o f th e contem porary
s o c i a l , p o l i t i c a l and economic scene in B r i t a i n . Because
o f a number o f c o in c id e n c e s , j o u r n a l i s t s soon spoke o f th e
"Angry Young Men" a s a l i t e r a r y movement, and even con
fu se d th e c h a r a c t e r s w ith th e w r i t e r s th e m s e lv e s . The
"Angry Young Men," t h e r e f o r e , was m is ta k e n ly c o n s id e r e d a
u n i f i e d "sc h o o l" w ith a s i n g l e aim o f p r e s e n t i n g a case
f o r th e s o c i a l l y u n d e r p r i v i l e g e d .
I t i s e a sy to see how p eo p le m isto o k th e a p p ea ra n c e o f
th e new w r i t e r s as a l i t e r a r y movement. For ab o u t te n
y e a r s a f t e r th e war th e o l d e r e s t a b l i s h e d w r i t e r s - - A ld o u s
H uxley, Graham G reene, E velyn Waugh, Anthony Pow ell and
o th e r s - - w e r e s t i l l p ro d u c in g , b u t f o r some re a s o n few new
w r i t e r s o f any n o te ap p ea re d i n B r i t a i n . P a r t l y , Amis
a t t r i b u t e s t h i s to th e f a c t t h a t p e o p le were busy r e
a sse m b lin g t h e i r l i v e s , and i n a r e c e n t i n t e r v i e w he t e l l s
o f h i s own e x p e r ie n c e :
I was 23 when th e war ended, and I s p e n t th e n e x t few
y e a r s t r y i n g v e ry h a rd to g e t a good d e g re e a t Oxford,
overwhelmed by g e t t i n g m a rrie d and f in d in g a lm o st s im u l
ta n e o u s ly t h e r e were su d d en ly two b a b ie s i n th e h o u se ,
and g e t t i n g a job and w orking h a rd a t t h a t . 31
Then su d d e n ly , w i th in a p e r i o d o f ab out t h r e e y e a r s , s e v
e r a l new and a c c o m p lish e d w r i t e r s b u r s t upon th e s c e n e - -
Wain, Amis, B ra in e , I r i s Murdoch, and o t h e r s —a l l coming
from w o rk in g -c la ss o r lower m id d le -c la s s backgrounds, and
a l l e x p re ssin g some d isa p p o in tm en t w ith the s t a t e o f the
B r i t i s h government and s o c ie ty . Each had voted f o r Labour
in 19^-5j e x p la in s Amis, and then in 1951 Labour was o u t o f
power, and " th e re was a s l i g h t d isa p p o in tm en t w ith the
Labour g o v e rn m en t--th ey had n a iv e ly expected t h a t l i f e was
going to be d i f f e r e n t " ( i n t e r v i e w ) . The men had re tu rn e d
home from the war e x p e c tin g to f in d a "new E n g la n d ," in
which the more d is a g r e e a b le f e a t u r e s o f the E n g lish c l a s s
s t r u c t u r e would have d is a p p e a re d . However, d e s p ite the
a p p aren t thaw in e d u c a tio n a l r e s t r i c t i o n s , A m is's g e n e ra
tio n did not f e e l p a r t i c u l a r l y en th u sed , f o r sn o b b e ry --th e
a r i s t o c r a t i c s t r a n g le h o l d - - s t i l l e x is te d . "The m illenium
had n o t come," c o n tin u e s Amis, "and th e r e i s a b i t o f t h a t
in the w r i t in g s o f th e p e rio d " (I n te r v ie w ) .
Am is's e a r l y f i c t i o n , f o r example, r e f l e c t s th e r e s t
le s s n e s s w ith which many p eo p le g r e e te d the W elfare S ta te
in the 1 9 5 0 's. As a "new" c h a r a c t e r ty p e, Jim Dixon i s a
man ed ucated in a Red B ric k u n i v e r s i t y who i s i r r e v e r e n t
toward some o f th e t r a d i t i o n s o f the B r i t i s h E sta b lis h m e n t.
Amis has h i s e a r l y h e ro e s r e b e l a g a in s t the academic
r a c k e t by mocking i t . A lthough Amis i s the f i r s t to d i s
m iss any a tte m p t to c o n s id e r him the le a d e r o r vo ice o f the
1 9 5 0 's , h i s p re o c c u p a tio n s as a n o v e l i s t do r e f l e c t the
i n t e l l e c t u a l and c u l t u r a l c o n d itio n s o f th e tim e.
11
Wain, Amis, B r a in e , I r i s Murdoch, and o t h e r s - - a l l coming
from w o r k in g - c la s s o r low er m i d d l e - c l a s s b a ck g ro u n d s, and
a l l e x p re s s in g some d is a p p o in tm e n t w ith th e s t a t e o f th e
B r i t i s h governm ent and s o c i e t y . Each had v o ted f o r Labour
i n 19 ^ 5 ) e x p la in s Amis, and th en in 1951 Labour was o u t o f
power, and " t h e r e was a s l i g h t d is a p p o in tm e n t w ith th e
Labour go vern m en t— th e y had n a iv e ly e x p ec te d t h a t l i f e was
going to be d i f f e r e n t " ( i n t e r v i e w ) . The men had r e t u r n e d
home from th e war e x p e c tin g to f i n d a "new E n g la n d ," in
which th e more d i s a g r e e a b l e f e a t u r e s o f th e E n g lis h c l a s s
s t r u c t u r e would have d is a p p e a r e d . However, d e s p i t e th e
a p p a re n t thaw in e d u c a ti o n a l r e s t r i c t i o n s , A m is's g e n e r a
t i o n d id n o t f e e l p a r t i c u l a r l y e n th u s e d , f o r s n o b b e r y - - th e
a r i s t o c r a t i c s t r a n g l e h o l d - - s t i l l e x i s t e d . "The m ille n iu m
had n o t come," c o n tin u e s Amis, "and t h e r e i s a b i t o f t h a t
i n th e w r i t i n g s o f th e p e r io d " ( i n t e r v i e w ) .
A m is's e a r l y f i c t i o n , f o r exam ple, r e f l e c t s th e r e s t
l e s s n e s s w ith w hich many p e o p le g r e e t e d th e W elfare S t a te
i n th e 1 9 5 0 's . As a "new" c h a r a c t e r ty p e , Jim Dixon i s a
man e d u c a te d in a Red B r ic k u n i v e r s i t y who i s i r r e v e r e n t
tow ard some o f th e t r a d i t i o n s o f th e B r i t i s h E s ta b lis h m e n t.
Amis h as h i s e a r l y h e ro e s r e b e l a g a i n s t th e academ ic
r a c k e t by mocking i t . A lthough Amis I s th e f i r s t to d i s
m iss any a tte m p t to c o n s i d e r him th e l e a d e r o r v o ic e o f th e
1 9 5 0 ' s , h i s p r e o c c u p a tio n s a s a n o v e l i s t do r e f l e c t th e
i n t e l l e c t u a l and c u l t u r a l c o n d it i o n s o f th e tim e .
12
The whole con cept o f c l a s s I s im p o rta n t, t h e r e f o r e , to
an u n d e rs ta n d in g o f th e new w r i t e r s . Not o n ly were the new
a u th o rs o f w o rk in g -c la s s o r low er m id d le - c la s s backgrounds,
b u t a ls o much o f t h e i r w r i t in g te n d s to be about p eo p le
l i k e th e m se lv e s, concerned w ith th e changing c l a s s s t r u c
tu r e in postw ar B r i t a i n . "The whole th in g was red u ced to
a c l a s s i s s u e , " say s Wain; " t h a t i s , the k ind o f i s s u e on
which no E n g lis h p e rso n e v e r t h i n k s ; he m erely ta k e s up an
a t t i t u d e a u t o m a t i c a l l y . " ^ 2 Someone n o tic e d t h a t a number
o f th e s e new w r i t e r s were employed a t p r o v i n c i a l u n i v e r s i
t i e s . "From then on i t was p l a i n s a i l i n g . R e d b ric k --
th i c k b o o t s - - h i g h t e a - - s c h o l a r s h i p s and sw o ttin g . A ll a d
v e rs e c r i t i c i s m o f th e s e w r i t e r s could now fo llo w a sim ple
p a t t e r n ."33
To a la r g e e x t e n t a l l o f th e n o v e ls and p la y s a re
about p eo p le a t work, and t h i s i s s i g n i f i c a n t , a l s o . Amis
e x p la in s .
Up u n t i l around 1939--someone once s a i d —a weakness in
the E n g lis h n o v e l o f th e t w e n ti e t h c e n tu ry was t h a t
n o th in g happened u n t i l a f t e r s ix P.M. o r on S atu rd ay
and Sunday. I t w a s n 't t h a t the p eo ple w r i t t e n about
were o f th e l e i s u r e c l a s s e s , i t was j u s t t h a t we n e v er
saw them doing a n y th in g , a p a r t from com m itting a d u l t e r y
o r g e t t i n g drunk. What th e y d id a t th e o f f i c e o r a t
th e f a c t o r y , e x c e p t f o r a very few s e l f - c o n s c i o u s l y
p r o l e t a r i a n w r i t e r s , we know n o th in g a b o u t. ( i n t e r
view)
In th e emerging w r i t e r s , however, we see what th e h e ro e s
do f o r a l i v i n g . U nlike Evelyn Waugh and Aldous Huxley,
13
fo r example, who c o n fin e d t h e i r s a t i r e to the I n t e l l e c t u a l
l i f e and th e c u l t u r a l and s o c i a l p red icam en ts o f the upper
m iddle c l a s s , A m is's e a r l y n o v e ls are concerned w ith the
im p overish ed graduate s t u d e n t, la b o r a to r y te c h n ic ia n and
te a c h e r , and w ith l i b r a r i a n s who l i v e in cramped a p a r t
m ents, and most o f t h e i r d i f f i c u l t i e s stem d i r e c t l y from
t h e i r r e s p e c t i v e jo b s .
S i m i la r l y , C h arles Lumley i s d is c o n te n te d w ith B r i t
a i n ' s new e d u c a tio n b ecau se i t le a v e s i t s p ro d u cts i l l -
equipped f o r the b u s in e s s o f l i f e . Wanting to know where
he f i t s i n , he abandons h i s own c l a s s a f t e r he le a v e s the
U n iv e r s it y to become in ra p id s u c c e s s io n a window w asher,
a p r o f e s s i o n a l d r i v e r , a sm uggler, a h o s p i t a l o r d e r ly , a
c h a u ffe u r and a r a d io gag w r i t e r . Lumley has "no i l l u
s io n s about th e d i v i s i o n o f human b e in g s in t o c r i c k e t teams
c a l l e d C la s s e s ," and d e t e s t s "the chaos o f the W elfare
S t a t e , the r i s e o f th e u p s t a r t s , and the d e c li n e o f
h e a lt h y tradition. And a g a in , Jimmy P o r te r , who some
f e e l to be th e a r c h e ty p a l angry man and to whom th e term
"Angry Young Man" was o r i g i n a l l y a p p lie d by c r i t i c s , r a g e s
a g a in s t a world in which n o th in g i s v ery im p ortan t. In
h i s fu ry he ta k e s a hammer to m i d d le - c la s s m o r a lity , p o l i
t i c s and r e l i g i o n - - t o A l i s o n ' s h i g h - c a s t e background, her
fa m ily , the p r e s s , th e American way and to h i s own im
p o v e r ish e d c h ild h o o d --a n d c r i e s , "'Oh h e a v e n s, how I long
14
f o r a l i t t l e o r d i n a r y human e n th u s ia sm . J u s t e n th u s ia s m - -
t h a t ' s a l l . I want to h e a r a warm, t h r i l l i n g v o ic e c ry o u t
H a l le lu j a h ! H a l le lu j a h ! I'm a l i v e ! '"3 5 F in a lly * A rth u r
S eaton I s a ls o an angry young w orker who e s c a p e s from h i s
f a c t o r y job on weekends by ta k in g women to bed and going
on drunken s p r e e s .
Joe Lampton, on th e o t h e r hand* d i f f e r s somewhat from
Jim* C harles* Jimmy and A rth u r In t h a t a lth o u g h he h as th e
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o c i a l background* he knows where he w ants
to go — to th e top o f s o c i e t y . However* th e n o v e l I l l u s
t r a t e s th e d i f f i c u l t i e s and h a z a rd s o f th e slow r i s e to
th e top* f o r In th e p r o c e s s Lampton cannot a v o id d e s tr o y in g
th e I n t e g r i t y o f h i s p e r s o n a l r e l a t i o n s h i p s and c o r r u p t i n g
h i m s e l f .
The Angry Young Men were b o th h a i l e d and damned in
England a s spokesmen f o r th e p o stw a r g e n e r a t i o n . " T h e ir
h e ro e s . . . a re e d u c a te d men who d o n 't want to be g e n t l e
men*" s a id J . D. Scott* and "because t h i s c o l l e c t i v e a t t i
tude i l l u s t r a t e s a change t h a t i s going on in England* i t
h as h i t p u b l ic a t t e n t i o n very h a r d . " - ^ Kenneth A lls o p
s a i d : "They a re a new* r o o t l e s s * f a i t h l e s s * c l a s s l e s s
c l a s s —and c o n s e q u e n tly , b e ca u se o f a f e e l i n g o f b e in g
m is p la c e d and m isp rized * a ls o o f t e n c h a r m le s s —who a re
becalm ed i n th e s o c i a l s e a . A n d i n The Sunday Times
(London)* W. Som erset Maugham denounced Amis and h i s
15
"school" a s v u lg a r and r e f e r r e d to the c h a r a c t e r s o f t h e i r
n o v els as "scum." "'T hey do not go to the u n i v e r s i t y to
a c q u ire c u l t u r e , ' " he w rote, " 'b u t to g e t a jo b , and when
they have g o t one, scamp i t . ' " ^ ^
C onsidering the circ u m sta n ce s and the com bination o f
a c c id e n ts , says Amis, the "Angry Young Men" does look " lik e
a movement, and I can q u ite see, sin c e th e re was t h i s b u s i
ness o f n o n - u p p e r -c la s s n e s s , . . . people could be f o r
given f o r m ista k in g t h i s f o r a s o r t o f minor r e v o lu tio n o r
tu rn in g p o in t in E n g lish w r itin g . I d o n 't th in k i t r e a l l y
was t h a t , b u t i t had th e look o f being one" ( i n t e r v i e w ) .
The i n c lu s io n o f the c l a s s is s u e in c r i t i c a l r e a c t i o n to
the new w r i t e r s , says Wain,
[ i s ] symptomatic o f a very r e a l flaw i n E n g lish l i f e
to -d a y ; namely, the f a c t t h a t no to p ic can g e t i t s e l f
d is c u s s e d w ith o u t t h i s e v e r - p r e s e n t d i s t o r t i o n . As
soon as the word " c la s s " i s u t t e r e d , we might as w e ll
g iv e up the a tte m p t to d is c u s s a book, an id e a , a p r o c
e s s . Snobbery . . . i s f a t a l to the d is c u s s io n o f
i d e a s . I t can only o p e ra te as a dead hand, t h a t k i l l s
e v e ry th in g i t t o u c h e s .39
And in deed , i t i s m islead in g to t r y to combine the new
w r i t e r s i n t o a s in g le school o f th o u g h t. No m a tte r how
a p p ro p r ia te the term i s , i t i s c e r t a i n l y more co n v en ien t
than a c c u ra te , f o r the w r i t e r s do not f e r o c i o u s l y su p p o rt
a common s o c i a l d o c tr i n e . To c a l l him j u s t an Angry Young
Man i s to o v e rs im p lify and d i s t o r t h i s work. Anger i s not
the so le su b sta n c e o f t h e i r work, and th e slogan I s
16
a c c u r a t e o n ly to th e e x t e n t t h a t I t r e f l e c t s th e d i s c o n t e n t
d u rin g th e e a r l y 1 9 5 0 ' s .
A lth o u g h Amis i s aware o f th e p u b l i c i t y v a lu e t h a t
t a l k o f a s c h o o l makes p o s s i b l e , he I s r e l u c t a n t to be
i d e n t i f i e d a s th e spokesman f o r th e " g r o u p , ,f p r e f e r r i n g to
rem ain " th e s l i g h t l y a l o o f 'fu n n y m an ,' p u z z le d by h i s own
s u c c e s s . W h e n a sk e d to c o n t r i b u t e to D e c l a r a t i o n , a
c o l l e c t i o n o f e s s a y s i n which O sborne, Wain and o t h e r s a t
tem pted to d e f i n e t h e i r p o s i t i o n s i n r e l a t i o n to s o c i e t y
o f th e 1 9 5 0 's , Amis w ro te :
"I h a te a l l t h i s P h a r i s a i c a l t w i t t e r i n g a b o u t th e ' s t a t e
o f o u r c i v i l i z a t i o n ' and I s u s p e c t anyone who w a n ts to
b u t to n h o l e me a b o u t my 'r o l e in s o c i e t y . ' T h is book i s
l i k e l y to p ro v e a v a lu a b le a d d i t i o n to th e c u l t o f th e
Solemn Young Man; I p r e d i c t a g r e a t s u c c e s s f o r i t . "41
As Amis e x p l a i n s e ls e w h e r e , " ' I t i s v e ry d i f f i c u l t f o r a
w r i t e r who i s t o l d he i s p a r t o f a s c h o o l to p r e v e n t him
s e l f from e i t h e r t r y i n g to w r i t e a s th e s c h o o l i s supposed
to w r i t e , o r e l s e b r e a k in g h i s neck to p rov e he i s d i f -
42
f e r e n t . ' " R a th e r , he p r e f e r s h i s works be r e a d a s "nov
e l s i n s t e a d o f s o c i o l o g i c a l t r a c t s , " and a s w orks o f a r t
4 r
t h a t have t h e i r "own u n iq u e , u n p a r a p h r a s a b le q u a l i t i e s . "
He sa y s:
Even t h a t b u s i n e s s a b o u t th e Angry Young Man, w hich i s
go in g to lo o k so w o n d e rfu l i f anyone rem embers i t i n a
few y e a r s ' tim e , had i t s a p p e a lin g s i d e . I t i s d i f f i
c u l t to sound s i n c e r e i n r e p u d i a t i n g f r e e p u b l i c i t y , so
I was lu c k y i n n e v e r h a v in g t o . In my c a s e , th e s i m p l i
f i c a t i o n s and d i s t o r t i o n s i n e v i t a b l e i n g o s s ip y booksy
jo u r n a l is m f e l l s h o r t o f te m p tin g me i r r e s i s t i b l y to
b re a k th e w r i t e r ' s f i r s t r u l e and s t a r t e x p l a i n i n g what
17
I " r e a l l y meant" by my books. And i f i t was b o rin g a t
tim es to be asked by new a c q u a in ta n c e s what I was so
angry about,, I was amply r e p a id on o t h e r o c c a s io n s by
se e in g p e o p le wondering w hether I was going to s e t
about b re a k in g up t h e i r f u r n i t u r e s t r a i g h t away o r
would w a it t i l l I was d r u n k .^9
Since th e 1 9 5 0 'Sj Amis has broadened h i s scope, w r i t t e n
e i g h t more n o v e ls , and o b se rv e d , "One morning th e whole
sh o o tin g -m a tch j u s t s o f t l y and s i l e n t l y v a n ish ed away, and
th e r e we a l l w ere, reduced to b eing judged on o u r m e r its
a g a i n .
From 195^- - t h e y e a r Lucky Jim was p u b l i s h e d - - u n t i l
1973--when The R iv e r s id e V i l l a s Murder was p u b l is h e d - - t h e
developm ent o f A m is's m oral v is io n i s c l e a r and s t r a i g h t
forw ard . B eginning i n a comic w orld f i l l e d w ith v e rb a l
jo k e s , comic m asquerades and i n c i d e n t s , h i s view o f l i f e
grows more p e s s i m i s t i c u n t i l he a r r i v e s a t a f e a r f u l l y grim
v i s i o n o f a n ig h tm are w orld f i l l e d w ith h o s t i l i t y , v i o
le n c e , se x u a l abuse and s e l f - d e s t r u c t i o n . In h i s n o v e ls ,
Amis s ta n d s f o r decency and common se n se , f o r t r e a t i n g
peo ple r i g h t l y and h o n e s t ly . H is n o v e ls emphasize the
n e c e s s i t y o f good w orks, and o f t r y in g to l i v e a m oral l i f e
in th e n a t u r a l - - a s opposed to the s u p e r n a t u r a l - - w o r l d .
As a se rio -c o m ic w r i t e r i n t e r e s t e d in "the perm anent
t h in g s in human n a tu r e " ( I n t e r v i e w ) , Amis ad m its to having
s tro n g views t h a t some k in d s o f b e h a v io r a re ad m irab le and
o t h e r s a re d e s p i c a b le . He i s a man g e n u in e ly concerned
■with i s s u e s in which th e re i s a need f o r r i g h t and wrong*
and s e v e r a l o f h i s c r i t i c a l s t u d i e s serve as an e x c e ll e n t
i n tr o d u c ti o n to h i s f i c t i o n . Amis has been a l i t e r a r y
c r i t i c and s o c i a l and p o l i t i c a l commentator f o r more than
18 years* and in 1970 many o f h i s b e s t e ssa y s were r e
p r i n t e d in What Became o f Jane Austen? And O ther Q u e s tio n s .
He has a ls o w r i t t e n a study o f sc ien c e f i c t i o n (New Maps o f
H e l l , i 9 6 0 ) and a study o f Ian F le m in g 's novels* e n t i t l e d
The James Bond D o ssie r ( 1 9 6 5). As a l i t e r a r y jo u r n a l is t *
Amis i s p a r t i c u l a r l y p reo c cu p ie d w ith m o rality * r a t i o n a l i t y
and common sense* and w ith a d i s l i k e f o r s t y l i s t i c e x p e r i
m e n ta tio n . Although he u s u a l l y p r e s e n t s h i s id e a s i n a
l i g h t h e a r t e d fashion* one should not assume th ey a re
l i g h t l y held* f o r he r e p e a te d ly i n d i c a t e s t h a t he con
s i d e r s l i t e r a t u r e * even comic l i t e r a t u r e * a s e rio u s u n d e r
ta k in g .
For example* Amis f in d s Jane A u s te n 's M ansfield Park
d e f e c t i v e because i t "holds up th e v ic io u s as admirable*
and exp lain s*
Edmund and Fanny a re b o th m o rally d e t e s t a b l e and th e
endorsem ent o f t h e i r f e e l i n g s and b e h a v io r by the
a u th o r - - a n endorsem ent only withdrawn on c e r t a i n e a s i l y
re c o g n iz a b le o ccasio n s--m ak es M ansfield Park an immoral
b o o k .^7
Amis n o te s A u s te n 's " h a b it o f c e n s o rio u s n e s s where th e re
ought to be indulgence* and in d u lg en ce where th e r e ought to
48
be censure*" and ask s:
19
What became o f t h a t Ja n e A usten ( i f she e v e r e x i s t e d )
who s e t o u t b r a v e l y to c o r r e c t c o n v e n t io n a l n o t io n s o f
th e d e s i r a b l e and v i r t u o u s ? Prom b e in g t h e i r c r i t i c
( i f she e v e r was) she became t h e i r s l a v e . T hat i s
a n o t h e r way o f sa y in g t h a t h e r judgm ent and h e r m oral
se n se were c o r r u p t e d . M a n s fie ld P ark i s th e w i t n e s s
o f t h a t c o r r u p t i o n .^9
S im ila rly ,, i n h i s stu d y o f L o l i t a , Amis i s d i s t u r b e d
by N abo kov 's i n s u f f i c i e n t l y " r e v e r e n t a t t i t u d e i n s e x u a l
m a t t e r s ." ^ 0 T here comes a p o i n t , sa y s Amis, "where th e
a tr o p h y o f m oral se n se " l e a d s f i n a l l y to " f u l l n e s s , f a t u
i t y and unreality. He c o n t i n u e s ,
A c t u a l l y , t h e r e can have been few books o f o v e r t l y s e x u
a l c o n te n t w r i t t e n o u t o f s t r o n g e r m o ral c o n v i c t i o n o r
i n p u r e r term s ( o r w ith d u l l e r i m p a c t ) . I f o n ly th e
h e ro had been p r o p e r l y "in lo v e " h i s bedroom a n t i c s
c o u ld have been d e t a i l e d down to th e l a s t t w i t c h w i t h
o u t anyone ta k i n g much n o t i c e .52
And f i n a l l y , t h e r e i s A m is's m ost i n t e r e s t i n g s tu d y o f
Jam es B o n d --The James Bond D o s s i e r . Amis h a s been a fan
o f Ia n F le m in g 's f o r y e a r s (he has even w r i t t e n a James
Bond a d v e n t u r e ) , and h e re d e fe n d s Flem ing a g a i n s t th o s e
c r i t i c s who see th e books a s o n ly a " s y s te m a t i c o n s la u g h t
on e v e r y t h in g d e c e n t and s e n s i b l e i n modern l i f e . " ^
N o tin g t h a t th e m o ral c o n te n t o f F le m in g 's w o r k -- th e v a l
u e s e x p r e s s e d o r i m p l i e d - - h a s been denounced by c r i t i c s ,
Amis o b s e r v e s t h a t i n F le m in g 's s t o r i e s " l o y a l t y , f o r t i
t u d e , a se n se o f r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , a r e a d i n e s s to r e g a r d
o n e 's s a f e t y , even o n e ’s l i f e , a s l e s s i m p o r t a n t th a n th e
m a jo r i n t e r e s t s o f o n e 's o r g a n i z a t i o n and o n e 's c o u n try "
20
a re r e g a r d e d a s good., w hereas " ty ra n n y , r e a d i n e s s to i n
f l i c t p a in on th e weak o r h e l p l e s s , th e u n s c ru p u lo u s p u r -
eh
s u i t o f money o r pow er, ' 0 a re a l l r e g a rd e d a s bad. Bond,
say s Amis, i s r e s p e c t a b l e . He h a s a se n se o f d u ty and o f
th e r i g h t n e s s o f h i s jo b , and he o c c a s i o n a l l y s t r u g g l e s
w ith h i s c o n sc ie n c e o v e r th e m o r a lity o f a p a r t i c u l a r
m i s s i o n .
P a r t l y , Amis a t t r i b u t e s h i s m oral concern to th e
r i g o r o u s t r a i n i n g in th e s ta n d a rd P r o t e s t a n t v i r t u e s r e
c e iv e d a s a c h i l d . C o n s c ie n tio u s n e s s , t h r i f t , h a rd work,
p a t i e n c e p a r t i c u l a r l y - - w e r e p u t forw ard and "so much taken
f o r g r a n te d " ( i n t e r v i e w ) . He e x p la in s :
That i s to sa y , one m u s t n 't e x p e c t n o t o n ly to run b e
f o r e one w a lk s, b u t to be a su c c e ss a t a n y th in g to
s t a r t w ith . E v e ry th in g w orth doing i s going to ta k e
tim e and t r o u b l e , u n s t i n t i n g and u n c e a s in g t r o u b l e .
These a re v e ry good l e s s o n s . But God n e v e r came i n t o
th e c o n v e r s a t io n . ( in te r v ie w )
A lthough h i s f a t h e r n e v e r p u t the s l i g h t e s t p r e s s u r e on
him to have a n y th in g to do w ith th e i n s t i t u t i o n o f r e l i
g io n , he d id r e c e i v e s tro n g t r a i n i n g In th e m o r a l i t y a s s o
c i a t e d w ith th e C h r i s t i a n d o c t r i n e . He e x p r e s s e s g r a t i t u d e
f o r p a r t s o f th e t r a i n i n g when he say s:
I c an n o t c la im to be more h o n e s t and r e s p o n s i b l e and
t h r i f t y and i n d u s t r i o u s th a n m ost p e o p le , b u t I am
p r e t t y su re I would be l e s s d i s t i n g u i s h e d in th e s e
f i e l d s i f I had been b ro u g h t up q u i te o u t s i d e th e
shadow o f th e c h a p e l . 55
The i n f lu e n c e o f h i s f a t h e r i s a ls o r e f l e c t e d In an
21
e s s a y e n t i t l e d ,r0n C h r i s t ' s N a t u r e , " I n w hich Amis shows
h i m s e l f to be a man w ith a mind i n c a p a b l e o f re m a in in g in
u n c e r t a i n t i e s o r m y s t e r i e s w i t h o u t r e a c h i n g a f t e r f a c t and
r e a s o n . He f i n d s i t i l l o g i c a l , f o r exam ple, to t r y to
c o n n e c t th e image o f a f o r g i v i n g God w ith th e v i o l e n t and
w icked p u n ish m e n ts He t h r e a t e n s f o r s i n n e r s . M oreover, he
i s t r o u b l e d by " th e a s s o c i a t i o n o f a man who h a s many
c la im s on my r e s p e c t and sym pathy w ith a God who h a s none
on e i t h e r . ' Son o f God' I can a c c e p t ; ’Son o f God1 I
c a n n o t. " 5 He th e n e x p l a i n s .
I n d e e d , I can b y p a s s t h i s d i f f i c u l t y a l t o g e t h e r by d e
c i d i n g to r e a d th e p h r a s e "Son o f God" a s a n a lo g o u s
w i t h "son o f th e s o i l , " "son o f Ben" and, f o r th e m a t
t e r o f t h a t , "son o f Man" ( o r " b r i d e o f C h r i s t " ) - - a s
d e n o ti n g , t h a t i s , a r e l a t i o n so i n t i m a t e t h a t th e
f i l i a l ( o r m a r i t a l ) t i e i s a n a t u r a l m etap h o r f o r i t . 57
Amis e x p l a i n s t h a t i t i s C h r i s t ' s image r a t h e r th a n h i s
t e a c h i n g w hich i s p o w e r f u l: "As he moves away from b e in g
d i v i n e , J e s u s i n v i t e s a p p ro v a l and a f f e c t i o n . " ^ J e s u s '
im a g e - - a man a c c e s s i b l e to p e r s o n a l sym pathy, a "good
c h a p , " a r e v o l u t i o n a r y l e a d e r , and an e x p o n e n t o f n o n v io -
l e n c e - - i s w hat a p p e a ls to Amis. Beyond t h i s , J e s u s i s
i n e f f e c t u a l :
I t may be t h a t m a n 's i n a b i l i t y to re s p o n d to th e m es
sa g e o f J e s u s p o i n t s to a - - p e r h a p s i n e v i t a b l e - - d e f i -
c ie n c y i n t h a t m essa g e. I f we a r e t r y i n g to be good
we need m o ral s u p p o r t a t th o s e moments when we choose
b etw een w hat i s r i g h t and w hat i s a t t r a c t i v e , and h e r e
th e s a y in g s o f J e s u s may n o t be o f much h e l p . The
v e ry s i m p l i c i t y and d o w n r ig h tn e s s o f h i s t e a c h i n g
l i m i t s i t . 59
22
As a s e r i o u s n o v e l i s t who e n t e r t a i n s a s w e l l , Amis
f i n d s t h a t " a l l s o r t s o f t r a g i c e x p e r ie n c e s have comic
c a p s u le s s e c r e t e d in them. I f you can ta p th o se you can
r e c o n c i l e th e e x p e rie n c e w ith o u t d i s t u r b i n g th e t r a g i c
p a r t . " ^ 0 In th e e a r l y n o v e ls e s p e c i a l l y , comedy f u n c tio n s
b o th to amuse th e r e a d e r and to r i d i c u l e such human f o i b l e s
a s a f f e c t a t i o n , h y p o c ris y and d is h o n e s t y . One o f th e m is
s io n s o f th e comic w r i t e r , e x p la in s Amis, " i s to show t h a t
i t i s n ' t j u s t f o o l s who a re funny, b u t d e e p ly s e r i o u s ,
h i g h ly i n t e l l i g e n t p e o p le to o , and t h a t t h e i r b e in g funny
61
d o e s n 't d im in is h them ." T h is does n o t a p p ly to bad o r
u n p l e a s a n t b e h a v io r , o f which he sa y s:
You laug h w ith a c h a r a c t e r and i t ' s p a r t o f l i k i n g
them. But th e power m an iacs, f o r exam ple, you show
as r i d i c u l o u s . To laug h at_ someone i s a way o f b e in g
funny ab o u t p e o p le one d o e s n 't l i k e . You f e e l t h a t
la u g h in g a t a woman y o u 'r e fond o f w o u ld n 't d im in ish
h e r . An a d m i n i s t r a t o r would be o u t r a g e d . 62
In Lucky Jim , f o r exam ple, P r o f e s s o r Welch i s a b o rin g
phony who m i s t r e a t s Dixon. I t i s e s s e n t i a l , t h e r e f o r e ,
t h a t he be r i d i c u l o u s . The same a p p l i e s to B e r tra n d Welch,
to M a rg are t P e e le , and to P r o f e s s o r W e lc h 's w if e .
O ften A m is's humor i s s a t i r i c a l - - h e can n o t h e lp b u t
expose f o o l i s h n e s s , v i c e , a f f e c t a t i o n and a b s u r d i t y , and he
does have such s ta n d a r d s a s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , d u ty and d e
cency by which he ju d g e s . A lthough he r e f r a i n s from com
m enting on h i s own work, he does s k e tc h in th e background
a g a in s t which h i s f i c t i o n must be p lac ed when he says t h a t
" s a t i r e o f f e r s a s o c i a l and moral c o n t r i b u t i o n " ^ to s o c i
e ty . "A s o c ie ty such as ours in which th e forms o f power
are changing and m u ltip ly in g , needs above a l l the r e s t r a i n -
ing in f lu e n c e s o f savage l a u g h te r . Often Amis w i l l use
comedy as a m oral weapon, seeking to d i s s e c t and r i d i c u l e
c e r t a i n a s p e c ts o f human b e h a v io r (through iro n y , b u r
le s q u e , parody and a lle g o r y ) which seem to him f o o l is h o r
v ic io u s . He i s p a r t i c u l a r l y concerned w ith the in c o n g r u i
t i e s o f l i f e , between what we p r o fe s s to be and what we
a r e . The m edieval h i s t o r y p r o f e s s o r who a f f e c t s c u ltu r e
and i n t e l l e c t u a l i s m y e t i s shown to be a b o rin g phony, the
m iddle-aged m usician who t r i e s to l iv e the l i f e o f a
te e n a g e r - - th e s e a re s a t i r i c a l p o r t r a i t s .
Of the ten n o v e ls Amis has p u b lis h e d , h is development
as a moral w r i t e r i s e s p e c i a l l y a p p a re n t in Lucky Jim ,
Take A G ir l Like You, The A nti-D eath League and The Green
Man, a l l o f which are A m is's most s u b s t a n t i a l and complex
works, and a re r e p r e s e n t a t i v e o f s p e c i f i c s ta g e s in h i s
c a r e e r . In Lucky Jim , to begin w ith , Amis e s t a b l i s h e s a
comic a c c ep tan c e o f l i f e ' s i n j u s t i c e s . The novel i s c h a r
a c t e r i z e d by c l e a r - c u t c a se s o f r i g h t and wrong, a simple
iro n y , and knockabout f a r c e . Because he has n e i t h e r the
courage nor the economic s e c u r i t y to p r o t e s t openly, Dixon
l i v e s a h ig h ly comic s e c r e t l i f e o f p r o t e s t c o n s i s t in g of
2 4
p r a c t i c a l jo k e s and rude f a c e s , a l l d i r e c t e d a g a i n s t th e
h y p o c ris y and p s e u d o - i n t e l l e c t u a l i s m o f c e r t a i n members o f
th e B r i t i s h E s ta b lis h m e n t. Moral r e s p o n s i b i l i t y and th e
d a n g e rs i n h e r e n t in r o l e - p l a y i n g a r e th e u n d e r ly in g themes
in t h i s n o v e l.
W hile o n ly h i n t e d a t in Lucky Jim , A m is's m oral s e r i
o u sn e ss becomes i n c r e a s i n g l y e v id e n t b e g in n in g w ith Take A
G i r l Like Y ou. Whereas i n Lucky Jim th e v a lu e s a re " h i d
den" b e n e a th a comic n a r r a t i v e , g r a d u a l l y i t i s th e comedy
t h a t i s submerged b e n e a th a more s e r i o u s t r e a tm e n t. Thus,
Take A G i r l L ike You, A m is's n e x t m ajor n o v e l, i s a tu r n in g
p o i n t f o r him i n a number o f ways. The c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n i s
more complex, th e m oral problem s a re more i n t e n s e , and th e
p o i n t o f view i s n o t l i m i t e d to o n ly one c e n t r a l c h a r a c t e r .
In a d d i t i o n , w ith th e a p p ea ra n c e o f Take A G i r l Like You
Amis becomes l e s s the comic e n t e r t a i n e r . C h a r a c te r iz e d by
a b e t t e r b a la n c e betw een th e comic and th e s e r i o u s , th e
n o v e l r e p r e s e n t s an i n c r e a s e in th e dim view which I s tak en
o f l i f e and a d e c re a s e i n th e elem en t o f h o r s e p la y and h ig h
s p i r i t s ,
The A n ti-D e a th League r e p r e s e n t s th e n e x t s ta g e i n
A m is's c a r e e r a s he c o n tin u e s to see l i f e more d a r k l y and
s h i f t s from s o c i a l I n j u s t i c e s to cosmic i n j u s t i c e s . Con
tem p o rary England i s now viewed a s a w a s te la n d o f th e
s p i r i t as h i s c h a r a c t e r s v a i n l y t r y to cope w ith a
25
p r e c a r i o u s w orld f i l l e d w ith madness and h y s t e r i a , a w orld
in which love and r e l i g i o n have become d i s t o r t e d and v u l
g a r i z e d . T h reaten ed w ith d e a th and u g ly a c c id e n ts by a
m a lic io u s God,, A m is's c h a r a c t e r s f e e l p o w erless to change,
and in an a tte m p t to r e g a in c o n t r o l o f t h e i r l i v e s a c t
im m orally. Moti Naidu, as the m oral v oice in th e n o v e l,
i n e f f e c t i v e l y recommends r a t i o n a l i t y and m od eratio n .
And f i n a l l y , i n The Green Man, Amis f u l l y dev elo p s h i s
v is io n in which a l l o f th e t r a d i t i o n a l v a l u e s - - f a i t h , lo v e ,
l o y a l t y , r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , decen cy --h av e l o s t t h e i r power to
com fort and s u s t a i n , le a v in g man g ro p in g in th e dark o f a
nig htm are w orld. M aurice A llin g to n s u f f e r s extrem e m ental
and s p i r i t u a l a n g u ish a s he d is c o v e r s the t e r r i f y i n g t r u t h
about God and d e a th .
26
FOOTNOTES
■'■"Amis and E n em ie s," The L i s t e n e r , O c to b er 10, 1 9 6 8,
p . 474.
^T. E. B oyle and T. Brown, "The S e rio u s S id e o f K in g s
le y A m is's Lucky J im , " C r i t i q u e , IX ( 1 9 6 7 ), 107-
^ " B r i t i s h Comedy and th e B r i t i s h Sense o f Humour: Shaw,
Waugh and A m is," Texas Q u a r t e r l y , V I I ( F a l l , 1 9 6 1) , 226.
^""Makes You S o b e r," New S ta te s m a n , Septem ber 21, 1 9 6 2 ,
pp . 263-64; and "K in g sle y Amis, M o r a l i s t , " D a lh o u sie Re
view , XLIV (Autumn, 1964), 3 3 9 - 4 7 .
5
■ ^C ontem porary A u th o rs: A B i o - B i b l i o g r a p h i c a l Guide to
C u r r e n t A u th o rs and T h e ir W orks, ed. by James M. E th r i d g e
and”’B a r b a ra K opala, X l/K II ( D e t r o i t : Gale R e se a rc h C o .,
196 5), 13.
^ P h i l i p L a rk in , " I n t r o d u c t i o n , " J i l l (New York: S t.
M a r t i n 's P r e s s , 1964), p . 11.
^ I b i d ., p . 18.
O
" I n t r o d u c t i o n , " A nthology o f Modern P o e try (London:
H u tc h in so n and C o ., L t d . , 19&3)* P • 27.
^ L a r k in , J i l l , p . 12.
10I b i d .
1ILI b i d ., p . 15.
13I b i d .
14 /-
I b i d ., p . 16.
15I b i d .
" ^ P h i l i p L a r k in , " I n t r o d u c t i o n , " A l l T h at J a z z : A
R ecord D ia ry 1 9 6 1 -6 8 (New York: S t . M a r t i n 's P r e s s , 1970),
p . 4.
27
• ^ S p r i g h t l y Running: P a r t o f an A utobiography (London:
M acmillan and Co., L t d ., 1962), p5 204.
l8Xbid., p . 187.
1 9I b i d . , p . 1 8 8 .
PO
Wain, " I n t r o d u c t i o n , " p. 3 3 .
2 1I b i d . , p. 34.
22
John P r e s s , A Map o f Modern E n g lis h V erse (London and
New York: Oxford U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1 9 6 9), p . 2 5 1 .
23P h i l i p L a rk in , "Four C o n v e r s a tio n s ," The London Maga
z i n e , November, 1964, pp. 71 -7 2.
24
I b i d .
25
^ K in g sley Amis, "Thomas th e Rhymer," The S p e c t a t o r ,
August 12, 1955; p . 227.
2 6-r, . ,
I b i d .
07
I n t r o d u c t i o n , " New L in e s (London: F aber and F aber,
1956), p. x iv .
28
John Malcolm B r i n n in , "Young But Not A n g ry ," Mademoi
s e l l e , A p r i l , 1958, p . 1 6 9 .
on
^ K in g sley Amis, S o c ia lis m and th e I n t e l l e c t u a l s (Lon
don: The F ab ian S o c ie ty , 1957); P- 129
3° I b i d .
S i
J K in g sle y Amis, p r i v a t e in te r v ie w h e ld a t th e T ra v
e l l e r s ' Club, London, on J a n u a ry 24 and 30, 1973. H ere
a f t e r r e f e r r e d to a s " In te rv ie w " i n th e t e x t o f t h i s stu d y .
See th e Appendix f o r th e com plete t r a n s c r i p t o f th e i n t e r
view .
32John Wain, "How i t S t r i k e s A C ontem porary," The Twen-
t i e t h C e n tu ry , CLXI (March, 1957); 2 3 4 .
3 3I b i d . , p. 2 3 3 .
3^John Wain, H urry on Down (New York: The V ik in g P r e s s ,
I n c . , 1953); P- 166.
28
85 i
-^ Jo h n O sborne, Look Back I n Anger (New Y ork: C r i t e r i o n
B ooks, 1 9 5 7 ), p . 15*
8 8 " B r i t a i n 1s Angry Young Men," The S a tu r d a y Review,
J u l y 27, 1957, P- 11.
87
The Angry Decade: A Survey o f th e C u l t u r a l R e v o lt o f
th e N i n e t e e n - F i f t i e s (London: P e t e r Owen L t d . , 195 8),
P. 19.
88As r e c o r d e d by W illia m Van O 'C onnor i n The New U n i v e r
s i t y W its and th e End o f M odernism (C a rb o n d a le : S o u th e rn
I l l i n o i s U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 198 3 ) , P- 143.
on
J ^Wain, "How i t S t r i k e s A C o n te m p o ra ry ," p . 2 3 5 .
7° C o l in W ilso n , "The W r i t e r and P u b l i c i t y , " E n c o u n t e r ,
X I I I (November, 1959), 9.
^ K i n g s l e y Amis, " I n t r o d u c t i o n , " D e c l a r a t i o n , e d . by
Tom M a sc h le r (New Y ork: E. P. D u tto n and C o ., I n c . , 1 9 5 8 ),
p . 8.
42
K in g s le y Amis a s q u o te d by B e rn a rd Kalb i n "Three
C om ers," The S a tu rd a y R eview , May, 1955* p . 22.
48
^ K in g s le y Amis, "Lone V o ic e s : Views o f t h e F i f t i e s , "
E n c o u n t e r , XV ( J u l y , i 9 6 0 ) , 11. R e p r in t e d i n K in g sle y
Amis, What Became o f Ja n e A u ste n ? And O th e r Q u e s tio n s (New
Y ork: H a r c o u r t , B race and J o v a n o v ic h , I n c . , 19 7 1 ), p p . 157-
71.
^ A m i s , "Lone V o ic e s : Views o f th e F i f t i e s , " p. 10.
4 5 r b i d . , p. 11.
46
K in g s le y Amis, "What Became o f Jan e A u s te n ," The
S p e c t a t o r , O c to b e r 4, 1957, p . 438.
4 7 I b i d .
48 I b i d .
^ I b i d . , p . 440.
^ K i n g s l e y Amis, "She Was A C h ild and I Was A C h i l d , "
The S p e c t a t o r , November 6 , 1959, P P • 6 3 4 - 3 6 .
51Ibid.
29
52rb ld .
-^ K in g s le y Amis, The James Bond D o s s ie r (New York: New
American L ib r a r y , 19&5) j P • x .
^ L b i d . , p . 74.
8S
^-\Amis, What Became o f Jane A usten? And O ther Q u e s tio n s ,
p . 194.
5 6 r b i d . , p. 2 1 5 .
5 7 I b i d . , p . 214.
5 8I b i d . , p . 2 1 9 .
5 9I b i d . , p . 2 2 0 .
8° K in g s le y Amis, "My Kind o f Comedy," The T w en tieth
C e n tu ry , CLXX ( J u l y , 1 9 6 1) , 47.
61
62 _, . ,
Ib id .
^ ^ K in g sle y Amis, " L a u g h te r 's To Be Taken S e r i o u s l y ,"
The New York Times Book Review, J u l y 7, 1957, p. 1.
64t , . ,
Ib id .
6 l I b l d . , p. 48.
CHAPTER I I
A COMIC W ORLD
In I Like I t H ere, G arnet Bowen e x p re sse s a d m iratio n
f o r Henry F i e l d i n g 's comedy o f manners, fo r in i t e x is te d
"a moral s e r io u s n e s s t h a t could be a p p a re n t w ith o u t the
a id o f e v a n g e lic a l p u ffin g and blowing."'*’ T his elem ent i s
p r e s e n t in Lucky Jim , in That U n c e rta in F e e lin g , and, to an
e x te n t, in I Like I t H ere, as Jim Dixon, John Lewis and
G arnet Bowen t r y to lea d re a so n a b ly h o n e s t, decent l i v e s
in the m idst o f an o f te n c o rru p t s o c ie ty . In the same
p a ssa g e , Bowen n o s t a l g i c a l l y looks back upon a world o f
good S am aritans, "where duty was p l a i n , e v i l a ro se o u t o f
m alevolence and a s ta rv in g w ay farer could be i n v i t e d i n
doors w ith o u t h e s i t a t i o n and w ith o u t f e a r " (p. 1 8 5)• I t
i s a sim ple world w ith c l e a r - c u t c a se s o f r i g h t and wrong,
and says B ernard B ergo nzi, " is dom inated by the d e s ir e to
2
s ta y c o m fo rtab ly c lo s e to th e shallow end o f e x p e rie n c e ,"
away from the p o s s ib le t e r r o r s o f m etaphysics and r e l i g i o n .
In th e se e a r l y n o v e ls , Amis c r e a t e s a comic world in
which s e r io u s q u e s tio n s o f m o r a lity a re explo red in an
environm ent b r i s t l i n g w ith in d e c e n t peop le and in d e c e n t
b e h a v io r. The n o v e ls a re n a r r a t e d from the p o in t o f view
30
o f a bumbling* s e l f - c o n s c i o u s , a t tim e s u n c o u th a n t i - h e r o
who stu m b le s a c r o s s a w o rld o f p r e t e n s e , t a l k s a g r e a t d e a l
a b o u t h o n e s ty and i n t e g r i t y , and makes fun o f th e w o rld and
o f h i m s e l f a t th e same tim e . In an e f f o r t to cope w ith
s p e c i f i c c u l t u r a l I n j u s t i c e s a s w e l l a s w ith h i s own f e a r s
and in a d e q u a c ie s , th e h e ro l i v e s a h i g h l y comic s e c r e t l i f e
o f m ockery, p a ro d y and r i d i c u l e i n r e a c t i o n a g a i n s t such
s e l e c t e d t a r g e t s a s th e jo b , th e academ ic community, and
th e E s t a b l i s h m e n t . Comedy f u n c t i o n s , t h e r e f o r e , to r e v e a l
th e t r u t h - - t o i n s t r u c t - - w h i l e a t th e same tim e to amuse and
e n t e r t a i n th e r e a d e r . As Amis e x p l a i n s , h i s aim i s m oral
im provem ent:
I have t h i s r e p u t a t i o n o f b e in g a funny n o v e l i s t .
W hether I am o r n o t o r w h e th e r t h a t ' s a l l I am o r n o t
i s n e i t h e r h e re n o r t h e r e . L e t ' s say t h a t some i n t e l
l i g e n t young p e rs o n r e a d s a n o v e l i n th e hope o f e n
t e r t a i n m e n t , he may a l s o say to h i m s e l f , "W ell, t h e r e ' s
more to i t th a n j u s t e n t e r t a i n m e n t , i s n ' t t h e r e ? " Hav
in g been a t t r a c t e d by th e s u g a r , he th e n comes to th e
p i l l . ( i n te r v ie w )
T h a t i s , b e n e a th th e h o r s e p l a y and h ig h s p i r i t s Amis
r h e t o r i c a l l y m a n ip u la te s o u r m o ra l judgm ent so t h a t we
le a v e th e n o v e l s y m p a th e tic to th e h e r o ' s p o i n t o f view .
A lth o u g h a l l t h r e e n o v e ls a r e a c h ie v e m e n ts i n th e m s e lv e s ,
i t i s i n Lucky Jim t h a t Amis i s s t r o n g e s t a s a very funny
w r i t e r w ith s e r i o u s t h i n g s to sa y . W ith th e a p p e a ra n c e o f
I L ike I t H e re , he s u f f e r s a te m p o ra ry d e c l i n e in h i s
pow ers a s a s e r io - c o m ic n o v e l i s t . The m oral c o n c e rn i s
ambiguous, and because o f the absence o f s u f f i c i e n t r h e
t o r i c a l c lu e s , we a re n e v e r su re how to resp o n d to the
c h a r a c t e r s o r to the p red ic am en ts the hero f i n d s h im s e lf
i n .
E a r ly i n Lucky Jim , Dixon r e f l e c t s :
The one in d is p e n s a b le answer to an environm ent b r i s t
lin g w ith p eople and th in g s one tho u g h t was bad was to
go on f in d in g o u t new ways i n which one co uld th in k
th ey were bad. The re a s o n why Prom etheus c o u l d n 't g e t
away from h i s v u l tu r e was t h a t he was keen on i t , and
n o t th e o t h e r way a r o u n d .3
A lthough Amis does not say so, i t i s c l e a r t h a t Dixon i s
th in k in g o f th e p red ic am en t he f i n d s h im s e lf i n - - t h a t o f
having a job he d o e s n 't r e a l l y want b u t i s t r y i n g to keep,
and o f becoming in v o lv e d , w ith o u t k n o w in g -q u ite why, w ith
n e u r o t i c M argaret P e e le . In some r e s p e c t s , Lucky Jim b e
lo n g s to th e t r a d i t i o n a l f a i r y t a l e , w ith Dixon a s a
m odern-day male C in d e r e ll a who, b ecau se he i s h o n e s t w ith
h im s e lf , b lu n d e r s i n t o good fo r tu n e a f t e r a le n g th y du el
w ith h i s f o u r p r i n c i p a l to r m e n to r s — P r o f e s s o r Welch, Mrs.
4
Welch, B e r tra n d Welch and M argaret P e e le . However, d e
s p i t e th e f a r c i c a l i n c i d e n t s (su ch as th e b la n k e t- b u r n in g
e p iso d e and th e drunken speech) and th e ro m an tic f a n ta s y
ending (Dixon i s saved by J u l i u s G o re-U rq uhart and wins
C h r i s t i n e C a lla g h a n ), Lucky Jim i s a ls o a s e r i o u s , p en e
t r a t i n g stu d y o f a put-up on young man.
Dixon b e g in s w ith sim ple enough d e s ir e s - - e n o u g h money
33
f o r c i g a r e t t e s and b e e r ; an a t t r a c t i v e , undem anding g i r l
f r i e n d ; d e c e n t , u n p r e t e n t i o u s b e h a v i o r o f h i s c o l l e a g u e s - -
and a s a l e c t u r e r a t a p r o v i n c i a l u n i v e r s i t y he would l i k e
to do h i s job p r o p e r l y . He d i s c o v e r s , h ow ev er, t h a t he
c a n n o t have a l l o f t h i s b e c a u s e t h i n g s g e t in th e way. He
t e l l s G o r e - U rq u h a rt,
"Well ta u g h t and s e n s i b l y t a u g h t , h i s t o r y c o u ld do p e o
p l e a h e l l o f a l o t o f good. B u t i n p r a c t i c e i t d o e s
n ' t work o u t l i k e t h a t . T h in g s g e t i n th e way. I
d o n ' t q u i t e see w h o 's to blam e f o r I t . Bad t e a c h i n g 's
t h e main t h i n g . Not bad s t u d e n t s , I m ean." (p . 218)
A lth o u g h we a r e n o t t o l d w hich t h i n g s g e t i n th e way, t h e
n o v e l d r a m a t i c a l l y i l l u s t r a t e s t h a t i t I s c h i e f l y human
n a t u r e t h a t g e t s i n th e way. In f a c t , much o f th e fun i n
t h e n o v e l stem s from th e i r o n y o f D ix o n 's p o s t u r e a s a keen
m e d ie v a l s c h o l a r and u n i v e r s i t y t e a c h e r , w h ile r e a l l y
la u g h in g a t th e academ ic and c u l t u r a l e n v iro n m e n t he f i n d s
h i m s e l f i n , and from th e d i s p a r i t y b e tw ee n w hat th e W elchs
t h i n k t h e y a r e - - c u l t u r e d , s e n s i t i v e i n t e l l e e t u a l s - - a n d w hat
th e y a r e r e a l l y shown to b e - - b o r i n g , s e l f i s h s n o b s .
The o p e n in g c h a p t e r q u i c k l y e s t a b l i s h e s how we a r e to
r e s p o n d to P r o f e s s o r Welch and s e t s th e f a r c i c a l to n e f o r
t h e e n t i r e n o v e l . To b e g in w i t h , th e n o v e l i s n a r r a t e d
from D ix o n 's p o i n t o f view , and from him we l e a r n w hat he
t h i n k s o f Welch and th e h i s t o r y d e p a r tm e n t. I n an a tt e m p t
to Im prove h i s s t a n d i n g w ith th e h i s t o r y d e p a r tm e n t (he
h a s t o k eep h i s jo b f o r econom ic r e a s o n s ) , Dixon m ust n o t
o n ly p r e te n d to be an e x p e r t i n a f i e l d o f stu d y he i s
b a r e l y f a m i l i a r w ith and in a s u b j e c t whose im p o rtan ce he
q u e s t io n s , b u t he must a ls o c a t e r to th e whims and i d i o -
s y n c r a c i e s o f a p r o f e s s o r he l o a t h e s . T his i n c l u d e s a d
d r e s s i n g Welch as a p r o f e s s o r ("No o t h e r p r o f e s s o r i n G reat
B r i t a i n , he th o u g h t, s e t such s t o r e by b e in g c a l l e d P r o f e s
so r" [p. 9 ] ) t d i s g u i s i n g h i s n o r t h e r n a c c e n t, p r e te n d in g to
be i n t e r e s t e d i n f o l k c u l t u r e , t o l e r a t i n g W elch 's m eaning
l e s s p a tro n a g e o f th e a r t s , and engaging i n " f r e n z i e d
f a c t - g r u b b i n g and f a n a t i c a l boredom" (p. 1 7 ) w h ile doing
h i s r e s e a r c h f o r him. D ix o n 's e s s a y , f o r exam ple--"T he
economic i n f lu e n c e o f th e d evelopm ents i n s h ip b u ild in g
t e c h n iq u e s , 1450 to 1485" (p. l 6 ) - - i s t y p i c a l o f th e p i d
d l in g s c h o l a r s h i p Welch p ro m o te s, w ith i t s " n ig g lin g m ind
l e s s n e s s , i t s f u n e r e a l p a ra d e o f y a w n -e n fo rc in g f a c t s , the
p s e u d o - l i g h t i t threw upon no n-problem s and i t s a i r o f
b e in g convinced o f i t s own u s e f u l n e s s and s i g n i f i c a n c e "
(p. 17). Welch becomes*""Dixon' s symbol o f a l l t h a t i s fa ls e ,
and a lth o u g h Dixon does n o t tak e t h i s s o r t o f th in g s e r i
o u s ly , he r e a l i z e s t h a t d u rin g th e n e x t fo u r o r f i v e weeks
he must t r y to make Welch l i k e him, f o r " t h i s man had d e
c i s i v e power o v e r h i s f u t u r e " (p. 1 0 ).
In a d d i t i o n to D ix o n 's th o u g h ts and o b s e r v a t i o n s , how
e v e r , Amis m a n ip u la te s o u r m oral judgment from o u t s i d e o f
D ixon. As th e i n d i r e c t n a r r a t o r , Amis c o n t i n u a l l y mocks
35
and r i d i c u l e s Welch by c o n c e n tr a tin g on the p r e te n s e and
the e c c e n t r i c c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f th e man. Note, f o r e x
ample, how Amis p ro v id e s judgment v ia d e s c r i p t i v e a d j e c
t i v e s and extended commentary in th e fo llo w in g passag e
(th e i t a l i c s a re m ine):
As Welch a g ain seemed becalm ed, even slow ing f u r t h e r
i n h i s w alk, Dixon r e la x e d a t h i s s id e . H e'd found h i s
p r o f e s s o r s ta n d in g , s u r p r i s i n g l y enough, i n f r o n t of
the r e c e n t - a d d i t i o n s s h e l f in th e c o lle g e l i b r a r y , and
th ey were now moving d ia g o n a lly a c ro s s a sm all lawn
tow ards the f r o n t o f th e main b u i ld i n g o f the c o ll e g e .
To look a t , b u t n o t o n ly to, look a t , th ey resem bled
some k in d o f v a r i e t y a c t : Welch t a l l and weedy, w ith
limp w h iten in g h a i r , Dixon on th e s h o r t s id e , f a i r and
ro u n d -fa c e d , w ith an u n u su a l b r e a d th o f sh o u ld e r t h a t
had n e v e r been accompanied by any s p e c i a l p h y s ic a l
s t r e n g th o r s k i l l . D e sp ite t h i s o v e re v id e n t c o n t r a s t
between them, Dixon r e a l i s e d t h a t t h e i r p r o g r e s s , de
l i b e r a t e and to a l l appearance t h o u g h tf u l, must seem
r a t h e r do nnish to p a s s in g s t u d e n ts . He and Welch
might w e ll be t a l k i n g abou t h i s t o r y , and i n the way
h i s t o r y m ight be t a lk e d about i n Oxford and Cambridge
q u a d r a n g le s . At moments l i k e t h i s Dixon came n e a r to
w ishing t h a t th ey r e a l l y w ere. (p. 10)
The i r o n i c d is c re p a n c y between what Welch seems to be doing
( d is c u s s in g h i s t o r y ) and what he a c t u a l l y i s doing ( l e c t u r
ing Dixon on th e d i f f e r e n c e s between th e f l u t e and r e
c o rd e r) t y p i f i e s W elch 's b e h a v io r th ro u g h o u t th e n o v e l.
In g e s t u r e , b e h a v io r and speech , Welch a f f e c t s c u l t u r e and
i n t e l l e c t u a l i s m . A lthough he knows how to a c t the s c h o la r ,
he i s exposed, by Dixon and by th e a u th o r , as a r i d i c u l o u s
phony. F urtherm ore, th e r e f e r e n c e to the v a r i e t y a c t im
p l i e s t h a t Welch i s n o t to be tak en s e r i o u s l y , t h a t he i s
on show and n o t r e a l l y th e s e r i o u s s c h o la r and p a tro n o f
36
th e a r t s he p r e t e n d s to h e . Succeeding p h y s i c a l d e s c r i p
t i o n s and e p is o d e s a ls o u n d e rc u t W e lc h 's r o l e - p l a y i n g . At
one p o i n t he re s e m b le s "an o l d b o x e r, g iv e n to a b i t o f
po ach in g now and th e n " (p . 2 2 h ) , o r "an A f ric a n savage b e
in g shown a sim p le c o n ju r in g t r i c k " (p. 1 4 ). He h as a nose
l i k e a " l a r g e o p e n -p o re d t e t r a h e d r o n " (p. 8 9 ). A nother
tim e , he h a s d i f f i c u l t y o p en in g a r e v o lv in g d o o r, w ith th e
f o llo w in g comic r e s u l t s :
W elch, h i s h a i r f l a p p i n g , was s t r a i n i n g l i k e a p a c k e d -
down ru g b y fo rw a rd to push th e r e v o lv in g d o o r i n th e
wrong d i r e c t i o n . Dixon s to o d and w atch ed , a llo w in g
h i s m a n d r i l l fa c e f u l l p l a y . A f t e r a tim e W elch, some
how d i v i n i n g h i s e r r o r , began p u l l i n g i n s t e a d a t th e
now-jammed d o o r, ch an g in g h i s sem blance to t h a t o f
an ch o r i n a l o s i n g t u g - o '- w a r team. W ith a sudden
b u r s t i n g c l i c k th e d o o r y i e l d e d and Welch o v e rb a la n c e d
b a ck w ard s, h i t t i n g h i s h e ad on th e p a n e l b e h in d him.
(p . 179)
5
In h i s th e o r y o f comedy, H enri B ergson e x p l a i n s t h a t
th e b a s i s o f l a u g h t e r i s m e c h a n iz a tio n o f la n g u a g e , g e s t u r e
o r movement. T h is r e s u l t s , he s a y s , from s u b s t i t u t i n g th e
a r t i f i c i a l f o r th e n a t u r a l so t h a t a c t i o n s , a t t i t u d e s o r
sp eech ta k e on some a s p e c t o f t h e m e c h a n ic a l. Comedy
a c h ie v e s a m o ral f u n c t i o n , t h e r e f o r e , f o r i n r i d i c u l i n g by
l a u g h t e r th e m e c h a n ic a l, th e w r i t e r i s p r a i s i n g th e n a t
u r a l and f l e x i b l e . In Lucky J im , A m is's c h a r a c t e r s a r e
la u g h a b le and im m oral to th e e x t e n t t h a t th e y re s e m b le
m a c h in e s, and m oral to th e e x t e n t t h a t th e y a re n a t u r a l o r
become n a t u r a l . In th e above p a s s a g e , f o r exam ple, o b se rv e
37
how Amis h i n t s t h a t Welch i s outmoded, o u t o f d a te and i n
f l e x i b l e as a s c h o l a r and te a c h e r when he t e l l s u s t h a t i t
i s s u r p r i s i n g to f in d Welch n e a r the new books s e c t i o n o f
th e l i b r a r y . Were he a t r u e s c h o l a r , t h i s would n o t be
s u r p r i s i n g . T h is d e t a i l a n t i c i p a t e s o t h e r c lu e s , such as
W elch 's " m is le a d in g ly l i t t e r e d desk" (p. 8 4 ), h i s p a p e rs
" w r itte n in . . . p o i n t l e s s l y n e a t and c l e a r hand o r ty ped
by him w ith h i l a r i o u s in a c c u ra c y " (p. 178), and h i s o f f i c e
w ith " i t s rows o f su p e rse d e d books, i t s f i l i n g c a b i n e t s
f u l l o f a n tiq u e e x a m in a tio n p a p e rs and o f d o s s i e r s r e l a t i n g
to p a s t g e n e r a t i o n s o f s t u d e n t s , i t s view from c lo s e d w in
dows on to th e s u n l i t w a ll o f th e p h y s ic s l a b o r a to r y " (p.
8 7 ) - - a l l sym bolic o f W e lc h 's c l o s e d - i n , i n f l e x i b l e l i f e .
In a d d i t i o n , f r e q u e n t r e f e r e n c e s a re made to W e lc h 's
resem b lan ce to a m achine. His speech , f o r i n s t a n c e , i s
o f t e n d e s c r ib e d i n a u to m o tiv e term s: " A fte r no more th an a
m inor swerve th e m i s f i r i n g v e h ic le o f h i s c o n v e r s a t io n had
been h a u le d back to I t s u s u a l c o u rse " (p. 1 1 ). When Dixon
ask s him a b o u t M a r g a r e t's w e l f a r e , W elch 's " c l a y - l i k e
f e a t u r e s changed i n d e f i n a b l y as h i s a t t e n t i o n , l i k e a
squadron o f slow o ld b a t t l e s h i p s , began w heeling to fac e
t h i s new phenomenon" (p. l l ) . M oreover, Welch becomes
e a s i l y r e c o g n iz e d by h i s " p re p a re d p o s i t i o n s o f r e t i c e n c e ,
i r r e l e v a n c e , and th e l o n g - l i v e d wondering frown" (p. 8 6 ).
When t a l k i n g a b o u t a r t , he c a n ts "over i n h i s c h a i r l i k e a
38
broken ro b o t" (p. 8 0 ). He g e s tu r e s w ith h is " a r t h r i t i c
f o r e f i n g e r " (p, 39) and l i f t s h i s head slow ly, " l ik e the
muzzle o f some o b s o le te h o w itz e r" (p. 86 ). The iro n y in
a l l o f t h i s i s t h a t Welch, supposedly devoted to home-made
m usic, a r t s and c r a f t s , community l i f e , and o t h e r " n a tu r a l"
ways o f l i f e , i s , in f a c t , i n f l e x i b l e , n o n ad ap tiv e, and
hence n e i t h e r f r e e n o r n a t u r a l .
Through p h y s ic a l d e s c r i p t i o n and dram atic iro n y ,
t h e r e f o r e , Amis in f lu e n c e s th e r e a d e r 's judgment. Although
he does n o t say Welch i s a r i d i c u l o u s phony, because o f the
language w ith which he i s d e s c rib e d Amis has made t h a t
i n f e r e n c e in e s c a p a b le . I t i s as i f Amis were w atching o v e r
our sh o u ld e rs, t e l l i n g u s how to resp ond . T his I s how he
i n t r u d e s , and he n e v er d e ta c h e s h im s e lf from D ix o n 's v i
s io n . By c o n t r a s t , in Tom Jones F ie ld in g i n t r u d e s d i r e c t l y
by becoming a " c h a r a c te r " in the n ovel, not j u s t an o u ts id e
v o ice . Note, f o r i n s t a n c e , th e moral l e c t u r e F ie ld in g p r o
v id e s in the fo llo w in g d e s c r i p t i o n o f Mrs. Deborah W ilk in s:
I t i s my i n t e n t i o n , t h e r e f o r e , to s i g n i f y , t h a t a s i t
i s the n a tu re o f a k i t e to devour l i t t l e b i r d s , so i t
i s the n a tu r e o f such p e rso n s as Mrs. W ilkins to i n s u l t
and ty ra n n is e ov er l i t t l e p e o p le . T his b e in g indeed
th e means which th ey use to recompense to them selves
t h e i r extreme s e r v i l i t y and condescension to t h e i r s u
p e r i o r s ; f o r n o th in g can be more r e a s o n a b le , than t h a t
s la v e s and f l a t t e r e r s should e x a c t th e same ta x e s on
a l l below them which they them selves pay to a l l above
them .°
This i s n o t to imply t h a t a l l o f the la u g h te r i s d e r i s i v e
and s a t i r i c , f o r th e r e i s a d i s t i n c t i o n between the sim ply
39
comic o r humorous a s p e c t s o f F i e l d i n g 's (and A m is's) good
men and th e r i d i c u l o u s , w hich i s th e t a r g e t f o r ex p o su re
and c o r r e c t i o n . L ike F i e l d i n g , Amis i s c o n c e rn e d w ith
e x p o sin g p r e t e n s i o n and a f f e c t a t i o n p ro c e e d in g from v a n i t y
and h y p o c r is y - - w h a t F i e l d i n g c a l l s ’’th e o n ly so u rc e o f th e
t r u e r i d i c u l o u s . " '
A c t u a l l y , th e open in g c h a p t e r o f Lucky Jim f u l f i l l s
much th e same f u n c t i o n a s th e P re lu d e i n W augh's D e c lin e
and F a l l o r th e f i r s t c h a p t e r i n A H andful o f D u s t . In a l l
t h r e e n o v e ls , th e a u t h o r s p l a n t a s e r i e s o f s ig n s t h a t l e t s
u s know th e a c t i o n i s t a k i n g p l a c e in a comic w o rld . In
th e P r e lu d e , f o r i n s t a n c e , th e i n c o n g r u i t y betw een what we
e x p e c t th e t r a d i t i o n a l l y s t a i d and even s t u f f y Oxford dons
and s t u d e n t s to b e , and w hat th e y a r e shown to b e , e s t a b
l i s h e s th e f a r c i c a l p i c t u r e o f l i f e Waugh w i l l be w orking
w i t h . M oreover, th e c a l l o u s , u n j u s t U n i v e r s i t y r e p r e s e n t a
t i v e s , th e i n d i f f e r e n t Church, and th e i n e f f e c t u a l f e llo w
t h e o l o g i a n s a r e a l l r i d i c u l e d f o r a llo w in g P a u l Penny-
f e a t h e r to be u n j u s t l y p u n is h e d . L ike Amis, W augh's humor
i n th e e a r l y n o v e ls i s th e humor o f th e o u t r a g e o u s - - t h e
f a r c i c a l , f a n t a s t i c e le m e n t. The drunken l e c t u r e and th e
b e d -b u r n in g sc e n e , f o r i n s t a n c e , a r e v e ry much l i k e W augh's
comic s c e n e s . However, w h ereas W augh's humor i s a lm o st
s u r r e a l i s t i c a t tim e s , Amis re m a in s w i t h in th e c o n v e n tio n
o f r e a l i s m . B oth w r i t e r s a r e s e r i o u s c r i t i c s o f s o c i e t y ,
y e t th e means by w hich th e y c r i t i c i z e i s funny.
40
The same r i d i c u l e and mockery d i r e c t e d a t P r o f e s s o r
Welch i s aimed a t th e o t h e r members o f th e Welch fam ily as
w e ll. As th e b o s s 's w ife and son, f o r i n s t a n c e , Mrs. C e lia
Welch and B e rtra n d a ls o h o ld power o v e r D ix o n 's f u t u r e .
Like h e r husband, Mrs. Welch h y p o c r i t i c a l l y u s e s c u l t u r e to
p r e s e r v e s t a t u s , view ing i t as th e p r o p e r ty o f an e x c lu s iv e
clu b w ith i t s d o ors c lo s e d to " P h i l i s t i n e " Dixon. A p o r
t r a i t o f fem ale v i c io u s n e s s b e n t on keeping Dixon in tow,
Mrs. Welch w a i ts , w ith "an e x p re s s io n o f imminent vom iting"
(p. 2 5 6 ) , re a d y to s t r i k e when Dixon g e t s o u t o f l i n e .
B e rtra n d , on th e o t h e r hand, i s a p s e u d o - a r t i s t who
p e r s o n i f i e s th e p r i v i l e g e d and phony u p p e r - c l a s s v a lu e s
Dixon d e t e s t s . The epitom e o f a f f e c t a t i o n , "a r e f i n e d
g r a c i o u s - l i v e r and a r t y - r u b b i s h - t a l k e r " (p. 146), B e r tr a n d
i s much l i k e h i s dad: " 'a b o re . . . th e o n ly th in g t h a t
i n t e r e s t s him i s h im ’ "; " 'a t w i s t e r and a snob and a b u l l y
and a f o o l. . . . Touchy and v a in , y e s, b u t n o t s e n s i t i v e 1"
(pp. l4'7, 212) . B e rtra n d soon a r r i v e s on th e scene r i d i c u
l o u s l y d re s s e d in "a lem on-yellow s p o r t s c o a t, a l l th r e e
b u tto n s o f which were f a s te n e d , and d is p la y in g a la r g e
b e a rd which came down f u r t h e r on one s id e than on th e
o t h e r , h a l f h id in g a v i n e - p a t t e r n e d t i e " (p. 4 0 ). Like h i s
f a t h e r , B e rtra n d i s r i d i c u l o u s i n ap p ea ra n c e, and Amis con
t i n u e s to p l a n t s ig n s to l e t u s know t h a t B e rtra n d i s to
be laughed a t . His e y e s, we a re t o l d , "lacked th e con-
41
v e x i t y o f th e norm al e y e b a l l " (p. 43) and lo o k ed l i k e
" p o l is h e d g l a s s " (p . 2 1 1 ). H is e a r s a r e s t r a n g e l y d i s s i m
i l a r (p. 4 9 )• At one p o i n t he a p p e a rs " r a t h e r l i k e a l e f t -
arm b o w ler coming i n t o a b a tm a n 's view round th e um pire"
(p . 2 2 2 ). M oreover, h i s sp eech i s n e e d l e s s l y a f f e c t e d , as
when, f o r exam ple, he e x p l a i n s why he v i s i t e d London:
B e r t r a n d 's jaw s sn a tc h e d s u c c e s s f u l l y a t a p i e c e o f
food which had b een w i t h i n an ace o f e lu d in g them. He
w ent on chewing f o r a moment, p o n d e rin g . "I do ubt i t , "
he s a i d a t l a s t . "Upon c o n s i d e r a t i o n I f e e l i t incum
b e n t upon me to d o u b t i t . I have m is c e lla n e o u s c o n
c e r n s i n London t h a t need my g u id in g h a n d ." He sm ile d
among h i s b e a r d , from w hich he now began b r u s h in g
crum bs. "But i t ' s v e ry p l e a s a n t to come down h e re and
to know t h a t th e t o r c h o f c u l t u r e i s s t i l l i n a s t a t e
o f com bustion i n th e p r o v i n c e s . P ro fo u n d ly r e a s s u r i n g ,
too . " ( p . 42)
Note t h a t i n th e above p a s s a g e , A m is's comic d e s c r i p t i o n o f
B e r t r a n d 's meal u n d erm in es h i s " d i g n i t y . " A n o th e r tim e
B e r tr a n d announces t h a t he i s a p a i n t e r , th en makes c e r
t a i n Dixon u n d e r s t a n d s w i t h a sp e e c h , Dixon n o t e s , c l e a r l y
d e l i v e r e d b e f o r e :
" I am a p a i n t e r . Not, a l a s , a p a i n t e r o f h o u s e s , o r I
sh o u ld have been a b le to make my p i l e and r e t i r e by
now. No no; I p a i n t p i c t u r e s . Not, a l a s a g a in , p i c
t u r e s o f t r a d e u n i o n i s t s o r town h a l l s o r naked women,
o r I sh o u ld now be s q u a t t i n g on an even l a r g e r p i l e .
No no; j u s t p i c t u r e s , mere p i c t u r e s , p i c t u r e s t o u t
c o u r t , o r , a s o u r Am erican c o u s in s would say , p i c t u r e s
p e r i o d . " (p. 43)
In a d d i t i o n , B e r t r a n d 's v a in a t t i t u d e tow ard th e r i c h a n
t i c i p a t e s t h a t o f s t i n g y , i n s e n s i t i v e Lady B aldock In 1
Want I t Now, a s he p r o f e s s e s t o t a l d e v o tio n to th e r i c h
42
because th e y keep the a r t s g o in g , a re charm ing and g e n e r-
ouSj a p p r e c i a te the th in g s he lik e s., and f i l l t h e i r houses
w ith b e a u t i f u l t h in g s . 11'T h a t 's why I l ik e them and t h a t ' s
why I d o n 't want them so a k e d ,u (p. 55)- The ir o n y in t h i s
i s t h a t B e rtra n d i s n e i t h e r charm ing no r g en ero u s, and i s
doing l i t t l e to advance th e a r t s .
C e r ta in l y B e r t r a n d 's most u n p le a s a n t b e h a v io r i s the
way he r i d e s over p e o p l e 's f e e l i n g s , e s p e c i a l l y women's
f e e l i n g s . Whether i t i s to f u l f i l l an image o f th e a s p i r
ing a r t i s t o r to a id him in s e c u r in g a job as p r i v a t e
s e c r e t a r y to w e alth y J u l i u s G o re-U rq u h art, B e r tra n d o p e r
a t e s w ith o u t s c r u p l e s , and i s n o t above c a rr y in g on w ith
C aro l G oldsm ith, a m a rrie d woman, w hile a t th e same time
s t r i n g i n g along C h r i s t in e C a lla g h a n , G o re -U rq u h a rt' s n ie c e .
When Dixon d isa p p ro v e s and t r i e s to in te r v e n e , B e rtra n d i s
t y p i c a l l y h o s t i l e as he w arns:
" I 'v e had enough o f you, you l i t t l e b a s t a r d . I w o n 't
s ta n d any more o f i t , do you h e a r? To t h in k o f a lo u sy
l i t t l e P h i l i s t i n e l i k e you coming and monkeying about
In my a f f a i r s , i t ' s enough . . . . Get o u t and s ta y
o u t, b e fo re you g e t h u r t . Leave my g i r l a lo n e , y o u 'r e
w a stin g y o u r tim e, y o u 'r e w a stin g h e r tim e, y o u 'r e
w a stin g my tim e. What the h e l l do you mean by b u g
g e rin g about l i k e t h i s ? Y o u 're b ig enough and o ld
enough and u g ly enough to know b e t t e r . " (p. 189)
S earch ing f o r some i s s u e on which he can o p e n ly d e f e a t
B e r tr a n d , D ix o n 's o p p o r t u n it y a r r i v e s when he g e ts to know
C h r i s t i n e . Such p r a c t i c a l jo k e s as a f a l s e p u b l i c i t y c a l l
to B e r tra n d , th e a b d u c tio n o f C h r i s t in e from th e dance, and
43
a s e r i e s o f p u b l i c q u a r r e l s o v e r C h r i s t i n e , a l l p ro v e to be
t a c t i c a l l y s u c c e s s f u l i n h i s campaign a g a i n s t B e r tr a n d ,
c u lm in a tin g i n a f i s t f i g h t from w hich Dixon em erges th e
v i c t o r . I t t u r n s o u t t h a t B e r tr a n d i s n o t q u i t e th e p a c i
f i s t he p r e t e n d s to b e .
In a d d i t i o n to D ix o n 's commentary and o b s e r v a t i o n s and
A m is's i n d i r e c t n a r r a t i o n , th e Welch fa m ily i s a ls o r i d i
c u le d by th e i r o n i c o r d e r i n g o f e v e n t s . Like W augh's
e a r l y n o v e ls , Lucky J i m 1s e p i s o d i c s t r u c t u r e c o n t r a s t s
a p p e a ra n c e and r e a l i t i e s —we a re t o l d one t h i n g , th e n d i s
c o v e r th e t r u t h to be som ething e n t i r e l y d i f f e r e n t . O ften
sc e n e s a re s e t up by Amis to f u r t h e r u n d e rc u t th e W elchs
su ppo sed a u t h o r i t y and d i g n i t y . E a r l y i n th e n o v e l, f o r
i n s t a n c e , Welch m en tio n s M a r g a r e t 's a p p a r e n t r e c o v e r y a t
h i s home, and s a y s , " ' I t h i n k t h e r e must be som ething a b o u t
th e a tm o sp h e re o f th e p l a c e , you know, t h a t h a s some s o r t
o f h e a l i n g e f f e c t 1" (p . l l ) . L a t e r , we l e a r n n o t o n ly t h a t
M a rg are t i s more n e u r o t i c th a n e v e r , b u t t h a t she h a te d
e v e ry moment she s p e n t w ith th e Welch fa m ily : " 'W h a t 'l l
r e a l l y b r i n g me back to n o r m a l i t y ' l l be g e t t i n g away from
th e N e d d ie s, u n g r a t e f u l a s i t may s o u n d '" (p . 2 4 ).
A n o th e r tim e , B e r tr a n d announces t h a t he i s groom ing
h i m s e l f f o r th e p o s i t i o n o f p r i v a t e s e c r e t a r y to G ore-
U r q u h a r t. " 'P a t r o n a g e , you s e e , p a tr o n a g e : t h a t ' s what
i t ' l l b e ’" (p. 4 l ) . At th e tim e , Dixon w onders: "What
44
co u ld a man w ith such eyes., such a b e a rd and . . . such
d i s s i m i l a r e a r s have to do w ith a man l i k e G ore-U rquhart?"
(p. 49). We soon le a r n th e answer to t h i s q u e s tio n , f o r
G ore-U rquhart im m ed iately se e s through B e r t r a n d 's p r e te n s e
( " ' I knew young Welch was no good as soon as I s e t my eyes
on him. Like h i s p i c t u r e s ' " [p. 2 3 8].). A c u lt u r e d man
and r i c h d evotee o f th e a r t s , we m ight ex p ect G ore-U rquhart
to be a snob. We f i n d , however, t h a t u n lik e B e r tra n d , he
e n jo y s d rin k in g b e e r w ith Dixon, he i s good-humored, down
to e a r t h and common s e n s i c a l , and he t r e a t s Dixon k in d ly .
When he r i s e s to g r e e t Dixon, f o r i n s t a n c e , "This f o r m a lity
was so u n f a m i l i a r in th e c i r c l e s Dixon n orm ally moved in
t h a t f o r a moment he wondered w hether th e o t h e r meant to
oppose t h e i r approach by p h y s i c a l fo rc e " (p. 111). A ctu
a l l y , t h i s i s an example o f A m is's own k in d o f snobberyj
t h a t i s , G o re-U rqu hart i s s i g n a l l e d as a good chap b e c a u se ,
a lth o u g h he i s r i c h , he i s n o t p r e t e n t i o u s .
And f i n a l l y , Dixon w i l l o f te n s e t up a p ran k a g a i n s t
h i s "en em ies," then s i t back and w a it to see what happens.
His d i s f i g u r i n g o f Jo h n s ' p i c t u r e , h i s sending a phony
l e t t e r to Johns, and h i s phony te le p h o n e c a l l to B e r tra n d
a re a l l exam ples o f t h i s . Having seen q u i t e enough o f
B e r t r a n d 's b e h a v io r a lr e a d y , i t i s easy to p r e d i c t how
B e r tra n d w i l l behave. We s i t back and w a it f o r him to con
firm our e x p e c t a t i o n s - - a s in d e e d he does when he a n g r i l y
c o n f r o n ts Dixon.
45
D ix o n 's s e c r e t p r o t e s t s are a ls o i r o n i c . D e sp ite h is
h a tr e d o f th e Welch family* Dixon d are n o t p r o t e s t openly*
and t h e r e f o r e he r e s o r t s to a comic fa n ta s y world to e x
p r e s s rage o r lo a th in g toward c e r t a i n i m b e c i l i t i e s o f th e
Welch s e t . Thus* h is tra g ic -m a s k face* h is Chinese manda
r i n ' s fa c e , and h is Evelyn Waugh face* f o r example* serve
a t h e r a p e u tic f u n c t i o n - - a means by which Dixon can s a f e l y
r e l e a s e h i s e x a s p e r a tio n s . At o th e r times* Dixon becomes
more a g g re ss iv e as he f a n t a s i z e s s t u f f i n g Welch down the
l a v a to r y w hile l i s t e n i n g to an i n c r e d i b l y fa tu o u s t a l k by
Welch on r e c o r d e r music* o r o f b e a tin g him about the head
and sh o u ld e rs w ith a b o t t l e u n t i l he r e v e a l s why he gave
French names to h i s son. In l a t e r novels* where the
h e r o 's m oral problem s a re a t a more in te n s e level* such
f a n t a s i e s o f h o s t i l i t y and a g g re ss io n are more fre q u e n t
and l e s s c o n tr o l le d .
Although Dixon and Jimmy P o r t e r ( Look Back in Anger)
share many o f the same f r u s t r a t i o n s * Dixon seldom comes
c lo s e to e x p re s s in g th e rag e P o r te r e x p re s s e s . Dixon i s
more a r t i c u l a t e * P o r t e r j u s t ra g e s , and a lth o u g h Dixon
disapp roves* a t l e a s t he i s tr y in g to teach and a t l e a s t
he i s s t i l l try in g to make i t in the system . Moreover*
u n lik e Dixon* P o r te r i s u n a b le to a d j u s t to the E s t a b l i s h
ment o r even to c a r r y on a mocking a t t a c k . At l e a s t
46
D ix o n 's comic a p p ro a c h a llo w s him, f o r a w h ile , to b e n e f i t
from economic s e c u r i t y .
A c t u a l l y , th e d i f f e r e n c e in to n e betw een th e two
w o rk s--o n e f a r c i c a l , th e o t h e r a n g r y - - i s a q u e s t io n o f
tem peram ent and fo c u s o f th e w r i t e r . Amis i s more t o l e r
a n t than O sborne, and i s d e a l in g p r i m a r i l y w ith a f f e c t a t i o n
a s seen th ro u g h a w i t t y o b s e r v e r . Comedy re d u c e s im posing
f i g u r e s - - i t i s a remedy f o r v a n it y and h y p o c ris y . In c o n
t r a s t , Osborne i s d e a l in g w ith p o v e r ty , i n f i r m i t y , u g l i
n e s s — s u b j e c t s w hich r e a l l y a r e n o t r i d i c u l o u s i n them
s e l v e s . There i s v e ry l i t t l e i n modern B r i t a i n t h a t he
does n o t f i n d c o r r u p t , and i n an e s s a y e n t i t l e d "They C a ll
I t C r i c k e t , " he i s a t l e a s t as a n g ry a s h i s c h a r a c t e r s
when he a t t a c k s r o y a l t y ( " t h e g o ld f i l l i n g in a m o u th fu l o f
d e c a y " ), th e p o l i t i c a l E s t a b l i s h m e n t , and th e Church ( " I t
h a s l i v e d i n an atm o sp h ere o f calm , c a s u a l fu n k . . . . I t
Q
h a s even managed to s p re a d th e g o s p e l o f funk.").
A lthou gh Dixon does n o t s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d l y c o n t e s t th e
h o llo w n e s s o f W e lc h 's w o rld , som etim es h i s s e c r e t l i f e o f
p r o t e s t u n c o n s c io u s ly s u r f a c e s . E a r ly i n th e n o v e l, f o r
i n s t a n c e , he i s f o r c e d to p a r t i c i p a t e i n W e lc h 's c u l t u r a l
weekend o f a r t y t a l k , m a d rig a l s i n g i n g , and r e c o r d e r blo w
in g (what Dixon r e f e r s to as " th e f a m i l i a r m ix tu re o f p r e
d i c t e d boredom w ith u n p r e d i c t e d b o re d o m ," a lo n g w ith
" i n f a n t i l e f a - l a - l a - l a s t u f f " and a l o t o f " s c r a p in g and
blow ing" [pp. 37 j ^0, 47]). By t h i s time we have become so
i d e n t i f i e d w ith D ix o n 's re s p o n s e s to the Welch fam ily t h a t
we a g re e w ith h i s mocking them. Not o n ly do we sym pathize
w ith D ixon--he cannot act* cannot sing* and c e r t a i n l y c a n
n o t re a d m usic--w e a ls o laugh a t him and enjoy th e su c c e e d
ing drunken scene and b e d -b u rn in g e p iso d e , a l l o f which
d r a m a ti c a l ly e x p re s s D ixo n’ s p e n t-u p l o a th in g and ra g e .
This i s j u s t the s o r t o f th in g he would l i k e to do o p e n ly ,
had he th e c o u ra g e .
In some r e s p e c t s , D ix o n 's p red icam en t rem inds u s o f
John Kemp's t r o u b l e s in L a r k i n 's f i r s t p u b lis h e d n o v e l,
J i l l (1946). Like Dixon, Kemp comes from th e low er c l a s s e s
and i s r e j e c t e d and made u n c o m fo rtab le because o f h i s b a c k
ground. He f e e l s an o u t s i d e r , d is p la c e d and lo n e ly ,
"caught" between th e low er c l a s s o f h i s background and the
up per c l a s s to which h i s e d u c a tio n has b ro u g h t him. Be
cause C h r is to p h e r W arner, h i s cosm opo litan roommate a t
Oxford, r e p e a t e d ly snubs him and ta k e s adv an tag e o f him,
Kemp r e t r e a t s i n t o a te m p o ra r ily s u c c e s s f u l f a n ta s y w orld
b u i l t around an im ag in ary s i s t e r , J i l l , and e le g a n t s t o r i e s
o f h o lid a y s i n Wales and an u p p e r m id d le - c la s s background.
When t h i s w orld b re a k s a p a r t , Kemp p u rsu e s an a c t u a l g i r l
named G i l l i a n . E v e n tu a lly , when drunk, he h as enough
courage to k i s s h e r . Like Amis, L arkin o f t e n r e l i e s on
p h y s i c a l d e t a i l s to e v a lu a te th e c h a r a c t e r s . C h r is to p h e r
48
and h i s f r i e n d s , f o r exam ple, a re r i d i c u l e d b e c a u se th e y
ju dge o t h e r s and d e f i n e th e m s e lv e s by th e c l a s s s t r u c t u r e .
Thus, E l i z a b e t h Dowling a p p e a rs w ith h e r c a r e f u l l y pow
d e re d f a c e , red d e n ed mouth, and " h e r g o ld en h a i r . . .
b ru s h e d f i e r c e l y up from th e s i d e s o f h e r h e ad , so t h a t i t
form ed a s t i f f o rn am en t, l i k e a c u r i o u s h e lm e t ," and Eddy
Makepeace a p p e a rs w ith h i s " y o u t h f u l, s p o t t y f a c e , t h a t
e x p re s s e d g r e a t c o n fid e n c e and stu p id ity .
F r e q u e n tly Amis w i l l u se e v a l u a t i v e co m p ariso n s to
a f f e c t th e r e a d e r ' s judgm ent. I n t r o d u c i n g new e le m e n ts
i n t o th e m oral fram ework o f Lucky Jim a re D ix o n 's r e l a t i o n
s h ip s w ith M a rg are t P e e le and C h r i s t i n e C a lla g h a n .
M a rg a re t, f o r exam ple, e c c e n t r i c a l l y d r e s s e d i n a "g reen
P a i s l e y fr o c k i n c o m b in a tio n w ith . . . lo w -h e e le d , q u a s i -
v e l v e t sh o es" (p . 13)j i s e v e r y t h in g Dixon r e a l l y does n o t
want i n a g i r l . She I s , to b e g in w i t h , u n a t t r a c t i v e and
t e d i o u s , coming from t h a t huge c l a s s d e s t i n e d to p r o v id e
D ix o n 's womenfolk: "Those i n whom th e i n t e n t i o n o f b e in g
a t t r a c t i v e c o u ld som etim es be made to g e t i t s e l f c o n fu s e d
w ith p e rfo rm a n c e ; th o s e w ith whom a t o o - t i g h t s k i r t , a
w r o n g -c o lo u re d , o r no, l i p s t i c k , even an i l l - e x e c u t e d sm ile
c o u ld i n s t a n t l y d i s c r e d i t t h a t i l l u s i o n beyond a p p a r e n t
hope o f re n e w a l" (p . 4 l ) . M oreover, she i s n e u r o t i c - - a
k in d o f e m o tio n a l vam pire who f a k e s an a tte m p te d s u i c i d e
and p e r s i s t e n t l y a c c u s e s Dixon o f t r y i n g to h u r t h e r ,
ig n o re h e r, o r h u m ilia te h e r i n f r o n t o f o t h e r women. A l
though Dixon f i n d s M argaret p l a i n and te d io u s , b ecause o f
a com bination o f p i t y , f e a r and m oral l a z i n e s s he f i n d s he
cannot h e lp f e e l i n g r e s p o n s i b l e f o r h e r. Like P r o f e s s o r
Welch, M argaret i s very m ec h a n ic a l--a n d t h e r e f o r e la u g h -
a b l e - - i n h e r b e h a v io r. Like an a c t r e s s , she i s alw ays on
s ta g e as she t r i e s to m an ip u late Dixon. In M argaret we a re
c l e a r l y shown what d e s t r u c t i o n an i n d i v i d u a l 's lo n g -
c o n tin u e d d e n i a l o f h i s own c h a r a c t e r may lea d to . The
e v i l i n h e r e n t in M a r g a r e t's r o l e - p l a y i n g i s n o t o n ly t h a t
she i s d e s tro y in g h e r s e l f , b u t t h a t she i s u s in g Dixon as
a th in g . A lthough d i f f e r e n t c irc u m s ta n c e s , the d a n g ers o f
r o l e - p l a y i n g a re w e ll i l l u s t r a t e d i n John B r a i n e 1s Room a t
th e Top. As a consummate a c t o r , Joe Lampton' s su c ce ss d e
pends upon h i s a b i l i t y to assume th e speech, d r e s s and
deportm ent o f the u p p e r c l a s s e s o f W arley. He l i v e s h i s
r o l e to the h i l t , h u r t i n g p e o p le in the p r o c e s s .
In c o n t r a s t to M argaret, C h r i s t in e i s e v e ry th in g Dixon
would l i k e to have in a g i r l - - a t t r a c t i v e , n i c e r and "more
norm al, i . e . l e s s unw orkable" (p. 247). When he f i r s t
meets h e r , Dixon t h in k s he se es i n C h r i s t in e a carbon copy
o f B e r t r a n d - - i n d i g n a n t , se v e re , p r e t e n t i o u s , "som ething
d e sig n e d to p u t him in h i s p la c e f o r good" (p. 4 l ) - - a n d in
p r o t e s t Dixon p u rp o s e ly v i o l a t e s good manners. To h i s
s u r p r i s e , however, C h r i s t in e i s n e i t h e r shocked nor
Im p re sse d when he i n t e n s i f i e s h i s n o r t h e r n accent., e a t s a
f r i e d egg w ith h i s fin g e rs ., o r t e l l s h e r a b o u t th e b u rn ed
b e d - c l o t h e s . B e r tr a n d would l a b e l such b e h a v io r a s P h i l i s
t i n e * crud e and u n c o u th ; M a rg a re t would c h id e him f o r b e in g
i l l - m a n n e r e d . C h r i s t i n e , how ever, h e lp s him h id e th e e v i
d e n ce , and " t h a t , and h e r la u g h in g f i t , p ro v ed t h a t she
w a s n 't as 'd i g n a n t ' a s she loo ked" (p. 8 0 ). M oreover, h e r
s l i g h t l y i r r e g u l a r t e e t h , h e r awkwardness a t th e d a n ce , and
h e r i l l m anners a t th e b r e a k f a s t t a b l e a r e a d d i t i o n a l c l u e s
Amis p r o v i d e s to I n d i c a t e t h a t she i s n o t th e c u l t u r a l snob
she p r e t e n d s to b e . She, to o , h a s been p l a y i n g a r o l e in
h e r r e l a t i o n s h i p to B e r t r a n d , b u t l i k e Dixon, n o t long
enough to r e a l l y h u r t h e r s e l f o r anybody e l s e . P e rh a p s
th e b e s t example o f e v a l u a t i v e com parison o c c u rs a t th e
da n ce , where C h r is , u n l i k e th e o t h e r s , lo o k s n a t u r a l , n o t
p h o n y :
C h r i s t i n e ' s aim , he im a g in e d , had been to show o f f th e
em phasis o f h e r n a t u r a l c o l o r i n g and sk in t e x t u r e . The
r e s u l t was p a i n f u l l y s u c c e s s f u l , making ev ery b o d y e l s e
lo o k l i k e an a sse m b la g e o f g r a n u l a t e d h a l f t o n e s .
(p. 109)
The r e s o l u t i o n to th e n o v e l i s a c o m b in atio n o f f a r c e
and ro m a n tic f a n t a s y , a s Dixon l o s e s h i s jo b , b u t g e t s
som ething b e t t e r - - B e r t r a n d ' s g i r l and jo b . A ll o f t h i s i s
b r o u g h t a b o u t n o t b e c a u se o f any p a r t i c u l a r v i r t u e s Dixon
p o s s e s s e s , b u t b e c a u s e o f t h e i n t e r v e n t i o n o f G ore-
U r q u h a r t, an e c c e n t r i c m i l l i o n a i r e who w an ts " ' t o i n f l u e n c e
51
p e o p le so t h e y ' l l do what I t h in k i t ' s Im p o rta n t th ey
should d o 1" (p. 2 1 9). S e c re tiv e ly ,, he has been t e s t i n g
Dixon f o r v i r t u e s he may p o s s e s s , and co n clu d es, " ' I t ' s
n o t t h a t y o u 'v e g o t th e q u a l i f i c a t i o n s , f o r t h i s o r any
o t h e r work, b u t t h e r e a re p l e n t y who have. You h a v e n 't
g o t th e d i s q u a l i f i c a t i o n s , though, and t h a t ' s much r a r e r ' "
(p. 2 3 8). As G o re -U rq u h a rt' s p e r s o n a l s e c r e t a r y , D ix o n 's
freedom from p e t t y a f f e c t a t i o n w i l l be a p p r e c i a te d . More
o v e r, h i s d u t i e s w i l l r e q u i r e him to be c o n s t a n t l y on the
o u tlo o k f o r fa k e s and b o r e s .
D ix o n 's m oral dilemmas o v e r M argaret and o v e r h i s job
a re so lv e d . L earnin g th e t r u t h about M a r g a r e t's s u ic id e
a tte m p t, Dixon f i n d s h im s e lf f r e e d from " p i t y ' s a d h esiv e
p l a s t e r " (p. 247) and no lo n g e r m o ra lly bound to M argaret:
For th e f i r s t tim e he r e a l l y f e l t t h a t i t was no use
tr y i n g to save th o se who fu n d am e n ta lly would r a t h e r
n o t be saved. To go on t r y i n g would n o t m erely be to
y i e l d to p i t y and s e n t i m e n t a l i t y , b u t wrong and, to
pu rsu e i t to i t s c o n c lu s io n , inhumane. (p. 247)
And, b ecau se o f a co m binatio n o f n e rv o u s n e s s, d r in k and
p e n t-u p f r u s t r a t i o n s , D ix o n 's speech on M errie Old England
i s red u ced to a d e b a c le as he f i n d s h im s e lf m e c h a n ic a lly
i m i t a t i n g Welch and th e p r i n c i p a l , and th en s e t t l e s down
to d e s tr o y th e a ssu m p tio n s u n d e rly in g h i s l e c t u r e :
No more i m i t a t i o n s , th e y f r i g h te n e d him too much, b u t
he could su g g e st by h i s i n t o n a t i o n , very s u b t l y o f
c o u rs e , what he th o u g h t o f h i s s u b j e c t and th e worth
o f th e s ta te m e n ts he was making. (p. 2 3 0)
52
As in the bed-b u rn in g e p iso d e , Dixon i s in ca p ab le o f
launching an h o n e st s tr a ig h tf o r w a r d a t t a c k a g a i n s t sham
and d is h o n e s ty , and th u s must h id e behind h i s drunkenness.
And, t h i s i s funny. A d i r e c t a t t a c k on the sy stem --su ch
as the one P o r te r w a g e s - - is n o t funny. What i s a t work i s
an uncon scious su rfa c in g o f th e rage he has f e l t thro ugh out
the n o v e l- - a d ram atic i l l u s t r a t i o n o f the f r u s t r a t e d s e c r e t
l i f e o f p r o t e s t he has been le a d in g . And f o r Dixon, the
economic dilemma and the moral c r i s i s have been fo rce d to
a clim ax, and in e n t i r e l y comic term s: "He began to in f u s e
h i s to n es w ith a s a r c a s t i c , wounding b i t t e r n e s s . Nobody
o u ts id e a madhouse, he t r i e d to im ply, could take s e r i
o u sly a s in g le p h ra se o f t h i s c o n j e c t u r a l , n u g a to ry , d e
lu ded, te d io u s ru b b ish " (p. 2 3 0).
Although we do n ot o r d i n a r i l y l ik e to e n c o u n te r p e r
f e c t endings in our n o v e ls , we are n o t p u t o f f by th e u n
r e a l i s t i c ending because we know from th e b e g in n in g the
kind o f novel we a re r e a d i n g - - a comic novel which depends
on u n r e a l i s t i c e x a g g e ra tio n o f v a rio u s k in d s . R a th e r, i t
i s the r i g h t n e s s o f th e ending as a co n clu sio n to a l l o f
th e comic wrongness t h a t has gone on b e fo r e . I n s te a d o f
m arrying M argaret, Dixon w i l l be m arrying an am iable,
d e ce n t and h o n e st g i r l , and t h a t i s the b e s t th in g t h a t
can happen to him.
In Lucky Jim , Dixon f in d s h im s e lf tra p p e d by th e wrong
53
woman., th e wrong town, and th e wrong jo b , o n ly to d i s c o v e r
t h a t t h e r e a r e no m oral o b s t a c l e s to h i s r e j e c t i n g them
when f a r b e t t e r s u b s t i t u t e s come a lo n g . In A m is's n e x t
n o v e l, T hat U n c e r ta in F e e l i n g , th e h e r o ' s p re d ic a m e n t i s a
b i t more c o m p lic a te d . W ith a lo w -p a y in g , t e d i o u s jo b , a
d e p r e s s in g a p a r tm e n t, a w if e , two c h i l d r e n , and th e d e s i r e ,
though n o t th e power o r p o s i t i o n , to change m a t t e r s , John
Lewis f i n d s h i m s e l f t o r n betw een w a n tin g to be m oral and
w a n tin g to do t h i n g s t h a t a r e im m oral. As David Lodge
o b s e r v e s :
L ike Jim D ixon, John Lewis i s t r y i n g to r e c o n c i l e h i s
i n n e r l i f e w ith h i s o u t e r l i f e , b u t i n an o p p o s i t e d i
r e c t i o n . W hereas Jim s t r u g g l e d to make h i s o u t e r l i f e
r e a l i s e h i s i n n e r l i f e o f p r o t e s t and ro m a n tic s e l f -
f u l f i l l m e n t [ ’’Doing what you w anted to do was th e o n ly
t r a i n i n g , th e o n ly p r e l i m i n a r y , needed f o r doing more
o f what you w anted to d o " ] , John Lewis se e k s to d i s c i
p l i n e h i s o u t e r l i f e by th e m oral p r i n c i p l e s o f h i s
i n n e r s e l f : " I t w a s n 't so much doing w hat you w anted
to do t h a t was im p o r t a n t , I r u m in a te d , a s w a n tin g to
do what you d i d . ” 10
A lthou gh Lewis i s tem p ted away from th e s a n c t i t y o f h i s
home by th e G r u f f y d d - W illia m s 1s u p p e r - c l a s s w o rld o f money,
m isuse o f power and t o l e r a n c e o f a d u l t e r y , a c o m b in atio n o f
m o ral s c r u p l e s and s e x u a l p a n ic p e rs u a d e s Lewis to r e p e n t ,
ren o u n c e th e f i x e d l i b r a r i a n jo b , and c o n c lu d e : "S ta y u n d e r
c o v e r , L ew is, and you w o n 't g e t h u r t . " ^ U n lik e Lucky J im ,
no new woman o r new jo b can s o lv e L e w is 's b a s i c p ro b lem .
When T hat U n c e r ta in P e e lin g was p u b l i s h e d in 1955*
th o s e who ra v e d a b o u t Lucky Jim e x p re s s e d d is a p p o in tm e n t
w ith what a ppeared to "be n o th in g more than a cheap i m i t a
t io n o f th e comic s p i r i t t h a t made Lucky Jim so p o p u la r.
O ther c r i t i c s were d i s p le a s e d because i t seemed Amis had
s a c r i f i c e d much o f the humor o f Lucky J im : th e c h a r a c t e r s
a re n a s tie r ., and r e a d e r s f e l t d i s i n c l i n e d to pu rsu e the
12
m ix tu re o f comedy and s e r i o u s n e s s . As a s e rio -c o m ic
n o v e l, c e r t a i n l y , That U n c e rta in F e e lin g i s l e s s s u c c e s s
f u l than i t s p r e d e c e s s o r . Whereas Lucky Jim h as a t i g h t l y
c o n s tr u c te d p l o t - - e v e r y comic e p iso d e l o g i c a l l y t i e d in
w ith D ix o n 's s t r u g g l e to keep h i s j o b - - t h e comic i n t e r
lu d es in That U n c e rta in P e e lin g a re n o t a s c l o s e l y r e l a t e d
to th e main d r iv e o f th e n o v e l. O ften, i n f a c t , th ey seem
mere e m b e llish m e n ts. Thus, such f a r c i c a l e p is o d e s as
L e w is 's m asquerade as a plum ber and a s a Welsh p e a s a n t
woman c la s h r a t h e r than b le n d w ith th e complex dilemma
Lewis f a c e s ( h i s a d u l t e r y and the rig g e d prom otion) and
w ith h i s moments o f genuin e p a in and d e s o l a t i o n as he r e
a l i z e s some d i s t u r b i n g t h in g s about h im s e lf and h i s m ar
r i a g e .
The n o v e ls a l s o - d i f f e r in p o i n t o f view. Lucky Jim
i s s t r u c t u r e d around Dixon, and i s u n i f i e d by D ix o n 's
a c t i o n s . The n ov el fo llo w s him around, exam ining h i s r e
sponses and r e a c t i o n s to v a rio u s s i t u a t i o n s . T his i s th e
f a m i l i a r jo u rn e y o f the p ic a r e s q u e hero--D on Q uixote, Huck
Finn--w hose fu n c tio n i s to r e a c t to th e p e o p le and e v e n ts
aro u n d him . T h at U n c e r t a i n F e e l i n g , how ever, i s i n f i r s t -
p e rs o n n a r r a t i o n w ith John Lewis r e l a t i n g th e e v e n t s from
th e v a n ta g e p o i n t one y e a r a f t e r t h e i r h a p p e n in g . Only
once o r tw ic e a r e we rem in d ed t h a t Lewis i s s p e a k in g o f
e v e n t s t h a t o c c u r r e d one y e a r b e f o r e . He seems to be
t e l l i n g t h e s t o r y a s i t h a p p en s m ost o f th e tim e , and t h e r e
i s , t h e r e f o r e , an i n ti m a c y e s t a b l i s h e d w ith th e r e a d e r t h a t
does n o t e x i s t i n Lucky J i m . In one r e s p e c t , t h i s i s l o g
i c a l . Lewis i s d i r e c t l y sp e a k in g t o u s - - t h e r e a d e r s - - a n d
o u r e v a l u a t i o n o f c h a r a c t e r s d e pend s a lm o s t e n t i r e l y upon
L e w i s 's d e s c r i p t i o n s o f and r e a c t i o n s t o them. A lth o u g h
Amis s t i l l i n t r u d e s i n d i r e c t l y to o r d e r th e e v e n t s , s e t up
th e s c e n e s , and d r a m a t i c a l l y show u s th e p r e t e n s e and h y
p o c r i s y o f c e r t a i n c h a r a c t e r s , o u r m o ral c o n c e rn i s a f
f e c t e d p r i m a r i l y by w hat Lewis t e l l s u s .
F o r exam ple, i n Lucky Jim th e c h i e f v i l l a i n i s P r o f e s
s o r W elch. In T h at U n c e r t a i n F e e l i n g , I t i s E l i z a b e t h
G r u f f y d d - W illia m s — a schem ing s o c i a l c li m b e r who a d o p ts
d i s g u i s e s t o mask h e r t r u e I n t e n t i o n s . In th e o p e n in g
c h a p t e r , Lew is I s s u s p i c i o u s o f h e r . She i s e x c e p t i o n a l l y
ru d e to D i l y s J o n e s ("W ith p e o p le l i k e D l l y s , th e term
'r u d e ' t e n d s to g e t u s e d i n s i t u a t i o n s w here I n d e c e n c y ,
r a t h e r th a n i n s o l e n c e , i s i n q u e s t i o n " [p . 5 ])* she i s
I m p a t i e n t and sp e a k s I n a "d ee p , e d u c a te d , and E n g li s h "
v o ic e (p . 7 ) , and h a s an a i r o f a u t h o r i t y d e r i v e d from h e r
56
h u s b a n d 's p o s i t i o n . Moreover, h e r a c q u ir e d s o c i a l s t a t u s ,
h e r i n t e r e s t in a u t h e n t i c Welsh costum es, P r o b e r t 's v e rs e -
drama and u se o f th e Welsh m other to n g u e, a re a l l assumed
d i s g u i s e s , as a re h e r i n f l e c t i o n s in speech , manners o f
a f f e c t a t i o n and p e r s o n a l i t y . C h a r a c te r iz e d by "an a i r o f
i g n o r a n t w ild n e s s and freedom" (p. 3 0 ) and an " a i r o f con
s c io u s d i g n i t y , c o e x i s t i n g w ith a s l i g h t t h r e a t o f l u d i
c ro u s n e s s " (p. 110), she i s in d i r e c t c o n t r a s t to Jean
Lewis, a p r a c t i c a l , d e c e n t and l o y a l h o u sew ife who i s
shown d u t i f u l l y b a th in g h e r c h i l d r e n , w ashing c l o t h e s , and
c a r in g a s b e s t as she can f o r h e r husband. "There c o u ld
be nobody in th e w orld w ith l e s s d i g n i t y th a n my w if e , and
few p eop le i n l e s s need o f t h a t a t t r i b u t e " (p. 9 1 ) j say s
Lewis, w hereas E l i z a b e t h , w ith o u t a p p r e c i a t i o n f o r the
s a n c t i t y o f L e w is 's home, i s even more f e a r f u l and p o t e n
t i a l l y d e s t r u c t i v e than M argaret P e e le a s she t r i e s to
a l l a y J e a n 's s u s p ic i o n s w h ile a d v is in g Lewis to l e t lo o se
and have a b a sh o c c a s i o n a l l y . "There was no g e t t i n g away
from i t , though [ r e f l e c t s L e w i s : ] h e re was a bad th in g
t h a t I had n e v e r t h e l e s s tended to l i k e th e th o u g h t o f"
(p. 1 0 1).
E l i z a b e t h 's p a tro n a g e o f G a re th P r o b e r t i s p a r t i c u
l a r l y i n d i c t i n g b e ca u se we le a r n t h a t he i s a f r a u d . A l
though engaged to w r i t e and produce an " a u t h e n ti c " Welsh
v e rse -d ra m a ( e n t i t l e d The M a rty r- - a p arod y o f Dylan
57
Thomas), Lewis quickly remembers G areth as th e same " r a n t
ing a lc o h o lic g r e n a d ie r" (p. 108) who flunked Welsh in
c o lle g e . In him we see a n o th e r v e rs io n o f the d is h o n e s t
a r t i s t i c pose re p r e s e n te d by B e rtra n d W elch--a v a in , i n
s e n s i t i v e i n d i v i d u a l . As Lewis r e f l e c t s ,
What a d is g ra c e i t was, what a rep ro ach to a l l W elsh
men, t h a t so many o f th e a r t i c u l a t e p a r t s o f t h e i r c u l
t u r e should be i n v a l i d a t e d by awful s e n tim e n ta l ly in g .
. . . A ll t h i s in a p a r t o f the world where th e re was
enough m a t e r i a l to keep a hundred h o n e st p o e ts and nov
e l i s t s chained to the t y p e w r ite r . (p. 1 0 5)
The d i s p a r i t y between the p r o t a g o n i s t 's e x p e c ta tio n s
and h a rsh r e a l i t y , and the p e r i l s in v o lv e d in tr y in g to
escape r e a l i t y through r o l e - p la y in g and p r a c t i c a l jo k e s - -
th e s e a re two im p o rta n t themes which a re h in te d a t In
Lucky Jim and which a re given f u l l e r e x p re ss io n in That
U n c e rta in F e e l i n g . That i s , a lth o u g h Lewis t r i e s to t r e a t
h i s a f f a i r w ith E liz a b e th as m erely an escape from a t e d i
ous job and a d e p re ss in g apartm en t, he soon f in d s i t as
com p licated and demanding as what he i s tr y in g to escap e.
For u n lik e Dixon, Lewis I s more s e lf -a w a r e , more i n t r o
s p e c tiv e , and i s c o n s t a n t ly d e b atin g moral i s s u e s . Plagued
by vague w ants, f e a r s and o b l i g a t i o n s , Lewis i s " ’l i k e a
man w ith a s e c r e t so rro w ’ " (p. 1 1 2), and i t i s e s p e c i a l l y
t h i s which c o n tr i b u te s to the more s e r io u s tone o f the
n o v el. D ix o n 's r o l e - p l a y i n g n ever r e a l l y h u r t s anyone b u t
h im s e lf. With a w ife and two c h il d r e n , however, L ew is's
o b l i g a t i o n s a re more u r g e n t. Although L e w is --lik e D ixon--
58
r e t r e a t s f o r a tim e to a comic a r s e n a l o f f a c e s , g e s t u r e s
and p o s e s i n r e a c t i o n a g a i n s t such s e l e c t e d t a r g e t s as
boredom, th e b o u r g e o i s i e and th e jo b , he f i n d s t h a t
n e i t h e r i r o n y n o r a d a p tin g to th e u p p e r c l a s s works f o r
him.
For i n s t a n c e , a lt h o u g h he t r i e s to r a t i o n a l i z e h i s
b e h a v io r , b e n e a th h i s c om p lacen t e x t e r i o r l u r k s th e g u i l t
and d e p r e s s io n . P r e p a r in g f o r "a s p o t o f th e o ld a d u l t e r y "
(p . 1 0 2 ) , he c a n n o t h e lp s i m u lt a n e o u s ly " l e t t i n g th e a n
c e s t r a l W elsh n o n c o n fo rm is t p u r i t a n i s m make a c r a f t y come
back i n me a f t e r a l l th e s e y e a r s o f d i s c r e d i t " (p . 1 0 2 ).
Nor can he ig n o re th e vague f e e l i n g o f d e p r e s s io n b e n e a th
h i s amorous f a n t a s i e s : "a s p e c i a l d e p re s s e d f e e l i n g o f
m ine, w hich I was g e t t i n g q u i t e a l o t o f a t t h a t p e r i o d .
. . . I t combined r o o t l e s s a p p re h e n s io n , i n d e f i n i t e r e s t
l e s s n e s s , and i n a c t i v a t i n g boredom" (p. 59 )- M oreover, a l
though Lewis would l i k e th e new l i b r a r y jo b , he c an n o t
h e lp b u t " f e e l v o l u n t a r i l y i m p l i c a t e d i n t h i s c h r o n i c a l l y
c o r r u p t b u s i n e s s " (p. 1 3 5 ) j a s i f he were " c o n s p i r i n g to
rob [ J e n k in s ] o f s e v e r a l e x t r a pounds a week" (p. 2 7 ). He
ad m its to h i m s e l f : " le u a n d e s e rv e d to g e t t h i s jo b . Even
I , w ith my i n c o r r u p t i b l e s e l f - c e n t e r e d n e s s , c o u ld see
t h a t " ( p . 1 6 7 ).
When Lewis e v e n t u a l l y t u r n s down th e job and r e t u r n s
to Je an u n d e r th e p r e t e n s e o f i n t e g r i t y , t h i s b r i n g s to
th e s u r f a c e a dim ension o f the s t o r y o n ly i m p l i c i t in th e
e a r l y s t a g e s . In a d d i t i o n to b e in g a v e ry funny book w ith
a d u l t e r y as i t s s u b j e c t , That U n c e r ta in F e e lin g i s a ls o the
s t o r y o f a s e a r c h f o r i d e n t i t y - - a n e f f o r t on th e p a r t o f
th e hero to u n d e rs ta n d and to d e f i n e who o r what he i s .
The developm ent o f th e n o v el f o llo w s Lewis as he becomes
more and more in v o lv e d w ith E l i z a b e t h . Like a man t r y i n g
to swim f o r th e f i r s t tim e, Lewis p a n ic s when he g e t s in
deep w a te r . When he comes to J e a n , t h e r e f o r e , he i s a c t
in g o n ly p a r t l y from s c r u p l e s . What i s a t work a ls o i s
se x u a l p a n ic . For exam ple, e a r l y in th e n o v e l L e w is 's
lac k o f c o n fid e n c e i s p r e s e n t e d c o m ic a lly . W ith E l i z a b e t h ,
f o r i n s t a n c e - - a t a b a r , a t a p a r t y , o r a t a d a n c e --h e i s
o f t e n e m b a rra sse d , n e rv o u s , and b e w ild e re d ; he f e e l s " l ik e
a sc h o o l boy on th e s ta g e f o r th e f i r s t tim e in h i s l i f e "
(p . 1 7 ). He k eeps t e l l i n g h i m s e lf t h a t he w i l l have
n o th in g f u r t h e r to do w ith h e r , y e t p e r s i s t s u n t i l he
e v e n t u a l l y makes lo v e to h e r . By t h i s tim e , h i s b e w i l d e r
ment has grown i n t o s e x u a l p a n ic , and t h i s i s p r e s e n te d
s y m b o lic a lly when Lewis and E l i z a b e t h go f o r a swim:
As a man b u rn in g to d e a th w i l l h u r l h im s e lf b l i n d l y
th ro u g h a windowpane o r o v e r a s t a i r h e a d , I h u r r i e d
a f t e r h e r , s l i p p i n g and h u r t i n g my f e e t on th e l a r g e
s t o n e s , h a r d l y n o t i c i n g th e t i t a n i c agony when th e
w a te r re a c h e d my c r o t c h , f a l l i n g a t l a s t w ith s c a r c e l y
a c r y and going u n d e r th e s u r f a c e a l l o v e r. A f t e r
some m in u te s o f oxygen s t a r v a t i o n , I found I was
s ta n d in g up to my c h e s t i n an elem en t t h a t , r i g h t l y
c o n s id e r e d , w a s n 't im m e d ia te ly l e t h a l . (p. 19§)
60
The im p lic a tio n in t h i s passage i s t h a t Lewis i s over h i s
head w ith E liz a b e th , t h a t he i s r e a l l y not th e Don Juan he
has p rete n d ed to he (as in d eed p re v io u s scenes c o n f ir m ) .
Near the end o f the n o v e l, Lewis r e f l e c t s he must
e i t h e r b egin l ik i n g what he i s - - a man d e s ir in g c o n s ta n t
s e l f - p l e a s u r e - - o r e l s e he must never give up f i g h t i n g .
R ig h tly , he chooses th e l a t t e r , as he and Jean embrace
h o n e sty and f l e e the c o rr u p t s o c ie ty re p re s e n te d by
E liz a b e th . The im p o rta n t th in g , r e f l e c t s Lewis, "was to
keep tr y in g n o t to be immoral, and then to keep tr y in g
might tu rn i n to a h a b it " (p. 2 3 3). He t e l l s Jean, "'O ur
kind o f running away was a s tro k e o f bloody g e n iu s . I t ' s
always the b e s t th in g to do in t h a t kind o f s i t u a t i o n ,
p ro vid ed you can do i t ' " (p. 2 3 9). Although n o t a t h o r
oughly good, d ecen t man, Lewis i s b e t t e r than the o t h e r s .
The clu e to Lucky Jim and That U n certain F e e lin g i s
found in Bowen's ap o stro p h e to Henry F ie ld in g , p o in tin g to
the elem ent o f m oral s e r io u s n e s s which i s h in te d a t in
Lucky Jim and which w i l l become i n c r e a s in g l y e v id e n t in
l a t e r n o v e ls . Both Dixon and Lewis can be d e s c rib e d as
F ie ld in g does Tom Jo n e s: "Though he d id not always a c t
r i g h t l y , y e t he n e v er did o th e rw ise w ith o u t f e e lin g and
s u f f e r in g f o r i t . " Like Tom Jo n e s, t h e i r l i v e s a re "a
c o n s ta n t s tr u g g le between honour and i n c l i n a t i o n . " In h i s
next n ov el, however, A m is's comic world comes tumbling down
in a m b ig u itie s .
61
S in c e i t s a p p e a ra n c e in 1958, c r i t i c s have r e a c t e d
u n f a v o r a b ly to I L ike I t H e r e . R. B. P a r k e r , f o r exam ple,
c a l l s th e n o v e l a "b o tch e d c o n tr i v a n c e and r e l e n t l e s s v u l
g a r i t y " ; 1^ Sam Hynes r e f e r s to i t a s " l e s s a n o v e l th a n a
s e r i e s o f f a r c i c a l i n c i d e n t s l o o s e l y t i e d to a t r a v e l n a r
r a t i v e " ; 1^ and John D. H u r r e l l comments t h a t "th e c a r e l e s s
w r i t i n g and a m b iv a le n t a t t i t u d e to w ard s th e c e n t r a l c h a r
a c t e r a lm o st n e g a te th e more p r a is e w o r th y f e a t u r e s . " 1^
However, p e rh a p s W illia m Van O'Connor b e s t sums up why even
A m is's a d m ire r s have found th e book so d i s a p p o i n t i n g , when
he w r i t e s :
I t i s amusing enough as a l i t t l e adventure s to r y t o ld
by a s a t i r i c minded n a r r a to r , but i t must be g e n e r a lly
d is a p p o in tin g to th o se r ea d ers who f e l t th a t Lucky Jim
and That U n certain F e e lin g r ep r e se n te d a new d e v e lo p
ment in E n g lish f i c t i o n . One o f A m is's problems ap
p a r e n tly i s th a t he has not known whether he was w r i t
ing fa r c e or s o c i a l s a t i r e , or b e t t e r , what degree o f
fa rc e he would a llo w i n t o the s o c i a l s a t i r e w ith ou t
turning the l a t t e r in t o f a r c e .16
U n lik e h i s f i r s t two n o v e ls , I L ike I t Here i s a b a d ly
fla w e d , o n ly i n t e r m i t t e n t l y funny n o v e l o f m i s f i r e d o p p o r
t u n i t i e s and i s o l a t e d p i e c e s o f i n f o r m a t i o n , in which a
g r e a t d e a l o f what i s o b v io u s ly o f f e r e d a s comedy i s n o t
q u i t e funny enough to be t h a t .
Part o f the problem i s in h e r e n t in Garnet Bowen's
c h a r a c te r and in the tone o f the n o v e l, both o f which are
ambiguous. In Lucky Jim , the tone i s f a r c i c a l - - t h e r e i s no
q u e s tio n but th a t the bed and speech s c e n e s , or D ix o n 's
f a c e s and h i s p a ro d y in g o f W elch's accent* a re meant to he
comic* nor i s t h e r e any q u e s tio n t h a t Amis i s i n t e n t i o n a l l y
r i d i c u l i n g P r o f e s s o r Welch. In I Like I t H ere, however*
the word p la y and v e rb a l jo k es a re n o t as c le a r* n o r i s
Bowen's c h a r a c t e r c l e a r l y d e fin e d ; i t i s hard to know when
Bowen i s b e in g funny and when he i s being s e r i o u s . C harac
t e r i z e d as a r a t h e r d i s a f f e c t e d i n t e l l e c t u a l w ith a f e a r o f
going abroad and a " d i s i n c l i n a t i o n f o r change* d i s l i k e o f
f ix in g up c o m p lica te d arrangem ents* and f e a r o f making a
fo o l o f h im s e lf" (p. 2 3 )* a t tim es h i s r e l u c ta n c e to t r a v e l
abroad i s funny. His t r o u b le s w ith an evening c l a s s in
l i t e r a t u r e * h i s e n c o u n te r w ith an American aboard ship* and
the b e a s t l y l i v i n g c o n d itio n s w ith th e O ates fam ily* a re
a l l g e n u in e ly amusing moments in th e n o v e l. But th e n , when
Bowen c r i t i c i z e s Spain because o f " ' a l l t h a t f i l t h y b u l l
f i g h t i n g to cope w i t h '" and " ' tho se r o t t e n o ld chu rches
and museums and a r t g a l l e r i e s ' " (p. 8 ), o r when he says
"'G oing abroad te a c h e s you how im p o rta n t sm all co m forts
a r e '" (p. 204), we wonder w hether o r n o t he i s b e in g
l i t e r a l l y s e r i o u s . I t i s d i f f i c u l t to t e l l becau se Amis
has n o t p la n te d enough c lu e s f o r th e r e a d e r . Furtherm ore*
Bowen's c h a r a c t e r i s e s p e c i a l l y h a rd to d e fin e because
th e r e a p p e a rs to be a tendency to be s e r io u s abo ut him* as
i f Amis i s a ttem p tin g * though u n s u c c e s s fu lly * to p ro v id e
th e same m ix tu re o f f a r c e and s e r io u s n e s s we see i n Dixon
63
and L ew is. F r e q u e n t l y Bowen m e d i t a t e s on th e d e f i c i e n c i e s
o f h i s c h a r a c t e r . He w o r r i e s a b o u t th e k in d o f p e rs o n he
i s becom ing, and a t one p o i n t i s c o n c e rn e d t h a t B a r b a r a
w i l l s to p t i n k e r i n g w i t h h i s h a b i t s , move in w a rd and see
" th e b e d r a g g le d s p ra w l t h a t was th e c o re o f h i s b e in g "
(p . 1 2 8 ). However, a lt h o u g h Amis r a i s e s th e i s s u e , he
does l i t t l e w ith i t .
S i m i l a r l y , th e m o ra l p ro b le m s c a r r y l i t t l e w e ig h t.
T here i s , f o r exam p le, a h i n t o f m a r i t a l t r o u b l e s and some
i n d i c a t i o n t h a t t h e r e w i l l be a s t r u g g l e w ith B ow en's
i n t e g r i t y i n v o l v i n g h i s jo b . He h e s i t a t e s t e l l i n g B a r b a r a
o f h i s a s s ig n m e n t b e c a u s e
she had a way o f v ie w in g r e g u l a r s a l a r i e d employment
a s somehow i n i m i c a l to i n t e g r i t y . She had s a i d a s much
p r e t t y o f t e n i n th e f i r s t s t a g e s o f t h e i r c o u r t s h i p ,
l e s s o f t e n i n t h e l a t t e r s t a g e s , n o t a t a l l f o r a b o u t
a y e a r a f t e r t h e i r m a r r i a g e , and p r e t t y o f t e n a g a in
d u r in g th e sev en y e a r s a f t e r t h a t . (p . 1 3)
However, d e s p i t e B a r b a r a ' s i n s i s t e n c e t h a t sp y in g i s im
m o ra l and t h a t Bowen s h o u ld g iv e up t h e a s s ig n m e n t, l i t t l e
i s made o f th e c o n f l i c t . Bowen g o e s ahead w i t h h i s p r o j
e c t , and B a r b a r a 's o p p o s i t i o n becomes a l t o g e t h e r i r r e l e
v a n t. A lth o u g h much a t t e n t i o n i s p a i d to B a r b a r a 's c h a r
a c t e r i z a t i o n , she l a c k s any m o t i v a t i o n i n te rm s o f th e
s t o r y .
B ow en's c o n s c ie n c e a l s o s u f f e r s f o r a w h ile a f t e r an
a tte m p te d a d u l t e r y . When S t r e t h e r i s v i s i t e d by a man
a ccom panied by E m i l i a , he i n s i s t s t h a t Bowen ta k e t h e g i r l
64
o u t f o r a d r in k w h ile he t r a n s a c t s some b u s in e s s w ith th e
man. They a r e j u s t a b o u t to engage in lovem aking when
Bowen i s i n t e r r u p t e d by th e u n tim e ly s t i n g o f a wasp. A l
though Amis i s p r o b a b ly in te n d i n g to be funny, th e comedy
does n o t come o f f - - i t i s e m b a rra ssin g more th an a n y th in g .
And e x c e p t f o r a few moments o f r e f l e c t i o n ( " s i n c e he
co u ld now remember t h a t he had a w ife , i t was an enormous
r e l i e f n o t to have done a n y th in g much to E m ilia " [p. 1 7 0 ]),
we l e a r n n o th in g more a b o u t th e a tte m p te d a d u l t e r y . Nor
do we l e a r n a n y th in g a b o u t th e t r a n s a c t i o n between L yres
and S t r e t h e r .
And f i n a l l y , t h e r e a r e two o t h e r m oral moments n e a r
th e end o f th e n o v e l: when Bowen p r o t e c t s S t r e t h e r by a d
j u s t i n g h i s f a l s e t e e t h , and when Bowen d i s c o v e r s t h a t
B a rb a ra c o u ld n o t be a b l a c k m a i l e r 's g i r l . There i s even
a h i n t o f h o m o se x u a lity betw een S t r e t h e r and h i s v a l e t ,
b u t we n e v e r l e a r n a n y th in g abou t i t . J u s t t h r e e more
b i t s o f in f o r m a tio n b ro u g h t up, th en d rop ped. U n lik e i t s
p r e d e c e s s o r s , i t a p p e a rs t h a t i n I Like I t Here Amis i s
s t r u g g l i n g f o r som ething to sa y , and l i k e i t s h e ro , n e v e r
r e a l l y n a i l i n g i t down:
The o n ly t r o u b le was t h a t he had so l i t t l e to w r i t e
a b o u t: th e n e f a r i o u s n e s s o f p e rs o n s who made a l i v i n g
o u t o f c u l t u r e (b u t n o t enough o f them were r e a l l y
n e f a r i o u s enough), th e d i f f i c u l t i e s o f m a rrie d l i f e
(b u t t h e r e were n o t enough o f th e s e , e i t h e r , and he
u n d e rs to o d th e whole i d e a v e ry i m p e r f e c t l y ) , th e
momentous scope and v a r i e t y o f ways o f b ein g h o r
r i b l e worked o u t o v e r th e y e a r s by h i s m o th e r - in -
65
law (but Im p erfectly as he understood married l i f e he
could d iv in e that that would not do). (p. 6 2 )
Of Amis's f i r s t three n o v e ls , what one remembers b e st
are the great comic moments. Jim Dixon i s l e s s an angry
young man than a funny, bumbling, confused young man, and
fo r him, as indeed for John Lewis, humor makes l i f e more
bearable. B esid es enabling Dixon to cope with the hypoc
r i s i e s and i n j u s t i c e s o f the Welch fam ily, comedy allow s
him to maintain economic s e c u r ity u n t i l something b e tt e r
comes along. There are, o f course, other ways to d eal
w ith a corrupt world. One can f l a i l at i t , as does Jimmy
P orter. One can f l e e i t , as does John Lewis. Or, one can
tr y to adapt. Like Charles Lumley's r e b e llio n a ga in st
m id d le -c la ss v a lu es, Dixon's r e b e llio n aga in st the a f f e c t a
t io n s o f academia ends in an adjustment to the s o c ie t y and
in a p a r t i a l acceptance o f i t s v alu es. By remaining "in"
the system, Dixon can at l e a s t try to e f f e c t change.
Porter, on the o u ts id e , can do l i t t l e more than rage.
With i t s sim ple, t i g h t l y constructed and s t r a i g h t
forward p l o t , i t s c l a r i t y , and i t s lack o f s t y l i s t i c e x
perim entation, Lucky Jim f i t s in to the stream o f the t r a d i
t io n a l B r it i s h n o v el. As a r e a l i s t and t r a d i t i o n a l i s t ,
Amis ( l ik e h i s contemporaries) s t r e s s e s what Rubin Rabino-
v i t z c a l l s " f i d e l i t y to experience and p r o b a b ility o f
17
m otive." Moreover, fea tu rin g b o iste r o u s conduct, quar
r e lin g and drunkenness, Amis's comedy i s low comedy. Amis
66
e n jo y s a good laugh,, y e t h i s humor i s always h eld by the
c on ven tion o f r e a lis m . L a ter, when the moral problems b e
come more complex and more s e r i o u s , and when Am is's view
o f the world grows more p e s s i m i s t i c , h i s comedy w i l l b e
come more s u b t le .
In a d d itio n to a l l o f t h i s , however, th ere i s a depth
to Lucky Jim which c a r r i e s the read er beyond the humor.
As John Gross comments,
Not o n ly was the p ic t u r e o f a messy d a y -to -d a y world
im m ediately r e c o g n iz a b le , but in [the r e a d e r 's ] jud g
ments the author seemed to stand fo r a l o t o f the
r ig h t t h in g s , fo r common decency a g a in s t meanness,
a f f e c t a t i o n and cant.18
Amis must now fin d themes o f deeper im p lic a t io n . He w i l l
do so in h i s n e x t n o v e l - - Take A G ir l Like You--w h ic h , un
l i k e I Like I t H ere, i s a t o t a l l y unambiguous, p r a c t i c a l l y
d i d a c t i c n o v el w ith a more s e r io u s tone and a more ob viou s
moral concern.
67
FOOTNOTES
K in gsley Amis, I Like I t Here (New York: H a rc o u rt,
B race and Co., I n c . , 1956) j P- 165• A ll su bsequ en t c i t a
t i o n s a re from t h i s e d i t i o n .
2
"K ingsley Amis," The London Magazine, Ja n u ary , 1964,
P- 53-
^ K ingsley Amis, Lucky Jim (New York: The V iking P r e s s ,
I n c . , 1958), p. 132. A ll su b seq u e n t c i t a t i o n s a re from
t h i s e d i t i o n .
4
G. S. F r a s e r f i r s t commented on th e s i m i l a r i t i e s b e
tween Lucky Jim and th e C i n d e r e ll a s t o r y i n The Modern
W rite r and His World (B a ltim o re : P e lic a n Books, 1964),
p. 1 7 6 .
^ " L a u g h te r," Comedy (New York: Doubleday and Co., I n c . ,
1 9 5 6) , pp. 6 1 - 1 9 0 .
6
Henry F ie ld in g , The H is to r y o f Tom Jon es: A Foundling
(New York: A lfre d A. Knopf, I n c ., 1950) j P- VT-
Henry F ie ld in g , " A u th o r's P r e f a c e ," Joseph Andrews
(B oston: Houghton M if f lin C o., 1 9 6 1), p. 10.
O
John Osborne, "They C a ll I t C r i c k e t ," D e c l a r a t io n , ed.
by Tom M aschler (New York: E. P. D utton and Co., I n c . ,
1958), p . 58.
^ P h i l i p L a rk in , J i l l (New York: S t. M a r t in 's P re s s ,
1964), p. 2 8 .
■^"The Modern, the Contem porary, and the Im portance o f
Being Am is," C r i t i c a l Q u a r t e r l y , V (W in ter, 19& 3)j 3^5•
"'""''Kingsley Amis, That U n c e rta in F e e lin g (New York: H ar
c o u r t , B race and World, I n c . , 1956), p . 145. A ll su b s e
q u e n t c i t a t i o n s a re from t h i s e d i t i o n .
68
12
See, f o r exam ple, W a lte r A lle n , The New York H e ra ld
T rib u n e Book R eview , March S, 1958, p . 12; C a rl Bode, The
New York T im es, F e b ru a ry 23, 1958, p . 40; W illia m E s ty ,
New R e p u b li c , March 24, 1958, p . 21; and Sam Hynes, The
Commonweal, March 21, 1958, p . 642.
T O
F a rce and S o c ie ty : The Range o f K in g sle y Am is,"
W isco n sin S tu d ie s i n Contem porary L i t e r a t u r e , I I ( F a l l ,
1 9 6 1 ), 27.
14
"Random E v e n ts and Random C h a r a c t e r s , " The Commonweal,
March 21, 1958, p . 642.
C la s s and C o n scien ce i n John B ra in e and K in g sle y
A m is," C r i t i q u e , I I (Spring-Sum m er, 1958), 50.
^ The New U n i v e r s i t y W its and th e End o f Modernism
( C a r b o n d a le : S o u th e rn I l l i n o i s U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1 9 6 3 ),
P. 94.
17
The R e a c tio n A g a in s t E xp erim en t i n th e E n g lis h N o v e l:
1950-1960 (New York and London: Columbia U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s ,
1 9 6 7 ) , p . 104.
-1 O
"Makes You S o b e r ," The New S ta te sm a n , Septem ber 21,
1 9 6 2 , p. 3 6 3 .
CHAPTER I I I
A DIMMER VIEW
"The g r e a t b e s e t t i n g f e a r , " says Amis, " i s fin d in g
y o u r s e l f w ith n o th in g l e f t to s a y , " and suddenly r e a l i z i n g
" t h a t th e book you a re w r i t i n g has a lr e a d y been w r i t t e n
b e fo r e " ( I n t e r v i e w ) . To look o n ly a t A m is's f i r s t th r e e
n o v e ls , i t would be easy to conclude t h a t he found h im s e lf
In such a s i t u a t i o n , f o r a l l o f them fo llo w much the same
b a s ic p a t t e r n , and emphasize th e same mood. As one c r i t i c
o b se rv e d , n o v els two and th r e e m ight have been named
Lucky Jim M arried and Lucky Jim A broad, f o r t h e i r r e s p e c
t i v e h e ro e s do fo llo w th e Jim Dixon p a t t e r n - - a d is c o n te n te d ,
somewhat c o n s c ie n tio u s hero stu m bles th ro u g h th e s o c i a l
and c u l t u r a l w orld, fa c e s a number o f '^ c r is e s o f c o n sc ie n c e ,
and e v e n t u a l l y r e t u r n s to the love o f a more s e n s i b l e , more
r e a l i s t i c g i r l . A lthough each n o v el h a s i t s s e r io u s m oral
moments, i t i s th e h o rs e p la y and h ig h s p i r i t s which dom
i n a t e .
With th e appearance o f Take A G i r l Like You, however,
i t was e v id e n t t h a t Amis had broken away from th e p a t t e r n .
R. B. P a rk e r comments, f o r example, on th e " in c r e a s e in
d e n s i t y , b o th In r e a l i s t i c d e s c r i p t i o n and i n th e moral
69
70
and s o c i a l s i g n i f i c a n c e o f e v e n t s , " w h e rea s K enneth H am il-
i
to n o b s e r v e s t h a t " th e shape o f a c o n t r o l l i n g v i s i o n b e
g i n s to emerge o u t o f th e s c r a p s o f i n v e r t e d c l a s s -
c o n s c i o u s n e s s , i r r e v e r e n c e , and s l a p s t i c k w hich se e m in g ly
o
had c o n s t i t u t e d A m is 's s t o c k - i n - t r a d e so f a r . " In d e e d ,
th e c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n , th e b a la n c e Amis m a i n t a i n s betw een
th e comic and th e s e r i o u s , and th e i n c e s s a n t d e b a te a b o u t
s e x u a l b e h a v i o r and th e p u r s u i t o f p l e a s u r e , a l l go to
make t h i s A m is's m ost complex and m ost a m b i t io u s n o v e l th u s
f a r .
A lth o u g h th e n o v e l a p p e a re d in i 9 6 0 , Amis a c t u a l l y
began m aking n o t e s f o r i t i n 1955 w h ile i n P o r t u g a l , th e n
p u t i t a s i d e to w r i t e I L ike I t Here when i t became e v i
d e n t t h a t i t was g o in g to ta k e a long tim e to w r i t e . As
he e x p l a i n s , " I was so n e rv o u s t h a t I made a t l e a s t tw e lv e
d r a f t s o f th e f i r s t c h a p t e r . I com pared t h e f i r s t w ith
th e l a t e s t , and r e a l i z e d th e o n ly d i f f e r e n c e was t h a t th e
l a t e r d r a f t was te n p e r c e n t l o n g e r . So I w ent on w ith i t
a t an i n c r e a s e d r a t e " ( i n t e r v i e w ) . U n d o u b te d ly , one o f
th e r e a s o n s f o r A m is's n e r v o u s n e s s was t h a t th e d e v e l o p
m ent o f two c e n t r a l h e r o e s i n a s i n g l e n o v e l , a lo n g w ith a
l a r g e and v a r i e d c a s t o f c h a r a c t e r s , was to be a new d e
p a r t u r e f o r him . I n th e p r e c e d i n g n o v e l s , t h e d om in ant
v ie w p o in t h a s a lw a y s been th e m a l e Ts - - n o t so I n t h i s n o v e l.
S u p e r f i c i a l l y , Take A G ir l Like You i s the conven
t i o n a l s t o r y o f the fa r m e r 's d a u g h ter— th e sw eet cou n try
g i r l who i s d ev o u red by th e b i g bad c i t y . However, b e
c au se o f A m is's i r o n i c commentary on h e r , Jen n y becomes a
shrewd o b s e r v e r who s e e s th ro u g h th e c o r r u p t i o n o f
P a t r i c k ' s w o r l d - - a w o rld w ith o u t f i x e d r u l e s o f c o n d u c t.
More th an j u s t a c a se o f w i l l - s h e - o r - w o n ' t - s h e , t h e r e f o r e ,
A m is's n o v e l i s a l s o a s tu d y o f a man engaged i n a r e c k
l e s s , d i s s o l u t e " t r e k to s a t i e t y . " ^ As th e u n s y m p a th e tic
h e r o , P a t r i c k S ta n d is h i s a h i g h ly d e s t r u c t i v e and o b s e s s e d
i n d i v i d u a l i n t e r e s t e d o n ly i n p l e a s i n g h i m s e l f a l l th e
tim e . Je n n y Bunn, on th e o t h e r hand , a s th e s y m p a th e tic ,
n o -n o n se n se h e r o i n e , i s more v u l n e r a b l e , more i s o l a t e d , and
s u f f e r s more a s she i s made aware o f th e c o m p l e x i t i e s o f
l i f e and th e i m p o s s i b i l i t y o f f u l l y s o lv in g h e r p ro b lem s o r
even coming to te rm s w ith them. I t i s from h e r p o i n t o f
view e s p e c i a l l y t h a t Amis d e v e lo p s a more p e s s i m i s t i c view
o f l i f e .
In th e e a r l i e r n o v e ls we alw ay s saw th e v i l l a i n from
a d i s t a n c e th ro u g h e i t h e r Jim D ix o n 's o r John L e w is 's
e y e s . In Take A G i r l L ike You, how ever, we see more th an
a s u r f a c e t r e a t m e n t o f th e v i l l a i n b e c a u se Amis b r i n g s him
up c l o s e ; i n f a c t , a l i t t l e l e s s th a n h a l f o f th e n o v e l i s
n a r r a t e d from P a t r i c k ' s p o i n t o f view . A lthough we a r e
s t i l l aware t h a t th e v i l l a i n i s n o t b e h a v in g a s he sh o u ld ,
b e c a u se o f th e p o s i t i o n o f th e n a r r a t o r we now know more
a b o u t h im --h e i s a human b e in g now. And i n P a t r i c k we see
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d r a m a t i c a l l y i l l u s t r a t e d how th e p u r s u i t o f p l e a s u r e can
become s e l f - d e f e a t i n g .
In most r e s p e c t s , P a t r i c k i s c e r t a i n l y an u n p le a s a n t
c h a r a c t e r , f o r h i s b e h a v io r i s r u t h l e s s and o f t e n c r u e l .
He rem ind s u s o f th e m a s t e r f u l , s e l f i s h B e r tr a n d Welch in
th e way he r i d e s o v e r women's f e e l i n g s - - t h e t y p i c a l lo v e r
boy, th e g i r l c h a s e r who i s p re o c c u p ie d more w ith "th e o ld
h o o-ha" th an w ith h i s jo b , and who i s a f t e r th e s o r t o f
g i r l " t h a t lau g h ed and la y down" (p . 135) . P a t r i c k ' s
amorous c a r e e r i s more e x te n s iv e th an B e r t r a n d 's , however,
i n c l u d i n g a r e l a t i o n s h i p o f s o r t s w ith Anna, a b r i e f e n
c o u n te r w ith Wendy (a m a rrie d g i r l ) , a n i g h t w ith e x p en siv e
Joan i n London, and in v o lv e m en t w ith S h e i l a , th e p re c o c io u s
d a u g h te r o f th e h e a d m a ste r a t P a t r i c k 's s c h o o l. P ro b a b ly
P a t r i c k ' s most u n p l e a s a n t b u s in e s s i s th e s y s te m a tic s e
d u c tio n o f Jen n y , w ith o u t g iv in g c o n s i d e r a t i o n to h e r f e e l
i n g s and c o n v i c t i o n s . At one p o i n t Jenny t e l l s him:
" 'W ith most g i r l s , what g e t s them i n t o bed i s th e chap b e
in g u n f a i r to them l i k e t h a t . The f i r s t chap, anyway.
T h a t 's one o f th e r e a s o n s I 'm a g a i n s t i t ' " (p. 2 87). When
P a t r i c k sed u ces Jenny w h ile she i s drunk, he p r o c la im s ,
"'I'm t i r e d o f f a i r n e s s ' " (p . 3 07). P a t r i c k ' s a t t i t u d e i n
h i s s e x u a l e n c o u n te r s , I n f a c t , e p ito m iz e s a l l t h a t I s
wrong w ith him.
More th a n j u s t a l e c h e r , however, P a t r i c k i s a ls o a
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c r u e l i n d i v i d u a l who re g a rd s most o f the w orld w ith h o s
t i l i t y , p a r t i c u l a r l y the u g ly o r b o rin g . He d e c la r e s war
on the " b a s ta r d s " ("'Show no mercy to b a s t a r d s , f o r th ey
w i l l show you n o n e '" [p. 2 6 2 ]) w ith o u t r e a l i z i n g t h a t in
many r e s p e c t s he i s one h im s e lf. O ften, in f a c t , h i s
b e h a v io r i s m a lic io u s : he sh o o ts Dick Thompson in the b e
hind d u rin g a p a r t y , he im agines t o r t u r i n g Dick w ith
s y rin g e s f i l l e d w ith a s o lu tio n o f i t c h i n g powder o r a c id ,
and he succeeds i n sending "the g r e a t e r p a r t o f a puddle
o v er a sod i n ragged c lo t h e s who was doing h i s l e v e l b e s t
to blow h i s nose in th e g u t t e r " (p. 148). U nlike D ix o n 's
pranks on B e rtra n d o r P ro f e s s o r Welch, which we o f te n f e e l
a re d e serv e d , P a t r i c k 's pranks a re m erely f o r th e sake o f
being n a s ty o r f o r the sake o f r e l i e v i n g boredom.
In Lucky Jim and That Uncertain P e e lin g , Amis r e lie d
upon p h y sic a l d e sc r ip tio n to mock and r id ic u le the d e sp i
cable c h a ra cters. In Take A G irl Like You, however, he
a lso u ses p h y sic a l d e t a i l s as emblems o f P a tr ic k 's inner
s t a t e . Thus, we soon learn that P atrick i s a lso beginning
to d e te r io r a te p h y s i c a ll y - - a r e f l e c t io n o f h is moral decay.
His h air i s f a l l i n g out and he i s developing a pot b e lly .
Even h is messy ap artm en t--d irty pots and pans, a broken
record p la y e r, d ir ty s h e e t s - - r e f l e c t s h is d is s o lu t e and
r e c k le s s ly w a stefu l l i f e .
In a d d itio n to the e x te r io r view, th e r e fo r e , Amis a lso
g i v e s u s an i n t e r i o r view o f th e m a n --h is th o u g h ts* h i s
f r u s t r a t i o n s , h i s f e a r s - - s o t h a t we can u n d e rs ta n d th e
r e a s o n s b e h in d h i s b e h a v i o r . To b e g in w ith , P a t r i c k i s
p re y e d upon by a n x i e t i e s , g u i l t s and d o u b ts , and a tt e m p t s
to h o ld h i s f e a r s o f im p o te n c e , c a n c e r and d e a th a t bay by
r e c k l e s s g r a t i f i c a t i o n o f h i s sex u rg e and by in d u lg e n c e in
d r i n k - - a l l o f w hich i n e v i t a b l y l e a d s to f u r t h e r boredom,
u n s a t i s f i e d lo n g in g , and i l l h e a l t h . U n lik e h i s c h ild h o o d ,
w hich he remembers a s b r i g h t , s im p le , u n c o m p lic a te d , w ith
" p i c n i c s , b l a c k b e r r y i n g , mushrooming, D e liu s , D ebussy, a l
ways w ith a g i r l t h e r e o r i n h i s mind" (p. 21 5), P a t r i c k
f i n d s th e p r e s e n t c o m p lic a te d and om inous:
Why was i t t h a t he had to go b a ck to b l a c k b e r r y i n g -
D e liu s b e f o r e he c o u ld f i n d a tim e when he had f e l t
a l l r i g h t ? - - n o t happy o r f u l f i l l e d o r in tu n e w ith
t h i n g s o r any o f t h a t ju n k , b u t sim ply a l l r i g h t ; a b le
to s i t down to work w ith o u t y e l l i n g h a t r e d , a b le to e n
jo y th e sun w i t h o u t w o rry in g a b o u t making th e e m o tio n a l
and r e m i n i s c e n t i a l and c r o s s - r e f e r e n t i a l m ost o f i t ,
a b le to t a l k to a g i r l w ith o u t b e in g a f r a i d o f m is s in g
a c h a n c e . (p . 2 1 5 )
A lthough P a t r i c k t r i e s to i d e n t i f y Jenny w ith th e s u n s h in e ,
he f i n d s i t im p o s s ib le b e c a u se lo v e i s no l o n g e r sim p le :
"He was i n too much o f a s i t u a t i o n w ith h e r - - a d u l t , r e a l ,
m u tu a l, i n v o lv i n g c o n s c ie n c e , c h o ic e , a c t i o n - - f o r h i s mind
to t r e a t h e r a s i t l ik e d " (p. 2 1 6 ) . As a r e s u l t , P a t r i c k
f i n d s h i m s e l f p r e o c c u p ie d w ith th o u g h ts o f Jen n y , w a n tin g
"more th a n h i s s h a re o f h e r b e f o r e anybody e l s e had any"
(p. 8 l ) , b u t e v e ry tim e h i s th o u g h ts le a d him b ack to
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the i n e v i t a b l e d e b r is o f o b l ig a t io n and d e c e it and
money and boredom and jobs and egotism and d is a p p o in t
ment and h a b it and p a re n ts and incon venience and homes
and custom and f a t i g u e : the whole g i g a n t i c moral and
s o c i a l f lu x which would wash away in the f i r s t few
m inutes any co n ce iv a b le a c t u a l i s a t i o n o f t h a t image.
(p. 137)
Often P a t r i c k 's f e a r s a re emphasized by the p red icam en ts o f
o t h e r men. There i s , f o r example, Lord E dgerstoune, whose
p l a i n t i v e speech about impotence a p p a l ls P a t r ic k as he
r e a l i z e s h i s f a t e could be the same. E d g e rsto u n e ' s t a l e
becomes t r a g i c a l l y comic as he lik e n s se x u al ex citem en t to
th e j o l t one r e c e iv e s from a b a t t e r y : "'What we did was to
la y our tongue on the l i t t l e b r a s s s t r i p th in g s a t the
b u s in e s s end. I f th e r e was any j u ic e rem ain in g , then we
used to g e t a t i n g l i n g f e e lin g in our to n g u e s '" (p. 243).
In the same way, "'When I p u t my arm around N ancy's w a ist
and g iv e h e r a l i t t l e k i s s on the e a r , o r something l i k e
t h a t , I'm t e s t i n g f o r a t i n g l i n g , t h a t ' s a l l . Seeing i f
t h e r e 's any ju ic e l e f t ' " (p. 243).
In a d d it i o n , l i k e John Lewis, P a t r ic k o f te n o nly p r e
ten d s to behave in a scru p u lo u s manner to compensate fo r
f e a r s o r em barrassm ent. With S h e ila , f o r in s t a n c e , he e x
p e rie n c e s "a sudden a t t a c k o f co n science about keeping h e r
o u t so l a t e , which . . . l a t e r broadened in to a re s o lv e n o t
to have any share in th e f u r t h e r c o rru p tio n o f t h i s semi-
o r p r e - o r would-be d e lin q u e n t" (p. 144), and y e t a sh o rt
tim e l a t e r he ta k e s h e r to bed. R ath er than s c r u p le s ,
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w hat P a t r i c k i s r e a l l y e x h i b i t i n g i s a f e a r o f h e r f a t h e r ,
■headmaster a t h i s sc h o o l. A nother tim e P a t r i c k i s c au g h t
k i s s i n g Wendy, and t h i n k s o f th e e f f e c t t h i s had on Jenny:
"How c o u ld he have done t h a t to a hum ble, d e f e n c e l e s s l i t
t l e t h in g l i k e Je n n y ?" (p. 1 3 6) . I n s t e a d o f s c r u p l e s , how
e v e r , P a t r i c k ' s th o u g h ts r e a l l y r e f l e c t h i s em b arrassm en t
when he l e a r n s Wendy i s m a rrie d and le a v in g f o r A u s t r a l i a .
A ltho ugh we a re to d is a p p ro v e o f P a t r i c k on m o ral
g ro u n d s , he does have h i s a d m ira b le moments, e s p e c i a l l y
when he h e l p s S h e i l a g e t an a b o r t i o n , and a ls o when he a d
m it s to h i m s e l f t h a t he h as been a " r a k e h e l l , " a " b a s t a r d , "
and f i n d s t h a t "shame, rem o rse , s e l f - c o n t e m p t , s e l f
boredom s u rro u n d e d him, d ep lo y e d in d e p th " (p. 226). A ll
of t h i s o c c u r s d u rin g th e n i g h t w ith J o a n , an e x p e rim e n t
P a t r i c k en g ag e s i n to see "how unhappy h i s i n t e r n a l l y
im posed vow o f f i d e l i t y to Jenn y c o u ld make him" (p . 2 07 ).
The e v en in g i s a s e x u a l d i s a s t e r , b u t a s u c c e s s f o r a n o th e r
r e a s o n :
H is e x p e rim e n t had tu r n e d o u t c u r i o u s l y , b u t i t had
been l o v e , a s w e l l a s d r i n k , t h a t had r e n d e r e d him i n
c a p a b le . H is e v e n t u a l c a p a b i l i t y b e lo n g e d e ls e w h e r e ,
f a r away from Jen n y o r a n y th in g i n t o w hich she e n t e r e d
o r c o u ld e n t e r - - b e l o n g e d to th e image o f h i m s e l f - - a
r a k e h e l l , b u t w ith h e a r t , b u t a r a k e h e l l , t h a t he had
been t r y i n g so long and so s ta u n c h l y to m anhandle
a c r o s s th e t h r e s h o l d o f r e a l i t y . (p . 2 3 7 )
He c o n s i d e r s "how odd i t was t h a t what you d id when p e o p le
w ere n o t t h e r e tu r n e d o u t a f t e r w a r d s to be a s i m p o r t a n t as
w hat you d id when th e y were t h e r e . 'N ev er a g a i n , ' he s a i d ,
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' I know now.' He walked a few y a rd s In to the d a rk n e ss .
'I'm s o r r y , I know I 'm a b a s t a r d , b u t I'm tr y in g n o t to be'"
(p. 245).
Were we to view P a t r i c k 's b e h a v io r o b j e c t i v e l y w ith o u t
e n te r in g h i s mind, we would u n d o u b ted ly condemn i t - - a s i n
deed we do B e r t r a n d 's and P r o f e s s o r W elch's b e h a v io r . How
e v e r, because we a re g iv en i n s i g h t i n to P a t r i c k 's p o i n t o f
view, we u n d e rs ta n d h i s m o tives to some e x t e n t . And c e r
t a i n l y , P a t r i c k i s n o t le a d in g a happy l i f e . He i s i n bad
p h y s i c a l and m en tal h e a l t h , he i s n o t a s r i c h as he would
l i k e to be, he does n o t l i v e in p l e a s a n t s u rro u n d in g s o r
work a t an i n t e r e s t i n g jo b , and he r e a l l y i s n o t v e ry a t
t r a c t i v e . M oreover, o b se sse d w ith a s e l f i s h c ra v in g f o r
p l e a s u r e and a v e r s io n to p a in , P a t r i c k soon d is c o v e r s t h a t
w ith o u t Jenny, he cannot s a t i s f y h i s p a s s io n n o r f r e e him
s e l f from f e a r and p a in .
Whereas i n th e p re v io u s n o v e ls the men e x p e rie n c e most
o f th e g u i l t and m oral tu r m o il, i n Take A G i r l Like You
much space i s dev o ted to th e fem ale p o i n t o f view as w e ll
as th e male's, and t h i s , to o , c o n t r i b u t e s to the more com
p le x developm ent o f c h a r a c t e r s . On the s u r f a c e , Jenny i s
so good t h a t she i s s u g g e s tiv e o f th e c o n v e n tio n a l i d e a l
iz e d c o u n try g i r l . She i s , to b e g in w ith , a s p e c t a c u l a r l y
a t t r a c t i v e w o rk in g - c la s s g i r l who has l e f t the n o r th to
work as a p rim a ry sch o o l t e a c h e r in so u th e rn E ngland. In
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appearance and behavior., Jenny i s in d i r e c t c o n t r a s t to
P a t r ic k . Jenny does n o t j u s t a t t r a c t m en--she sto p s them
in t h e i r t r a c k s . I t i s n o t hard to u n d e rs ta n d , t h e r e f o r e ,
why she a t t r a c t s the a t t e n t i o n o f Dick Thompson, Graham
M acClintoch, and even Anna le Page, and why P a tr ic k i s
r e p e a te d ly hau nted by h e r image:
That long sh in in g stream o f dead s t r a i g h t dead b la c k
h a i r , t h a t smooth alm ost dusky sk in , t h a t to u g h -te n d e r
mouth, th o se sm all b u t h ig h and n o tic e a b le b r e a s t s ,
th o se d e l i c a t e oblong w r i s t s , and above a l l , worse
than a n y th in g e ls e f o r some unfathom able re a so n , tho se
q u ick nervous movements p lu s t h a t ste a d y gaze: n ever
having a l l t h a t to h im s e lf would be, was going to be,
would be very h o r r i b l e . (p. 8 l)
Moreover, Jenny resem bles Jim Dixon and John Lewis in t h a t
she i s i n t r o s p e c t i v e and c o n s c ie n tio u s , and t r i e s to r e l y
on a system o f v a lu e s on which she has been r a i s e d - - v a l u e s
which P a t r i c k r e f e r s to as " 'a l o t o f s t u f f about codes o f
honour and a g i r l ' s most p re c io u s t r e a s u r e and lea d us n o t
In to te m p ta tio n '" (p. 6 0 ). Jenny makes a c o n c e rte d e f f o r t
to be "a q u i e t , r e s p o n s ib le g i r l , h e l p f u l and easy to g e t
on w ith" (p. 21). A home-body, a n e s t b u i l d e r , Jenny even
c o n s id e rs keeping a k i t t e n f o r company in h e r room when
she d is c o v e r s t h a t th e Thompsons do n o t have a baby in
t h e i r home. Her moral decency o b j e c ts , r i g h t l y , to
P a t r i c k 's sh o o tin g Dick Thompson in th e behind and throw ing
s to n e s a t th e hens. In f a c t , because o f J e n n y 's decency
and v u l n e r a b i l i t y , P a t r i c k 's c h a r a c t e r and h i s crime
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a g a i n s t h e r a r e made to look a l l th e more s i n i s t e r and
u n f o r g i v a b l e .
However; a lth o u g h J e n n y 's p re d ic a m e n t i s an a w f u lly
s to c k s i t u a t i o n . , Amis i s a b le to p u l l i t o f f so t h a t Jen ny
i s n o t a c l i c h e . In n a r r a tio n ,, c e r t a i n l y , Jen n y i s a
s to c k f i g u r e - - s h e i s i n n o c e n t, sw ee t, i s o l a t e d , and hence
v u l n e r a b l e . But more th an t h i s , Amis a l s o som etim es makes
h e r th e w i t t y o b s e r v e r , and i n t h i s r e s p e c t she i s l i k e
A m is's e a r l i e r h e r o e s . Dixon, f o r exam ple, saw how c o r
r u p t th e w o rld i s and was a b le to d e t e c t f r a u d and boredom
from a c o n s i d e r a b l e d i s t a n c e . Jenny s h a r e s some o f
D ix o n 's t a l e n t a s she becomes th e shrewd i n n o c e n t who a ls o
n o t i c e s i n c o n g r u i t i e s . She can d e t e c t a m a n 's p r u r i e n c e
and u n d e r s t a n d s th e n a t u r e o f th e s e x u a l s t r u g g l e . In th e
f o llo w in g p a s s a g e , f o r i n s t a n c e , o b s e rv e how th e i r o n i c
d i s t a n c e betw een th e s u r f a c e s to c k f i g u r e and th e way th e
n a r r a t o r a r r a n g e s i r o n i c commentary on t h i s makes th e c o n
v e n ti o n l i v e :
A t a l l young man w ith c u r l y brown h a i r and a su n b u rn t
f a c e was coming i n . He c a u g h t s i g h t o f h e r when she
g o t to th e h a l f - l a n d i n g and she had to go down th e
whole b o tto m f l i g h t w ith him s t a r i n g a t h e r . The lo o k
on h i s f a c e was one w hich she had g o t u s e d to s e e in g
on m e n 's f a c e s - - s o m e o f them q u i t e o l d men--when th e y
f i r s t saw h e r , and som etim es when th e y had seen h e r
b e f o r e . U s u a lly th e y seemed n o t to know th e y were
g i v in g h e r any p a r t i c u l a r k in d o f lo o k , b u t t h i s one
d id seem to know, and n o t to c a re much. He was h a n d
some i n a r a t h e r s i s s y way, and was p r e t e n d i n g to have
f o r g o t t e n he s t i l l had h i s hand on th e open d o o r. She
c o u ld t e l l t h a t i f he had been smoking a c i g a r e t t e he
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would have ta k e n i t o u t o f h i s mouth and thrown i t away
w ith o u t ta k in g h i s ey es o f f h e r. As was h e r h a b i t i n
t h i s s i t u a t i o n , she s t a r e d r i g h t back a t him as b la n k ly
as she c o u ld . (p. 1 3 )
A lthough overwhelmed w ith th e s tra n g e s u rro u n d in g s , Jenny
d e m o n s tra te s a good d e a l o f c o n fid e n c e i n h e r s e l f , and th e
above p a ssa g e i l l u s t r a t e s h e r powers o f o b s e r v a t i o n . She
se e s th e t r u t h b e h in d P a t r i c k ' s b e h a v io r and knows t h a t
h i s s t a r e w i l l e v e n t u a l l y le a d to an i n v i t a t i o n o u t . She
u n d e rs ta n d s t h a t P a t r i c k ' s look means he i s " g e t t i n g i d e a s
abou t h e r" (p. 101) b e ca u se she h as found h e r s e l f i n sim
i l a r s i t u a t i o n s . M oreover, Jenny d e l i b e r a t e l y se e s and
t h in k s in c l i c h e s ; i t i s n o t h a rd to im agine th e above
scene ta k in g p la c e i n a movie.
In th e e a r l i e r n o v e ls , se x u a l b e h a v io r i s one o f the
i s s u e s engaged; i n Take A G i r l Like You i t i s th e c e n t r a l
i s s u e and c o n c e rn s most o f th e c h a r a c t e r s . Everybody h as
h i s say , so to sp eak . In such l a t e r n o v e ls a s One F a t
E n g lish m a n , I Want I t Now, The Green Man and The R iv e r s id e
V i l l a s M urder, sex becomes i n c r e a s i n g l y im p o r ta n t a s an
image o f m oral commentary, a s th e se x u a l e n c o u n te rs become
l u d ic r o u s and even b r u t a l . In Take A G i r l Like You, how
e v e r , most o f th e "sex sc e n e s" a re composed o f v e r b a l
jo k e s , comic m aneuvers, d i g r e s s i o n s and i r r e l e v a n c i e s , a l l
o f which a ls o g iv e l i f e to th e c o n v e n tio n a l n a r r a t i v e Amis
i s w orking w ith .
F re q u e n tly , f o r example, Jenny w i l l p u rp o se ly use
Iro n y to defend h e r s e l f a g a in s t f u r t h e r advances by
P a tr ic k . Many o f th e comedy scenes between Jenny and
P a t r ic k , t h e r e f o r e , a re based upon word p la y and v e rb a l
jo k es; in f a c t , th ey o f te n sound l i k e a comedy team. One
evening a t d in n e r, f o r in s ta n c e , P a t r ic k compliments
Jenny: " 'Y o u 're a b s o lu te ly w o nderfu l. Every b i t o f you
goes so w e ll, w ith a l l the o th e r b i t s , and the b i t s a re
a l l so good in th em selv es, t h a t ' s th e e x tr a o r d in a r y t h i n g '"
(p- 39)- Jenny has seen enough o f P a t r i c k 's b e h a v io r to
r e a l i z e t h i s i s l a r g e l y a p u t-o n , and she r e t o r t s : "'Do
you w rite a l l t h i s s t u f f o u t b efo rehand and le a rn i t o f f ,
o r does i t j u s t come n a t u r a l l y and you make i t up as you
go a lo n g ? '" (p. 40) . F u rth e r on she sa y s, "'You ought to
go o ut w ith my grandma, y o u 'd be much h a p p ie r w ith h e r,
w o u ld n 't y o u '" (p. 4 0 ). I t soon becomes c l e a r t h a t , d e
s p i t e J e n n y 's in e x p e rie n c e , she does u n d e rsta n d the n a tu r e
o f the se x u al s t r u g g l e , and knows the n e c e s s a ry c o u n te r
moves to keep h e r v i r g i n i t y i n t a c t . She shrewdly fin d s
ways o f g e t t i n g o u t o f u ncom fortable s i t u a t i o n s .
Many o f P a t r i c k 's maneuvers a re amusing because we
see them from J e n n y 's p o in t o f view. In the fo llo w in g p a s
sage, f o r in s t a n c e , observe how Jenny l e t s a comic image
i n tr u d e a t an o th e rw is e s e r io u s moment:
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B e fo re long P a t r i c k s lip p e d h i s l e f t hand u n d e r h e r
d r e s s in th e n o n -im p o rta n t p l a c e s : back., s h o u ld e r s ,
u p p e r arm s. I t was r a t h e r l i k e one o f th e k id s a t
sc h o o l g e t t i n g o u t o f h i s s e a t to borrow a p e n c i l -
s h a r p e n e r o r p ic k up a w r itin g - b o o k when you knew
t h a t what he r e a l l y wanted to do was ru n round the
room y e l l i n g . (p. 5 8 )
Because Jenny i s a p rim a ry sc h o o l t e a c h e r , and becau se h e r
th o u g h ts a re o f t e n t r i t e , we m ight e x p e c t such an analo g y
from h e r . At th e same tim e , Jenny i s a c c u r a t e l y a n a ly z in g
th e s i t u a t i o n she f i n d s h e r s e l f in and i s poking fun a t
P a t r i c k . A nother tim e, a f t e r a s e r i e s o f moves by P a t r i c k
h a s f a i l e d , th e m aneuvers b e g in a g a in , c o n s i s t i n g o f " e a r -
n i b b l i n g and n e c k - n u z z lin g and s m a l l - o f - t h e - b a c k m assage,
e v i d e n t l y i n th e hope o f suddenly f in d in g som ething t h a t
would make h e r le a p to h e r f e e t and drag him o f f to w herev
e r he k e p t h i s bedroom" (p. 59)-
O ften d i g r e s s i o n and i r r e l e v a n c i e s a r e s e t a g a i n s t an
im p o r ta n t e v e n t - - a l s o w ith comic r e s u l t s . Jenny i s a
r e a l i s t , and when P a t r i c k ' s advances become to o i n te n s e
she a n a l y s e s P a t r i c k ' s f e a t u r e s o r h e r own s e n s a t i o n s .
D uring "a c e r t a i n amount o f elbow -w ork" and o c c a s io n a l
to u c h in g o f knees (p. 4 l ) , f o r exam ple, Jenny n o t i c e s
P a t r i c k ' s hand and r e f l e c t s : " I t was b ro a d and t h i c k ,
lo v e ly c le a n n a i l s , n o t too h a i r y and he-m annish w ith o u t
a t th e same tim e b e in g a t a l l claw y, a s F r e d 's h a n d s --s h e
c o u ld adm it i t f r a n k l y to h e r s e l f now --had te n d e d to be,
e s p e c i a l l y i n c o ld w eath er" (p. 4 l ) . And, d u rin g an
e s p e c i a l l y p a s s io n a te kiss,, i t o ccu rs to Jenny t h a t " a l l
t h a t tongue work was very o v e r r a te d * " and t h a t " P a t r i c k 's
mouth was curved j u s t the r i g h t amount* and s o f t w ith o u t
being squashy* w ith a good s o r t o f washed sm ell" (p. 5 3 ).
Sometimes J e n n y 's way o f r e p e l l i n g the advances o f
men r e c a l l s Jim D ixon's a r s e n a l o f g rim aces. There is* f o r
example* "the h e av y -sig h -cu m -clo sed eyes" o r "the loony
open-mouthed headshaking goggling" (p. 44)* and when she
n o t ic e s a man s t a r i n g a t h er Jenny becomes an a c t r e s s as
she ru n s throu gh an e n t i r e r o u tin e o f fa c e s :
She drew the c o rn e rs o f h er mouth inw ards th e way h e r
m other used when h e r f a t h e r s a id he was th in k in g o f
asking a couple o f boys in a f t e r supper f o r an hour o r
two. When th e m an's look went on e x a c tl y as b e fo re
she pushed h e r p u p ils as f a r up un der th e e y e l id s as
p o s s ib le in th e way h e r mother used when h e r f a t h e r
went on to say t h a t he p e rs o n a lly in te n d e d to have a
few d rin k s and a few laughs t h a t evening and o th e r
p eo ple could make t h e i r bloody arrangem ents to f i t in
w ith him f o r once. (p. 44)
And f i n a l ly * one o f the more amusing p a s s e s made a t
Jenny o c c u rs when she i s alone w ith Anna le Page. Ashamed
by A nna's k i s s e s and embraces* Jenny r e f l e c t s * "Everyone
knew t h a t the French were meant to be t e r r i b l y em otional
and drank as w e ll" (p. 94)* and "She had th o u g h t t h a t the
French tended to k i s s p eople on both cheeks r a t h e r than on
the mouth* b u t perh aps t h a t was o n ly g e n e r a ls g iv in g away
medals" (p. 9 7 ). When Anna succeeds in tra p p in g Jenny in
bed* Jenny f in d s " g e ttin g Anna o f f was l i k e r o l l i n g a b e e r -
b a r r e l up a ramp*" and f i n a l l y r e s o r t s to h e r "anti-m an"
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id e a : " S t i f f e n i n g h e r f i n g e r s and u s in g h e r n a i l s to th e
u t m o s t , she gave Anna a trem endous t i c k l i n g u n d e r th e r i b s ,
th e k in d t h a t s t a r t e d h a rd and went on h a rd " (p. 2 0 3 ).
T h is i s s i m i l a r to the method she u s e s to s e p a r a te two
f i g h t i n g c h i l d r e n a t h e r sc h o o l.
In a d d it i o n to th e g e n u in e ly amusing sex sc e n e s , how-
e v e r , som ething e l s e i s a t work a s well,, f o r mixed in w ith
th e many humorous sc en e s th e r e i s much t h a t i s t r a g i c and
s e r i o u s , r e s u l t i n g not o n ly from th e c o n f l i c t between
J e n n y 's c o n v e n tio n a l i d e a s and P a t r i c k ' s s o - c a l l e d e n
lig h t e n e d i d e a s , b u t a ls o from P a t r i c k ' s growing d i s i l l u
sionm ent and d e s p a i r as he f in d s " a l l t h i s m oral b u s in e s s
was p oor equipm ent f o r one b a r e l y i n t o h i s s t r i d e on th e
huge t r e k to s a t i e t y " (p . 135)- He t e l l s Jenny,
"There a re two s o r t s o f men to d a y , th o s e who do--you
know what I m ean--and th o se who d o n 't . A ll th e ones
y o u 'r e e v e r going to r e a l l y l i k e a r e th e f i r s t s o r t ,
and a l l th e ones th o se i d e a s o f y o u rs t e l l you you
ou ght to have a r e th e second s o r t . " (p . 1 5 9)
There i s a ls o a t h i r d t y p e - - t h e p e rso n t h a t c o u ld , b u t
d i d n ' t —b u t n,He d ie d i n 1914 o r th e r e a b o u t s . He i s n ' t
e v e r go ing to tu rn up, Jenny , t h a t b lo k e w ith th e manners
and th e r e s p e c t and th e honour and th e bunches o f flo w e rs
and th e a t t r a c t i o n 1" (p . 1 6 0) . What P a t r i c k i s r e a l l y
t e l l i n g Jenny i s t h a t he i s n o t l i k e t h i s , and t h a t he
n e v e r c o u ld b e .
A m is's m ix tu re o f comedy and s e r i o u s n e s s , w ith
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emphasis on the l a t t e r i n s te a d o f the form er, i s a new
d e p a rtu re f o r him, and in an in te r v ie w i n The M anchester
Guardian Weekly he comments on such a m ixtu re in the
B r i t i s h novel when he say s, " ' I th in k one o f the im p o rta n t
t h in g s we a re approaching i s r e a l se rio -c o m ed y . We a re
g e t t i n g to th e p o in t o f mixing humour and s e rio u s n e s s much
more t h o r o u g h ly .'" ^ And c e r t a i n l y the in v o lv e d comedy o f
i n c i d e n t and knockabout f a r c e o f Lucky Jim o r That U ncer
t a i n F e e lin g i s a b se n t from Take A G ir l Like You.
P a t r i c k 's comic e n c o u n te rs w ith school a u t h o r i t i e s , fo r
i n s t a n c e , a re secondary, not prim ary as in Lucky J im . No
lo n g e r a re th e re long inv o lv ed comic e p is o d e s , such as
D ix o n 's f l i g h t from the dance in a " s to le n " t a x i , o r
L e w is's m isad v e n tu re s w hile posing as a plumber in E l i z a
b e t h 's house. I n s te a d , b eg inn ing w ith Take A G ir l Like
You th e h e ro e s and v i l l a i n s a re seen w ith g r e a t e r u n d e r
s ta n d in g . G re a te r a t t e n t i o n i s p a id to what were the
f a r c i c a l l y conceived c h a r a c te r s in the e a r l y n o v e ls . As a
r e s u l t , the o p p o r tu n ity f o r f a r c e , f o r comic i n c i d e n t , d e
c r e a s e s . T his i n e v i t a b l y r e s u l t s in a b e t t e r i n t e g r a t e d
n o v e l, in t h a t scenes do n o t m erely follo w one a n o th e r in
time sequence, b u t a re r e l a t e d to the c e n t r a l argum en t--
se x u a l b e h a v io r, in t h i s p a r t i c u l a r c a s e . The comedy seems
l e s s s ta g e d , l e s s c o n tr iv e d .
For example, Jenny i s being b a rra g e d by new id e a s and
86
new e x p e rie n c e s ., a l l o f w hich c a u se h e r to q u e s t i o n h e r own
v a lu e s and h e r commitment to th e s e v a lu e s . B ecause she
f e e l s i s o l a t e d , Jen n y o f t e n com pares h e r new e x p e r i e n c e s
w ith h e r o l d e x p e r i e n c e s , t h e r e b y u s in g h e r l i f e i n th e
N orth a s a to u c h s to n e by w hich she can judge h e r new l i f e
i n th e S ou th . E a r l y i n th e n o v e l, f o r i n s t a n c e , Jenny
s e e s a c h u rc h and i s rem in d ed o f h e r c h ild h o o d d a y s, whose
v a lu e s she now s e e s a s n e g a t i v e , remembered a s "hymns o f
th e s o r t t h a t made you w ant to do away w ith y o u r s e l f " (p .
2 6 ). She i s d e p re s s e d a s she r e c a l l s th e w alks to h e r
g r a n d m o th e r 's h o u se , w alk s which "now seemed to have alw ays
ta k e n p l a c e on c lo u d y Sunday e v e n in g s " a s th e y p a s s e d
th ro u g h a s t r e e t where i t was s a i d "a famous mass m u rd e re r
had done h i s s t u f f " (p . 2 6 ) .
In c o n t r a s t s ta n d s th e f l a s h , b r i g h t l i g h t s and a f
f lu e n c e o f th e S o u th , sy m b o liz ed by "an e l a b o r a t e l y g o t up
n o t i c e - b o a r d w hich a d v e r t i s e d fo rth c o m in g a t t r a c t i o n s i n
g i l t on b l a c k , " and s u d d e n ly Je n n y "long ed f o r th e s i g h t
o f c h e e r f u l modern c o l o u r s , th e c o v e r o f a new copy o f
Woman's Domain, th e y e llo w o r b l u e l a b e l o f a r e c o r d o f
th e to p tw e n ty , somebody p a s s i n g i n s c a r l e t j e a n s and l u
minous so c k s" (p . 2 6 ). A n o th e r tim e Jen n y f i n d s h e r s e l f
f e e l i n g l i k e a s t a r l e t a s she r a c e s a lo n g i n P a t r i c k ' s c a r ,
and w onders i f b e in g a s t a r l e t was too c lo s e to b e in g
"sp eed m ad," som ething w hich h e r f a t h e r had o f t e n t o l d h e r
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t y p i f i e d th e whole modern g e n e r a t i o n . She hopes n o t,
" f e e l i n g t h a t she was th e s te a d y ty p e who g o t m a rrie d and
had 'b a b ie s ," and y e t "th e s t a r l e t th in g d id p u t a t i n y
doubt in h e r m in d - - j u s t o c c a s i o n a l l y , l i k e n ow --w hether th e
s te a d y ty pe m ight n o t be m issin g some o f th e fun" (p . 5 0 ).
Some o f th e c o n v e r s a t io n s Jenny o v e rh e a r s and some o f
th e p e o p le she m eets a l s o d i s t u r b h e r f a i t h in m a rria g e as
a s o l u t i o n to th e sex problem ; th e y a ls o p ro v id e what John
Coleman r e f e r s to a s th e "d ark n o te , h a r s h , a c c u r a t e and
r e p e a t e d l y s t r u c k , t h a t sounds th ro u g h a l l th e honey and
h ig h p i tc h e d [com edy]." There i s , f o r exam ple, Seaman
J a c k s o n 's drunken c o n fe s s io n o u t s i d e J e n n y 's bedroom w in
dow, d u rin g which he e q u a te s m a rria g e w ith " ' l e g a l i s e d
b lo o d y p r o s t i t u t i o n ' " (p. 2 2 ). He sa y s , " ' I t ' s th e poor
b loo dy w ives I 'm s o r r y f o r . Five y e a r s t r y i n g to land
y o u r s e l f a man and th e r e s t o f y o u r l i f e w ish in g you
h a d n ' t ' " (p . 2 1 ). L a t e r , Jack so n r e t u r n s to c o n tin u e h i s
c o n f e s s io n , and i s even more s p e c i f i c when he sa y s ,
"Never c a re d f o r i t much a l l th e s e y e a r s , have you
g i r l ? J u s t l i k e t h a t . No A r t h u r , she s a y s , 1 111 be
s t r a i g h t w ith you, y o u 'v e alw ays been s t r a i g h t w ith
me, she s a y s . I n e v e r h a v e . What would you do chums?
I p u t up w ith i t b e ca u se i t ' s n o t r i g h t I s h o u l d n 't ,
b u t i f you want th e t r u t h I ' v e n e v e r had a atom o f
p le a s u r e o u t o f i t r i g h t from th e v e ry f i r s t tim e ."
(p. 190)
Then t h e r e i s Graham M a c C lin to c h ' s a c c o u n t o f what i t
i s l i k e to be u n a t t r a c t i v e . Fo llow ing an i n e p t p a s s a t
Jen n y , Graham t a l k s a b o u t th e d i v i s i o n betw een th e a t t r a c
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t iv e and the u n a t t r a c t i v e , and com plains because th e r e i s
no c h a r i t y in sex. He say s,
"You c a n 't imagine what i t ’s l ik e not to know what i t
i s to meet an a t t r a c t i v e p erson who’s a ls o a t t r a c t e d
to you, can you? Because u n a t t r a c t i v e men d o n 't want
u n a t t r a c t i v e g i r l s , you see. They want a t t r a c t i v e
g i r l s . They m erely g e t u n a t t r a c t i v e g i r l s . I th in k
a l o t o f people f e e l vaguely when they see two d u f f e r s
m arrying t h a t the d u f f e r s p r e f e r i t t h a t way. Which
i s r a t h e r l ik e saying t h a t slu m -d w ellers would r a t h e r
l i v e in the slums than anywhere e l s e - - t h e r e they a re
in the slums, a r e n ' t they?" (p. 1 7 1)
Moreover, Jenny i s d is tu r b e d by the r e p u ls iv e appearance
o f th e m others o f c h ild r e n she i s te a c h in g , fin d in g i t d i f
f i c u l t to imagine them e v e r having sex: "To r e a l l y l e t the
f a c t t h a t th e se m others were m others sin k in meant com
p l e t e l y changing a l l s o r t s o f id e a s about what went on in
m arriage" (p. 28). Mrs. C a r t e r 's m arriag e , f o r in s ta n c e ,
ap pears to be any th in g b u t i d e a l , f o r she "seemed to d iv id e
h e r time between sc h o o l, tr y in g to g e t h e r husband to leave
h e r alone and baking s te a k -a n d -k id n e y p i e s f o r him" (p.
50 ). At a p a r t y , when Jenny tu rn s to some a c q u a in ta n c e s
and asks i f i t i s p ro p e r f o r h e r to g iv e up h e r p r i n c i p l e s
f o r somebody she lo v e s , th ey f a i l to g iv e any su p p o rt to
h e r c o n v ic tio n s : " ' I d o n 't know any thing about p r i n c i p l e s .
They j u s t make l i f e h a rd e r d o n 't t h e y 1"; " ' I should have
thought i f you l i k e someone enough, then a l l t h a t so lv e s
i t s e l f , d o e s n 't i t ? ' " (p. 300)- When she ask s why people
make such a fu s s about v i r g i n i t y , t h e i r r e a c t i o n s a re
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e q u a l l y a s c o n fu s in g to Je n n y : " 'T h e r e was n e v e r any f u s s
a b o u t m ine. W ell, no, a c t u a l l y t h e r e was s t a r t i n g to be
v e ry e a r l y on, so I g o t r i d o f i t a s soon a s I c o u ld and
p u t i t o u t o f my m in d '" ; " ' I th o u g h t th e whole th in g had
more o r l e s s blown o v e r 1" (p . 3 0 0 ). The d i a l o g a t th e
p a r t y , i n f a c t , a n t i c i p a t e s th e e m o tio n a l w a s te la n d o f
l a t e r n o v e ls , i n which lo v e i s dead and i s r e p l a c e d by
e n d l e s s games and empty p a s t i m e s . H ere, a s i n some o f th e
sc e n e s i n A ldous H u x le y 's Crome Y ellow o r P o in t C o u n te r
p o i n t , th e i n d i v i d u a l s sp eak o f lo v e , m a rria g e and v i r t u e
i n th e same to n e a s th e y would speak o f a c r i c k e t game o r
a new s e t o f t e e t h .
The e f f e c t o f th e r e s o l u t i o n to th e n o v e l i s i n t e n
t i o n a l l y sa d . F o llo w in g h e r s e d u c t i o n , Jenn y a d m its to
lo v in g P a t r i c k and a g r e e s to m arry him , b u t i t i s p l a i n
t h a t J e n n y 's p re d ic a m e n t i s sa d . She began h e r s t a y i n
s o u th e r n E ngland by h a v in g c e r t a i n e x p e c t a t i o n s : " I t was
p l a i n t h a t h e r new l i f e was g o in g to be f u l l o f what she
would n o t have e x p e c te d " (p . 17)• She ends by sa y in g to
P a t r i c k , h e r s e d u c e r:
"You know, P a t r i c k S t a n d i s h , I sh o u ld r e a l l y n e v e r
have met yo u. Or I s h o u ld have g o t r i d o f you w h ile
I s t i l l had th e c h an c e. B ut I c o u l d n 't t h in k how to .
And i t ' s a b i t l a t e f o r t h a t now, i s n ' t i t ? I ' l l j u s t
change my d r e s s . W ell, th o s e o l d B i b l e - c l a s s i d e a s
have c e r t a i n l y ta k e n a k n o c k in g , h a v e n 't th e y ? "
"They were bound t o , you know, d a r l i n g , w ith a g i r l
l i k e y o u . I t was i n e v i t a b l e . "
"Oh y e s , I e x p e c t i t w as. But I c a n ' t h e lp f e e l i n g
i t ' s r a t h e r a p i t y . " (p . 3 2 0 )
Jenny i s n o t j u s t being o l d - f a s h io n e d - - s h e has a d i r e c t n e s s
and h o n e sty which a re v ery to u c h in g . A lthough m oral i s s u e s
made Jenny o f te n r e s o lv e n o t to see P a t r i c k a g a in , such
r e s o l u t i o n s n e v e r h e ld , and a lth o u g h J e n n y ’ s v a lu e s were
c e r t a i n l y n o t p e r f e c t , th ey were b e t t e r than P a t r i c k 's .
U nlike Jim Dixon o r John Lewis, Jenny d is c o v e r s t h a t she
must abandon some o f the m oral p r i n c i p l e s she grew up
w i t h - - t h a t i s , i f she i s to keep P a t r i c k , and i f she i s to
l i v e s u c c e s s f u l l y in th e s o p h i s t i c a t e d town she has moved
t o . She d is c o v e r s t h a t the v a lu e s she had b ro u g h t w ith h e r
to th e South "had a t h i n , s o r t o f l a s t - y e a r ' s f e e l to them"
(p. 2 6 5) . The problem w ith them, she t h in k s , "was t h a t
th ey d id n o t b rin g o t h e r p eo p le i n , o n ly h e r s e l f , and t h a t
th e r e were n o t enough o f them. There co uld n o t be; how
could th e r e be a r u l e f o r e v e ry th in g you d id from one
second to th e n e x t, and f o r how you were to f e e l a b o u t i t ? "
(p. 2 6 5 ) . Thus, she d e c id e s t h a t "she no lo n g e r wanted to ,
she c o u l d n 't snuggle down in th e id e a o f b ein g someone who
had s a c r i f i c e d h e r whole l i f e f o r an i d e a l , o r had r e
nounced a s e l f i s h dream o f h a p p in e ss w ith everyone e ls e
ta k in g n o t i c e o f h e r doing i t " (p. 25^ ) .
S ince Lucky Jim , t h e r e has been a n o t ic e a b l e change in
A m is's o u tlo o k on l i f e . For one th in g , l i f e i s more com
p le x . The sim ple ro m an tic f a n ta s y s o l u t io n a t th e end o f
Lucky Jim ( i n which G ore-U rquhart a p p e a rs) o r a t th e end
91
o f T h a t U n c e r ta in P e e lin g ( i n w hich John Lewis and h i s w ife
f l e e t h e i r p rob lem s) i s no lo n g e r p o s s i b l e . R a th e r , in
Take A G i r l L ike You Jen n y i s s u r p r i s e d by th e w o rld o p e n
in g up to r e v e a l e v e n ts u n a n t i c i p a t e d i n h e r o r i g i n a l i n n o
c e n t v i s i o n , and f i n d s she m ust a d j u s t to th e money-mad
and p le a s u r e -m a d s o c i e t y i n which she h a s chosen to l i v e .
I r o n y i s no l o n g e r a s u f f i c i e n t d e fe n s e a g a i n s t P a t r i c k ' s
w o rld . The n o v e l does n o t end r e s o l v e d - - o n e f e e l s th e
p ro b lem s w i l l c o n t i n u e - - f o r i n th e m id s t o f th e humor a p
p e a r th e sad t a l e s o f such c h a r a c t e r s a s Graham M acC lin-
to c h . Lord E d g e rs to u n e , P a t r i c k S t a n d is h and o t h e r s . L ife
i s more s e r i o u s , more p r e c a r i o u s , l e s s j o v i a l , i n t h i s
n o v e l, and i t i s t h i s w hich Amis r e f e r s to when he sa y s :
When Take A G i r l L ike You came a lo n g , i t was sa y in g ,
to p u t i t v e ry c r u d e l y , I hope t h a t t h e y ' l l go on
l a u g h in g , b u t t h i s tim e th e y w o n 't be a b le to e sca p e
t h e n o tio n t h a t I 'm sa y in g som ething s e r i o u s . I d o n 't
mean p ro fo u n d o r e a r n e s t , b u t som ething s e r i o u s , and
i t worked i n t h a t p e o p le would concede t h a t a n o th e r
p h a se had b egun. ( I n t e r v i e w )
92
FOOTNOTES
^■"Kingsley Amis,, M o r a l i s t , " D a lh o u sie Review, XXXXIV
(Autumn, 1964), 3 3 9 .
2
"F arce and S o c ie ty : th e Range o f K in g sle y Am is," W is
c o n s in S tu d ie s i n Contem porary L i t e r a t u r e , I I ( F a l l , 1 9 6I ) ,
28; "K in g sle y Amis, M o r a l is t, p . 3 3 9 . The fo llo w in g
c r i t i c s a ls o comment b r i e f l y on th e change i n A m is's w r i t
in g s a s a m o r a l i s t : W a lte r A lle n , "That U n c e r ta in F e e l i n g ,"
New S ta te s m a n , Septem ber 24, i 9 6 0 , p . 445; B e rn ard B e r
gonzi*^ "K in g sle y A m is," London M agazine, J a n u a ry , 1964,
pp . 5 0 -6 5 and The S i t u a t i o n o f th e Novel ( P i t t s b u r g h : U n i
v e r s i t y o f P i t t s b u r g h P r e s s , 1970), pp. l b l - 7 4 ; John C o le
man, "King o f S h a f t , " The S p e c t a t o r , Septem ber 3j I9 6 0 , p.
445; John G ro ss, "Makes You S o b e r , " New S ta te s m a n , Septem
b e r 21, 1962, p . 3 6 3 ; Anthony P o w ell, " K i n g s l e y 's H e ro e s ,"
The S p e c t a t o r , November 2 9, 1 9 6 3, P- 709; F- J- Warnke,
"Some R ecen t N ovels: A V a r ie t y o f W o rld s ," Y ale Review, L
(Ju n e , 1 9 6 1 ) , 6 3 0 .
■^Kingsley Amis, Take A G i r l L ike You (New York: H ar-
c o u r t , B race and W orld, I n c ., 1961), p . 135- A l l s u b s e
q u en t c i t a t i o n s a re from t h i s e d i t i o n .
4
K in g sle y Amis, in te r v ie w e d by W. J . W eatherby i n Mr.
S e l l a r s and Mr. A m is," The M an ch ester G uardian Weekly, May
4 , 1 9 6 1, p. 1 2 .
1 5
Woman' s Domain i s one o f th e main s o u r c e s f o r J e n n y 's
v a lu e s , and s u g g e s ts c e r t a i n a c t u a l B r i t i s h p u b l i c a t i o n s
f o r th e woman. These in c lu d e She, Woman' s Own, and Woman
and Home.
^Coleman, p . 446.
CHAPTER IV
TOWARD A DEEPENING DISILLUSIONMENT
W ith th e a p p e a ra n c e o f Take A G i r l L ike You, Amis l e f t
b e h in d th e f a r c i c a l w o rld and low comedy on w hich h i s r e p u
t a t i o n was fo u n d ed t o g i v e e x p r e s s io n to w hat B e rn a rd B e r
g o n z i c a l l s th e " i n e s c a p a b l e n o te o f c r u e l and even s a
d i s t i c fantasy"'*' h i n t e d a t i n th e e a r l i e r n o v e l s . D r i f t i n g
s t e a d i l y from b e w ild e rm e n t to d i s i l l u s i o n m e n t , Je n n y Bunn
and P a t r i c k S t a n d is h s i g n a l e d th e b e g in n in g o f a new p h a se
i n A m is1s m o ral v i s i o n , i n w hich l u d i c r o u s sex e n c o u n t e r s
and s e l f - i n d u l g e n t c h a r a c t e r s b e n t on a c o u rs e o f s e l f -
d e s t r u c t i o n become em b lem atic o f th e decay o f c o n te m p o ra ry
l i f e in E n g la n d . Over th e n e x t tw e lv e y e a r s t h i s i n c r e a s e d
s e r i o u s n e s s and s u b s e q u e n t d e c r e a s e In th e e le m e n t o f
h o r s e p l a y and h ig h s p i r i t s i s accom panied by a g r e a t e r
c o m p le x ity i n theme and c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n and a more o b v io u s
m o ral c o n c e rn . And w ith th e a p p e a ra n c e o f each new n o v e l,
s a y s A nthony B u r g e s s , A m is 's m o r a l i t y becom es s h a r p e r , so
2
t h a t a new Amis n o v e l th ro w s l i g h t on t h e p a s t o n e s .
In h i s n e x t t h r e e n o v e l s - - One F a t E n g lish m a n , The
A n ti- D e a th L ea g u e , and I Want I t Now--Am is c o n t i n u e s to
93
d e v e lo p h i s p e s s i m i s t i c v i s i o n o f contem porary man; to be
f u l l y r e a l i z e d i n The Green Man and G i r l jj_J?0. A lthough
Amis c o n tin u e s to employ th e form o f th e t r a d i t i o n a l n o v e l —
good and bad c h a r a c t e r s , s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d p l o t , c l a r i t y ,
p r e c i s i o n o f l a n g u a g e - - h i s u se o f comedy i s no lo n g e r j u s t
a t a c t i c a l d e v ic e to amuse and i n s t r u c t , b u t r a t h e r a v e
h i c l e f o r a f r i g h t e n i n g l y p e s s i m i s t i c comment on the human
c o n d it i o n . A m is's w o rld no lo n g e r a llo w s c a r e f r e e , uncom
p le x f i g u r e s o f fun to move ab out c a s u a l l y , r e l y i n g on good
lu ck and p r a c t i c a l jo k e s to see them th ro u g h t h e i r d i f f i
c u l t i e s . R a th e r, l i f e i s now an a b su rd game t h a t can be
s i n i s t e r , sav ag e, p a t h e t i c , co m p assio n ate o r comic, and h i s
c h a r a c t e r s a r e s u f f e r i n g , o f te n lo n e l y and d e s p e r a t e l y
t r a g i c i n d i v i d u a l s , each i n a h o p e le s s s i t u a t i o n w ith
l i t t l e chance f o r le a d in g th e good l i f e , f r e e from a n x i
e t i e s , g u i l t s and d o u b ts .
In Take A G i r l Like You, we d is a p p ro v e d o f P a t r i c k 's
way o f l i f e . A lthough th e h e ro o f A m is's n e x t n o v e l - - One
F a t E nglish m an - - i s j u s t as d e t e s t a b l e , j u s t as c r u e l , and
e v e ry b i t as much th e l e c h e r , we can n o t h e lp b u t l i k e him
a l i t t l e . In f a c t , by th e end o f th e n o v e l we a r e l e f t
w ith th e im p re s s io n t h a t Amis f e e l s th e same way. As
Anthony Pow ell comments, "There seems, i n s h o r t , u n c e r
t a i n t y w h e th er M icheldene i s w h o lly h o r r i b l e ; h a r d l y h o r
r i b l e a t a l l ; . . . o r h o r r i b l e , y e t seen e v e n t u a l l y w ith
a c e r t a i n u n d e r s t a n d i n g .
95
C e rtain ly ,, when seen o n ly from th e o u t s i d e , Roger i s
t o t a l l y h o r r i b l e - - a l t h o u g h we m ight be le d to laugh a t
him, we could n e v e r be made to laugh s y m p a th e tic a lly . Like
the a r t y b u l l i e s o f Lucky Jim and That U n c e rta in P e e lin g
who f e e l p r o t e c t e d by an a s s u re d s o c i a l s t a t u s , M ichel-
d e n e ' s ego tism and sn o b b ish n e ss a re d e p lo ra b le a s he t r i e s
to tram p le to d e a th e v e ry th in g t h a t i s A m erican. F o rty
y e a r s o ld , s h o r t and f a t , M icheldene c o n s id e rs h im s e lf
" q u a l i f i e d in g l u t t o n y , s l o t h and l u s t , b u t d i s t i n g u i s h e d
in a n g e r , " f in d in g " i n s u l t s backed up by v io le n c e a d eq u ate
.,4
to a l l h i s n e e d s. U nlike Joe D e rla n g e r, who r e l e a s e s
h i s ang er by d e l i b e r a t e l y b re a k in g h i s own c a r w ith an ir o n
b a r , M icheldene v e n ts h i s a n g er by d e s t r o y i n g - - o r t r y in g
to destroy--hum an b e in g s w ith a b a rra g e o f v e rb a l abu se,
and when a p p r o p r i a t e , p h y s i c a l v io le n c e . As M o llie A tk in s
in fo rm s him, " 'A t l e a s t [Joe] o n ly does i t to t h i n g s . H e 's
q u i te p a t i e n t and kind w ith p eo p le r e a l l y ' " (p. 1 5 1).
M oreover, a s an i n d i v i d u a l t o t a l l y a bsorbed in h i s own
s e n s a t io n s , M icheldene i s e s p e c i a l l y b r u t a l w ith women,
viewing th e se x u a l a c t as e s s e n t i a l l y d e s t r u c t i v e : "to con
v e r t a c r e a t u r e who i s c o o l, d ry , calm, a r t i c u l a t e , in d e
p en d en t, p u r p o s e f u l i n t o a c r e a t u r e t h a t i s th e o p p o s ite o f
th e s e ; to d e m o n stra te to an anim al which i s p r e te n d in g n o t
to be an anim al t h a t i t i s an anim al" (p. 122). One o f the
more memorable sc en e s i s th e one i n which M icheldene meets
9 6
w ith M ollie* th e huge,, m id d le -a g e d nymphomaniac w ife o f
S tro d e A tk in s . Even M icheldene f i n d s i t d i f f i c u l t to h o ld
h ack h i s l a u g h t e r a s h i s l u s t i s c o m ic a lly m atched by th e
g a rg a n tu a n l u s t o f M o llie : "'O h y e s . Oh* i t ' s g re a t* i t ' s
so g re a t* i t ' s w o n d e rfu l. Oh* y e s , y e s . Oh* y o u 'r e so
stro n g * so fin e * so good* so good f o r me. Oh* what you do
to me, d a r l i n g . Oh* i t ' s so g r e a t . Oh* y e s '" (p. 8 3 ) .
A lth o u g h Amis i s s t i l l w orking in th e comic mode* h i s
comedy i s n o t a s d e r i s i v e a s i t was in Lucky J i m . As i n
Take A G i r l L ike You* th e humor i n One F a t Englishm an i s
s u b t l e r a s Amis t r e a t s h i s v i l l a i n s w ith g r e a t e r u n d e r
s t a n d in g . T h ere fo re * d e s p i t e M ic h e ld e n e ' s i n t o l e r a b l e b e
h a v i o r and a lm o s t c r i p p l i n g f a u l t s * Amis m a i n t a i n s sym pathy
f o r h i s c h a r a c t e r by u s i n g him a s a k in d o f n a r r a t o r *
though i n th e t h i r d person* r e p o r t i n g h i s own e x p e r i e n c e s —
w hat Wayne B ooth c a l l s th e " s y m p a th e tic i n s i d e v ie w ." ^ By
showing th e s t o r y th ro u g h M ic h e ld e n e 's eyes* Amis f o r c e s u s
to see th e human w o rth o f a c h a r a c t e r whose a c tio n s * o b j e c
t i v e l y c o n sid e re d * we would d e p lo re * and th e r e b y i n s u r e s
t h a t we s h a l l f o llo w a lo n g w ith him i n s t e a d o f a g a i n s t
him --w e hope f o r h i s good f o r t u n e . Many sc e n e s a r e r h e t o r
i c a l l y design ed * t h e r e f o r e * to em phasize M ic h e ld e n e 's i s o
l a t i o n and h e l p l e s s n e s s i n a f r i e n d l e s s w o rld where no one
can s e t him s t r a i g h t . In th e f i r s t two c h a p t e r s , f o r e x
am ple, we a r e n o t o n ly exposed to h i s t e r r i b l e tem peram ent*
97
h i s l u s t and h i s p e t t i n e s s , b u t we a ls o f e e l h i s lo n g in g to
im p re ss H elene, h i s d is a p p o in tm e n t and h i s shock when he
r e a l i z e s H elene does n o t remember t h e i r p r e v io u s e n c o u n te r ,
and th e e m o tio n a l p a in he s u f f e r s when u n a b le to be a lo n e
w ith h e r .
M icheldene a ls o e l i c i t s sympathy b e cau se he w alks a
k in d o f t i g h t r o p e betw een h i s f u n c tio n a s v i c tim and d e
s t r u c t i v e a g e n t. His whole t r i p to America h a s been d e
s ig n e d l a r g e l y to im p r e s s - -a n d h o p e f u l l y w i n - - h i s m i s t r e s s .
However, b e ca u se he i s a v i s i t o r to A m erica, M icheldene i s
an o u t s i d e r , and becau se he i s r i d i c u l o u s , he i s v u ln e r a b le ,
so t h a t in s e x u a l, p o l i t i c a l and even l i n g u i s t i c oneupman-
s h ip , he i s b e a te n a t h i s own game by th e A m ericans he
d e t e s t s . W hether he i s t r y i n g to renew h i s a f f a i r w ith
H elen e, g e t t i n g the b e s t o f d e t e s t a b l e I r v i n g Macher, o r
a rg u in g ab o u t th e d i f f e r e n c e betw een "do" and " d o n 't " and
"have" and " h a v e n 't , " we n e v e r see him s u c c e s s f ti l - - h e i s
alw ays pay ing f o r th e k in d o f p e rs o n he i s - - a n d in a s e r i e s
o f sc en e s our sympathy i s engaged a s h i s f a u l t s and m is
ta k e s a r e b ro u g h t home to him in a h u m il i a t i n g c h ain o f
re b u k e s mounting in c r u e l t y and i n t e n s i t y . F o r exam ple,
M icheldene i s e s p e c i a l l y v u ln e r a b le to I r v i n g Macher, a
c r u e l p r a n k s t e r who b e l i e v e s " 'a n y means a re j u s t i f i a b l e
f o r g e t t i n g what you w ant, up to and i n c l u d i n g m u rd e r'"
(p. 4 7 ). C e r ta in t h a t d u ty i s a th in g p e o p le do, n o t
98
something they d o n 't do, Macher c o n s id e rs i t h i s duty to
d e s tr o y M ich eld en e's s e lf - e s te e m , and proceeds to nab
M ic h eld en e 's m an u scrip t b e fo re an im p o rta n t speech, send
Suzanne K lein to b i t e him a t a p a r t i c u l a r l y em barrassing
moment, and s t e a l Helene f o r a weekend romp in New York.
We cannot h e lp b u t f e e l s o r ry f o r M icheldene--he does not
have a chance a g a in s t the c r u e l t i e s o f an i n d iv i d u a l l i k e
Macher.
And f i n a l l y , Micheldene knows he i s a b a s ta r d and
would l i k e to change, b u t can n o t. Thus, o f te n a s e c tio n
devoted to h i s m isdeeds i s follow ed w ith s e l f - r e p r o a c h or
rem orse. In h i s p r a y e r s , f o r e x a m p le --a rro g a n t and b ad -
tempered though th ey are --M ich e ld en e re c o g n iz e s how aw ful
he i s as he p ray s:
"Now look, t h i s i s n ' t good enough. You know what I'm
l i k e and y e t you keep on a t me. A ll th o se p eo p le--y o u
know as w e ll as I do t h e y 'r e the type I c a n 't s ta n d .
Why do you keep sending along b a s t a r d s l i k e A tkins and
Macher and bloody f o o ls l ik e t h a t P e r g e te r c r e a tu r e i f
you d o n 't want me to be angry?" (p. 53)
Micheldene a ls o engages i n a good d e a l o f s e l f - q u e s t i o n i n g —
a t tim es he g e n u in e ly wonders what he could do to change
h im s e lf and h i s c o n d itio n . P l o t t in g a p o s s ib le m eeting
w ith Helene, f o r example, he wonders "What was he doing
t h a t he ought n ot to do, o r n o t doing t h a t he ought to do?"
(p- 59)- And o c c a s io n a lly he even f e e l s the need to t a l k
to somebody about Helene, b u t r e a l i z e s he would n o t have
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known even how to b e g in , f o r " i t was im p o s s ib le to t a l k to
them a b o u t a n y th in g more p e r s o n a l th a n b a s e b a l l w ith o u t
h a v in g been i n th e same c l a s s a t Y ale o r i n Phi U p s ilo n
Kappa w ith them" (p . 1 5 0 ). Nor i s M icheldene a b le to f i n d
any h e lp from a p r i e s t . A f t e r a p a r t i c u l a r l y p a i n f u l e n
c o u n t e r w ith M o H ie , M icheldene d e s p e r a t e l y w an ts to c o n
f e s s , y e t even F a t h e r C o lg a te t u r n s him away b e c a u s e , he
e x p l a i n s , M icheldene came o u t o f p r i d e :
"in y o u r p r e s e n t c o n d i t i o n , p h y s i c a l , e m o tio n a l and
s p i r i t u a l , I sh o u ld n o t be j u s t i f i e d i n a g r e e in g to
h e a r y o u r c o n f e s s io n , s i r . You a p p e a r to be a c t u a t e d
by s e l f i s h m o tiv e s , m o tiv e s i n w hich r e s e n tm e n t p l a y s
a l a r g e p a r t . As I see i t , y o u r p r i d e h a s b een h u r t
and you w ish me to r e s t o r e i t . " (p . 1 5 7 )
I t I s , t h e r e f o r e , M ic h e ld e n e 's v u l n e r a b i l i t y a s a
r i d i c u l o u s i n d i v i d u a l , t o g e t h e r w ith h i s knowing t h a t he i s
r i d i c u l o u s w i t h o u t any chance o f ch an g in g h i m s e l f , t h a t
makes him a s y m p a th e tic c h a r a c t e r . R oger i s much more
s e l f - a w a r e . He h a s more i n s i g h t th a n P a t r i c k S ta n d is h ,
f o r exam ple, and y e t we see t h a t s e lf -k n o w le d g e i s n o t
alw ays enough to b r i n g a b o u t m o ral ch an g e . I t i s a s I f
t h e r e I s an i n t e r n a l , d e s t r u c t i v e demon a t work, w hich, i n
th e a b sen c e o f any p o s i t i v e o r s p i r i t u a l v a lu e s , moves
M icheld en e to w ard s t e r r i b l y d e s t r u c t i v e s i t u a t i o n s . As
F a t h e r C o lg a te a d v i s e s him, "'A man d o e s n 't a c t l i k e a
c h i l d u n l e s s h i s s o u l i s h u r t i n g him . Your s o u l i s h u r t i n g
y o u , Mr. M ic h e ld e n e '" (p . 1 0 1 ). C o l g a t e 's tone i s im por-
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t a n t , f o r he I s a c t u a l l y say in g t h a t M icheldene does n o t
have a s o u l.
In h i s n e x t n o v e l, The A n ti-D e a th L eague, Amis s t u d i e s
th e d e s t r u c t i v e n e s s i n i n d i v i d u a l s - - t o w a r d s th e m se lv e s and
th e w o r l d - - a s th e y a re made aware o f th e r e a l i t y o f i n d i s
c r i m i n a t e , s e n s e l e s s d e a th . The c h a r a c t e r s i n A m is's new
n o v e l a r e too s e l f - i n d u l g e n t to ta k e a r e a l l y good lo ok a t
th e m s e lv e s --s o m e th in g w hich Moti Naidu s t r e s s e s when he
a d v is e s James C h u r c h ill to love l i f e a g a in , and t r y to
become a man. He sa y s,
" D e a th 's n obo dy’ s enemy. Your enem y's th e same as
everybo dy e l s e ' s . Your enemy i s f e a r , p l u s i l l f e e l
i n g s , bad f e e l i n g s o f a l l d e s c r i p t i o n s . Such a s s e l f
i s h n e s s , and n o t w an ting to be d e p riv e d o f what com
f o r t s you, and g r e e d , and a rro g a n c e , and above a l l
b e l i e f i n y o u r own u n iq u e n e s s and y o u r own im p o rta n c e .
A l l th e s e bad f e e l i n g s come from c o n s id e r in g y o u r s e l f
f i r s t . "6
As an e sp io n ag e s t o r y w ith God a s th e u l t i m a t e enemy,
The A n ti-D e a th League i s A m is's most s u b s t a n t i a l and most
i n n o v a t i v e n o v e l s in c e Take A G i r l Like You. I t i s a ls o
h i s b l a c k e s t n o v e l. Anthony B u rg e ss, l a b e l l i n g i t "a
masque o f u l t i m a t e b i t t e r n e s s " a g a i n s t God, o b s e rv e s t h a t
th e n o v e l complements A m is's e a r l i e r works i n i t s w arning
a g a i n s t " g r a p p lin g too h a rd w ith l i f e : s t a y a t home o r
y o u ' l l g e t h u r t . " B e rn a rd B e rg o n z i, n o tin g t h a t " i t
r e p r e s e n t s A m is's im m ersion i n th e n ig h tm a re t h a t f l i c k e r s
a t th e edg es o f h i s e a r l i e r f i c t i o n , " c a l l s th e n o v e l "a
work o f im p re s s iv e s e r i o u s n e s s [which] marks a c r u c i a l
101
g
p o in t In Am is's developm ent." And c e rta in ly ., in s t r u c t u r e
and c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n , the novel i s a new d e p a rtu re f o r
Amis, as he works tow ards a b lend o f th e h o r r i f i c , the
p i t i f u l and the funny to p a i n t a f r i g h t e n i n g l y grim p i c t u r e
o f a w orld in which " 't h i n g s a re going wrong f o r p eople a l l
the time i n . . . devious and com plicated and u n l ik e l y
w ays'" (p. 2 8 3). The f e a r and the dehum anization o f l i f e ,
the sense o f imminent c a l a m i t y - - a l l o f t h i s i s , in f a c t ,
re m in is c e n t o f George O r w e ll's 1984.
In The A n ti-D eath League, Amis f u l l y sh a re s the d i s
illu s io n m e n t and d i s g u s t to which The Waste Land gave ex
p r e s s i o n . Like a p rose v e rs io n o f E l i o t ' s poem, Am is's
novel p i c t u r e s a world in which love and r e l i g i o n have b e
come d i s t o r t e d and v u lg a riz e d . As Moti Naidu comments:
"I owe so much o f what I am to your c o u n try t h a t i t i l l
becomes me even to seem to c r i t i c i z e . But t h i s i s a
r e v e r s io n to the p r i m i t i v e , my d e a r Max. P ro g re ss
should a t l e a s t b rin g i t abou t t h a t one manages n o t to
f a l l back to the f i r s t n o t io n s ." (p. 1 9l)
Caught i n a web o f vague s u p e r s t i t i o n s and f e a r s , many o f
the c h a r a c t e r s a re becoming u n th in k in g sa v a g e s--a b u sin g
sex, n e g le c tin g t h e i r r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , and d e s tro y in g
them selves in th e p r o c e s s . Savagery i s everyw here, and
one o f the few " c i v i l i z e d , " d e ce n t p o i n ts o f view i s ex
p re s s e d by an In d ia n . Although Moti i s n o t e x a c tly the
v o ice o f th e a u th o r (as an In d ia n he i s o nly a minor c h a r
a c t e r w ith a t o t a l l y d i f f e r e n t r e l i g i o u s background), he
102
i s s i m i l a r to such c h a r a c t e r s as G o re-U rq u h art and Jean
Lewis b e ca u se he f u n c t i o n s a s th e m oral v o ic e i n th e n o v e l.
T hat i s 3 he sp e ak s t r u t h in c o n t r a s t to th e t r a g i c m is ta k e s
o f th e o t h e r c h a r a c t e r s , and n o t o n ly recommends r a t i o n
a l i t y and common s e n se , h u t a ls o t r i e s to prom ote f i d e l i t y ,
p ru d e n c e , p r o p r i e t y and c o n s c ie n c e . And y e t , a lth o u g h we
a re to condemn th e m ajor c h a r a c t e r s on m oral g ro u n d s, we
f e e l sympathy f o r them b e ca u se th e y a re p o w e rle s s to
change. They have l o s t c o n t r o l o f t h e i r l i v e s .
The p e r v e r s i o n o f love and s e x u a l i t y in A m is's n o v el
rem inds u s o f th e "A nti-S ex League" in 19 8 4 . In O r w e ll's
n o v e l, th e O uter P a r ty i s s u s p ic io u s o f th e s e x u a l i n
s t i n c t and in d e e d o f any ro m a n tic lo v e , e s p e c i a l l y between
husband and w if e . Any a tta c h m e n t o f one human b e in g to
a n o th e r w i l l weaken th e a tta c h m e n t to o r a f f e c t i o n f o r Big
B r o t h e r . Thus, th e P a rty seek s to remove a l l p l e a s u r e from
th e s e x u a l a c t , to d e s t r o y a l l f e e l i n g , to k i l l th e sex
i n s t i n c t o r a t b e s t d i s t o r t i t o r d i r t y i t . In A m is's
n o v e l, th e d i s t o r t i o n o f love i s p a r t i c u l a r l y d e m o n stra te d
in th e t h r e a t o f c o n ti n u a l war and in th e abuse o f sex. To
convey a sen se o f t h r e a t , The A n ti-D e a th League i s s t r u c
t u r e d on what a r e f e a r f u l l y sym bolic i m p l i c a t i o n s . As th e
c o n t r o l l i n g im age, f o r i n s t a n c e , th e shadow o f d e a th i s
in tr o d u c e d e a r l y i n th e n o v e l i n th e form o f an a i r p l a n e
shadow c o v e rin g th e p r i n c i p a l c h a r a c t e r s :
103
The sound o f the a i r c r a f t grew In volume s h a rp ly .
The c a t ran o f f towards a t r e e growing "beside the p a th .
J u s t when th e g i r l tu rn ed and looked a t the t a l l young
man i t was as i f the sun went o u t f o r an i n s t a n t . He
f lin c h e d and drew in h i s "breath alm ost w ith a c ry .
"God, d id you f e e l th a t? "
" I ' l l say I d id . I thought I ' d had a stro k e o r
so m eth ing ."
" I t was l i k e the p a ssin g o f the shadow o f d e a t h , "
s a id the t h i r d man. (p. 4)
Moreover, the grim prom ise o f a f u tu r e o f d e s t r u c t io n i s
sy m b o lic a lly su ggested when James C h u rc h ill contem plates
D4, an e l a b o r a t e l y secured b u ild in g which houses the s e c r e t
o f O peration A pollo. We a re to ld :
What he d i s l i k e d about th e b u ild in g to n ig h t was i t s
rem inders o f a world which had s t a r t e d to d isa p p e a r a l
most a s he was s t a r t i n g to walk and t a l k , b u t which he
knew about from w r itte n and o th e r r e c o r d s . Even t h i s ,
however, was l e s s unwelcome than the kind o f f u tu r e
th e s i g h t o f D4 seemed to prom ise. (p. 5 2 )
And f i n a l l y , as Lawrence G raver n o t e s ,^ The A nti-D eath
League i s b u i l t around an e la b o r a te m etaphor drawn from the
language o f p a th o lo g y , astronom y, b o tan y and therm onuclear
war. P a r t one o f the t h r e e - p a r t s t r u c t u r e i s e n t i t l e d
"The Edge o f A Node," a node being a l e t h a l grouping o f
e v e n ts , " 'a b i t o f l i f e i t ' s d e ath to e n t e r '" (p. 1 9 3)-
In t h i s p a r t i c u l a r case the node i s O p eratio n Apollo (named
a f t e r Apollo as th e god o f d is e a s e , th e send er o f p la g u e s ),
an e l a b o r a t e l y planned p r o j e c t designed to a n n i h i l a t e the
Red Chinese w ith a h o r r i b l e p lag u e . As the novel p r o
g r e s s e s , the m ajor c h a r a c te r s a re brou ght to the edge o r
dead c e n te r o f th e node.
104
In a d d i t i o n to th e i n c r e a s e i n h o s t i l i t y , s e x u a l u n
h a p p in e s s a ls o re a c h e s a new i n t e n s i t y i n t h i s n o v e l.
D ix o n 's romps w ith M argaret were f a r c i c a l and a t tim e s
r a t h e r sad . P a t r i c k ' s p u r s u i t s were d i s g u s t i n g and even
t r a g i c . M ic h e ld e n e 's e n c o u n te r s were l u d i c r o u s . In The
A n ti-D e a th L eague, however, sex i s f i l l e d w ith d an g er as
w e ll as w ith u n h a p p in e s s , and i s viewed a s a t r a p , a fo rc e
i n o p p o s i t i o n to the good l i f e . For exam ple, b e ca u se o f a
s e r i e s o f u n s u c c e s s f u l a f f a i r s and two d i s a s t r o u s m ar
r i a g e s f i l l e d w ith sadism and s e x u a l a b u se , C a th a r in e C ase
ment i s b ro u g h t to th e p o i n t t h a t she t h in k s I t m ight be
fun to be mad, f o r " th e r e was n o th in g a b o u t h e r l i f e t h a t
she l ik e d " (p. 15)- To h e r, sex h a s become dev o id o f
l o v e - - j u s t som ething you d id in b e d --a n d u n t i l she m eets
James C h u r c h il l she t h in k s she h as sto p p e d lo v in g p e o p le .
Lucy H a z e ll h as a ls o s u f f e r e d b e ca u se o f an u n f a i t h f u l h u s
band and an e x tre m e ly p o s s e s s i v e l o v e r , and i s now a p o l y -
a n d r i s t who p u r p o s e ly a v o id s any e m o tio n a l In v o lv em en t w ith
h e r men. She e x p l a i n s , " ' I f I s t a r t e d s le e p in g w ith e v e r y
body nobody c o u ld g e t enough o f me to s t a r t w antin g to have
a l l o f me and g e t t i n g c r o s s a b o u t n o t '" (p. 111).
In a d d i t i o n , Max H unter i s an a l c o h o l i c and t o t a l l y
u n ab ash ed hom osexual who jo in e d th e army e s p e c i a l l y to g e t
away from lo v e , o n ly to f a l l f o r P e a rc e " 'I n a more com
p l e t e l y d i s a s t r o u s f a s h io n th a n e v e r b e f o r e '" (p. 2 8 5 ).
105
To Hunter* " ' a l l em o tio n al a tta c h m e n ts a re bad. Get what
t h e r e I s to be g o t o u t o f somebody w ith o u t undue e f f o r t
and then p a s s on to th e n e x t. I t ' s b e t t e r f o r everyone
t h a t w ay'" (p. 7 8 ). And f i n a l ly * even James C h u r c h ill
f in d s th e r o u t i n e o f c h asin g women "oddly o u t o f touch w ith
what i t was supposed to be about" (p. 2 9)* and c o n clu d es:
"There must be l e s s love than t h e r e ought to be i n a
w orld where so many p e o p le went on b ein g n a s ty to and
bored by one a n o th e r . How many p e o p le had the good
n a tu r e to love everybody w ith o u t lo v in g somebody
f i r s t ? " (p. 1 6 7)
U n t i l he m eets C atharine* James f e e l s overwhelmed by human
f r a i l t y * so t h a t "only sad o r f r i g h t e n i n g t h in g s . . .
seemed to have th e power t h a t joy ought to have* and the
n e c e s s i t y f o r g e t t i n g through the o r d in a r y day sometimes
f e l t * l a t e a t n ig h t* as i f i t were d e tu n in g h i s h e a rt*
sc re e n in g and m u fflin g i t s c a p a c i t i e s " (p. 2 9 ).
C lo s e ly r e l a t e d to th e in v e r s io n o f love i s th e i n
v e rs io n o f r e l i g io n * a p p e a rin g th ro u g h the s u b s t i t u t i o n o f
b e l i e f i n a m a lic io u s God o r i n p a t t e r n s o f bad lu ck f o r
f a i t h in a b e n ev o len t* supreme b e in g . S tr ip p e d o f a l l
benevolence* th e god in A m is's n o v el "em erges" as a m a l i
c io u s jo k e r r e s p o n s i b l e f o r d e a th and m e a n in g le ss a c c i
d e n ts .
At one p o i n t in th e n o v e l D eering comments: "'N ev e r
t r u s t a p a rso n and you w o n 't go f a r wrong. Say one th in g
and do a n o th e r . P o l i t i c i a n s who h a v e n 't been a b le to make
106
th e g r a d e '" (p . 37)- We see t h i s i l l u s t r a t e d i n W i l l i e
A yscue, a d e s t r u c t i v e i n d i v i d u a l who j o i n e d th e ch u rc h
" 's o a s to he a h le to work a g a i n s t i t more d e s t r u c t i v e l y
from w i t h i n ' " (p. 2 6 9 ) . As th e army c h a p l a i n , W i l l i e r e
m ains o b l i v i o u s to a l l th e t r a d i t i o n a l c o n c e rn s o f a
p r i e s t - - d u t y , th e s t a t e o f a p e r s o n 's s o u l , s i n , G od's p u r
pose on e a r t h - - a n d f i n d s i t h a r d e r and h a r d e r "to ask th e
most i n n o c e n t , u n lo a d e d q u e s t io n w ith o u t s e t t i n g o f f th e
look i n th e eye t h a t s a i d , c o v e r t l y o r o v e r t l y , w h a t 's i t
to you?" (p. 1 3 l) - As a n o n - b e l i e v e r , W i l l i e view s C h r i s
t i a n i t y a s th e embodiment o f th e most v i c i o u s l i e s e v e r
t o l d : a system o f b e l i e f s w hich a r e no lo n g e r p o s s i b l e ,
" ' a c o n s p i r a c y to p r e t e n d t h a t God moves i n such a m y s t e r i
ous way t h a t a s k in g q u e s t i o n s a b o u t i t i s a w a ste o f tim e
and e v e r y t h i n g 's a l l r i g h t r e a l l y ' " (p. 2 6 9 ) . T h e r e f o r e ,
he d e c l a r e d p e r s o n a l war on i t : " 'T h a t was why I jo in e d
[th e c h u r c h ] - - s o a s to be a b le to work a g a i n s t i t more
d e s t r u c t i v e l y from w i t h i n ' " (p. 2 6 9 ) . M oreover, w ith no
i d e a how to d i s p e l th e "boredom, d e p r e s s io n and u n e a s i n e s s
w hich p e rv a d e d th e camp more and more" (p . 132 ) , W i l l i e i s ,
i n f a c t , " a f r a i d t h a t q u i t e soon he would no lo n g e r be
c a p a b le o f any a c t i o n " (p . 2 6 1) . Thus, he r e f u s e s to a d
m i n i s t e r l a s t r i t e s to th e dying c o u r i e r ( " ' I f I had any
r e a s o n to suppose t h a t th e boy b e l i e v e d i n God th e n I
w o u l d n 't have come a w a y '" [p. 33])* and i s u n a b le to o f f e r
107
any co m fo rt to C a th a r in e , James o r Max, b e l i e v i n g t h a t now
adays "a c h a t w ith a p a d re i s . . . viewed a s an in v a s io n
o f p r iv a c y " (p . 1 3 1) .
Many o f th e o t h e r c h a r a c t e r s i n th e n o v e l a ls o f a l l
i n t o a s t a t e o f h a ti n g God. W ith th e d e a th o f Fawkes and
w ith C a t h a r i n e 's i l l n e s s , f o r i n s t a n c e . Max f i n d s th e f r u s
t r a t i o n and v io le n c e u n e n d u ra b le , and f e e b l y c r i e s o u t in
p r o t e s t by w r i t i n g a poem a g a i n s t God ("To A Baby Born
W ithout L im bs"), by founding th e A n ti-D e a th League, and by
d e m o lish in g th e l o c a l p r i o r y - - a l l M,a way o f v o ic in g some
s o r t o f o b j e c t i o n . P lu s a b i t o f rev en g e thrown i n ' " (p.
2 8 5) . A lthough he r e a l i z e s h i s a c t i o n s a re i m p r a c t i c a l ,
i l l o g i c a l and u s e l e s s , he e x p la in s : "'You j u s t c a n ' t l e t
t h in g s l i k e t h i s go s l i d i n g p a s t w ith o u t any k in d o f r e
mark, a s i f nobody n o t ic e d o r c a r e d . I t w o n 't d o '" (p.
285) •
James C h u r c h il l a ls o wonders what a p e rs o n "'w ould
have to be l i k e to w o rsh ip som ething t h a t in v e n te d e v ery
bad th in g we know o r can i m a g in e '" (p. 2 2 8 ), and becomes
ang ry " ' a t th e way good t h in g s a r e v u ln e r a b le to bad
t h i n g s , b u t bad t h in g s a r e n ’t v u ln e r a b le to g o o d '" (p. 1 9 2).
Using M ax's a lc o h o lis m , th e d e a th s o f th e c o u r i e r and
Fawkes, and C a t h a r i n e 's c a n c e r a s e v id e n c e , James i s co n
v in c e d t h a t th e w orld i s b a d , and c o n c lu d e s :
108
" I f p eo p le could see what t h e i r r e a l enemy was, they
might s t a r t behaving d i f f e r e n t l y . They might be n i c e r
to one a n o th e r . A l o t n i c e r . There w o u ld n 't be any
r e l i g i o n to g iv e them excuses f o r o p p re ssio n and i n
to le r a n c e and p r id e and n o t h e lp in g ." (p. 2 2 9 )
At a time when C a th a rin e needs com fort and lo v e, James b e
comes I n a c t i v e from f e a r o f d e a th .
L iving w ith a sense o f impending d i s a s t e r and d e s p a ir
over a w orld w ith no a p p a re n t meaning, the m ajor c h a r a c te r s
in The A n ti-D eath League a re a tte m p tin g to a s s e r t them
s e lv e s a g a i n s t overwhelming odds, o f te n w ith ab su rd r e
s u l t s . For i n a d d itio n to I t s p re o c c u p a tio n w ith f e a r and
e v i l and I t s e x p l i c i t r e l i g i o u s frame o f r e f e r e n c e , the
most e x tr a o r d in a r y q u a l i t y in The A n ti-D eath League i s t h a t
Amis i s a b le to ju x ta p o se p a in w ith la u g h te r and c r u e l t y
w ith te n d e r n e s s . That i s , th e a u th o r sees the u g ly i n
s a n i ty and th e joke o f the s i t u a t i o n a t th e same i n s t a n t ,
and f e e l s b o th the p a in and the l a u g h te r .
For example, Amis w i l l f r e q u e n tly g iv e us comedy
f i r s t , and then t r a p u s f o r having laughed a t what l a t e r
tu rn s o u t u g ly . E a rly in th e n o v e l, Dr. B est ap p ears
a b su rd ly fu n n y --a parody o f a p h y s ic ia n from a Lon Chaney
h o r r o r film , w ith h i s g ro te sq u e a s s i s t a n t s (Mann and
M ln sh u ll) and h i s two s t r a n g e ly c la d , se d u c tiv e g i r l s
whose o n ly f u n c tio n , a p p a r e n tly , i s to se rv e d rin k s to
B e s t 's v i s i t o r s . G ra d u ally , however, i t dawns on us t h a t
Dr. B e st i s n o t o n ly an absurd c h a r a c t e r , b u t a f r ig h te n in g
109
p o r t r a i t o f "a man a l l o f whose f e e l i n g s a r e m a le v o le n t"
(p . 2 6 l ) * " 'a l u n a t i c s e t on some p a r a n o i c form o f s e l f -
e x p r e s s i o n '" (p. 2 9 2 ) . As one who b e l i e v e s i n s a n i t y i s
c o n ta g io u s * h i s p r a c t i c e a t th e m e n ta l h o s p i t a l i s f r i g h t
e n in g a s he t r i e s to shock h i s p a t i e n t s i n t o m adness. He
t e l l s C a th a rin e * " ' I f you can f i n d t h a t some s i t u a t i o n o r
p e rs o n d i s t u r b s you o r f r i g h t e n s you* t h a t ' s a s ig n t h a t
you must move tow ard s i t o r them, n o t r e t r e a t ' " (p . 6 7 ).
Thus* he d ia g n o s e s b o th C a th a r in e and Max a s r e p r e s s e d
hom osexuals* t r i e s to ra p e Lucy, and a t t e m p t s to have
B r ia n L eonard com m itted.
We a l s o la u g h a t B r ia n Leonard* an in e x p e rie n c e d *
in c o m p e te n t s e c u r i t y o f f i c e r * a man born to f a l s e le a d s
who ta k e s h i s jo b much too s e r i o u s l y . M e tic u lo u s i n h i s
d u tie s * s o l e l y p r e o c c u p ie d w ith unm asking th e spy, B ria n
i s r i d i c u l o u s and comic w ith o u t i n t e n d i n g to b e - - a com bina
t i o n o f hero* maniac* pantomime f i g u r e and d e l i b e r a t e
a c to r* who we l a t e r d i s c o v e r i s th e s u b j e c t o f a c r u e l
hoax by Max and V e n a b le s . B r i a n 's s p i r i t i s p r a c t i c a l l y
d e s t r o y e d when he d i s c o v e r s n o t o n ly t h a t he has been made
a f o o l of* b u t t h a t he was h i r e d to b e g in w ith b e c a u se he
i s in c o m p e te n t and i n e x p e r ie n c e d .
In a d d itio n * Amis o f t e n s h i f t s a b r u p t l y from l a u g h t e r
to p a in i n o r d e r to i n t e n s i f y th e p a i n . Thus* a l i g h t
h e a r t e d m ee tin g w ith Max In th e h o s p i t a l i s fo llo w e d by a
110
r a t h e r d is c o n c e r tin g m eeting between C a th a rin e and Dr.
B e st, d u rin g which we le a r n more about C a t h a r i n e 's r e c e n t
f l i g h t from madness. A nother tim e , d u rin g th e t e s t i n g o f
an atom ic r i f l e , news o f C a t h a r i n e 's c a n c e r and o f B r i a n 's
e x a s p e r a tin g se arc h f o r a spy i s ju x ta p o se d w ith B e s t 's
h ig h ly comic h id e - a n d - s e e k game and w ith R o ss-D o naldso n' s
n o n c h a la n t game o f p iq u e t w ith champagne. R oss-D o n ald so n ' s
i n s e n s i t i v i t y to th e p a in o f o t h e r s becomes a b su rd .
And f i n a l l y , some o f th e c h a r a c t e r s t r y to lau g h to
gain c o n tr o l o v e r the p a in o f r e c o g n iz in g t h a t i n s a n i t y
su rro u n d s them. In th e e a r l y n o v e ls , such a s Lucky Jim o r
That U n c e rta in F e e li n g , l a u g h t e r was a s u c c e s s f u l way of
coping w ith s p e c i f i c c u l t u r a l and s o c i a l i n j u s t i c e s . In
The A n ti-D ea th League, however, comedy no lo n g e r succeeds
as a t h e r a p e u t i c r e l e a s e - - i t o n ly i n t e n s i f i e s th e p a in .
Thus, a f t e r le a d in g B rian onto a madcap chase a f t e r Dr.
B e st, Max d is c o v e rs " i t h a d n 't been as much fun as [he]
tho ugh t i t would be" (p. 2 5 9 )-
H y s te r ia , d e p re s s io n , b o re d o m --th e se a re th e moods
f e l t in th e army camp, b esp eak in g a m a la ise and lo s s o f
hope from which n e i t h e r sex, r e l i g i o n n o r d r in k o f f e r s a
perm anent e sca p e. A lthough we condemn and laugh a t the
c h a r a c t e r s , we f e e l a deep inv olvem ent w ith them because we
see th e s u f f e r i n g throu gh th e s u f f e r e r s ' s e y e s. We are
made to f e a r f o r them and to p i t y them, r a t h e r than d e t e s t
I l l
them and r e j o i c e In t h e i r m is e r y . And, as w ith Roger
M ic h eld en e , we f e e l sympathy f o r th e c h a r a c t e r s i n The
A n ti-D e a th League b e c a u se we see them a s th e y a re c u t o f f
s t e p by s t e p from o t h e r p e o p le . They a re l e f t t e r r i b l y
a lo n e , and i n th e p r o c e s s o f v a i n l y t r y i n g to r e g a i n c o n
t r o l o f t h e i r l i v e s , a c t i r r e s p o n s i b l y and im m o ra lly .
The a tm o s p h e re , th e c h a r a c t e r i z a t i o n s , and th e v i o
le n c e o f The A n ti-D e a th League r e f l e c t th e d e s p a i r o f th e
army c am p 's o c c u p a n ts and in d e e d th e to n e o f th e e n t i r e
n o v e l. I t i s a camp o f f o o l s and madmen p e rv a d e d by an
atm o sp h e re o f u n e a s i n e s s and f r i g h t , a t tim e s b o r d e r i n g on
h y s t e r i a . In h i s n e x t n o v e l - - ! Want I t Now--Am is l e a v e s
th e spy s t o r y to c o n c e rn h i m s e l f w ith th e h o llo w l i v e s and
empty r e l a t i o n s h i p s o f th e r i c h . In th e h e r o i n e , e s p e
c i a l l y , we a r e p r e s e n t e d w ith a l i f e a b s e n t o f any r e a l l y
human o r humane c o n t a c t s .
As an e x p r e s s io n o f th e sa d , n e g a t i v e a s p e c t s o f s e x ,
I Want I t Now i s im p o r ta n t to th e develo p m en t o f A m is's
f i c t i o n . I t i s a l s o im p o r t a n t , how ever, as a p e n e t r a t i n g
lo o k a t th e c r u e l t i e s o f " B a l d o c k r y " - - t h a t s p e c i e s o f th e
r i c h c h a r a c t e r i z e d by a rro g a n c e and u n c o n s c io n a b le e x p l o i
t a t i o n o f pow er. The m ajo r movement o f th e n o v e l I s tow ard
R onnie A p p le y a r d 's d i s c o v e r y t h a t he lo v e s Simon B a ld o ck .
A lth o u g h we f i r s t see Ronnie a s a c r u e l o p p o r t u n i s t , a d
m i t t e d l y s e e k in g "fame and money, w ith a g i a n t ' s h e lp i n g
112
o f sex thrown i n , " ^ because o f h i s growing r e v u ls io n
toward th e w e alth y and h i s s im u lta n e o u s ly growing concern
f o r Simon, he su cceeds i n changing h i m s e l f . He e x p la in s to
h e r : " ' I was a s h i t when I met you. I s t i l l am in l o t s o f
ways. But b e cau se o f you I ' v e had to g iv e up tr y in g to be
a d e d ic a te d , f u l l - t i m e s h i t ' " (p. 254). With t h i s in mind,
says Anthony B u rg e ss, I Want I t Now b r i n g s A m is's e a r l i e r
works i n t o fo c u s , f o r "we see t h a t Jim Dixon was n o t m erely
tr y i n g to s t i l l c a n t b u t s t r i v i n g tow ards the good l i f e .
11
At l e a s t he was tryin g to change th in g s."
W ith more o p p o r t u n i t i e s than most o f u s f o r behaving
b a d ly , says Ronnie, th e r i c h " 'c a n a f f o r d to abandon
re a s o n , j u s t i c e and good manners whenever [th e y ] f e e l l i k e
i t ' " (p. 235). We see t h i s i l l u s t r a t e d in Lady B aldock,
a r u t h l e s s e g o i s t , " 'a fem ale d in o s a u r o f h a tr e d and s e l f -
w i l l ' " (p. 2 1 5 ) who c r u e l l y m a n ip u la te s h e r d a u g h t e r 's
se x u a l l i f e from a d e s i r e f o r power and a d m ir a tio n . Her
a p p e a ra n c e , l i k e h e r p re te n d e d hum anity, i s a r t i f i c i a l :
"B lu e -v e in e d p a l l o r and b l a c k b ir d h a i r i n ascen d in g c o i l s ,
each th e p ro d u c t o f m aintenance com putable i n term s o f n o t
a few d o l l a r s p e r square in ch p e r week" (p. 55)* Both
Lady B aldock and h e r husband n e g le c t t h e i r r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s
to Simon by engaging Ronnie to g iv e h e r a good tim e, " 'i n
bed and anywhere e l s e you l i k e ' " (p. 9 4 ). As Lord Baldock
t e l l s R onnie, " ' I want young Simon to be happy. I f you
113
can manage t h a t f o r the n e x t week o r so I '1 1 be very
g r a t e f u l to y o u 1" (p. 95)- Although envious o f the l i f e
o f th e very r i c h , Ronnie soon sees Lady B a ld o c k 1s moral
la x n e ss and c r u e l t y as a counter-w ave to the w onderful
prom ises o f l i f e w ith b e in g r i c h .
At the c e n te r o f the novel i s Sim on's t r a g i c v i c t i m i
z a tio n . Although a t f i r s t viewed as "an u n s ta b le c h i l d -
m onster o f egotism s im u lta n e o u s ly s u f f e r in g from sexual
com pulsiveness and f r i g i d i t y " (p. 4 7 ), Ronnie soon b e g in s
to a p p r e c ia te h e r as a s e n s i t i v e , g e n tle i n d iv i d u a l o f good
i n s t i n c t s who hungers f o r " 'c o n tin u in g k in d n ess and sympa
thy and a f f e c t i o n '" (p. 1 3 2), and y e t , because o f e v e ry
th in g t h a t has been done to h e r, d i s t r u s t s sex. She says,
" I t would be so much e a s i e r a l l around i f you could j u s t
g e t your sex done on your own and then have a lo v e ly
tim e t a l k i n g to p eople and b eing a f f e c t i o n a t e w ith
them? Like e a tin g ? T h a t 's n o t a th in g you have to do
to someone." (p. 139)
Much l i k e C a th a rin e Casement, Sim on's mind has been wrecked
by a s e r i e s o f t r a g i c se x u al e x p e rie n c e s . Since she was
fo u r te e n , Simon has s l e p t around w ith men because she
wanted so m eo n e--"' someone to be w ith me. You know, a man
o f my own'" (p. 116). In Ronnie she f in d s a n ic e man a l l
to h e r s e l f , and a chance to lead a norm al, j o y f u l, good
l i f e l i k e o t h e r women, enjo y in g sex and b eing happy.
One F at Englishm an, The A n ti-D eath League, and I Want
I t Now a re c r u c i a l to A m is's develo ping pessim ism , f o r they
114
r e f l e c t the a b s u r d it ie s and c r u e l t i e s o f modern l i f e . In
th e se n o v e ls , Am is's b le a k o u tlo o k has become the norm; he
no lo n g e r s u g g e s ts darkness In a world o f la u g h te r , but
now o c c a s io n a l la u g h te r In a world o f darkn ess. The comedy
i s s u b t le r now, and l i k e se x , shows up the b a se n e ss o f the
i n d i v i d u a l .
A ll th ree n o v e ls d i f f e r s i g n i f i c a n t l y from Take A
G ir l Like You. To begin w ith , they are marked by a g r e a te r
range o f s i t u a t i o n s and by la r g e r s o c i a l and moral im p lic a
t i o n s . The A n ti-D eath League, fo r example, r e p r e s e n t s an
expanded v e r s io n o f P a tr ic k S t a n d is h 's o b s e s s io n w ith
d eath . The n o v e l i s not o n ly about a t t i t u d e s to death , but
a ls o about the t e c h n o lo g ie s o f a d m in iste r in g i t , o f p r e
v e n tin g o t h e r s from a d m in ister in g i t , and o f h e a lin g the
human mind th a t has been sic k e n e d by i t . One Pat E n g lis h
man and I Want I t Now a lso r e p r e s e n t v a r ia t i o n s in theme,
as Amis s t u d i e s the a w fu ln ess o f an E n g lish p u b lis h e r a t
la r g e in the U n ited S t a te s and the arrogance and c r u e l t i e s
o f the r i c h .
Furthermore, the l a t e r n o v e ls r e p r e s e n t a more complex
resp on se to a more complex aw aren ess. That i s , in a d d itio n
to a p r e o cc u p a tio n w ith death and a m a lev o len t God, sex i s
more b r u t a l - - e v e r y man fo r h im s e lf . U n lik e Jenny Bunn, who
i s s lo w ly exposed to the c r u e l t i e s o f s e x , most o f the
c h a r a c te r s in th e s e n o v e ls b eg in as v i c t i m s . Roger M ichel
dene, C atharine Casement, James C h u r c h ill, Simon B aldock,
115
and o th e r s , have already encountered many o f the c r u e l t i e s
o f modern l i f e and have already embarked on courses o f
s e l f - d e s t r u c t i o n before the n o v e ls begin. Amis i s con
cerned, th e r e fo r e , not only w ith ex p lain in g why they act
as they do, but a lso w ith dram atizing t h e ir attem pts to
a ffirm them selves. And in The Anti-Death League e s p e c ia lly ,
the odds a g a in st which the characters f ig h t are much
g r e a te r than those in Take A G irl hike You. T his, too,
c o n tr ib u te s to the p e s s im is t ic view o f l i f e .
And f i n a l l y , although Amis's ch a ra cters o fte n behave
immorally, Amis p a r a d o x ic a lly en gin eers our sympathies by
showing them in h o p eless s i t u a t i o n s , unable to change.
O cc a sio n a lly , someone succeeds--Jam es and Catharine and
Ronnie and Simon end up to g eth er . As Amis comments,
I suppose i t ' s a rath er sen tim en tal f e e l in g , i f you
l i k e . Among a l l the d i s a s t e r s th a t have taken p lace
and a l l the people th a t have been d isa p p o in ted , these
two have a t any r a te got each o th e r , which i s some
s o r t o f c o n so la tio n . A lso, i f you l i k e , the id ea th at
one c a n 't be happy on o n e 's own, you can on ly be happy
w ith another person, and so I suppose in a sense I am
saying th a t by these endings. (In terview )
116
FOOTNOTES
^ " K in g s le y A m is ," London M agazine, J a n u a r y , 1964, p .
57.
p
"Amis and E n e m ie s," The L i s t e n e r , O c to b e r 10, 1968,
p . 474.
^ " K i n g s l e y 's H e r o e s ," The S p e c t a t o r , November 10, 1968,
P . 709.
4 /
K in g s le y Amis, One F a t E n glish m an (New Y ork: H a r c o u r t,
B ra ce and W orld, I n c ~ 1 9 6 4 ), p p . 8^ 142. A l l s u b s e q u e n t
c i t a t i o n s a r e from t h i s e d i t i o n .
^The R h e to r i c o f F i c t i o n (C hicago and London: The U n i
v e r s i t y o f C hicago P r e s s , 1 9 6 1 ) , p . 248.
6
K in g s le y Amis, The A n ti- D e a th League (New York: H ar
c o u r t , B ra c e and W orld, I n c ., 1 9 6 6 ) , p7' 270. A l l s u b s e
q u e n t c i t a t i o n s a r e from t h i s e d i t i o n .
The Novel Now: A Guide to C ontem porary F i c t i o n (New
York: P e g a s u s , 1 9 6 7 )j p7 143•
Q
The S i t u a t i o n o f th e N ovel ( P i t t s b u r g h : U n i v e r s i t y o f
P i t t s b u r g h P r e s s , 1 9 7 0 ), p . 174.
^"The C u rio u s T heolo gy o f K in g s le y A m is ," New R e p u b li c ,
A ugust 13, 1966, p . 26.
■ ^ K in g sley Amis, I Want I t Now (New Y ork: H a r c o u r t,
B ra c e and W orld, I n c ~ 1969)* P ■ 14. A l l su b s e q u e n t c i t a
t i o n s a r e from t h i s e d i t i o n .
" ^ B u rg e s s , p . 474.
CHAPTER V
A NIGHTMARE W ORLD
Early In The Green Man Maurice A llln g to n turns to
Matthew A rnold's "Dover Beach" as a grim, y e t r e a l i s t i c
account o f l i f e In g e n e r a l, and reads about "a darkling
p la in /S w ep t w ith confused alarms o f str u g g le and f l i g h t , /
Where ign oran t armies c la s h by n ig h t. In a d d itio n to
a c c u r a te ly r e f l e c t i n g M aurice's s t a t e o f mind a t th a t par
t i c u l a r moment, the poem a lso r e f l e c t s Am is's sense o f
contemporary England as a w asteland o f the s p i r i t (what
Arnold r e fe r r e d to as " th is strange d is e a s e o f modern
l i f e " ) - - a v is io n h in te d at in Lucky Jim , rev e a le d in Take
A G ir l Like You, more f u l l y exp ressed in The A nti-D eath
League, and now to be exp lored deeply in h is next three
n o v e ls . I t i s a world in which the a c tio n o f the n o v e l s - -
c h a r a c te r s throwing away t h e i r l i v e s , debased sexu al en
c o u n ters, and d e str u c tio n o f the moral s e l f - - r e f l e c t s a
t r a g ic v is i o n o f f u t i l i t y and s t e r i l i t y , a world in which
such t r a d i t i o n a l c e r t a i n t i e s as lo v e , f a i t h and the capac
i t y fo r r eg e n e ra tio n have become remote and i n a c c e s s i b l e .
As a r e s u l t , many o f the c h a r a c te r s f e e l , as does Irvin g
Macher in One Pat Englishman, th a t "'Human l i f e i s so
117
118
h o r r i b l e , . . . the only th in g to do i s do what you want.
Any means a re j u s t i f i a b l e f o r g e t t i n g what you want, up to
and in c lu d in g m u rder'" (p. 47).
In The Green Man, G i r l , 20, and The R iv e rs id e V i l la s
Murder, Amis f u l l y develops h i s sense o f the h o r r o r o f
contem porary l i f e as he engages some o f the most In te n s e
m oral problems o f h i s c a r e e r . In c o n t r a s t to h i s e a r l i e r
f i c t i o n , A m is's c h a r a c te r s now l i v e in a nightm are world
i n which c h il d se d u c tio n i s the u l ti m a t e crim e. In each
novel th e re i s d i s c e r n i b l e a d e f i n i t e commitment to what
happens w ith in a s e le c te d c o n sc io u sn e ss as i t moves, o r r e
f u s e s to move, o r moves too l a t e , toward se lf-k n o w le d g e.
The Green Man c o ncerns, t h e r e f o r e , M a u ric e 's d is c o v e r ie s
about the t e r r o r s o f h i s in n e r s e l f , d e ath and God; G i r l ,
20 engages the problem o f moral commitment and the d eath o f
the moral co n scien ce; and The R iv e rs id e V i l l a s Murder i s an
a r c h e ty p a l s to r y about an i n i t i a t i o n i n t o e v i l .
Ever sin c e Lucky Jim , A m is's c h a r a c t e r s have o c c a s io n
a l l y e x p erien c ed the t e r r o r o f th e i r r a t i o n a l and the u n
known. At work in h i s e a r l y n o v e ls , e s p e c i a l l y , i s t h a t
o p p re s s iv e f e e l in g o f u n s p e c if ie d t e r r o r o v e r something
t h a t i s th e r e . F re q u e n tly , in f a c t , th e t e r r o r f e l t by the
c h a r a c t e r s i s t h e i r i n a b i l i t y to p e rc e iv e what h a u n ts them.
At such moments the c h a r a c t e r f e e l s naked, unaccommodated
and a lo n e , fa c in g m y sterio u s demonic f o rc e s in h i s own
119
nature and o u t s id e , as w e ll as the ir r e d u c ib le f a c t s o f
s u ff e r in g and death. Thus, John Lewis i s a fr a id o f being
alone in the dark, and f e e l s some g r e a t but nam eless fe a r
in h i s run to the sea; Jenny Bunn i s f e a r f u l "that some
th in g was a f t e r h er, something nasty" (p. 191); and
P a trick Standish i s fr ig h te n e d by the p o s s ib le th r e a t o f
im potence, cancer and even death. Furthermore, w ith the
appearance o f The A nti-D eath League, the c h a r a c t e r s 's
f e a r s are not on ly more c l e a r l y d e fin e d , but a ls o a t a more
in te n s e l e v e l . James C h u r c h ill, for in s ta n c e , fin d s him
s e l f s e a le d in to "an autonomous s e l f - s e a l i n g pocket o f fea r
and h e lp le s s n e s s " (p. 221) as he t r i e s to cope w ith the
im p lic a t io n s o f C a th a rin e 's i l l n e s s , and Catharine f l i r t s
w ith madness a f t e r two f r i g h t f u l l y tr a g ic m arriages.
In order to cope w ith t h e i r fe a r s and moral dilemmas,
a l l o f the c h a r a cter s engage in s e l f - d e n i a l to some degree.
John Lewis, fo r example, r e t r e a t s to a h ig h ly comic s e c r e t
l i f e o f p r o t e s t and r o le - p la y in g ; Jenny Bunn abandons her
B ib le id e a s in an attem pt to adapt to P a t r ic k 's world o f
p le a su re; P a trick Stan d ish in d u lg e s in se x , drink and v i
o le n t pranks; and Catharine c o n sid e r s i n s a n i t y a p o s s ib le
s o lu t io n to her problem s. James C h u r ch ill, Max Hunter and
W illie Ayscue, on the o th er hand, v a in ly tr y to cope w ith
the u n fo r g iv a b le c r u e l t i e s o f e x is t e n c e through v io le n c e ,
sym bolic g e s tu r e , or in d u lg en ce .
120
I t I s In The Green Man, however, t h a t a l l o f r e a l i t y
becomes f e a r f u l , and I t i s i n Maurice A llin g to n t h a t we see
th e a n t i - s e l f a t i t s most i n te n s e l e v e l . As the most o b
se ss e d and most s e l f - d e s t r u c t i v e o f any o f A m is's c h a r a c
t e r s th u s f a r , Maurice slow ly comes to re c o g n iz e t h a t what
t e r r o r i z e s him a c t u a l l y h a s i t s o r i g i n in h im s e lf . That
i s , were M aurice n o t th e man he i s shown to b e - - a man who
p u ts " ’h i s p le a s u r e b e fo r e e v e ry th in g e l s e , b e fo re o t h e r
p e o p l e 's h a p p in e s s '" (p. 7 8 ) - - U n d e r h i l l ' s g h o st would
n e v er have pick ed on him.
Amis's dram atization o f the dead in c o n fro n ta tio n w ith
the l iv in g I s rem in iscen t o f some o f the works o f M . G.
Lewis, Edgar A llan Poe and Walter de la Mare. In The Monk
(1795)3 for in s ta n c e , Lewis t r e a t s the supernatural e v i l
as one who b e l ie v e s in i t . His t a l e s h o r r if ie d h is read
ers because he persuaded them th a t what they had b e lie v e d
were merely s u p e r s t it io u s fe a r s about the d e v il and the
p r a c tic e o f magic had a r e a l b a s is in f a c t - - t h a t man was
surrounded by e v i l supernatural p resen ces and might a t any
moment be engulfed by them. In The Green Man, although
Maurice at f i r s t q u e stio n s h is own s a n ity , the supernatural
occurrences are r e a l , not imagined. Amis l o g i c a l l y u ses
U n d e r h ill's gh ost to p e r so n ify the l a t e n t e v i l o f the world
that fin d s i t s hid in g p lace w ith in the l i v i n g . A ll o f the
supernatural m achinery--the stoppage o f time and motion,
I
121
t h e g h o s t l y v i s i t o r s , th e v i s i o n s o f b i r d s and o r g i e s , th e
r i t e o f e x o r c is m — s u c c e e d s i n s h o c k in g and r e v o l t i n g th e
r e a d e r and i n making e x t e r n a l th e i n n e r t e r r o r s and r e v e l a
t i o n s o f M a u rice.
M oreover, l i k e Poe and de l a Mare ( i n The R e tu r n ,
1 9 1 0 ), Amis d e m o n s tr a te s t h a t i t i s o f t e n more t e r r i f y i n g
to e m p h asize th e m e n ta l agony t h a t a cco m p an ies th e h o r r o r
th a n i t i s to c o n c e n t r a t e s o l e l y on d e s c r i b i n g th e o b j e c t
o f th e h o r r o r . As an a r c h e t y p a l f i g u r e , M aurice i s l i v i n g
i n a s p i r i t u a l v o id -w ithout any p o s i t i v e o r s p i r i t u a l v a l
u e s to w hich he can t u r n . R e l i g i o n i s i n a c c e s s i b l e - -
n o th in g more th a n a h i p game. The p r o s p e c t o f d e a th i s a
n a g g in g m y s te r y . L if e i s p a i n f u l , f i l l e d w ith a n x i e t y ,
g u i l t and f e a r o f th e unknown, and f o r M aurice t h e q u e s
t i o n s o f u l t i m a t e j u s t i c e and human d e s t i n y seem s u d d e n ly
t o have b een j a r r e d lo o s e from any r e l i g i o u s o r p h i l o s o p h i c
c e r t a i n t i e s . As M ilto n w ro te i n P a r a d i s e L o s t , "The mind
i s i t s own p l a c e , and i n i t s e l f / C a n make a h e a v 'n o f h e l l ,
a h e l l of heav'n."^ As M a rlo w e 's D e v il t e l l s D o c to r
F a u s t u s , " H e ll h a s no l i m i t s . . . / . . . f o r w here we a r e
i s h e l l , / A n d w here h e l l i s t h e r e m ust we e v e r b e . " ^ As a
v i c t i m o f f u r t i v e w o rry , u n n e c e s s a r y and u n a v o id a b le q u e s
t i o n i n g and g u i l t , th e o n ly c e r t a i n t y M aurice h a s i s t h a t
a s he g e t s o l d e r , c o n s c i o u s n e s s becom es more p a i n f u l .
S p e c i f i c a l l y , M aurice i s t e r r i b l y a lo n e b e c a u s e he i s
122
u n a b le to g e t along w e ll w ith p e o p le and can n o t communicate
w ith o t h e r s . He does n o t u n d e r s ta n d h i s d a u g h te r , Amy, o r
h i s f a t h e r ; he f e e l s l i t t l e a f f e c t i o n f o r Jo y ce, h i s w ife ;
and he i s o f t e n h a u n te d by g u i l t y memories o f h i s f i r s t
w i f e :
The sm a ll b u t perm anent d e s p a i r , and th e i l l o g i c a l f e e l
ing o f d re a d , t h a t come from h a v in g sp e n t so many y e a r s
w ith a dead woman, t a l k e d , met p e o p le , gone to p l a c e s ,
e a t e n , drunk w ith h e r , most o f a l l (o f c o u rse ) made
love to h e r, and had c h i l d r e n by h e r . Even now I woke
up t h r e e o r fo u r m ornings a week assum ing t h a t M argaret
was s t i l l a l i v e . (p. 117)
The p a s s in g o f M a u r ic e 's f a t h e r o n ly r e i n f o r c e s h i s l o n e
l i n e s s , f o r a f t e r in fo rm in g David Palm er and Nick A ld in g to n
a b o u t th e d e a th , M aurice r e a l i z e s "w ith a shock t h a t th e r e
was nobody e l s e to in fo rm " (p . 4 2 ).
Once th e g h o s t l y a p p e a ra n c e s b e g in , Amis u s e s ir o n y
to f u r t h e r em phasize M a u r ic e 's i s o l a t i o n . As th e f i r s t
p e rs o n n a r r a t o r , M aurice d e m o n s tra te s an u t t e r la c k o f p r e
t e n s e . At tim e s , i n f a c t , The Green Man i s l i k e a d i a r y - -
a r e c o r d o f s e lf - e x a m i n a t i o n i n which the c e n t e r o f concern
i s M a u ric e 's i n n e r l i f e . From th e b e g in n in g o f th e n o v el
M aurice ta k e s u s i n t o h i s c o n fid e n c e and b a r e s h i s s o u l,
and th e i r o n i c c o n t r a s t betw een th e t r u t h o f h i s p e r c e p
t i o n s ( a l l "confirm ed" by h i s f a t h e r , Diana and Amy, a s
w e ll a s a number o f im p o r ta n t c lu e s ) and th e d i s b e l i e f and
s k e p tic is m o f th o se around him i n c r e a s e th e sympathy we
f e e l f o r him. As M aurice say s a t one p o i n t ,
123
I did not know anybody w e ll enough, I could not imagine
anybody knowing anybody w e ll enough., to be able to t e l l
him or her a t a le l ik e t h i s . . . . I was going to have
to d eal w ith t h i s m yself, w ithout any c le a r idea o f
what t h i s was or what d ea lin g w ith i t would e n t a i l .
Thought was going to be necessary: that much could be
glim psed. (p. 107)
As Maurice b egin s to understand U n d e r h ill's m otives, the
advice o f h is fr ie n d s becomes even more remote. To Doctor
Maybury, Maurice i s s u ffe r in g only from the e f f e c t s o f
a lc o h o l and s t r e s s . In Lucy's op in io n , he i s exp erien cin g
h a llu c in a t io n s . Joyce, on the oth er hand, thin ks " 'g h o sts
are a l l b a l l s . There c a n 't be any such th in g s'" (p. 6 7 ).
Amis a lso u s e s s a t i r e to mock the obtu seness o f Rev.
Tom Rodney Sonnenschein. As a w orld ly, flip p a n t r e c to r ,
Sonnenschein (whose name su g gests "Mr. Sunshine"--a homo
sexual) even shocks Maurice w ith h is contempt fo r such con
cep ts as e v o lu tio n , im m ortality of the so u l, God's purpose,
s in and m o ra lity . In b ehavior, o p in io n s and speech, Son
nenschein i s contrary to everyth ing we have come to exp ect
in a clergyman, and t h i s i s comic. His appearance, fo r
in s ta n c e , su g g ests i n s i n c e r i t y , w ith a "smooth, m iddle-aged-
boyish [fa ce ] th a t seem[ed] u n f i t t e d , even a t moments o f
warmth or concern ( i f any), to exp ress much more than a
mild petulance" (p. 1 7 8) . As he proceeds to mock and r i d i
cu le the church, Sonnenschein i s h im se lf made fun o f in
c e r ta in d e s c r ip t iv e p a ssa g e s. At one p o in t, fo r example,
he b egin s "sm iling hard and frowning hard and d i l a t in g h i s
124
n o s t r i l s and b lin k in g r a p id ly , one fo r each, perhaps, o f
h i s p i e c e s o f junk-room fu rn itu r e " (p. 1 7 9 ) • Another time
he g i v e s a "quick w r ig g le o f one hip and the o p p o site
shoulder" (p. 1 8 3 ) • When Maurice v i s i t s the " 'g h a s tly
l i t t l e d o g -c o lla r e d d rip '" (p . 1 8 6 ), Sonnenschein appears
d r e sse d in a "tu rq uoise t e e - s h i r t and s k i n - t i g h t black
denim tro u sers" (p. 2 3 5 ) . He sp ea k s, a t tim e s, "almost
l i k e a r e a l recto r" (p. 2 3 6 ) , but more o f t e n b e l i t t l e s h i s
p r o f e s s io n w ith such ph rases as "'two sm ashing-lookin g
d o l l i e s ' " ( r e f e r r in g to Diana and Joyce [p. 1 8 3 ] ) , and
" ' r e l i g i o u s mumbo-jumbo'" and "'a l o t o f b a l l s ' " ( r e f e r r i n g
to the r i t e o f exorcism [pp. 2 3 8 , 2 4 0 ]) . At the p a r is h ,
Maurice d is c o v e r s S o n n en sch ein 's cupboard i s f i l l e d w ith
in c e n s e , marijuana c i g a r e t t e s , g in and vermouth ("'What
would I be doing w ith a whole l o t o f h o ly water? You
d o n 't im agine I keep i t round the p la c e l i k e g in , do you?'"
[p. 2 4 0 ] ) , and th a t he seldom p rep ares sermons fo r Sunday
s e r v i c e s ("'You d o n 't im agine I ' d prepare sermons fo r a
bunch o f swedes l i k e I ' v e g o t h e r e , do you?'" [p. 246]).
And f i n a l l y , Sonnenschein i s e s p e c i a l l y made to appear
f o o l i s h when, d e s p it e h i s o p in io n s to the c o n tra ry , the
r i t e o f exorcism i r o n i c a l l y su cc ee d s in d e str o y in g Under
h i l l and h i s m onster.
In a d d itio n to a l l o f t h i s , Maurice i s a hypochondriac,
and t h i s a l s o c o n tr ib u t e s to h is u n h ap p in ess. So fa r he
has had "severe bouts" w ith H u n tin g to n 's chorea (r e v e r se d
125
by reducing h is consumption o f scotch )* cancer o f the la rg e
i n t e s t i n e (cured by a b sta in in g from plums* greengages and
two b o t t l e s o f c l a r e t a day and slow ing up on raw onions*
hot p ic k l e s and curry)* and a brain tumor (c le a r e d up w ith
a newer* str o n g e r reading lamp)* along w ith such obvious
p h y s ic a l s ig n s o f d e t e r io r a t io n as frequ en t ir r e g u la r
b e a tin g s o f the heart* e x c e s s iv e sweating* j a c t i t a t i o n s
a s s o c ia t e d w ith f e a r f u l hypnagogic h a llu c in a tio n s * and
sev ere la p s e s in memory. W e soon r e a l i z e th a t he r e a l l y
i s s ic k .
To c o u n te r h i s o b s e s s io n s and l o n e lin e s s * M aurice
v a i n l y se ek s peace o f mind by l o s in g h im s e lf in p o e tr y
(Mallarme* p a r t i c u l a r l y ) * s c u lp tu r e * h i s job* womanizing
and d r i n k . A f t e r d r in k in g a q u a r t o f s c o tc h d a i l y f o r
tw en ty y ears* f o r example* d r i n k h as become a soothing*
though tem porary* escape* o f f e r i n g " t h a t p r i s t i n e f r e s h
ness* t h a t s e m i-m y s tic a l e l e v a t i o n o f s p i r i t which* e v ery
time* seems d e s t in e d to l a s t f o r e v e r " (p. 57)- D rink
evokes a tem p orary escap e from th e r e a l w orld he l i v e s in*
such t h a t " l i f e and d e a th were n o t problem s* j u s t p o i n t s
a b o u t which a c e r t a i n r a t h e r l i m i t e d ty pe o f m is c o n c e p tio n
ten d e d to a g g l u t i n a t e " (p . 5 8 ) . Moreover* sex a ls o p r o
v id e s a tem porary escape* and becomes f o r M aurice a game
i n which he can f o r g e t h i m s e l f . E ja c u la tio n * he s a y s , " i s
a g r e a t a g e n t o f mind and mood" (p. 1 ^ 3 ). H is romps w ith
126
Diana Maybury and Joyce a r e , t h e r e f o r e , a tte m p ts to escape
from h im s e lf.
Like d r in k , however, sex i s only a tem porary escap e,
o f te n r e s u l t i n g In d e s p a ir and f e a r . His plan ned orgy
f a i l s , f o r Diana and Joyce a re more i n t e r e s t e d in each
o t h e r , and M a u rice 's two e n c o u n te rs w ith Diana culm inate in
t e r r o r . In the woods, f o r example, Maurice comes f e a r f u l l y
c lo s e to being a tta c k e d by the green man, and i s l a t e r
f i l l e d w ith remorse and g u i l t o v e r h is e n co u n ter w ith
Diana:
Throughout, my se x u al e l a t i o n kep t being o v e r l a id by
unsought memories o f what had happened in th e wood and
by n o tio n s t h a t in th in k in g about my f a t h e r as l i t t l e
as p o s s ib l e a l l day I had behaved b a d ly to him.
(p. 91)
Another tim e, a f t e r t h e i r lovemaking in th e ro a d , Diana
screams w ith f e a r when she s p o ts th e m onster w atching them.
She say s, "'It was . . . He was sta n d in g in th e m iddle o f
the ro a d , looking a t me. Oh God. G h astly . S ta rin g a t
m e'" (p. 17*0-
The dangers lu rk in g behind s e x u a l i t y a re a ls o p r e
se n ted s y m b o lic a lly i n a number o f "dream" sequences c r e
a te d by U n d e r h ill. In each, Images a t f i r s t ap p ear f a i r
and b e a u t i f u l , then what appeared f a i r i s seen to be l o a t h
some. Each tim e, the scenes o c cu r in a c a v e rn - -a t r a d i
t i o n a l m etaphor f o r the m y ste rio u s a n a rc h ic d e p th s o f the
mind i t s e l f . During one sequence, f o r i n s t a n c e , Maurice
127
e n v i s i o n s a gro u p o f naked women, " in m id -p e rfo rm a n ce o f
some s o r t o f slow , w r i t h i n g , v a g u e ly O r i e n t a l b a l l e t " (p.
2 2 l ) . He c o n ti n u e s :
T h e ir v o lu p tu o u s n e s s was e x tre m e , and a l s o t h e o r e t i c a l ,
l i k e th e f a n t a s y - d r a w in g s o f a p r u r i e n t b u t t a l e n t e d
sc h o o lb o y : enorm ous b r e a s t s , n i p p l e s t h a t i n p r o p o r
t i o n were even more enorm ous, t i n y w a i s t s , s p r e a d in g
h i p s and b u t t o c k s , s e x u a l o rg a n s d i s p l a c e d fo rw a rd s i n
to th e V o f th e c r o t c h , a s i n I n d ia n s c u l p t u r e ,
(p . 221)
G r a d u a lly , how ever, th e s u p r a - s e n s u a l sc e n e s a r e t r a n s
form ed i n t o an e x tr e m e ly d i s c o n c e r t i n g o rg y , " c a s t and d i
r e c t e d w ith a c r u d i t y " (p. 2 2 1 ). M aurice i s c o n f r o n t e d
w ith th e h o r r o r o f s t e n c h and d a r k n e s s , by a " p a i r o f r e d
e y e s , a p p a r e n t l y b e lo n g in g to some sm a ll c r e a t u r e l i k e a
snake o r a r a t " (p . 2 2 1 ), and " p a l l i d , g l i s t e n i n g c o i l s o f
fu n g u s t h a t c lu n g to th e w a l ls and r o o f o f ro c k " (p . 2 2 1 ).
A n o th e r p a i r o f r e d e y e s a p p e a r s , fo llo w e d by an e n c o u n te r
betw een a w h ite a d o l e s c e n t boy and two b l a c k g i r l s , a l l o f
w hich M aurice f i n d s even l e s s to h i s t a s t e s . E v e n t u a l l y
th e sc en e chan g es to r e v e a l th e g re e n man, accom panied by
" th e b e a t i n g o f many w ing s and a s h r i l l , cawing cla m o u r,
and th e sm e ll . . . o f an a v i a r y o r h e n -h o u s e , th oug h i n
t o l e r a b l y i n t e n s i f i e d " (p . 2 2 4 ).
To f u r t h e r em phasize M a u r ic e 's s e a r c h f o r e sc a p e from
h i s d i s g u s t i n g e a r th - b o u n d l i f e , Amis h a s s t r u c t u r e d The
Green Man aro u n d th e c o n v e n t i o n a l windowpane a s m e ta p h o r
f o r th e g r e a t d i v i d e - - a n i n v i s i b l e i n t e r m e d i a r y betw een th e
127
e n v is io n s a group o f naked women, "in m id-perform ance o f
some s o r t o f slow, w r i t h in g , vaguely O r ie n ta l b a l l e t " (p.
221). He c o n tin u e s :
T h e ir v o lu p tu o u sn ess was extrem e, and a ls o t h e o r e t i c a l ,
l i k e the fa n ta s y -d ra w in g s o f a p r u r i e n t b u t t a l e n t e d
schoolboy: enormous b r e a s t s , n ip p le s t h a t in p r o p o r
t i o n were even more enormous, t i n y w a i s t s , sp re ad in g
h ip s and b u tto c k s , se x u a l o rg an s d i s p l a c e d forw ards i n
to th e V o f the c r o t c h , as i n In d ia n s c u l p tu r e .
(p. 221)
G ra d u a lly , however, th e s u p r a - s e n s u a l scenes a re t r a n s
formed i n t o an ex tre m e ly d i s c o n c e r ti n g orgy, " c a s t and d i
r e c t e d w ith a c r u d ity " (p. 2 2 1 ). Maurice i s c o n fro n te d
w ith th e h o r r o r o f ste n c h and d a rk n e s s , by a " p a i r o f re d
e y es, a p p a r e n tly b e lo n g in g to some sm all c r e a t u r e l i k e a
snake o r a r a t " (p. 221), and " p a l l i d , g l i s t e n i n g c o i l s o f
fungus t h a t clung to th e w a lls and r o o f o f rock" (p. 221).
A nother p a i r o f r e d eyes a p p e a rs , follo w ed by an e n c o u n te r
betw een a w hite a d o le s c e n t boy and two b la c k g i r l s , a l l o f
which M aurice f i n d s even l e s s to h i s t a s t e s . E v e n tu a lly
the scene changes to r e v e a l th e g reen man, accompanied by
"th e b e a tin g o f many wings and a s h r i l l , cawing clam our,
and the sm ell . . . o f an a v ia r y o r h e n -h o u se, though i n
t o l e r a b l y i n t e n s i f i e d " (p . 224).
To f u r t h e r em phasize M a u ric e 's se a rc h f o r escape from
h i s d is g u s tin g e a rth -b o u n d l i f e , Amis has s t r u c t u r e d The
Green Man around th e c o n v e n tio n a l windowpane as m etaphor
f o r the g r e a t d i v i d e - - a n i n v i s i b l e in te r m e d ia r y between the
128
known, seen w o rld o f r e a l i t y and th e unknown* u n se en
" o th e r " w o rld o f th e s u p e r n a t u r a l . V a r i a t i o n s o f t h i s
t e c h n i q u e - - a means to g e t th ro u g h to th e " o th e r " w o r l d - -
a p p e a r i n numerous w orks. In Lewis C a r r o l l ' s Through th e
L o o k in g - G la s s , f o r i n s t a n c e , A lic e p a s s e s th ro u g h h e r m ir
r o r i n t o L o o k in g -G la ss Land. In C. S. L e w is 's The Voyage
o f th e "Dawn T r e a d e r , " Edmund and Lucy e n t e r N a rn ia th ro u g h
a bedroom p i c t u r e . And, th e window a s m etap h o r i s a l s o
u s e d i n S a k i 1s "The Open Window." A lthough n o t r e a l l y a
s u p e r n a t u r a l t a l e , th e s t o r y r e l a t e s Mr. N u t t e l ' s t e r r o r
when he lo o k s th ro u g h an open window and t h i n k s he i s
w i t n e s s i n g a r e t u r n from th e d ead .
In A m is's n o v e l, m ost o f th e s u p e r n a t u r a l a p p e a ra n c e s
o c c u r somewhere n e a r one o f th e windows i n th e Green Man--
e i t h e r d o w n s ta ir s i n th e d i n in g room, o r u p s t a i r s i n
M a u r ic e 's r e a d i n g room. And, w hereas th e " o th e r " w o rld i n
L e w is 's f i c t i o n i s f i l l e d w ith enchantm ent and b e a u ty , i n
The Green Man i t i s t e r r i f y i n g , and f i l l s M aurice w ith
d e s p a i r , a se n se o f l o s s and f e a r , and a h o r r i b l e a w a re n e ss
o f e v i l . In f a c t , th e t e r r o r i s r e f l e c t e d In U n d e r h i l l 's
fa c e a s he s t a n d s b e f o r e th e window w a tch in g h i s c r e a t i o n
and "beh av in g a s i f he w ere t e r r i f i e d o u t o f h i s w i t s " (p.
15)• L a t e r , M aurice u n d e r s t a n d s th e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f U n d er
h i l l ' s e x p r e s s io n when he v i s i t s th e p l a c e U n d e r h i l l h a s
been se en w a tc h in g , and s a y s ,
129
For a few more seconds I wondered I f I were r e a l l y about
to d ie , but soon a f t e r th a t I became c e r ta in th a t what
ever was going to happen was o u ts id e me. What i t might
b e, or where, I could n ot im agine. Something f r i g h t e n
in g , yeS] something m onstrous, so monstrous th a t the
mere f a c t o f i t , i t s coming to pass a t a l l , would be
harder to bear than i t s a c tu a l menace to me p e r s o n a lly ,
(p. 88)
The appearance o f U n d e rh ill as a doppelg&nger gh ost
in tr o d u ce s new elem ents in t o the framework o f the n o v e l.
Am is's use o f the double i s rem in iscen t o f P oe's s t o r i e s
o f dual p e r s o n a lit y , o f Oscar W ild e's The P ictu re o f Dorian
Grey, o f Joseph Conrad's The S e c re t Sharer, and o f Robert
Louis S te v en so n 's Dr. J e k y ll and Mr. Hyde, in which we see
walk fo r th in p h y s ic a l form the e v i l in J e k y l l ' s own na
tu r e , w ith a sep a ra te e x is t e n c e o f i t s own. In Am is's
n o v e l, the doppelg&nger g h o st r e v e a ls th a t e v i l i s r e a l
and th r e a te n in g --n o t j u s t o f the mind. I t i s a means by
which Amis can c r e d ib ly account fo r the fo r c e s th a t make
fo r M aurice's d e s t r u e t i o n - - a l l th a t a f f l i c t s , m y s t if ie s
and bears him down. Moreover, the g h o st shows us what
Maurice i s , what he ought to be ab le to r e a l i z e about h is
d e ep est natu re. Like Maurice, U n d e r h ill i s p a le and aging;
a t tim es he look s l i k e a man o f s c ie n c e , a t o th e r tim es
l i k e a man t e r r i f i e d out o f h i s w its ; he, too, i s a woman
i z e r and m anipulator o f people fo r h i s own p le a s u r e s ; and
he a lso has a p a le w ife w ith auburn h a ir . But there the
s i m i l a r i t i e s end, fo r although a lik e in appearance and
s im ila r in b eh a v io r, U n d e r h ill i s more wicked. U nlike the
130
v i l l a i n s in most o f A m is's e a r l i e r novels., U n d e rh ill i s not
a r i d i c u l o u s c h a r a c t e r , b u t r a t h e r a g e n u in e ly e v i l and
th re a te n in g i n d iv id u a l w ith no redeeming f e a t u r e s . There
i s no th in g comic about him. At one p o in t Maurice i d e n t i
f i e s U n d e rh ill and h i s m onster w ith the s i l v e r f ig u r e found
in the c o f f i n . With an e x p re ss io n o f " jo y f u l, greedy f e
r o c i t y " (p. 189), the f ig u r e i s "the most d is a g r e e a b le
work o f human hands" Maurice has ever seen (p. 1 8 9) . He
says,
[ I t ] seemed j u s t what U n d e rh ill would have chosen,
p ro b ab ly from a c o l l e c t i o n o f such images o f man's
b e a s t l i n e s s , to have b u rie d w ith him and to se rv e as
p ro o f o f h i s s u r v i v a l . (p. 189)
S i g n i f i c a n t l y , Maurice s p e c u la te s t h a t the f ig u r e was
s c u lp te d by the A z te c s - - a t r i b e n oted f o r human s a c r i
f i c e s . As an e v i l p a rso n and owner o f the Green Man Inn
in the se v e n te e n th c e n tu ry , U n d e r h ill raped young g i r l s ,
c re a te d obscene v i s i o n s , and murdered a l l h i s enemies w ith
the h e lp o f h i s m o n ste r--a n e v i l golem s i m il a r to the mon
s t e r i n Mary S h e l l e y 's F r a n k e n s te in . Maurice and h i s
d a u g h te r, Amy, e s p e c i a l l y , a re U n d e r h i l l 's l a t e s t in te n d e d
v i c t i m s .
Many o f the e a r l y d e s c r i p t i o n s o f the p arson and h i s
e v i l a c t i v i t i e s foreshadow what w i l l happen l a t e r on i n the
n o v e l. During th e r e c o g n itio n scene, f o r i n s t a n c e , Under
h i l l t u r n s to look a t M aurice, w ith th e fo llo w in g r e s u l t s :
131
In l e i s u r e l y f a s h io n , but w ith ou t d e la y , the head
turned and the e y e s met mine. They were dark-brown
e y e s w ith d e e p ly c rea sed l i d s , t h ic k lower l a s h e s ,
and arching brows. I a ls o saw a p a le , in d o o rs com
p le x io n s c a t t e r e d w ith broken v e in s to what seemed an
incongruous d egree, a broad foreh ead , a lo n g , skewed
n o se, and a mouth t h a t , in a n o th e r 's f a c e , I might have
c a l l e d humorous, w ith very c l e a r l y d e fin e d l i p s . Then,
o r r a th e r a t o n ce. Dr. U n d e r h ill r e c o g n iz e d me. Then
he sm iled . I t was the kind o f sm ile w ith which a b u lly
might g r e e t an i n f e r i o r person prepared to jo in w ith
him in the p e r s e c u tio n o f some h e l p l e s s t h ir d p a r ty .
I t a ls o h e ld a c e r t a i n menace, as i f any squeam ishness
in p e r s e c u tio n would r e s u l t in accom plice becoming v i c
tim . (p. 9*0
The p a ssa ge i s s i g n i f i c a n t because the p h y s ic a l d e s c r ip t io n
i s a key to U n d e r h il l ' s c h a r a c te r --h e loo k s s i n i s t e r . His
movements (tu rn in g "without delay") i n d ic a t e a purpose in
m ind--he has a d e f i n i t e reason fo r being t h e r e . And, a l
though Maurice does n ot im m ed iately understand the f u l l
i m p lic a t io n s o f U n d e r h il l ' s s m ile , the d e s c r ip t io n f o r e
shadows U n d e r h il l ' s (th e "bully") p u r s u it o f Maurice (th e
" in f e r io r person") and Amy (th e " h e lp le s s th ir d p a r ty " ),
a l l o f which c r e a t e s su sp en se and m ystery fo r the read er
and i n d i c a t e s the i n e v i t a b i l i t y o f e v e r y th in g th a t i s to
f o llo w .
F i n a l l y , U n d e r h il l ' s appearance a ls o p r o v id e s Maurice
w ith the o p p o rtu n ity to a ffir m and ennoble h im s e lf . For
d e s p it e doubts (he wonders i f he i s h a l l u c i n a t i n g ) , f e a r s ,
a d v ic e o f f r ie n d s (Lucy, Joyce and Nick tr y to d isco u ra g e
h im ), and a sen se o f g u i l t (o v er n e g l e c t in g h i s fa m ily ,
e s p e c i a l l y ) , Maurice p e r s i s t s in h i s i n v e s t i g a t i o n u n t i l
132
he d e str o y s U n d e rh ill and h is m onster--thereby proving to
h im se lf th a t the g h o sts are r e a l , and th a t he i s capable o f
a kind o f h e r o ic a c tio n in saving Amy.
At one p o in t in the n o v e l, Maurice says, "I had always
thought th a t p erso n al e x tin c t io n was the u ltim a te horror,
but having taken in those few dry h in t s about an a f t e r
l i f e , th at pronouncement that I would never escape from
him, I now knew b e tter " (p. 212). The passage i s impor
ta n t, fo r i t r e f l e c t s the disappointm ent and fe a r Maurice
f e e l s fo llo w in g God's v is it--d is a p p o in tm e n t fo*r God's
"coldness and h is lig h t n e s s ," and fea r because o f the
tru th s he le a r n s about God (p. 212). God has undergone a
transform ation sin ce The Anti-D eath League. Whereas b efore
God was c h a r a c te r iz e d as a m a lic io u s, m alevolen t b ein g , in
The Green Man he i s a w him sical, s l i g h t l y s i n i s t e r young
man.
A ll o f the t r a d it io n a l c e r t a i n t i e s about God are r e
vealed to be un tru e. He i s not om nipotent, he does not
have foreknowledge, and he i s not b e n ev o len t. In f a c t , h is
reason fo r v i s i t i n g Maurice i s not to p r o te c t him and h is
daughter from d e s tr u c tio n , but ra th er to avoid any u n n eces
sary s e c u r it y r is k . He says, " ' I f h e 's l e f t to h im se lf,
i t ' l l be j u s t th a t much more d i f f i c u l t to keep going the
gen era l im pression th a t human l i f e ends w ith the grave. A
133
very b a s ic r u l e o f mine says I have to m a in ta in t h a t im
p r e s s i o n '" (p. 202).
Furthermore, God i s not in f u ll control of men’s
l i v e s . R a th e r, l i f e i s l ik e a chess game to h im --n o t a
p a r t i c u l a r l y " 'e d i f y i n g o r s i g n i f i c a n t b u s i n e s s '" (p. 204).
O c c a sio n a lly he v i s i t s p e o p le -- n o t to h e lp them, b u t to
enjoy h im s e lf . He says,
"You must remember w ishing you could be down on the
board among the p i e c e s , j u s t f o r two o r th r e e moves,
to g e t th e f e e l o f i t , w ith o u t a t the same time s to p
ping the game." (p. 204)
And f i n a l l y , o c c a s io n a lly God does become s i n i s t e r when
tempted to p la y a c r u e l p ran k on mankind:
"Can you imagine th e te m p ta tio n o f a l t e r i n g a l l the
p h y s ic a l law s, o r working w ith something t h a t i s n ' t
m a tte r, o r sim ply in tr o d u c in g new r u l e s ? Even minor
th in g s l i k e cosmic c o l l i s i o n s , o r plo nkin g a liv i n g
d i n o s a u r - - j u s t one--down in P i c a d i l l y C ircu s? Not
easy to r e s i s t . " (p. 2 0 6)
Because o f h i s e x p e rie n c e s w ith th e s u p e r n a tu r a l,
Maurice g a in s se lf-k n o w le d g e --h e r e a l i z e s h i s own w icked
n e s s , a c c e p ts th e l i m i t a t i o n s o f l i f e and d e a th , and comes
to an a p p r e c i a ti o n o f what d e a th has to o f f e r . He ex plains:
Death was my only means o f g e t t i n g away f o r good from
t h i s body and a l l i t s pseudo-symptoms o f d is e a s e and
f e a r , from the c o n s ta n t aw areness o f t h i s body, from
t h i s p e rs o n , w ith h i s r u t h l e s s n e s s and s e n t im e n t a li t y
and i n e f f e c t i v e , i n s i n c e r e , im p r a c tic a b le n o tio n s o f
behaving b e t t e r , from a tte n d in g to my own th o u g h ts and
from c o u n tin g in thousands to smother them and from my
face in th e g l a s s . He had s a id I would n e v er be fre e
o f him as long as th e world l a s t e d , and I b e lie v e d him,
b u t when I d ied I would be f r e e o f Maurice A llin g to n
f o r lo n g e r than t h a t . (p. 2 5 2 )
134
M aurice I s l e f t , t h e r e f o r e , a s a d d e r t u t w i s e r man. H is
w ife h a s l e f t him ( " ' I w a s n 't r i g h t f o r h e r ' " [p. 2 4 9 ] ) j
he h a s come to r e a l i z e a number o f d i s t u r b i n g t h i n g s a b o u t
h i s own n a t u r e ("T h ere m ig ht have been more to U n d e r h i l l 's
s e l e c t i o n o f me as h i s i n s t r u m e n t th a n th e c o -p r e s e n c e o f
Amy i n th e h o u se : som ething to do w ith an a f f i n i t y " [p.
2 4 6 ] ) , and he h a s d i s c o v e r e d th e t e r r i f y i n g t r u t h ab o u t
God and d e a t h . In a d d i t i o n , M a u r ic e 's e x p e r i e n c e s w ith
th e s u p e r n a t u r a l have h e lp e d him to a c h ie v e human warmth:
f o r th e f i r s t tim e he s i n c e r e l y pays a t t e n t i o n to Amy and
com m unicates w ith h e r a s th e y d i s c u s s th e f u t u r e . M aurice
t e l l s h e r :
"Yes. Y o u 're r i g h t . We've g o t to g e t away. Of
c o u r s e , i t depend s on w hat h o t e l s and i n n s and so on
a r e on th e m a rk e t, where we go, I m ean."
" I t ' l l a l l be up to you, t h a t p a r t o f i t . Then
when we t h i n k w e 'v e found a p l a c e , we can go and lo o k
a t s c h o o l s . "
" I ' l l s t a r t making i n q u i r i e s tom orrow ."
" I f y o u 'v e g o t t im e ."
"No, I ' l l have t i m e ." (p. 251)
In i t s m ix tu r e o f h o r r o r s t o r y , s a t i r e , m e ta p h y s ic a l
s p e c u l a t i o n and sym bolism , The Green Man e x e m p li f i e s
A m is's v a r i a t i o n s o f theme and te c h n iq u e . H aunted by him
s e l f and by s u p e r n a t u r a l t e r r o r s , M aurice i s f a c e d w ith th e
u l t i m a t e q u e s t i o n o f e x i s t e n c e : What does i t mean to be?
F am ily , f r i e n d s , r e l i g i o n , p h i l o s o p h y - - e v e r y t h i n g M aurice
m ig ht t u r n to f o r a s s u r a n c e t h a t h i s w o rld i s s e c u r e - - a r e
rem o te and i n a c c e s s i b l e . M aurice i s a t th e mercy o f h i s
135
e n v iro n m e n t, and in th e n o v e l Amis employs th e s u p e r n a tu
r a l as an i n t e g r a l p a r t o f h i s n a r r a t i v e s t r u c t u r e , to sug
g e s t and to c r e a t e M a u ric e 's tr o u b le d s t a t e o f mind.
M aurice i s fo rc e d to react., to s t r u g g l e f o r h i s i d e n t i t y ,
and in doing so he commits h im s e lf to p u t t i n g an end to
U n d e r h il l .
The im portance o f commitment and r e s p o n s i b i l i t y to
o t h e r s i s a g ain s tu d ie d i n A m is's n e x t n o v e l, G i r l , 2 0 .
Once s t r i c t l y a Brahms, Beethoven and Mozart s p e c i a l i s t , a
w e l l - t r a i n e d , c o n s c ie n tio u s c o n c e rt v i o l i n i s t and accom
p l i s h e d composer o f h ig h r e p u t e , Roy Vandervane has sin c e
tu rn e d i n t o a r i d i c u l o u s m id d le-ag ed h ip p ie who o b l i t e r a t e s
h i s a ch iev e m e n ts, r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s and m oral c o n sc io u s n e ss
by making a jo u rn ey to the u nderw o rld o f h i p p i e s , k id s ,
loud music and d ru g s. Like th e Welch fa m ily , R o y's l i f e i s
an a f f e c t a t i o n - - h e can o n ly p ic k up th e tr a p p in g s o f a d i f
f e r e n t c u l t u r e . To Douglas Y a n d e ll, a l l o f t h i s i s sh e e r
madness, and h i s o b l i g a t i o n s as f r i e n d and a d v is o r a re
s p e l l e d o u t when K i t ty Vandervane p le a d s w ith him:
" S u re ly y o u 'd do an y th in g to sto p him from, t h a t i s
s u r e l y y o u 'd a g ree he m u s t n 't throw h im s e lf away on
some f i l t h y l i t t l e b a r b a r i a n o f a te e n a g e r? I t would
be such a crim e, so aw ful f o r everybody, f o r me and
th e c h i l d r e n , and f o r him too o f co u rse when he g e ts
fed up w ith h e r, and f o r p e o p le l i k e t h i s young ' c e l
l i s t boy h e 's en co u rag in g , and t h e r e a re so many p e o
p le who depend on him, everybody h e 's g o t o b l i g a t i o n s
t o . "5
A lthough Roy i s a t th e c e n t e r o f G i r l , 20, i t i s Douglas
!
i
r e c o r d i n g and e v a l u a t i n g what happ en s t h a t makes th e su b
j e c t o f th e n o v e l. So th e book i n a g r e a t se n se i s
D o u g l a s 's s t o r y . D ouglas i s th e n a r r a t i n g c h a r a c t e r who
l e a r n s - - a b o u t Roy and a b o u t h i m s e l f - - a s a r e s u l t o f a s s o
c i a t i n g w ith Roy, th e a c t i n g c h a r a c t e r . As an a d v o c a te o f
t h e t r a d i t i o n a l f a m i l i a l and m u s ic a l v a lu e s , D ouglas s e r v e s
a s th e v o ic e o f m o d e ra tio n , th e m o ral and a r t i s t i c co n
s c i o u s n e s s who p e r c e i v e s th e a b s u r d i t i e s i n R o y 's l i f e ,
y e t f a i l s to s t e e r him away from th e d e s t r u c t i v e c o u rs e he
i s on. More th a n j u s t an e x p r e s s io n o f d i s t a s t e f o r p e r
m is s i v e n e s s and a l l o f i t s c o n se q u e n c e s, t h e r e f o r e , th e
n o v e l i s a ls o a b o u t D ouglas whose a rg u m e n ts do n o t s ta n d
up a t a l l .
B ecause e v e r y t h in g i s i n t e r p r e t e d and ju d g ed th ro u g h
D o u g l a s 's mind, Amis q u i c k l y e s t a b l i s h e s D o u g la s 's c h a r -
a c t e r - - h i s i n t e r e s t s , h i s m o r a l i t y , h i s p r e j u d i c e s . "'T he
g r e a t i s s u e o f my t i m e , '" sa y s D o u g las, " ' i s me and my
i n t e r e s t s , c h i e f l y m u s i c a l '" (p . 1 9 ). As a p o l i t i c a l l y
a p a t h e t i c i n d i v i d u a l o f m odest m eans, he p r e f e r s a q u i e t
e v e n in g w orking on h i s d e f i n i t i v e stu d y o f K a rl M aria Von
W eber, and i s o n ly r e l u c t a n t l y drawn i n t o R o y 's new w orld
o f mod l i f e s t y l e s , p r o t e s t movements and pop t a s t e s . I t
i s s i g n i f i c a n t t h a t D ouglas i s w r i t i n g a stu d y o f Weber,
b e c a u s e l i k e th e h u n t e r i n W eb e r's P e r F r i e s c h f i t z , Roy
h o p e s to a c c o m p lish s u c c e s s (w ith a young a u d ie n c e ) by
137
s e l l i n g h i s ( a r t i s t i c ) s o u l. He, to o , i s en ch an ted by
e v i l .
At th e same tim e t h a t D ouglas, as n a r r a t o r , i s d e
s c r i b i n g h i s r e a c t i o n s to R o y 's new l i f e , we a re a ls o
w atchin g D o u g la s 's f a i l u r e r e a l l y to commit h im s e lf . To
em phasize t h i s , Amis has s t r u c t u r e d the n o v e l around a
s e r i e s o f scen es d esig n ed to i l l u s t r a t e th e e f f e c t s o f
D o u g la s 's la c k o f involvem ent w ith a n y th in g o r anybody o u t
s id e o f h i s own m usic. As Mr. Cope t e l l s him l a t e i n th e
n o v e l,
"With r e s p e c t , Doug, what an e x tr a o r d in a r y number o f
t h in g s you d o n 't t h in k abou t and h a v e n 't g o t tim e f o r .
S cience f i c t i o n . R e lig io n . W hether th e c o u n t r y 's
heading f o r m oral a n arch y . M arrying Vivvy o r e v i d e n t
ly anybody e ls e e i t h e r . I s u s p e c t you must f i n d a
g r e a t d e a l to occupy you in o t h e r ways. Your music
and a l l t h a t . " (p. 211)
In the f i r s t c h a p te r , f o r exam ple, Douglas o f f e r s to
h e lp K i t t y , presum ably because he i s concerned ab o u t h e r
w e l f a r e . He o n ly l i s t e n s h a l f - h e a r t e d l y to h e r c o m p la in ts,
however, w h ile preo ccu p y in g h i m s e l f w ith "her command o f
o r a l i t a l i c s , d i t t o i n v e r t e d commas, b l a c k - l e t t e r and
i l l u m i n a t e d c a p i t a l s " (p. 2 4 ). He r e f l e c t s , "There were
t e a r s i n h e r e y e s, b u t th en th e r e so o f te n were" (p. 2 5 ) .
R a th e r th an o u t o f c o n cern , D ouglas a c t u a l l y v i s i t e d K i t t y
b e ca u se he was c u rio u s and because h i s r e a l i n t e r e s t i s i n
Penny. And l a t e r i t becomes a p p a re n t t h a t K i t t y ' s dilemma
n e v e r r e g i s t e r e d w ith D ouglas, f o r when V iv ienne a sk s him
138
I f Kitty minds Roy’s relationship with Sylvia, he says,
"'I suppose so. I t ' s hard to be sure. She must. Or she
would. She probably doesn't know. Almost certainly'"
(p. 6 1).
Moreover, Douglas is unsure i f i t i s wrong to help
Roy with his favor. He thinks: "Nothing said (did it?)
that I must never do anything that those who behaved like
Kitty would probably not like" (p. 5 2). He agrees to take
Penny out because he i s "no longer sure whether there was
much wrong with i t after all" (p. 86).
As a music c r it ic for a London newspaper, Douglas's
"sole concern [has] always been to promote the people and
works [he] admire[s] and to demote the other sort" (p. 5 2).
And indeed, from the beginning, Douglas presents Roy so
that we w ill not admire him by comically dissecting and
ridiculing certain aspects of Roy's behavior which seem to
him foolish or vicious. Ironically, although he perceives
Roy's fa u lts, he f a i l s to involve himself enough to e ffe ct
a change in Roy's behavior.
The novel, therefore, i s also structured around a
series of discoveries Douglas makes about Roy. As the
narrator, Douglas t e l l s us at the beginning what our r e
sponse i s supposed to be. Learning of Roy's new g ir l
friend, for instance, Douglas cannot "understand why Roy
. . . should have to grow s i l l i e r as he grew older" (p. 17).
H is g i r l s a r e becom ing y o u n g e r and more a w fu l, and R o y 's
in v o lv e m e n t i s becom ing s u c c e s s i v e l y d e e p e r. H is l a t e s t - -
s e v e n t e e n - y e a r - o l d S y l v i a M e e r s - - is th e m ost a w fu l th u s
f a r . V u lg a r, i r r e s p o n s i b l e and g ru b b y , S y lv ia i s a " t h i n
lip p e d savage" (p . 126) who h a s su c ceed ed in p u l l i n g Roy
away from h i s f a m ily and r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s , p re s u m a b ly w ith
h e r h ip i d e a s a b o u t new ways o f f e e l i n g and s e e i n g . To
D o u g las, how ever, R o y 's a tte m p t to t a l k l i k e th e young i s
p a t h e t i c , h i s l e f t - w i n g i d e a s a re n o th in g more th a n show
in g o f f ("'How can you c a r e a b o u t p e a s a n t s i n V ietnam when
you g iv e p a r t i e s w ith champagne and a c o u p le o f b lo k e s in
w h ite c o a t s g o in g ro u n d p o u r in g i t ? ' " [p. 1 9 4 ] ) ^ and h i s
r e p u t a t i o n and p r e v i o u s l y b r i l l i a n t c a r e e r c o n t r a d i c t s h i s
c o m p la in ts a b o u t th e f a i l u r e o f s o c i e t y to " ' o f f e r a n y th in g
to anybody w ith any k in d o f s e n s i b i l i t y o r c r e a t i v i t y ' "
(p . 4 7 ) . And y e t , a s D ouglas soon p e r c e i v e s , Roy i s r e a l l y
" a r s e - c r e e p i n g . " I n o r d e r f o r sex to r e a l l y s t r i k e him,
e x p l a i n s Roy, i t h a s to be som ething more th an p o r n o g r a p h ic
bo o k s, and more th a n " ' s t r a i g h t - d o w n - t h e - m i d d l e s e x '"
(p- 7 3 )- I t i s " 's i m p l y a m a t t e r o f you w a n tin g to g e t
away from n o rm al, d e c e n t, G o d -f e a rin g sex and y o u r w ife
b e in g no good f o r t h a t ' " (p . 7 8 ) . M oreover, D ouglas soon
r e a l i z e s t h a t Roy i s f l a u n t i n g h i s sex l i f e . L ike h i s
s i n g i n g , R o y 's p u rp o s e i s " h o s t i l e , w ounding, d e s ig n e d to
h u m i l i a t e " (p . 33)-
Roy's l i f e i s e s p e c ia lly important because i t becomes
an instrument o f Douglas's moral education. I t i s through
Roy's experience that Douglas matures. For instance, Roy
Vandervane's great house, located in the Hertfordshire
countryside, figures as an important symbol in the novel.
As Douglas begins to understand the im plications o f Roy's
extravagances, the house comes to symbolize to him the
d isin tegration of the Vandervane family as w ell as r e fle c t
Roy's own moral d eterioration. At the beginning o f the
novel, for instance, Douglas remarks about i t s dilapidated
appearance and gloomy atmosphere, with "a paved courtyard
adorned with small trees in a sick ly or dead condition"
(p . 1 8 ). L a t e r , he n o t i c e s an abandoned swimming p o o l
and a d is c a r d e d m usic l a b o r a t o r y p r o j e c t , an abandoned
c ro q u e t game, and "used c ro c k e ry , brimming a s h t r a y s , v a se s
o f d ecay in g flo w e r s and naked gramophone r e c o r d s la y in g
a b o u t" {p. 1 5 5 )- - a l l i n d i c a t i n g an abandonment o f a c t i v i
t i e s and d o m estic d u t i e s . In th e c lo s in g p a g e s , D ouglas
e n v is io n s "th e house p h y s i c a l l y c o l l a p s i n g from n e g l e c t ,
f i r e o r th e w e ig h t o f e n c ro a c h in g v e g e t a t i o n " (p. 1 6 6 ).
Furthermore, Douglas finds that h is observations are
confirmed by what the other members o f the Vandervane fam
i l y do and say, and th is , too, contributes to h is educa
tion . Roy's daughter, Penny, for instance, eventually
141
t u r n s on to h e r o in ; h i s o l d e r son, C h r is , d e s p is e s him so
much he s e l l s a scan d alo u s s t o r y about h i s f a t h e r ' s e s c a
pades to a newspaper; and h i s younger son, A shley, grows
u n c o n t r o l l a b l e b ecause o f h i s f a t h e r ' s in d u lg e n c e . Even
G i l b e r t i s moved to d e s p a ir as he la m e n ts, "'T he s i t u a t i o n
o f the Vandervane household h as re a c h e d th e b r i n k o f
chaos. . . . The te n s io n and th e aw ful f e e l i n g s th e r e a re
d e s tr o y in g Penny’ " (p. 127). A ll o f which le a d s K i t t y to
say , " 'A l l I had was Roy and R o y 's w o rld . And now . . .
t h a t ' s a l l gone. I'm n o th in g . N o th in g '" (p. 158).
D ouglas e v e n t u a l l y p e r c e iv e s t h a t th e same kind o f
m oral abandonment i s e v id e n t i n R o y 's m u sical l i f e a s w e ll.
At f i r s t , Douglas th in k s Roy i s m erely engaging i n a l a r k ,
t h a t he i s r e a l l y n o t low ering h i s a r t i s t i c s ta n d a r d s . As
Roy c a n c e ls r e h e a r s a l s , d r in k s h e a v i ly b e fo r e c o n c e r ts ,
and c o n s id e r s h i s experim en t w ith ro c k music no more than
a romp, a s t u n t , Douglas r e a l i z e s t h a t Roy i s f l a u n t i n g
t h i s as w e ll. He say s:
Yes. By God. I ( r e p r e s e n ti n g th e o rth o d o x m u sical
p u b lic ) and th ey were the a r t i s t i c e q u iv a le n t o f K i t t y
and th e p a n t s . F la u n tin g i t . (p. 51)
E s p e c i a l l y u p s e t t i n g to Douglas i s R o y 's E le v a tio n s 9 j a
pop tune w ith a v i o l i n o b l ig a t o w hich, Douglas r e a l i z e s , i s
n o th in g more th an an i m i t a t i o n o f th e ja z z s t y l e o f th e
1 9 3 0 's . He sa y s, "I could have had no b e t t e r p r o o f . . .
o f th e t o t a l f a i l u r e o f r e c e n t o r contem porary p r o d u c ts o f
142
th e pop I n d u s t r y to Im p re ss th e m s e lv e s on R o y 's m u s ic a l
c o n s c i o u s n e s s " (p . 2 2 5 ). A lth o u g h Roy b e l i e v e s th e young
l i k e h a v in g him aro u n d b e c a u s e he I s fam ous, h i s c o n c e r t
p ro v e s o t h e r w i s e , en d in g i n c a t - c a l l s , a f i g h t and even a
n e a r r i o t - - a l l an e x p r e s s i o n o f e m b a rra ssm e n t " ' a t th e
s i g h t o f somebody q u i t e o l d enough, e a s i l y and d e m o n s tra b ly
o l d enough to know b e t t e r , making an e x h i b i t i o n o f h i m s e l f .
L ike s e e in g y o u r a u n t i e d o in g a s t r i p ' " (p . 2 3 5 ) . Com plain
in g t h a t Roy " ' i s h e l p i n g to b r i n g t h a t v e ry im p o r ta n t
s t u f f , m u sic , i n t o d i s r e p u t e ' " (p . 151)^ he t e l l s Roy:
" A ll r i g h t , p e rh a p s I am b e in g a b i t h y s t e r i c a l a b o u t
i t c a t c h i n g on. B ut y o u ' l l c e r t a i n l y be h e l p i n g to
make m usic lo o k l i k e j u s t a n o t h e r fu n t h i n g and now
t h i n g , l i k e t h e s e c l o t h e s th e y a l l w ear and t h e a t r e
i n t h e nude and f lo w e r power and e n v ir o n m e n ta l a r t and
F i r s t War s t u f f . And t h a t ' s a d i s g r a c e f u l t h i n g to do.
On y o u r p a r t above a l l . B ecau se you know b e t t e r . "
(P . 152)
Roy d o e s n o t know b e t t e r , h o w ever, f o r u n l i k e Roger
M ic h e ld e n e , he i s d e f i c i e n t i n s e l f - k n o w le d g e . He d oes n o t
r e a l i z e how p a t h e t i c he i s , n o r does he p e r c e i v e o r seem
to c a r e a b o u t th e m is e r y and th e r u i n he i s b r i n g i n g to h i s
f a m i ly , h i s f r i e n d s , and h i m s e l f . The f o c u s o f th e n o v e l
i s on D o u g la s b e c a u s e he i s th e means o f p e r c e p t i o n . Roy
c a n n o t be g iv e n t h e means o f p e r c e p t i o n b e c a u s e so much o f
th e n o v e l d e pends on h i s i n a b i l i t y to s e e . T h e r e f o r e , th e
d e s t r u c t i v e e f f e c t s o f th e way Roy i s r u n n in g h i s l i f e a r e
a l s o p r e s e n t e d i n a s e r i e s o f s c e n e s i n w h ich D o u g la s - - a s
R o y 's c o n s c i e n c e - - d e s c e n d s i n t o a murky u n d e rw o rld o f
pandemonium, h i p p i e s , loud music and v i o le n c e , an enchanted
w orld r e m in is c e n t o f th e W o lf's Glen in P er F r i e s c h f l t z .
At a pub o r d is c o th e q u e , f o r example, Douglas f in d s h i s
m oral c o u n se lin g drowned o u t by the "w ordless y e l l i n g " (p.
I l l ) and "uncouth m in s tr e ls y " (p. 147), th e " a s s a u l t o f pop
in f u l l c a te rw a u l" (p. l 4 l ) , the "amorous r o a r s and howls
l i k e c r e a t u r e s o f legend" (p. l 4 l ) . Moreover, b e w ild e re d
and rem ote, Douglas f e e l s as i f somebody had s lip p e d a
h a llu c in o g e n i n t o h i s d r i n k - - h i s " b ra in seems suddenly to
have become u n u sa b le , c u t o f f fo r e v er by a m assive haemor
rh a g e " (p. 95)• As a m u sician r e q u i r i n g m assive i n t e l
l e c t and c o n c e n tr a tio n , Douglas f in d s th e n o is e g r o s s to
h i s s e n s e s , a n t i t h e t i c a l to th e l i f e o f a s e r i o u s m u sic ia n .
He i s o u t o f p la c e and i s u n a b le to assume the r o l e o f
m id d le -a g e d h ip p ie Roy i s p la y in g . These scen es a ls o i l
l u s t r a t e D o u g la s 's e n c o u n te r w ith and r e j e c t i o n o f th e
w orld o f pop m usic, drugs and yo u th .
In c o n t r a s t , R oy 's a r t i s t i c and m oral s e n s i t i v i t y has
been d u l le d - - h e i s o b liv io u s to the n o is e and c o n fu s io n ,
and h i s m oral c o n sc io u s n e ss i s b l o t t e d o u t. Like th e c lu b s
he a t t e n d s , R oy 's mind has become dark and n o is y , i n s e n s i
t i v e to p a in . At a v i o l e n t w r e s t l in g match, f o r i n s t a n c e ,
Roy i s u n a f f e c te d by th e s t r a n g l e h o ld s , knee drops and eye
gouges, w hereas to Douglas i t i s too r e a l . We a re to ld :
Upon me th e r e c r e p t a s tro n g and h id eo u s s e n s a tio n I
had e x p e rie n c e d to a m inor degree once b e f o r e , a t a
b u l l f i g h t in M ajorca, my f i r s t and l a s t : a b len d o f
144
p h y s i c a l fear., o r d r e a d , and a v o lu p tu o u s , a lm o s t d iz z y
e x c i te m e n t ; I w anted t h i s to s t o p and to go o n . (p .
106)
D ouglas l e a v e s th e e v e n t "aw are o f h u n g e r, t h i r s t , i n c i p i
e n t w e a r i n e s s o f mind and body, renew ed g e n e r a l wonderm ent
a t th e way Roy was ru n n in g h i s l i f e " (p . 1 0 8 ). A ll o f
t h i s - - t h e n o i s e , c o n fu s io n and lou d m u s i c - - l e a d s to a l o s s
o f I d e n t i t y , to a " s o l i p s i s t i c d e s p a i r , a p r o g r e s s i v e and
a p p a r e n t l y i r r e v e r s i b l e l o s s o f b e l i e f in a n y th in g n o t
h e re and n o t now, i n t e a , homework, t e l e v i s i o n , s c h o o l ,
c r i c k e t , h o l i d a y s - - t h i s p l a c e i s h e l l , i n f a c t " (p . 1 4 8 ).
Near th e end o f G i r l , 2 0 , Penny V andervane t e l l s
D o u g la s :
" I f y o u 'r e r e a l l y g o in g to h e l p anybody a t a l l , th e n
y o u 'v e g o t to r e a l l y do som eth in g a b o u t i t , t a k e i t on,
do n o th in g e l s e f o r a b i t , w e l l , n o t n o th in g e l s e , b u t
make i t y o u r number one p r i o r i t y u n t i l i t ' s c l e a r e d up
o r you r e a l i z e i t a b s o l u t e l y c a n ' t b e , w h a te v e r i t i s . "
(p . 249)
P e n n y 's comment i s e s p e c i a l l y p o ig n a n t b e c a u s e i t f o llo w s
D o u g l a s 's r e f l e c t i o n t h a t f o r a l l h i s m ed d lin g and l i s t e n
i n g , he h a s f a i l e d to commit h i m s e l f to any d e f i n i t e c o u rs e
o f a c t i o n t h a t m ig h t have i n f l u e n c e d h i s f r i e n d s . E x c e p t
f o r t e m p o r a r i l y u p s e t t i n g R o y 's c o n c e r t E l e v a t i o n s 9 (he
p u t s b u t t e r on R o y 's v i o l i n bow ), D o u g las h a s f a i l e d to
a c c o m p lis h a l l t h a t h i s c o n s c io u s m o ra l i n s t i n c t h a s t o l d
him he s h o u ld do. Not o n ly h a s he f a i l e d to p e r s u a d e Penny
to le a v e him , b u t he i s a l s o f o r c e d to r e c o g n i z e t h a t
144
p h y s i c a l f e a r , o r d re a d , and a v o lu p tu o u s , a lm o st d iz z y
e x c ite m e n t; I w anted t h i s to s to p and to go on. (p.
1 0 6 )
Douglas le a v e s th e e v e n t "aware o f h u n g e r, t h i r s t , i n c i p i
e n t w e a rin e s s o f mind and body, renewed g e n e r a l wonderment
a t th e way Roy was ru n n in g h i s l i f e " (p . 108). A ll o f
t h i s - - t h e n o i s e , c o n fu s io n and loud m u s ic - - le a d s to a l o s s
o f i d e n t i t y , to a " s o l i p s i s t i c d e s p a i r , a p r o g r e s s i v e and
a p p a r e n t l y i r r e v e r s i b l e l o s s o f b e l i e f in a n y th in g n o t
h e re and n o t now, in t e a , homework, t e l e v i s i o n , sc h o o l,
c r i c k e t , h o l i d a y s - - t h i s p l a c e i s h e l l , i n f a c t " (p. 148).
Near th e end o f G i r l , 2 0 , Penny Vandervane t e l l s
D o u g la s :
" I f y o u 'r e r e a l l y going to h e lp anybody a t a l l , then
y o u 'v e g o t to r e a l l y do som ething a b o u t i t , ta k e i t on,
do n o th in g e l s e f o r a b i t , w e l l , n o t n o th in g e l s e , b u t
make i t y o u r number one p r i o r i t y u n t i l i t ' s c l e a r e d up
o r you r e a l i z e i t a b s o l u t e l y c a n ' t b e , w h a te v e r i t i s . "
(p. 249)
P e n n y 's comment i s e s p e c i a l l y p o ig n a n t b e ca u se i t fo llo w s
D o u g la s 's r e f l e c t i o n t h a t f o r a l l h i s m eddling and l i s t e n
in g , he has f a i l e d to commit h i m s e l f to any d e f i n i t e c o u rse
o f a c t i o n t h a t m ight have i n f l u e n c e d h i s f r i e n d s . Except
f o r te m p o r a r ily u p s e t t i n g R o y 's c o n c e r t E l e v a t i o n s 9 (he
p u t s b u t t e r on R o y 's v i o l i n bow), D ouglas h as f a i l e d to
acc o m p lish a l l t h a t h i s c o n s c io u s m oral i n s t i n c t h a s t o l d
him he sh o u ld do. Not o n ly h a s he f a i l e d to p e rsu a d e Penny
to le a v e him, b u t he i s a ls o f o r c e d to r e c o g n iz e t h a t
145
nothing w ill stop Roy., and that his sessions with him took
place merely to relieve Roy's conscience with the thought
that he did not take the step of marrying Sylvia lig h tly .
Nor has Douglas been successful with h is own l i f e . He is
fired from his job., and* because he never really committed
himself to his g ir l friends Vivienne, she leaves him for
a black man. Moreover, Penny turns to heroin, knowing fu ll
well that she w ill live only a couple of years as an ad
d ic t. Douglas's moral voice has been rendered in e ffe c tiv e ,
and i t is th is, together with the realization that he never
involved himself with those who needed his help, that makes
him f e e l "as i f something dismal had happened right in the
middle of my own l i f e and concerns, something major, some
thing irretrievab le, as i f I had taken a fa ta lly wrong de
cision years before and only now seen how much I had lo st
by it" (p. 251). The passage i s important, for this is
the f i r s t time Douglas attempts to re a lly examine himself.
After a l l of the d isasters in the Vandervane family and in
his own l i f e as w ell, Douglas fin a lly realizes that his
devotion to music, to the exclusion of everything and
everyone e lse , may be wrong.
With the exception of I Want I t Now and Girl, 20, most
of Amis's attention up u n til now has been focused on the
adult world, with a l l of i t s absurdities and complications.
Occasionally a character w ill express nostalgia for his
146
childhood years: Patrick Standish, for example, often con
tr a sts the ominous present with h is simple, bright c h ild
hood. Unlike his e a r lie r novels, however, Amis's next
n o v e l--The Riverside V illa s Murder- - i s narrated largely
from the point of view of an adolescent within the conven
tions of a d etective story. The clues, disconnected and
often in exp licab le, represent the ad olescent's growing
awareness of d e ta ils he had never understood. His eventual
solution of the mystery leads him not only to the id e n tity
of the criminal, but also to the hard truths o f adulthood.
The Riverside V illa s Murder i s , therefore, both an arche
typal story o f in it ia tio n into e v i l and a study of the
importance of self-knowledge.
C r itic a l reaction to The Riverside V illa s Murder has
been mixed. Robert Kirsch, noting that Amis "manages to
recapture the feelin g o f that golden age of mystery,"
c a lls the novel "an astonishing re-creation o f the old
form, as e ffe c tiv e for the d etective mystery as Amis's The
Green M an was for the ghost stor y. Joh n Dickson Carr
also praises the noT si as one which "grips, holds, and
won't le t go," and concludes:
Kingsley Amis must write more d etective s to r ie s , i f
only for the s e lf i s h reason that I want to read them;
but that, in addition to being honest, i s as good a
reason as any.8
Other c r i t i c s have not been so generous. Maurice Richard
son, for instance, notes that Amis's "attempts to recon
147
struct period atmosphere are not always convincing."^
Auberon Waugh p raises Amis for brooding "quietly and long
ingly about h is own childhood, then says:
[The work] has the makings o f a most excellen t novel,
part period pastiche, part parody, part original i n
sigh t. One reads the f i r s t h a lf in a glow warmth
towards Mr. Amis, and anger against his detractors.
Unfortunately, he fe e ls bound to include a murder story
of such d rivellin g and preposterous ineptitude as w ill
turn a l l but the le a st discriminating against the b o o k .H
However, to read The Riverside V illa s Murder as just a
piece of d etective fic tio n i s to miss the moral s i g n i f i
cance of the novel. Certainly, much like some of Graham
Greene's novels, Amis's la t e s t work contains many o f the
trappings of the conventional t h r ille r detective story--
p articularly the "manhunt" theme and the use o f melodrama
and violence. In addition, we also recognize in The River
side V illa s Murder the trad itional surprise ending, the
e sse n tia l clue which unlocks the mystery, the elaborate
plot and subplots, and the entertaining contrast between
the inept p olice force and the superior detective who works
by i n t e lle c t , logic and in tu itio n . But like Greene, Amis
also uses the conventions of detective fic tio n to mirror
the frightened state of the world.
The tra d itio n a l detective story, in the very solving
of the crime, presents a view of l i f e which i s agreeable
and reassuring to the reader. I t introduces the reader to
a secure universe, one in which man i s in control of an
148
ordered world obedient to fixed laws. The author persuades
the reader that the world he describes i s understandable
and simple, that i t i s meaningful and secure. Usually the
characters have very simple problems., related d ir e c tly to
the crime, and once the crime i s solved, the troubles van
is h . The mess, confusion and fru stra tio n s o f l i f e are re
duced, therefore, to a simple issu e between good and e v i l .
And good triumphs. The outcome i s ce rta in --th e criminal
w ill be defeated, the innocent w ill be cleared of any
g u i l t , and everyone w i l l be l e f t , set for a cheerful
fu tu r e .
But Amis has not merely repeated the old pattern, and
h is universe i s not comfortable and secure. In h is novel,
Amis uses the d etectiv e story to reveal not only crime,
but also the profound problems underlying i t . There are,
therefore, two cle a r -cu t story lin e s running through the
novel. The f i r s t revolves around the pursuit o f the k ille r ,
and the second deals with the p sychological com plexities o f
the rela tio n sh ip between the narrator--a fourteen-year-old
boy--and the adult world. By the time we have fin ish ed the
novel, we are l e f t with the uncomfortable sense that a l
though the crime has been solved and the criminal done away
with, a l l i s not s e t t le d . That i s , although Col. Manton
solves the case, h is methods are questionable by purely
le g a l standards. He con trives the fa ls e arrest o f P eter's
149
f a t h e r to f i n d th e r e a l k i l l e r , and he b y p a s s e s the c o u r t s
when he deems i t n e c e s s a r y . " 'W a s n 't i t tam pering w ith
ip
j u s t i c e to l e t h e r escap e and commit s u i c i d e ? '" P e te r
a s k s . " 'C e r t a i n l y . We sh ould have had a v ery p oo r chance
a g a i n s t h e r in c o u r t '" (p. 218), says Manton. Even more
d i s t u r b i n g , however, i s th e e f f e c t o f th e m urder and s e
d u c tio n on P e t e r , f o r as he r e f l e c t s a t th e end o f th e
n o v e l :
Where [Mrs. T re v e ly a n ] was bound to become a more d i s
t a n t f i g u r e a s tim e p a s s e d , in a d i f f e r e n t way th o se
two t h in g s t h a t were a lr e a d y h a rd to s e p a r a t e , what
she had done w ith him and what she had done to Inman,
would run i n t o one and draw n e a r e r , l i k e a double
c lo u d coming o v e r th e h o r iz o n . (p. 224)
Most o f th e a c t i o n i s seen thro u g h th e eyes o f P e t e r
F urneaux, a s e n s i t i v e , i n t e l l i g e n t te e n a g e r who comes to
r e a l i z e t h a t l i f e i s n o t l i m i t e d to rom ance, s e n s a t i o n a l
f i c t i o n , r a d io j a z z bands and e r o t i c f a n t a s i e s , b u t t h a t
t h e r e i s a d a rk , n ig h tm a ris h s id e to l i f e as w e l l . In
o r d e r to s e t up a c o n t r a s t betw een P e t e r ' s In n o c e n t w orld
and th e a d u l t ' s w orld o f s e l f - d e s t r u c t i o n , s e x u a l abuse and
m u tual h o s t i l i t y , Amis i n t e r s p e r s e s a c c o u n ts o f P e t e r ' s
a c t i v i t i e s w ith P e t e r ' s o b s e r v a t i o n s ab o u t th e u n p l e a s a n t
r e a l i t i e s o f th e a d u l t w o rld . Like Jim Dixon, Jenny Bunn
and o t h e r c h a r a c t e r s , P e t e r i s a shrewd o b s e r v e r . He n o
t i c e s when s tr a n g e men "ta k e an undue i n t e r e s t In him" (p.
1 2 ), he knows h i s f a t h e r i s ly in g when he c a l l s th e p o l i c e
150
I n v e s t i g a t i o n " 'a complete and u t t e r w aste o f tim e '" (p.
8 3 ), and he c o r r e c t l y senses t h a t Mrs. T revelyan i s "lo o k
ing him over" (p. 22), l i k e a man who had "guessed h i s
w eight a t a f a i r the p re v io u s summer, and y e t n o t q u ite
l i k e t h a t " (p. 22) .
In a d d i t i o n , Amis o f te n d e s c r ib e s th e w eath er to m ir
r o r P e t e r 's f e e l i n g s ; t h a t i s , as he becomes more in v o lv e d
w ith Mrs. T revelyan and as he b e g in s to r e a l i z e the t r u t h
behind the crim e, the w eather grows more s i n i s t e r and
t h r e a te n in g . E a rly in the novel, f o r i n s t a n c e , "a y ellow
evening sun gleam [s] along the w ater" (p. 4 6 ). The a i r i s
c l e a r and c r i s p , and th e re a re few i f any problem s t r o u
b lin g P e t e r . As P e te r then r e f l e c t s , "How n ic e th e n ic e
th in g s i n l i f e were" (p. 45 ). I t i s "n ice " to a tt e n d the
te n n is c l u b 's f l a n n e l dance f o r the f i r s t tim e, l i s t e n to
Geraldo and h i s Gaucho Tango O rc h e stra on the r a d i o , read
the Wizard o r The R eturn o f the In c a s w ith o u t p a r e n t a l d i s
ap p ro v a l, f l y h i s M orane-S aulnier N mid-wing monoplane, o r
j u s t s i t back and daydream:
His mind was g e n tly invaded by im ages, most o f them
c u lle d from re a d in g and cinem a-going, o f s u l t r y w hite
c o u rty a rd s hung w ith c re e p e r s and flo w e rs , low-
c e ilin g e d c a n d l e - l i t rooms, g l a s s e s o f wine r a i s e d
in a t o a s t , and s e r io u s - lo o k in g b la c k - h a i r e d g i r l s In
w hite d r e s s e s and long w hite g lo v e s . (p. 45)
I t i s e s p e c i a l l y n ic e , however, to have somebody r e a l in
mind d u rin g o n e 's se x u al f a n t a s i e s , "some a c t u a l perso n you
151
c o u ld t h in k o f a s havin g to do, however v a g u e ly , w ith mo
m ents o f d e l i g h t and te n d e r p a s s io n " (p. 107)• Thus,
P e t e r i s p r e o c c u p ie d w ith h i s lo n g -te rm o b j e c t i v e o f
g e t t i n g a g i r l — s p e c i f i c a l l y , Daphne Hodgson. He t r i e s to
a cc o m p lish t h i s by fo llo w in g h i s c l a s s m a t e 's s o - c a l l e d
Code o f D ish o n o r: "Find one, then keep on a t h e r u n t i l she
l e t s you ta k e h e r o u t , b u t d o n 't to u ch h e r u n t i l y o u 'v e g o t
h e r r e a l l y on h e r own" (p. 1 3) j "b ring up sex whenever you
can, b u t n o t i n a crude way" (p. 1 8); m a in ta in "utm ost
n e a tn e s s and c l e a n l i n e s s a t the o u t s e t o f any d e g re e o f
o n s la u g h t o f c h a s t i t y " (p. 4 3 ); and be p o l i t e to a p o t e n
t i a l v i c t i m 's p a r e n t s (p . 5 6 ).
B ut th e n , w ith in t h r e e d a y s 's tim e, P e t e r ' s f a m i l i a r ,
u n c o m p lic a te d and p l e a s a n t w o rld i s c ra c k e d by v i o le n c e .
There i s news o f a ro b b e ry a t the l o c a l museum, a f i g h t
o c c u r s a t th e t e n n i s c l u b 's f l a n n e l dance, th e m urdered
v ic tim ends up a t P e t e r ' s h o u se , and P e t e r i s seduced by
Mrs. T re v e ly a n . When P e t e r l e a r n s t h a t h i s f a t h e r i s a
prim e s u s p e c t , he w alks "un der a mixed g r e y sky on th e
p o i n t o f r a i n " (p. I l l ) , f e e l i n g " p h y s i c a l l y f r i g h t e n e d ,
a s though th e f a t r e d chim ney-p ot above th e F i f t y - S h i l l i n g
T a i l o r s were a b o u t to f a l l on him" (p. 1 1 1). O ften a
change i n w e a th e r fo reshadow s what i s to come. On th e day
Mrs. T re v e ly a n se d u ce s P e t e r , we a re t o l d t h a t th e w e a th e r
"to o k a downward t u r n : . . . c o o l and damp, w ith o u tb re a k s
152
o f g u s ty d r i z z l e t h a t looked l i k e s e t t l i n g down to ste ad y
r a i n " (p. 127). Later* p r i o r to Mrs. T re v e ly a n 's capture*
P e te r n o t ic e s "the r o l l s and b u lg e s o f d a rk cloud co verin g
the sky* the muddy garden* the s t r e t c h e s o f fencing* th e
t r e e s t h a t looked l i k e masses o f seaweed on p o le s " (p.
193) .> and we a re t o ld :
He rebuked h im s e lf f o r comparing h i s own s t a t e to some
th in g to do w ith death* b u t then th e r e was d e ath too
in what was in h is mind. (p. 1 9 3)
In a d d itio n to o u r d i s c o v e r ie s about Peter* we a ls o
l e a r n about Mrs. Ada Trevelyan* who* as th e m urderess o f
C h risto p h e r Inman and the seducer o f P e te r and o t h e r ado
le s c e n ts * i s a m an ip u la to r o f peo p le f o r h e r own p l e a s u r e .
U nlike Maurice A llin g to n o r Roy Vandervane* however* Mrs.
T r e v e ly a n 's one redeeming q u a l i t y i s t h a t she knows from
the b eginn ing t h a t she i s e v i l . As she t e l l s Peter*
"I'm a wicked woman* e v i l and bad. I 'v e taken a d ecen t
young boy and I 'v e c o rru p te d him. J u s t th in k in g o f my
own p l e a s u r e . I t ' s a b s o l u te ly u n f o r g iv a b le . I 'v e s e
duced you. I'm a h a r l o t and a whore* though I d o n 't
suppose you know w T h a t they a r e . " (p. 1 3 7)
Because she th in k s P e t e r 's f a t h e r I s su sp ec ted o f the
k i ll i n g * Mrs. T revelyan e v e n tu a lly tu r n s h e r s e l f over to
the p o l ic e and t e l l s P e te r : " ' I c o u l d n 't b e a r i t because
o f you. I k e p t tr y in g to show i t w a s n 't y ou r fa th e r* and
i t w o u ld n 't go r i g h t ' " (p. 2 0 6).
In The R iv e r s id e V i l l a s Murder, when th e r e a re crim es
about the working o f p e o p l e 's minds g e ts much e a s i e r to
153
t r a c e . They seem to become u n dressed., to come o u t i n t o th e
open . T h e r e fo r e , we r e a d A m is's n o v e l f o r th e p e o p le
r a t h e r th a n th e p l o t , a s P e t e r i s l e d to th e h a rd t r u t h s
o f a d u lth o o d . The n o v e l e x p o se s some o f th e u g l y , d i s
g u s t i n g a s p e c t s o f s e x u a l i t y , a s w e l l a s th e d is a p p e a r a n c e
o f a se n se o f j u s t i c e from common l i f e .
Of h i s l a s t t h r e e n o v e ls , The Green Man i s c e r t a i n l y
th e m ost complex and t h e r e f o r e th e most d i f f i c u l t to d e a l
w i t h . M aurice, a s a s p i r i t u a l l y b a n k ru p t man, d e s p a i r s i n
th e f a c e o f a m o ra lly and s p i r i t u a l l y fra g m e n te d u n i v e r s e ,
a s he f a c e s n o t so much a se n se o f p h y s i c a l f e a r a s o f
p s y c h i c h o r r o r . G i r l , 2 0 , on th e o t h e r hand, i s A m is's
most d a te d n o v e l, r e f l e c t i n g a whole s o c i a l e th o s (1967-70)
w hich h a s p a s s e d . Roy V an d erv a n e, a s th e m id d le -a g e d f o o l
who t r i e s to a c t l i k e a k i d , i s by now a c l i c h e .
Looking b ack to A m is's f i r s t f o u r n o v e ls , we see a
c o n t i n u i t y th ro u g h Take A G i r l L ike You, f o r a l l o f them
a r e r o o t e d i n th e a c t u a l w o rld and a r e r e a l i s t i c i n t h a t
th e y a r e g u id e d by what we t h i n k o f a s th e laws o f n a tu r e
i n o r d i n a r y l i f e . We can assum e, f o r i n s t a n c e , t h a t p e o p le
w i l l n o t have s u p e r n a t u r a l p o w e rs, o r t h a t th e dead w i l l
n o t r e t u r n to h a u n t th e l i v i n g . S in ce th e n , how ever, Amis
b e g in s to move away from r e a l i s t i c comedy, a s i f t r y i n g on
d i f f e r e n t g e n re s f o r s i z e . In The A n ti- D e a th L eag u e, The
Green Man and The R i v e r s i d e V i l l a s Murder p a r t i c u l a r l y ,
Amis r e v i s e s h i s p a t t e r n s o f re a lis m --w e a re asked to a c
c e p t th e e x is te n c e o f g h o s t s , f o r exam ple. And w hereas we
remember h i s e a r l y n o v e ls f o r th e g r e a t comic moments, we
remember h i s l a t e r n o v e ls f o r th e co m b in atio n o f t e r r o r ,
d e s p a i r and an a lm o st M anichaen d i s g u s t w ith sex.
In h i s m ajor l a t e r n o v e ls , t h e r e f o r e , Amis c r e a t e s a
s c ie n c e f i c t i o n and m y stery s t o r y w orld f o r p u rp o s e s o t h e r
th a n j u s t to e n t e r t a i n . Ravens, s p e c t e r s , vague m id n ig h t
t e r r o r s , a l l a s s o c i a t e d w ith g u i l t , p ro v id e f i t t i n g emblems
f o r M a u ric e 's s e l f - a b s o r b e d c o n d it i o n , f o r exam ple. In
th e s e n o v e ls , th e e v i l s which l i e i n s t o r e f o r th e l i v i n g
a r e i n c r e a s i n g l y em phasized, and i t i s , p e rh a p s , a p p r o p r i
a t e f o r Amis to su g g e st th e q u a l i t y o f t e r r o r by means o f
th e s e c o n v e n tio n s .
155
FOOTNOTES
"^Kingsley Amis, The Green Man (New Y ork: H a r c o u r t,
B ra c e and Jo v a n o v ic h " I n c . , 1 9 7 0 ), p . 120. A ll s u b s e q u e n t
c i t a t i o n s a r e from t h i s e d i t i o n .
2
C u ltu r e and A n a rc h y , ed. by J . Dover W ilson (London:
Cambridge U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s , 1 9 3 2 ), p . 43-
^ P a r a d i s e L o s t , i n The Com plete P o e t i c a l Works o f John
M i l t o n , e d . by D ouglas B ush, I ( B o s to n : Houghton M i f f l i n
C o ., 1 9 6 5 ), 2 54-55 .
4
The T r a g i c a l H i s t o r y o f D o c to r F a u s t u s , i n E l i z a
b e th a n Drama7 ed . by L eon ard Dean, V (Englewood C l i f f s ,
N . J . : P r e n t i c e - H a l l , I n c . , 1 9 5 0 ), 5 3 2 -3 4 .
5 /
K in g s le y Amis, G i r l , 20 (New York: H a r c o u r t, B ra c e
and J o v a n o v ic h , I n c . 7 1 9 7 2 ), p . 26. A l l s u b s e q u e n t c i t a
t i o n s a r e from t h i s e d i t i o n .
6
"M ystery E ra R e - C r e a t e d , " The Los A n g e les T im es,
S eptem ber 17* 1973* P a r t IV, p . 7 .
^"Sound L a d ," New S ta te s m a n , A p r i l 7* 1973* P- 497-
8t , . .
I b i d .
^ " R e a d e r 's R e p o r t ," The O b s e rv e r (R ev iew ), A p r i l 8,
1973* P. 37-
10
"Auberon Waugh on th e M y s te r i e s o f Hughes and A m is ,"
The S p e c t a t o r , A p r i l 14, 1973* P- 459-
1 l-ri_ .
I b i d .
12
K in g s le y Amis, The R i v e r s i d e V i l l a s Murder (New Y ork:
H a r c o u r t , B ra c e and J o v a n o v ic h , I n c . , 1973)* P- 218. A l l
su b s e q u e n t c i t a t i o n s a r e from t h i s e d i t i o n .
EPILOGUE
S in ce th e e a r l y 1 9 6 0 's , Amis h as d e v o te d m ost o f h i s
tim e to h i s w r i t i n g s . H is ra n g e i s e x t r a o r d i n a r i l y w ide:
th e work he h a s done i n c l u d e s , b e s i d e s f i c t i o n , re v ie w s ,
c r i t i c i s m , humor, s c ie n c e f i c t i o n and t h r i l l e r s , and w ith
lu c k he s t i l l h a s f i f t e e n to tw e n ty y e a r s o f more w r i t i n g
ahead o f him . I t i s d i f f i c u l t to make a d e f i n i t i v e s t a t e
ment a b o u t h i s work b e c a u se h i s c a r e e r i s s t i l l i n p r o g r e s s
and b e c a u se i t i s a chang ing c a r e e r , f i l l e d w ith in n o v a
t i o n s , s u r p r i s e s , and v a r i a t i o n s i n te c h n iq u e and theme.
I f a r e a d e r had e n c o u n te re d o n ly Lucky J im , f o r exam ple,
he c o u ld n e v e r have a n t i c i p a t e d th e combined t e r r o r , s u s
pen se and m e ta p h y s ic a l s p e c u l a t i o n i n The Green Man. In
f a c t , e v e r s in c e th e comic w o rld o f h i s f i r s t t h r e e n o v e ls ,
Amis p u r p o s e ly h a s n o t r e p e a t e d h i m s e l f . As he e x p l a i n s ,
T h is can be s i l l y , b u t I t h i n k i t h e l p s to p r e v e n t one
from r e p e a t i n g h i m s e l f , and G raves sa y s t h e most d r e a d
f u l t h in g i n th e w o rld i s t h a t y o u 'r e w r i t i n g a book
and you su d d e n ly r e a l i z e y o u 'r e w r i t i n g a book y o u 'v e
w r i t t e n b e f o r e . Awful. I h a v e n 't q u i t e done t h a t y e t ,
b u t i t ' s c e r t a i n l y som ething to g u a rd a g a i n s t . ( i n t e r
view)
A ltho ugh a l l o f A m is's n o v e l s - - w i t h th e e x c e p ti o n o f One
F a t E nglishm an and C o lo n e l Sun- - t a k e p l a c e i n E nglan d,
Amis v a r i e s th e s e t t i n g . From a p r o v i n c i a l E n g li s h c o ll e g e
156
to the d issolu te South near London, from an army "base in
the English countryside to a haunted inn in Hertfordshire,
Amis continues to surprise us with what he comes out with,
and there i s no reason to expect him to change. And yet,
despite the d iv ersity of h is w ritings, i t i s possible to
see the dimensions of a general ou tline of what he has
done up to now.
Looking back over nineteen years of Amis's w ritings,
we can see an underlying consistency of moral judgment
quite v is ib le beneath the foolin g. In his fic tio n and
poetry, Amis Is concerned with the n ecessity of trying to
liv e a moral l i f e in the natural world, a l i f e character
ized by decency and common sense, by treating people
r ig h tly and honestly. To express h is point of view in the
early novels. Amis erects a comic world around his hero's
clash with hypocrisy, pretense and pseudo-intellectualism .
In order to cope with sp ec ific in ju s t ic e s , the hero liv e s
an ironic l i f e o f p rotest, relying upon good luck and prac
t ic a l jokes to see him through h is d i f f i c u l t i e s . Through
irony, physical description and Indirect commentary, Amis
manipulates the reader's judgment, so that we fin ish the
novel sympathetic to the hero's point of view.
Although in the early novels Amis's "moral serio u s
ness" i s hidden beneath a comic narrative, by the time he
w rites Take A Girl Like You i t i s the comedy that Is sub-
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merged beneath a more serious treatment with a d e fin ite
moral concern. Irony i s no longer a s u ff ic ie n t defense
against in ju s t ic e and indecent behavior,, and in th is and
succeeding novels we watch as h is characters h op elessly try
to cope with an in creasin gly dangerous world in which love
and r e lig io n have become d isto rted and vulgarized. Take A
Girl Like You also s i g n i f i e s a turning point for Amis's
technique because he no longer remains ou tside the " v il
la in , 1 1 but rather g iv e s a double view --outside and in s id e - -
o f h is character. As a r e s u lt, we are able to understand
some o f the motives behind h is behavior. He has become a
human being now. Moreover, Amis i s able to make us laugh
at h is ch a ra cters' s fru stra tio n s at the very time that he
makes us share the anguish o f them. In h is la t e s t novels
e s p e c ia lly , Amis's view o f contemporary l i f e in England Is
a nightmare in which a l l o f the tr a d itio n a l c e r t a in t ie s - -
lo y a lty , fa ith , love, r e s p o n s ib ility and decency--have b e
come remote. The Anti-Death League and The Green M an
represent a re je c tio n o f the supernatural world view in
which God i s the ultim ate source o f a l l ex isten ce and
value. Rather, e th ic a l standards are to be found not o u t
side o f l i f e but within I t .
In addition to h is d iv e r sity and h is moral preoccupa
tio n s , Amis's characters, exotic s e ttin g s , violence and
drama are a l l e a s ily a c c e s s ib le . That i s , lik e the works
159
of Graham Greene, we can read Amis's novels without having
taken a complete course in modern lite r a tu r e . In the tr a
d itio n o f Waugh and Greene, Amis f u l f i l l s most e f f e c t iv e ly
the n o v e lis t's basic task o f t e llin g a good story. He
uses the r e la tiv e ly simple tra d itio n a l form o f the novel to
entertain and to deal with increasin gly complex moral i s
sues. Therefore, h is f ic tio n i s distinguished by a simple,
tig h t ly constructed and straightforward plot; c la r ity ; and
a lack o f s t y l i s t i c experimentation. Like Waugh, Amis be
gan as a comic en tertainer, but with a serious side as
w e l l .
I t i s d i f f i c u l t to write about Amis because he seems
so a r tle s s and because he does not present the kinds of
problems in surface structure we have been taught to look
for. That i s , modernism engendered a tendency to value
lite r a tu r e that i s obviously complex. Obscurity, complex
i t y and technical v ir tu o s ity characterize the fic tio n o f
James Joyce or William Faulkner, for example, so that the
n o v e lis t who does not present these tends not to be valued
as highly. Such an attitu d e toward Amis's novels i s espe
c i a l l y apparent during h is early years, when many c r i t i c s
treated him as only an entertainer. However, Amis's de
ce p tiv ely simple works have to be looked at c a r efu lly , but
with a kind o f standard that may have been applicable in
the nineteenth century. I t w ill not work to read Amis with
160
a measure s u i t a b l e o n ly to Joyce o r F au lkner. And a s Amis
comments, th e r e a re o th e r kinds o f e x p e rim e n ta tio n b e s id e s
those in s t y l e o r p r e s e n t a t i o n . Each novel i s an e x p e r i
ment because i t i s new, w ith new c h a r a c te r s and new s i t u
a t i o n s . The a u th o r i s , i n a sense, conducting an e x p e r i
ment every time he w r i t e s , wondering w hether th e p o r t r a y a l
o f a p a r t i c u l a r c h a r a c t e r w i l l be p l a u s ib l e and c o n v in cin g ,
o r w hether a s i t u a t i o n w i l l succeed ( i n t e r v i e w ) . Thus,
A m is's i n t e l l e c t u a l and l i t e r a r y a n c e s to r s a n te d a te the
g r e a t m o d ern ist w r i t e r s , to make him i n to a kind o f n i n e
t e e n th - c e n t u r y clergyman: a l i t e r a t e man o f good w i l l who
seeks to p le a s e and i n s t r u c t people o f some i n t e l l i g e n c e .
Amis i s perh ap s i n t e n t i o n a l l y modest and s e l f - d e p r e c a t i n g
when he says o f h im s e lf:
I th in k o f m y self l ik e a s o r t o f mid- o r l a t e - V i c -
t o r i a n p e rs o n , n o t in o u tlo o k b u t in the p o s i t i o n o f
w r itin g a b i t o f p o e tr y , . . . w r itin g n o v e ls , and
being i n t e r e s t e d i n q u e s tio n s o f the day and o c c a s io n
a l l y w r itin g about them and being i n t e r e s t e d i n th e
work o f o th e r w r i t e r s and o c c a s io n a lly w r itin g about
t h a t . I'm n o t e x a c tly an e n t e r t a i n e r pure and sim ple,
not e x a c tly an a r t i s t pure and sim ple, c e r t a i n l y n o t
an i n c i s i v e c r i t i c o f s o c i e t y , and c e r t a i n l y n o t a
p o l i t i c a l f i g u r e , though I'm i n t e r e s t e d in p o l i t i c s ,
b u t combining some o f th o se th in g s . (in te rv ie w )
In p a r t , A m is's r e t u r n to the t r a d i t i o n a l form o f th e
novel i s r e l a t e d to the "new s i n c e r i t y " o f the s o - c a l l e d
"Movement" p o e ts , w ith whom Amis i s i d e n t i f i e d . Although
I am n o t p r i m a r i l y concerned w ith A m is's p o e tr y in my
stu d y , i t i s im p o rta n t to n o tic e the s i m i l a r i t i e s between
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the two g e n r e s . T hat i s , P h i l i p L a rk in , John Wain, Amis
and o t h e r s e x p re s s e d a d i s t r u s t o f a f f e c t a t i o n , p r e t e n s e
and p o s t u r e , and i n s t e a d em phasized c l a r i t y and an a v o id
ance o f e x p e r im e n ta tio n . In r e a c t i o n a g a i n s t th e c o m p lex i
t i e s o f such m o d e rn is t p o e ts as E l i o t and Pound, th e
y o u n g er p o e ts em phasized a b u s i n e s s - l i k e i n t e n t i o n to com
m unicate w ith th e r e a d e r , and r e j e c t e d th e co n v en tio n o f
th e mask, th e p e r s o n a . Because o f t h i s , th e r e a d e r f e e l s
much c l o s e r to th e p o e t now--we a r e v e ry much aware o f th e
p o e t ' s speak in g v o ic e . Like the new p o e t s , th e new n o v e l
i s t s o f A m is's g e n e r a t i o n f e l l back on t r a d i t i o n a l modes o f
f i c t i o n a l e x p r e s s io n .
And f i n a l l y , th e r e t u r n to th e t r a d i t i o n a l form in
f i c t i o n and p o e t r y was i n e v i t a b l e , b e ca u se by 19^5 m odern
ism was l e s s i n f l u e n t i a l f o r t h i s new g e n e r a t i o n o f B r i t i s h
w r i t e r s . U ly s s e s o r F in n eg an s Wake, f o r exam ple, s e t a
s ta n d a r d o f e x c e ll e n c e so h ig h t h a t few c o u ld re a c h i t ; i t
c o u ld accommodate o n ly th e g e n iu s . And a s Amis comments,
"There a re no r e a l g i a n t s in E ngland; t h e r e a re j u s t a l o t
o f q u i t e good n o v e l i s t s " ( i n t e r v i e w ) . A c t u a l ly , i t i s a p
p a r e n t t h a t e v e r s in c e World War I I , th e h i s t o r y o f E n g lis h
f i c t i o n and p o e t r y h as n o t been marked by th e e x p e rim e n ta
t i o n w ith form t h a t we f in d i n co n tem p orary drama. B e g in
n in g w ith th e a p p ea ra n c e o f W aitin g f o r Godot i n 1952, a
whole new t h e a t r e h as d e v e lo p e d , w ith new s ta n d a r d s and
in n o v a tio n s , new l i f e and e x c ite m e n t. And y e t , alth o u g h
Amis does n o t in d u lg e in b o ld t e c h n ic a l in n o v a tio n s , the
novel i s very much a l i v e , because w ith i t Amis can i n c o r
p o ra te a g r e a t d e a l o f contem porary e x p e rie n c e . This i s
e v id e n t from th e m a tu ra tio n o f Amis, as he p r o g r e s s e s from
a f a r c i c a l w orld to engage i n t e n s e l y complex and se rio u s
problems o f contem porary B r i t i s h l i f e . In h i s m ajor
n o v e ls - - Lucky Jim , Take A G i r l Like You, The A nti-D eath
League and The Green Man--Amis t r i e s to u n d e rs ta n d the
t r u t h about some kind o f human s u f f e r in g , and th en p a sse s
i t on to the r e a d e r w ith o u t d i s t o r t i o n , w ith o u t sentim en
t a l i t y , w ith o u t e v a sio n , and w ith o u t o v e rs im p lify in g i t .
His work i s based on a ste ad y in g common se n se.
A P P E N D I X
INTERVIEW WITH KINGSLEY AMIS
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APPENDIX
I n te r v ie w w ith K in g sley Amis, conducted by Dale Salwak on
Ja n u a ry 24 and 30; 1973; a t th e T r a v e l l e r s ' Club, London.
I . How has your w r i t in g been a f f e c t e d sin c e you l e f t
academ ic l i f e ?
W ell, o f c o u rse i t ' s meant t h a t I ' v e had more tim e
and my o u tp u t has gone up, I th in k , in term s o f j u s t
words and books. I th in k t h a t th e o t h e r e f f e c t s
would be more d i f f i c u l t to gauge. To be a f r e e
la n c e w r i t e r w hile doing som ething e l s e and th en to
g iv e i t up to become a f u l l - t i m e w r i t e r means p r e s s
in g a c e r t a i n l o s s o f new e x p e rie n c e . What I m iss
most o f a l l abou t b ein g no lo n g e r i n u n i v e r s i t y l i f e
i s n o t se e in g p e o p le . I see p e o p le , b u t n o t so many,
and o b v io u s ly n o t so many young p e o p le . And I a ls o
meet p e o p le on the b a s i s o f b ein g a w r i t e r , which
i s r a t h e r d i f f e r e n t . When I meet p eo p le f o r th e
f i r s t tim e i t i s on the b a s i s o f I 'm a w r i t e r , you
se e; w hereas in th e u n i v e r s i t y I'm j u s t a n o th e r
p r o f e s s o r , n o th in g very s p e c i a l . But I t h in k t h a t
to gauge th e e f f e c t o f som ething l i k e t h a t on my
w r i t i n g i s d i f f i c u l t . Somebody l i k e you o r somebody
164
165
in f i f t y y e a r s 's tim e, i f the books a re s t i l l in
e x is te n c e , w i l l be a b le to say, b u t i t ' s hard f o r
me to say more than t h a t .
I I . Did you fin d th e re was any value in te a c h in g a t
P rin c e to n , f o r example, o th e r than t h a t a novel
came from the e x p e rie n c e ? I r e c a l l Anthony B ur
g e s s 's comment t h a t he h a te d the e x p e rie n c e .
I had a very good time in P rin c e to n in d ee d --o n e o f
th e b e s t y e a r s o f my l i f e , p erh ap s the most e n jo y
a b le , and crammed w ith i n c i d e n t . I ' d h eard t h a t
B urgess had a bad tim e, and a p p a r e n tly they f e l t
t h e y 'd had r a t h e r a bad time from B urgess, too.
But we m u s tn 't go i n t o t h a t . You say o u t o f t h a t
e x p e rie n c e came a n o v e l - - t h a t i s tr u e in a sense b u t
i t ' s s o r t o f l i k e a f r e e b i t o f e x tr a e x p erien ce
t h a t can be c o n v erted i n to a novel a f t e r going
through o f co urse l o t s o f in te rm e d ia te p r o c e s s e s .
And I suppose one could a ls o say t h a t my e x p erien ce
i n u n i v e r s i t y l i f e a t Swansea gave me a n ovel, b u t
I ' d begun t h a t novel n o t only b e fo re I ' d come t o 't h e
u n i v e r s i t y , b u t b e fo re I ' d th o u g h t o f coming to i t .
I t had been in my head f o r y e a r s , beg in n in g in about
19^6 when I went to L e i c e s t e r U n iv e rs ity where my
f r i e n d P h i l i p L arkin was, on th e l i b r a r y s t a f f .
And as soon a s I went i n to the common room and saw
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a l l th o s e p e o p le , I th o u g h t, somebody o u g h t to do
som ething a b o u t t h i s .
But a s f o r th e g e n e r a l p o s i t i o n o f th e w r i t e r on
campus, I t h i n k i t ' s q u i t e a n ic e t h in g to b e . I ' v e
r e t u r n e d to th e u n i v e r s i t y f i e l d b r i e f l y i n 1 9 6 7- 6 8 ,
a t V a n d e r b i l t U n i v e r s i t y . T here I j u s t found I had
to work too h a r d . They p a id me q u i t e w e l l , b u t I
had to work q u i t e h a r d . Nobody who h a s n ' t ta u g h t
knows t h i s , r e a l l y , n o r f u l l y a p p r e c i a t e s how t i r i n g
i t i s to g iv e t h r e e h o u r s o f p e r s o n a l i n s t r u c t i o n - -
y o u r s e l f and one u n d e r g r a d u a t e , he b r i n g s h i s e s s a y ,
you r e a d h i s e s s a y , you d i s c u s s i t . O n e 's g i v in g to
a c e r t a i n e x t e n t an impromptu l e c t u r e . To an a u d i
ence o f o n ly o n e . And I re c k o n i t i s a b o u t o n e -
t h i r d a s t i r i n g a s a p p e a r in g on t e l e v i s i o n , w hich i s
v e ry t i r i n g . And you w o u l d n 't e x p e c t doing an
h o u r 's t e l e v i s i o n and coming home to do a n y th in g
e x c e p t w atch more t e l e v i s i o n . The o t h e r th in g i s - -
I d o n 't know how g e n e r a l t h i s i s - - b u t I f i n d i t v e ry
d i f f i c u l t to s t a r t work l a t e r i n th e day. U n le ss
I ' v e done a c e r t a i n amount by lu n c h tim e , I f i n d i t
tre m e n d o u s ly h a r d , i m p o s s i b l e to s t a r t a f t e r lu n c h ,
and v e ry h a rd to s t a r t i n th e e v e n i n g . T h a t ' s
a n o th e r p u r e l y p r a c t i c a l p o i n t .
167
I I I . Do you w r ite f o r an i d e a l au d ie n ce ?
I w r ite in one sense f o r my c lo s e f r i e n d s and my
w ife , and in one sense f o r a s o r t o f i d e a l r e a d e r ,
and by i d e a l t h i s means a s h a r p ly c r i t i c a l r e a d e r ,
somebody who n o t ic e s t h i n g s . J u s t as a s o r t o f
p r a c t i c a l d e t a i l , my w ife and I re a d ou r d a y 's work
to each o t h e r whenever we can, around 8 P.M., o v e r
a d r in k . Very o f te n one w i l l say, "Ah, you c a n 't
say t h a t , y o u 'v e j u s t used t h a t w ord." So t h a t i s
an a u d ien ce t h a t one i s w r i t i n g f o r . More than
t h a t , o f t e n you sp o t th e th in g y o u r s e l f as you re a d
i t . You c o n s t r u c t an i d e a l r e a d e r who i s a s o r t o f
r e s u l t a n t o f y o u r c lo s e f r i e n d s , a r e a d e r who s h a re s
y our o u tlo o k a l o t b u t i s c r i t i c a l . So a s a fe llo w
c ra ftsm a n you want to a v o id r e p e t i t i o n o f words,
b e g in n in g two c o n s e c u tiv e s e n te n c e s w ith such words
a s "he was" and " th e r e w as," s t r i v i n g alw ays to i n
tro d u c e th e s e v a r i e t i e s , a v o id in g u n n e c e ssa ry
a l l i t e r a t i o n .
IV. Do you have an a u d ien ce in mind when w r i t in g your
rev ie w s?
T h e r e 's a l o t o f the same a s I 'v e been m en tio ning .
But th e r e a re one o r two a d d it i o n s and s u b t r a c t i o n s .
I c e r t a i n l y have t r i e d to produce a s w e l l- tu r n e d a
168
s e r i e s o f s e n t e n c e s a s i f I were w r i t i n g f i c t i o n .
T h e r e 's a l s o o t h e r t h i n g s , l i k e annoying p e o p le ,
which i s i m p o r t a n t , and a ls o p u sh in g f o r y o u r s o r t
o f l i t e r a t u r e and p u sh in g a g a i n s t what you t h i n k i s
in g e n e r a l u n d e s i r a b l e , and so on. E v ery page o f a
book i s a l i t e r a r y s t a te m e n t , a p u t t i n g f o r t h o f a
c e r t a i n l i t e r a t u r e by th e way i t i s sh ap ed , and one
does t h i s more o v e r t l y i n r e v ie w s . I t i s a ls o im
p o r t a n t n o t to go on a b o u t th e d e f e c t s o f a new
w r i t e r . I f you can f i n d som ething good to say a b o u t
a f i r s t n o v e l, say i t . D o n 't do i t on i t s weak
n e s s e s . You can o n ly a t t a c k p e o p le who a r e s e c u re
enough, f o r i t n o t to m a t t e r to them i n a way. I t
may annoy them, f i n e , b u t I w o u l d n 't dream o f b e in g
a s n a s t y a b o u t a young w r i t e r o r u n s u c c e s s f u l w r i t e r
a s I was a b o u t P h i l i p R o th. What I say a b o u t Roth
w i l l make no d i f f e r e n c e to him e x c e p t j u s t to annoy
him, and i t c e r t a i n l y w o n 't a f f e c t him e c o n o m ic a lly .
V. Do you f i n d t h a t w r i t i n g re v ie w s h e lp s you in w r i t
in g f i c t i o n ?
I d o n 't t h i n k so . I t h i n k th e i n t e r e s t s o f t e n go
t o g e t h e r , b u t I d o n 't t h i n k th e y a re com plem entary
i n a way. I f i n d w r i t i n g r e v ie w s , e s p e c i a l l y o f any
l e n g t h , v e ry h a r d w ork. W ith f i c t i o n one i s l e t t i n g
i t come o u t to a c e r t a i n e x ten t* and i t i s in the
c o u rse o f w r i t in g a n ovel t h a t i f you f i n d y o u r s e l f
sayin g what i s t h i s doing i n h e re , alw ays lea v e i t
i n . But i f y o u 'r e w r i t in g a review and you ask
t h a t , c u t i t o u t , becau se then you owe a r e s p o n s i
b i l i t y to th e w r i t e r and the r e a d e r . J u s t because
y o u 'r e i n t e r e s t e d i n a to p ic he spends two s e n te n c e s
d i s c u s s i n g , y o u 'r e n o t th e re b y e n t i t l e d to spend
h a l f y o u r rev ie w d i s c u s s in g i t . You t r y to g iv e an
id e a o f what th e book i s l i k e , and t r y to t e l l th e
r e a d e r o f the review w hether t h e y ' l l e n jo y th e book.
T h a t 's why i t ' s h a r d e r - - t h e r e i s no e sc a p e , you must
s t i c k to th e p r e s c r i b e d l i n e , g e t t h in g s i n t o p r o
p o r t i o n . In a very long c r i t i c a l p i e c e , you can say
I'm now going to tak e a p a ra g ra p h o f f to t a l k about
t h i s b ecause i t i n t e r e s t s me. In f i c t i o n , i f you
say w h a t 's t h i s doing h e re , leav e i t t h e r e . I 'v e
found a g a in and a g a in you in tr o d u c e som ething,
u s u a l l y a c h a r a c t e r , and you spend a l o t o f tim e on
him, and t h e r e ' s no re a so n f o r doing t h i s a t a l l ,
you th in k . In The A n ti-D ea th League, f o r example,
t h e r e ' s a l o t o f t a l k about Gapt. Leonard b e fo r e he
a p p e a rs . When I was w r i t i n g i t (I alw ays b e g in a t
th e b e g in n in g and th en go on to the end and th en
s to p - -a lw a y s fa s h io n in sequence) I wondered, w h a t 's
170
a l l t h i s a b o u t C a p t. L eonard? I l e f t I t i n , and o f
c o u r s e he t u r n e d o u t to be v e ry i m p o r t a n t . I ' d
known t h a t somehow he was g o in g to work o u t . In
I Want I t Now, B i l l Hamer i s i n t r o d u c e d and t h e r e ' s
q u i t e a l o t a b o u t him. Maybe I s h o u ld c u t him down,
I had t h o u g h t. We f i n d o u t , how ever, t h a t he was
g o in g to be th e a g e n t w hereby th e w hole o f th e c a
t a s t r o p h e was to be p r e c i p i t a t e d . Graham G reene
s a i d t h e o t h e r day t h a t h e ' l l w r i t e an e p is o d e t h a t
he d o e s n ' t u n d e r s t a n d a t a l l , and th e n 3 0 ,0 0 0 w ords
l a t e r w i l l f i n d o u t .
V I. Do you h av e any s t a n d a r d s f o r s e l e c t i n g books to
re v ie w ?
A l o t o f t h i s i s j u s t c h a n c e - - w h a t ' s a v a i l a b l e ,
w h o 's a v a i l a b l e . I 'm f r i e n d l y w ith th e l i t e r a r y
e d i t o r o f The O b s e rv e r and a l s o w i t h The New S t a t e s
man and S p e c t a t o r , and som etim es t h e y ' l l have a
book w hich I m ig h t l i k e to r e a d . O c c a s i o n a l l y I
w i l l p i c k a book f o r m y s e lf , and I n t h i s c a s e I
have to shop a ro u n d . T hese d a y s, f o r t u n a t e l y , I
d o n 't have to depend upon r e v i e w i n g . I o n ly r e v ie w
when I 'm p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t e r e s t e d i n th e book o r th e
s u b j e c t .
171
V II. Anthony B u rg e ss, I b e l i e v e , has commented t h a t a
w r i t e r in America i s a t an a d v an tag e o v e r a w r i t e r
i n E ngland, b e ca u se o f th e s o c i a l ferm e n t and s o c i a l
change. Can you comment on t h i s ?
Yes. I t h i n k t h a t t h a t ' s a b s o l u t e r u b b i s h . Much
a s I l i k e B u rg e ss, I adm ire h i s work, I d i d n ' t see
any s o c i a l fe rm e n t. You d o n 't e x p e c t to g e t s o c i a l
fe rm e n t in P r in c e to n , p e rh a p s , n o t in 1958-59 any
way. You m ight e x p e c t to g e t some s o c i a l ferm en t in
N a s h v i l le , i n 1967., and I h e a rd a l i t t l e a b o u t i t ,
b u t I d i d n ' t see any. I'm s u r p r i s e d t h a t B u rgess
sh o u ld say t h a t b e cau se you d o n 't have to see s o c i a l
fe rm e n t, f o r i n s t a n c e , to w r i t e a b o u t i t . A ll you
need i s an a b i l i t y to re a d th e p a p e r s and to im ag
i n e . I f I w anted to I co u ld ru n you up a re a s o n a b ly
c o n v in c in g a c c o u n t o f a r i o t in N a s h v i l le , though I
n e v e r saw such a t h in g . And th e i d e a t h a t t h i s i s
somehow b e t t e r th an w r i t i n g a b o u t p e o p le doing t h e i r
shopping and c o n v e rs in g w ith t h e i r c h i l d r e n and
f a l l i n g i n love and so on i s q u i t e u n a c c e p ta b le to
me.
You c o u ld p u t i t th e o t h e r way a ro u n d , i n f a c t , and
say t h a t a w r i t e r i n th e U n ite d S t a t e s m ight u se up,
n o t w a s te , b u t u s e up a l o t o f h i s tim e ta k in g s id e s
on t h in g s and i f n o t b e in g a c t i v e a t any r a t e w o rry
in g and t r y i n g to f i n d o u t more. In E ngland t h e r e
a re th in g s to tak e s id e s about,, b u t the p r e s s u r e s
a re l e s s , and I would say t h i s i s r e f l e c t e d in th e
r e l a t i v e q u a l i t y o f American and B r i t i s h w r i t i n g .
I'm v ery pro-A m erican by i n s t i n c t and by e x p e r ie n c e ,
and l i k e any Englishm an o f my tim e, about a t h i r d
o f my c u l t u r e i s A m erican--som ething which I d o n 't
mind a t a l l . But I have a very low o p in io n o f
American w r i t i n g , and th o se supposed g i a n t f i g u r e s
l i k e Saul Bellow and P h i l i p Roth d o n 't a p p e a l to me
a t a l l . You se e , t h e r e a r e no r e a l g i a n t s in Eng
la n d , th e r e a re j u s t a l o t o f q u i t e good n o v e l i s t s .
V I I I . What a re y o ur f e e l i n g s abou t the p o l i t i c a l n o v el?
Norman M a ile r has made a way o f l i f e o u t o f t h i s f o r
th e p a s t ten y e a r s . George O rw ell o c c a s i o n a l l y u se d
th e con v en tio n o f th e n o v e l f o r p o l i t i c a l s t a t e
m ents. Do you see any s i m i l a r i t i e s between y o u r s e l f
and O rw ell?
I ' d be f l a t t e r e d to th in k t h e r e were any s i m i l a r i
t i e s between m y se lf and O rw ell. I t h in k t h a t w ith
th e e x c e p tio n o f Animal Farm, which i s an i n c r e d i b l e
f r e a k o f n a t u r e —u n i q u e - - I d o n 't re g a rd O rw ell a s
much o f a n o v e l i s t a t a l l . A f i n e w r i t e r and a man
w ith m arvelous i d e a s , b u t lo ok a t h i s n o v e ls .
Coming Up For A ir i s ab su rd as a n o v e l. 1984 h as
g o t some m arvelous i d e a s , b u t no n a r r a t i v e p r e s s u r e .
You g e t one s i t u a t i o n and th en a n o th e r s i t u a t i o n and
a n o t h e r , and t h a t ' s a b o u t i t . I t ’ s r e p e t i t i v e . You
g e t i t a l s o i n h i s b e s t n o v e l, Burmese D ays, w hich
i s n e a r e s t to b e in g a n o v e l . A man i s i n a h o p e l e s s
s i t u a t i o n , m eets a g i r l who he s e e s to be g o in g to
p u l l him o u t o f th e h o p e l e s s s i t u a t i o n and she l e t s
him down. Same t h i n g a s i n 1 9 8 4 .
As r e g a r d s M a i le r , I t h i n k t h a t ' s a w o n d e rfu l e x
ample o f s e l f - r u i n a t i o n by g o in g i n f o r p o l i t i c s .
When I r e a d The Naked and th e Dead I th o u g h t wow,
lo o k o u t c h a p s, h e r e ' s somebody on th e s c a l e o f
D ick en s o r E l i o t , b e t t e r w a tch him c l o s e l y . B u t I
n e e d n 't have w o r r i e d , b e c a u s e h e ' s s y s t e m a t i c a l l y
d e s t r o y e d h i s t a l e n t by b e in g r a t h e r s i l l y . Very
i n t e l l i g e n t man, b r i l l i a n t g i f t s . He was a n o v e l i s t
i n th e v e ry se n se t h a t O rw ell i s n ' t - - h e c o u ld n a r
r a t e and d e v e lo p . A l l t h i s s e m i - p o l i t i c a l r u b b i s h
h a s made M a ile r j u s t a h o llo w s h e l l . I c a n ' t r e a d
him anym ore. T h is i s w hat h a p p e n s to Am erican
w r i t e r s a l o t , i n t h a t t h e y c e a s e to become w r i t e r s
and become i n s t i t u t i o n s . Too s u c c e s s f u l , to o much
money and som eth in g h a p p e n s to them . T here i s so
much t e m p t a t io n to become a n a t i o n a l f i g u r e t h a t you
can become i t , a s h a s h a p p en ed to M a ile r and to
Jam es B aldw in ( i n a r a t h e r d i f f e r e n t w ay ), a lth o u g h
174
I d o n 't t h in k Baldwin had a n y th in g l i k e M a i l e r 's
n a t u r a l t a l e n t . Or you can d is a p p e a r l i k e S a l i n g e r ,
whose doom I la y s q u a r e ly a t th e door o f The New
Y ork er magazine f o r pay in g him th e r e t a i n e r . There
a re some p e o p le who f l o u r i s h on b e in g p a id r e t a i n e r s
b e ca u se i t s to p s them w orry ing ab o u t how t h e y 'r e
go ing to pay f o r th e g r o c e r i e s n e x t week. Very few,
however. I t h in k most p e o p le need a l i t t l e p r e s s u r e
l i k e t h a t .
IX. What i s t h e r e to w r i t e ab out in England today?
A nything. That q u e s t io n b r i n g s up th e whole q u e s
t i o n o f what th e n o v e l i s t i s up to . And t h i s b r i n g s
up a n o th e r th in g which I t h in k i s in fa v o r o f the
B r i t i s h w r i t e r h e r e - - h e i s n o t d i s t r a c t e d from h i s
p r o p e r t a s k , which i s to w r i t e a b o u t human n a tu r e ,
th e perm anent t h in g s in human n a t u r e . I c o u ld r e e l
you o f f a l i s t as long a s y our arm, b e g in n in g w ith
a m b itio n , s e x u a l d e s i r e , v a in g l o r y , f o o l i s h n e s s - -
t h e r e ' s q u i t e enough t h e r e to keep p e o p le w r i t i n g .
Of c o u rse th e term s i n which th e s e q u a l i t i e s e x p re s s
th em se lv e s must be co n tem p o rary , u n l e s s o n e 's w r i t
in g a h i s t o r i c a l n o v e l, and I see n o th in g a g a i n s t
t h a t . I f you say , f o r I n s t a n c e , I 'm so i n t e r e s t e d
175
in the anatomy o f am b itio n o r je a lo u s y t h a t I'm
d e l i b e r a t e l y going to tak e i t o u ts id e th e p r e s e n t
c o n te x t, so t h e r e ' l l be no d i s t r a c t i o n , and I 'm g o
in g to go back to the 18th c e n t u r y - - t h e r e , n o b o d y 's
going to say what a t r u e comment on th e p r e s e n t
scen e, b ecau se I d o n 't want them doing t h a t , I want
them to c o n c e n tr a te on my s u b j e c t . The d r e s s in
which th e s e a b s t r a c t i o n s a re c lo th e d must be con
tem porary, u n l e s s h e 's d e ta c h in g them d e l i b e r a t e l y ,
and th e contem porary d e t a i l s must be r i g h t .
But i t ' s n o t the job o f the n o v e l i s t to r e p r e s e n t
th e contem porary scene in any sen se. He may tu rn
o u t to be doing t h a t , i f h e 's any good he may tu r n
o u t to be p o r t r a y i n g th e contem porary scene, and
p e rh a p s l a t e r be a source f o r s o c i a l h i s t o r i a n s ,
b u t t h a t ' s n o t a th in g you can t r y to do. I f you
t r y to do t h a t you become e i t h e r p ro p a g a n d is t o r
t r i v i a l . D ick en s, f o r i n s t a n c e , had c e r t a i n th in g s
which he wanted to say about h i s contem porary scen e,
a lth o u g h most o f t h a t , th e s o r t o f s o c i a l refo rm in g
elem ent in D ickens, was a l i t t l e b i t b e h in d th e s o
c i a l c lo c k . He would n o t tak e up a cause u n l e s s i t
had’ been p r e t t y h e a r t i l y tak e n up by th e p e o p le i n
advance. What p r i m a r i l y i n t e r e s t e d him, I'm s u r e ,
was how e x t r a o r d i n a r y p e o p le a r e . What e x t r a o r d i
n a ry t h i n g s th e y can do and say when th e y a re v e ry
h y p o c r i t i c a l , when t h e y 'r e v e ry r e s p e c t a b l e and when
t h e y 'r e v e ry mean. And, i n c i d e n t a l l y , o f c o u rs e he
w i l l show them b e in g h y p o c r i t i c a l and mean and so
on i n a c o n te m p o ra ry f a s h i o n , w e arin g co n te m p o ra ry
c l o t h e s i n a l l p o s s i b l e s e n s e s o f th e term .
D ick en s i s a p e r p e t u a l d is a p p o in tm e n t to me. I
keep r e a d in g him, and one o f th e t h i n g s a b o u t him
t h a t can be s a i d i n h i s f a v o r i s t h a t he h a s i n
s p i r e d a l o t o f good and i n t e r e s t i n g c r i t i c i s m ,
w hich means t h e r e must be som ething to th e man.
Somehow, w r i t i n g a b o u t D ickens seems to make a
c r i t i c w r i t e a t h i s b e s t , so I 'm f r e q u e n t l y p e r
su ad ed to t r y D ickens a g a i n . B ut I can n e v e r r e a l l y
f e e l happy w ith him, sim p ly t h a t on v i r t u a l l y e v e r y
page t h e r e i s some w o n d e rfu l p i e c e o f o b s e r v a t i o n o r
a jo k e o r a t u r n o f p h r a s e and on th e same page
t h e r e w i l l be some f e a r f u l p i e c e o f s e n t i m e n t a l i t y ,
v u l g a r i t y o f s t y l e , p e r h a p s a jo k e t h a t d o e s n 't come
o f f - - t h o u g h t h a t ' s n o t so f r e q u e n t-~ a n d i t ' s too
much l i k e h a v in g a ro ugh r i d e i n a c a r . J u s t a s one
t h i n k s h e ' s g o in g w e l l t h e r e ' s a sudden j o l t and one
has to s e t t l e down a g a i n . I f i n d him to o u n s e t t l i n g
177
to re a d . His good c h a r a c t e r s , e s p e c i a l l y the women,
a re r e a l l y l i k e p l a s t e r d o l l s . He i s good when h e 's
"being comic, though he g e t s c a r r i e d away e a s i l y .
He i s good e s p e c i a l l y when h e 's b ein g s i n i s t e r .
And, th e r e a re m arvelous a p p e a ra n c e s. A c r i t i c r e
marked t h a t he i s very good a t in tr o d u c in g good
c h a r a c t e r s , and t h a t i s more than the sim ple th in g
i t may sound, becau se the c h a r a c t e r i t s e l f i s good.
And th e moment i s always r i g h t , and e x a c tl y enough
amount o f a t t e n t i o n i s p a id to the new c h a r a c t e r .
I g iv e him a l l t h a t , b u t i t ' s th e se i n e q u a l i t i e s o f
t e x t u r e t h a t d i s t u r b me.
X. Y ou've o f t e n e x p re ss e d a d m ira tio n f o r th e w r i t i n g s
o f Henry F i e ld i n g . What i s i t you admire about h i s
work? Has he in f lu e n c e d y o u r own w r i t in g s ?
W ell, I th in k i t ' s v ery d i f f i c u l t f o r the s u b je c t
h im s e lf to t a l k a b o u t o r i d e n t i f y i n f l u e n c e s on h i s
own work. T h a t 's r e a l l y f o r o t h e r s to s e e . I d o n 't
mean i t ' s im proper f o r the s u b je c t to comment on
t h a t , I j u s t t h in k i t ' s very d i f f i c u l t . F ie ld in g I
adm ire, i n a se n se , f o r th e s i m p l i c i t y o f h i s m oral
u n i v e r s e , o r p e rh a p s I envy him t h a t . I t d o e s n 't
come from any s i m p l i c i t y in F ie ld in g h im s e lf in t h a t
h e ' s a n a iv e w r i t e r - - n o t h i n g l i k e t h a t . I th in k I t
I s p e rh a p s a m a tte r o f the time as much as the
178
a u t h o r , t h a t t h e r e a r e c e r t a i n t i e s a b o u t w hat c o n
s t i t u t e s good and b ad b e h a v i o r and good and bad
p e o p le i n F i e l d i n g ' s w o rld t h a t a r e i m p o s s i b l e t o
d ay . T h a t 's one t h i n g . I a l s o f i n d him i n p a r t i c u
l a r a v e r y funny w r i t e r , j u s t f u n n i e r th a n S m o l l e t t
whom I a l s o adm ire f o r th e same s o r t s o f r e a s o n s .
A ls o , h i s i r o n y a g a in i s sim p le i r o n y . Some w i l l
f i n d i t heav y i r o n y , b u t e x tr e m e ly e f f e c t i v e and
som etim es v e ry m oving, when he p r e t e n d s to adm ire
bad b e h a v i o r , f o r exam ple, and when he p r e t e n d s to
d e s p i s e good b e h a v i o r . As I sa y , i t ' s a l l v e ry
sim p le and c l e a r c u t . I a l s o l i k e th e k n o ck ab o u t
f a r c e . A l o t o f i t i s v e ry b a s i c o l d - f a s h i o n e d
E n g l i s h hum or, a lm o s t coming down to p e o p le f a l l i n g
o f f s t e p l a d d e r s , y o u n g e r p e o p le f a l l i n g o u t o f
t h e i r c h a i r s , p e o p le g e t t i n g h i t o v e r t h e i r f a c e s
w i t h l e g s o f m u tto n . I e n jo y t h a t . And, I t h i n k
he g e t s away w ith d e s c r i b i n g t e n d e r e m o t i o n s - - l o v e ,
f o r e x a m p l e - - f a r b e t t e r th a n a lm o s t any o t h e r
n o v e l i s t u n t i l much more r e c e n t l y . T h e r e 's n o t h in g
mawkish o r a b s u r d i n Tom J o n e s ' s lo v e f o r Soph ia
W eston. One d o e s n 't a t any tim e w ince o r have to
make a l l o w a n c e s , a s one u n f o r t u n a t e l y h a s to so
o f t e n i n r e a d i n g D ic k e n s.
179
X I. C o n sid e rin g y o u r background and e d u c a tio n , d id you
f i n d i t p a r t i c u l a r l y d i f f i c u l t b r e a k in g i n t o th e
e s ta b l is h m e n t as a young w r i t e r ?
No. I want to r e c o r d an em phatic no to t h a t o n e .
I s t a r t e d o f f w ith no s o c i a l a d v a n ta g e s a t a l l . I
a c q u ir e d two v e ry s u b s t a n t i a l o n e s. Having been to
Oxford and hav ing g o t te n a good d e g re e a t Oxford
h e lp e d a g r e a t d e a l . And I ' d h e a rd t h e r e was a
th in g c a l l e d th e London l i t e r a r y r a c k e t which
p e o p le u s e d to t a l k a b o u t v e ry much i n th e e a r l y
1 9 5 0 's , t h a t i t was a l l an i n t e r l o c k i n g netw ork in
which Jo n e s would rev iew S m ith 's book fa v o r a b ly and
v ic e v e r s a , i n which jo b s were g iv e n to p e o p le y o u 'd
been to sc h o o l w ith , and a l l t h a t . T hat may have
been g oin g on b u t I n e v e r saw i t , and i t n e v e r d id
me any harm. I found my p r o g r e s s unimpeded by any
e x t e r n a l m a t t e r s o f t h a t s o r t . P erh ap s p e o p le have
been s ta b b in g me in th e back a l l th e tim e w ith o u t
me n o t i c i n g i t . But i t showed me t h a t what I had
th o u g h t when I was younger ( i n my t e e n s and tw en
t i e s ) - - t h e view t h a t B r i t a i n i s a v e ry r i g i d , s t r u c
t u r e d , s e p a r a t e d s o c i e t y , and t h a t i t i s v e ry d i f
f i c u l t to b re a k th ro u g h from one c l a s s to a n o t h e r - -
was q u i t e u n t r u e , and i t ' s on th e d e c r e a s e . In my
y o u th , England was n o t v e ry s t r a t i f i e d , and i t ' s
X II.
l e s s so now. I t ' s alw ays been a l l e g e d t h a t the
E n g lis h , p a r t i c u l a r l y th e E n g lis h a s d i s t i n c t from
th e o t h e r B r i t i s h , have an u p p e r - c l a s s a c c e n t and
v a rio u s kin d s o f i n f e r i o r a c c e n ts , b u t even t h a t i s
going now. I t would be very d i f f i c u l t a t any r a t e
f o r a n o n -e x p e rt to d i f f e r e n t i a t e the way P rin c e s s
Anne t a l k s , f o r example, from somebody who I s e a r n
in g 20 pounds in a b o u tiq u e .
I'm aware o f the d i f f e r e n c e s in background between
y o u r s e l f and Evelyn Waugh, b u t do you see any s im i
l a r i t i e s between y o u r w r i t in g and h is ?
W ell, I ' d l i k e to , because I adm ire Evelyn Waugh
v e ry much. I ' d l i k e to t h in k t h a t I could be as
funny a s he, and w r ite as g r a c e f u l l y a s he does.
He was a t e r r i f i c snob, he was funny ab out b eing a
snob, b u t he was a snob. He d id make h i s way from
th e o r d in a r y m iddle c l a s s e s ( h i s f a t h e r was a book
s e l l e r ) up i n t o th e f r i n g e s o f th e E n g lis h a r i s t o c
r a c y alm o st by an e f f o r t o f w i l l and by h i s b e h a v io r
and by th e p e o p le he c u l t i v a t e d . So t h a t ' s a d i f
f e re n c e t h e r e .
A gain, i t ' s very d i f f i c u l t f o r me to have the d e
tachm ent to comment on h i s i n f l u e n c e . I can c e r
t a i n l y say what I t h i n k abou t him. The humor i s
v e ry much la u g h in g t h a t one may n o t weep, and i t ' s
o n ly dawned on me r e c e n t l y , h a v in g th o u g h t D e c lin e
and F a l l (w hich I s t i l l t h i n k i s h i s b e s t book) was
"m ere ly " a v e ry funny b o o k - - a b s u r d m is a d v e n tu r e s
b e a u t i f u l l y and e l e g a n t l y d e s c r i b e d - - i t dawned on
me t h a t i t i s t h a t and i t ' s a ls o an a g o n iz e d c r y o f
p r o t e s t a g a i n s t th e i n j u s t i c e s o f l i f e , and r e a l l y
a v e ry A n ti- D e a th League s o r t o f book. The i n j u s
t i c e s a r e n o t s o c i a l i n j u s t i c e s , b u t cosm ic i n j u s
t i c e s b u i l t i n t o th e s y s te m , and I t h i n k a l o t o f
p e o p le m isse d t h i s . Edmund W ilson w ro te t h a t
E v ely n Waugh fou nd c r u e l t h i n g s a r e fu nny b e c a u s e
he d id n o t u n d e r s t a n d them . F o r once W ilso n , who I
r e s p e c t h i g h l y , had g o t i t c o m p le te ly w rong. Waugh
may n o t have u n d e r s t o o d th e c r u e l t h i n g s , b u t he
d i d n ' t f i n d them fu n n y . He t u r n e d them i n t o humor,
w hich i s a v e ry d i f f e r e n t t h i n g . When L i t t l e Lord
T an g e n t d i e s i n D e c lin e and F a l l , t h a t i s made
fu n n y , b u t t h i s i s th e r e s p o n s e o f a man who t h i n k s
t h a t such t h i n g s a r e d r e a d f u l . J o k e s a b o u t d e a th
d o n ' t mean t h a t th e j o k e s t e r f i n d s d e a t h fu n n y .
And a s I say I o n ly r e a l i z e d t h i s r e c e n t l y . When
p o o r P e n n y f e a t h e r f i n d s h i m s e l f i n p r i s o n f o r some
body e l s e ' s c rim e , t h i s i s n o t funny b u t i t ' s made
fu n n y . Waugh d o e s n 't t h i n k i t ' s hum orous t h a t l i f e
182
I s f i l l e d w ith i n j u s t i c e s , , h u t he makes jo k es a b o u t
th e s e t e r r i b l e f a c t s .
D eclin e and F a l l was w r i t t e n b e fo re Waugh became a
C a th o lic , I b e l i e v e , and I t h in k t h a t i f you a re as
touched and moved and shaken by what seemed to be
the u n f o r g iv a b le c r u e l t i e s o f e x is te n c e , then th e r e
a r e n ' t many ways o u t. I n s a n i t y i s one, j o in in g th e
C a th o lic Church i s a n o th e r, and perh ap s he had
o t h e r s . But I t h in k t h a t ' s what put him t h e r e .
What I f in d d is a g r e e a b l e i n him i s when he seems to
eq u ate h ig h p o s i t i o n in the s o c i a l h i e r a r c h y w ith
m e r it, e n t i t l i n g them to be tak en s e r i o u s l y . I f
y o u 'r e L ord-som ething o r th e D u k e - o f - th a t, o r p e r
haps you have no t i t l e b u t y o u r a n c e s to r s have l i v e d
in th e same house f o r 400 y e a r s , y o u 'r e somehow more
w orthy o f c o n s i d e r a t i o n , more w orthy o f b ein g ta k e n
more s e r i o u s l y , than somebody who comes from n o
w here. And I t h in k a l l h i s books a re to some e x te n t
d i s f i g u r e d by t h a t and by th e o p p o s i t e - - t h e sn e e rin g
a t p e o p le who as th e y say come from n o th in g . B ut a
m arvelous w r i t e r and a man w ith a g r e a t sense o f th e
h o r r o r o f t h in g s , o f th e a p p a llin g n e s s o f t h in g s and
th e humor o f th in g s , and a ls o a man f u l l o f c o n t r a
d i c t i o n s . I ' v e made him sound v ery h a rd , b u t h e ' s
c a p a b le o f t h e s e sudden am azing f l a s h e s o f sympathy.,
a man o f much w id e r sy m p a th ie s th a n one m ight t h i n k .
Who d o e s he d e s p i s e more th a n Ambrose i n P u t Out
More F la g s (who i s c e r t a i n l y J e w is h , hom osexual and
c e r t a i n l y an a e s t h e t e w ith v e ry l i t t l e b a c k b o n e ) ,
and y e t i t ' s p e r f e c t l y c l e a r t h a t Waugh t a k e s h i s
s i d e , and t h i n k s h i s s u f f e r i n g s a r e u n j u s t and
a p p a l l i n g .
X I I I . Looking b a ck on y o u r own c a r e e r , can you r e c o n s t r u c t
f o r me th e way i n w hich th e "Angry Young Men" a r o s e ?
As a lw a y s, I t h i n k i t was a l l c e r t a i n l y n o t one o r
two t h i n g s . R a t h e r , i t was a c o m b in a tio n o f a c c i
d e n t s . One was t h a t i t so h appened t h a t t h r e e o r
f o u r w r i t e r s ( m y s e lf i n c l u d e d ) , none o f whom w ere
from u p p e r - c l a s s b a c k g ro u n d s o r had been to p u b l i c
s c h o o ls i n th e B r i t i s h s e n s e , em erged a t a b o u t th e
same tim e . And th e y w ere a l l r o u g h ly o f an a g e ,
and i t so h ap p en ed t h a t t h e r e had b een a k in d o f
d e la y e d a c t i o n e f f e c t a f t e r t h e w ar. John Wain
a p p e a re d , i t so h a p p e n e d , i n 1953- I t h i n k t h e r e
was a f e e l i n g o f e x h a u s t i o n a f t e r th e w ar. The
o l d e r w r i t e r s w ere s t i l l w r i t i n g , b u t n o te f o r some
r e a s o n , t h i s i s a b o u t seven o r e i g h t y e a r s , no new
w r i t e r o f any fam e, any n o t e , had a p p e a re d . I
t h in k t h i s was p a r t l y "because p e o p le were busy
p u t t i n g t h e i r l i v e s t o g e t h e r a g a in . I was 23 when
th e war ended, and I s p e n t th e n e x t few y e a r s t r y i n g
v e ry h a rd to g e t a good d eg ree a t O xford, o v e r
whelmed by g e t t i n g m a rrie d and f in d in g a lm o st s im u l
t a n e o u s ly t h e r e were su d d e n ly two b a b ie s i n th e
h o u se , and g e t t i n g a job and w orking h a rd a t t h a t .
There was t h i s lag o f e i g h t - t e n y e a r s a f t e r th e war
when n o th in g happened. Then by a s e r i e s o f c o i n c i
d e n c e s, w ith in t h r e e y e a r s , John Wain a p p e a re d , I
a p p e a re d , John B r a in e , John Osborne, I r i s Murdoch
and C o lin W ilson a l l a p p e a re d . And o t h e r s . Now
t h a t lo o k s l i k e a movement, and I can q u i t e se e ,
s in c e th e r e was t h i s b u s i n e s s o f n o n - u p p e r - c la s s n e s s
(m iddle c l a s s , m iddle u p p e r c l a s s p e rh a p s , b u t c e r
t a i n l y n o t u p p e r c l a s s ) p e o p le co u ld be f o rg iv e n f o r
m is ta k in g t h i s f o r a s o r t o f m inor r e v o l u t i o n o r
t u r n i n g p o i n t in E n g lis h w r i t i n g . I d o n 't t h in k i t
r e a l l y was t h a t , b u t i t had th e look o f b e in g one.
As r e g a r d s t h i n g s i n s o c i e t y , I t h i n k t h e r e was a
s l i g h t d is a p p o in tm e n t w ith th e f i r s t Labour g o v e rn
m ent. I would say p ro b a b ly everybody, o f th o se I
m en tio n ed and o f l e s s e r n o t e , had v o ted f o r Labour
i n 19^5 j and th en in 1951 Labour was o u t o f power,
185
and I th in k th e r e was a s l i g h t d isa p p o in tm e n t. We
had n a iv e ly ex pected t h a t i t was going to be d i f
f e r e n t , n o t t h a t Labour had f o r th e f i r s t time in
B r i t i s h h i s t o r y come to power w ith a m a jo rity ( f o r
th e re had been l i t t l e Labour governm ents, the f i r s t
one in 1929* each fo r a few months o r a y e a r o r two
a t a tim e, b u t in a m in o rity governing o nly w ith the
con sen t o f th e L i b e r a l s ) . Now Labour had d e s tro y e d
the L ib e r a l p a r t y , and had a la r g e m a jo r ity in the
House to l a t e in 1950. They could do what they
l ik e d . The P a rty d id have bad lu c k , o f c o u rse , b e
cause B r i t a i n was g ra v e ly weakened and ex h au sted by
the war, b u t n e v e r mind, th e m illen iu m had n o t come.
And I th in k th e r e was a b i t o f t h a t in the w r i t in g s
o f th e p e r io d .
A nother re a so n why the th in g was made to look l i k e a
movement i s the f a c t t h a t th e n o v e ls and the p la y s
were about p eop le a t work to a l a r g e e x te n t. The
hero o f Hurry On Down wants to know where he f i t s
i n , where h e 's going to g e t a jo b , changes h i s job
a l o t . The hero o f Lucky Jim i s n ' t su re what he
wants to do, b u t we see him a t work and a l o t o f
h i s d i f f i c u l t i e s come d i r e c t l y from h i s jo b . Jimmy
P o r te r in Look Back in Anger i s n ' t employed very
186
much b u t how he e a r n s h i s l i v i n g i s i m p o r t a n t . In
Room a t th e Top, p e rh a p s to a g r e a t e r d e g re e th an
any, i t ' s a b o u t a man g e t t i n g on i n th e w o rld . In
o t h e r w ords, someone s a i d t h a t th e w eakness o f th e
E n g li s h n o v e l o f th e t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y up to th e
tim e he was t a l k i n g a b o u t (c o u ld be 1 9 3 9 ) was t h a t
n o th in g happened u n t i l a f t e r 6 P.M. o r on S a tu rd a y
and Sunday. I t w a s n 't t h a t th e p e o p le w r i t t e n a b o u t
w ere o f th e l e i s u r e c l a s s e s , i t was j u s t t h a t we
n e v e r saw them d o in g a n y th in g , a p a r t from com m itting
a d u l t e r y and g e t t i n g dru n k . What th e y d id a t th e
o f f i c e o r a t th e f a c t o r y , e x c e p t f o r a v e ry few
s e l f - c o n s c i o u s l y p r o l e t a r i a n w r i t e r s , we know
n o th in g a b o u t.
XIV. T u rn in g s p e c i f i c a l l y to y o u r n o v e ls , a r e you c o n
s c i o u s l y aware o f u s in g comedy a s a c r i t i c a l d e v ic e ?
In a s e n s e , y e s . I t ' s e s s e n t i a l from my p o i n t o f
view t h a t th e bad p e o p le sh o u ld be r i d i c u l o u s a s
w e l l a s bad p e o p le . In my n o v e ls t h e r e a r e good
p e o p le and bad p e o p le , w hich i s v e ry r a r e th e s e
d a y s . T h e r e 's o f t e n a l o t wrong w ith th e good
p e o p le , and one m ust a ls o l a y o f f by making th e bad
p e o p le say good t h in g s o r be r i g h t a b o u t t h i n g s t h a t
t h e good p e o p le a r e wrong a b o u t. T h ere a r e bad
187
people* and i t I s e s s e n t i a l to make them r i d i c u l o u s .
So t h a t P ro f. Welch* who I s a had p e rso n becau se he
t r e a t s Dixon very badly* I s r i d i c u l o u s becau se I t
I s e s s e n t i a l t h a t he should be. B e rtra n d i s r a t h e r
a bad p e r s o n —p r e t e n t i o u s , r i d e s a l l o v e r p e o p l e 's
fe e lin g s * women's f e e l i n g s e s p e c i a l l y . But h e 's
a ls o a r i d i c u l o u s p e rs o n . The bad p e o p le have g o t
to be funny* so t h a t ' s c r i t i c a l i f you l i k e . But
th en o f co u rse when i t comes to the good p eo p le the
t h in g s become a l i t t l e more c o m p lic a te d , and a ls o
th e q u e s tio n o f w hether the good p eo p le a re r e a l l y
good becomes com plicated* to o .
To make a good c h a r a c t e r prom inent i s v ery d i f f i
c u l t . T his has been a p e re n n ia l* i n c u r a b le problem
e v e r sin c e l i t e r a t u r e e x i s t e d . I th in k t h a t one
would f in d i n my books t h a t i t ' s much more l i k e l y
t h a t an im p o rta n t good c h a r a c t e r would be a woman
r a t h e r than a man. I th in k t h a t Jenny Bunn i s a
good c h a ra c te r* and P a t r i c k S ta n d is h i s a bad c h a r
a c t e r . H e 's in a way* I think* th e most u n p le a s a n t
p e rso n I 'v e w r i t t e n a b o u t. I have sympathy f o r
him, y e s . He has h i s good p o i n t s —when he pays f o r
th e o t h e r g i r l ' s a b o rtio n * f o r example. As a good
c h a r a c te r * Jenny i s q u i t e o p p o s ite to what P a t r ic k
c o u ld e v e r p o s s i b l y be l i k e , a good c h a r a c t e r who
conies to g r i e f and who h a s f a u l t s t h a t one c a n n o t
g e t m o ral a b o u t. They a re f a u l t s o f f o o l i s h n e s s ,
p e rh a p s i n d e c i s i o n , b u t a p e rs o n o f w h o lly good I n
s t i n c t s , g e n e r o u s , g r e a t h u m i l i t y , too much r e a l l y .
T h e r e 's a l s o J u l i a n , who I s a l l t h a t P a t r i c k o u g h t
to be and i s n ' t , b e c a u se a lt h o u g h im m oral s e x u a l l y ,
l e t ' s say (many p e o p le would d is a p p r o v e o f th e way
he c o n d u c ts h i s l i f e ) , J u l i a n a c t u a l l y knows what
one sh o u ld do and what one can do and what one
sh o u ld n o t do. And i t ' s J u l i a n who denounces
P a t r i c k f o r h i s b e h a v io r . Those a r e i n a se n se my
two f a v o r i t e t y p e s . One i s th e p e rs o n who i s n a iv e
and shrewd (J e n n y ), i n o t h e r words in e x p e r ie n c e d ,
s e e s t h i n g s f o r w hat th e y a r e , would n e v e r be wrong
a b o u t a p e rs o n even though she m ig h t be ta k e n i n by
some t h i n g s a b o u t them. The o t h e r a d m ira b le p e rs o n
i s th e p e rs o n who I s l i k e J u l i a n , e n t i r e l y h i s own
man, n o t p re y e d upon by a n x i e t i e s , g u i l t s , d o u b ts ,
b u t n e v e r t h e l e s s , i n f a c t , so much so t h a t he can
a f f o r d to behave m o r a lly . I mean by t h a t , he would
n e v e r have t r e a t e d Jenn y a s P a t r i c k d id b e c a u se h e 'd
j u s t have d e c id e d he had to le a v e h e r . He too m ig ht
have been c o n f r o n te d by Simon ( l Want I t Now) , b u t
189
would have s a i d , "Sorry* t h i s i s too much* t h e r e ' l l
be a n o th e r one along i n a m in u te ."
XV. In "A Memoir o f My F a th e r* " you speak o f th e e a r l y
t r a i n i n g in m o r a lity you r e c e iv e d . Could you
e l a b o r a t e ?
A ll th e s ta n d a rd P r o t e s t a n t v i r t u e s (o f cou rse I
know th e s e o v e rla p w ith C a th o lic v i r t u e s and Jew ish
v i r t u e s and so on) were p u t forw ard and taken f o r
g r a n te d - -c o n s c ie n tio u s n e s s * t h r i f t * hard work*
p a tie n c e p a r t i c u l a r l y . T hat i s to say* one m u s tn 't
ex p ec t n o t o n ly to run b e f o r e one walks* b u t to be
a su c c e ss a t a n y th in g to s t a r t w ith . E very th in g
w orth doing i s going to tak e tim e and tro u b le * u n
s t i n t i n g and u n c e a sin g t r o u b l e . These were very
good l e s s o n s . But God n e v e r came i n t o the c o n v e rs a
t i o n . God was n e v e r a c t u a l l y r e f e r r e d to o r a p
p e a le d to , and th e r e was no q u e s tio n o f d i s p l e a s i n g
God by my a c t i o n s , o r t r y in g to p le a s e him. My
p a r e n t s would ta k e me to church on A rm istic e Day*
sometimes a t C hristm as* b u t th e s e v i s i t s g o t l e s s
and l e s s f r e q u e n t as th e y grew o l d e r . In th e l a s t
ten* p e rh ap s tw enty y e a r s o f t h e i r l i v e s th ey n e v er
went i n t o a ch u rch . They had su ffe re d * th ey said*
from f o r c e f u l r e l i g i o u s i n d o c t r in a t io n * b eing fo rce d
to go to ch ap el when young* and I th in k my f a t h e r
re g a rd e d h im s e lf as a r e b e l in a m ild way, m ild c e r
t a i n l y from t o d a y 's s ta n d a rd s . He had broken away
from a very i n f l e x i b l e C h r is tia n kind o f u p b rin g in g .
When I saw my g ra n d p a re n ts th ey too seemed to have
come o u t on the o t h e r s id e . God d i d n 't come in to
th e c o n v e rs a tio n much.
XVI. Anthony B urgess, in h i s review o f I Want I t Now,
comments t h a t w ith the appearance o f t h i s novel a
m oral p h ilo so p h y b e g in s to emerge. How much sto c k
do you p u t in a rem ark l ik e th a t ?
Q uite a l o t . Again, I th in k i t ' s im proper p erhaps
to t a l k about o n e 's s e l f in such term s, b u t I 'v e a l
ways been a m o r a l i s t , which d o e s n 't mean o f cou rse
t h a t I behave any b e t t e r than anybody e l s e . I f I
w e r e n 't a m o r a lis t I m ight behave even worse than I
do in o r d in a ry l i f e . I t h i n k —and t h i s goes back
to dad and mom and so on, i f you l i k e - - t h a t because
o f my stro n g views t h a t some k in ds o f b e h a v io r a re
ad m irab le and o t h e r s a re d e s p ic a b le , hence I have
t h i s f a i r l y r a r e phenomenon t h a t th e r e a re good and
bad c h a r a c t e r s . And very o f te n t h e y 'r e n o t a t the
c e n t e r o f the s ta g e , b u t minor c h a r a c te r s who are
co m p lete ly good (Moti in The A n ti-D eath League, f o r
i n s ta n c e ) and com p letely bad (Dr. B e s t) .
191
I t h in k t h a t i t ' s become more o b v io u s, i f you l i k e ,
t h a t t h e r e ' s a m oral concern a t work. But I would
have th o u g h t t h a t i t had been t h e r e from th e s t a r t .
I f Jim i s such a slim e , why d o e s n 't he t e l l M argaret
to le a v e , a s he c o u ld do. A d m itte d ly th e y work i n
th e same d e p artm e n t and i t would be awkward.
B e r tr a n d would have no t r o u b le a t a l l o f g e t t i n g
r i d o f M a rg a re t. Jim h a te s i t and a t th e same tim e
la u g h s to h i m s e l f ab o u t i t , which i s a t h in g some
p e o p le m iss: th e o n ly way he can b e a r i t i s by j o k
in g to h i m s e l f a b o u t i t . There i s a r e s p o n s i b l e
c o n c e rn , and i f you l i k e , a t th e end he s a y s , w e ll
t h e r e a r e l i m i t s , and a s a C a th o lic would sa y , th e
i n d i v i d u a l ' s d u ty i s to save h i s own s o u l f i r s t .
X V II. Do you see any tim e d u rin g y o u r c a r e e r when you
have c o n s c io u s ly m o d ifie d th e way you lo o k a t
- t h in g s ?
Yes, I t h in k so. At any r a t e t h a t ' s what i t lo o k s
l i k e . T h e r e 's been an I n c r e a s e i n th e dim view
w hich I s tak e n o f l i f e , and th e elem en t o f h o r s e p l a y
and h ig h s p i r i t s d e c r e a s e s . But I ' d say t h a t I ' v e
alw ays been a w r i t e r o f s e r io - c o m e d ie s , and I
w o u ld n 't be f a i r in ig n o r in g th e M arg aret theme i n
Lucky J i m . I 'm n o t c la im in g any m e r it f o r t h i s ,
o n ly t r y i n g to d e s c r i b e what i t i s - - a n a tte m p t a t
192
s tu d y in g a n e u r o t i c p e rso n who b r i n g s p r e s s u r e to
b e a r by b ein g n e u r o t i c . I t ' s t r u e t h a t J i m 's r e
sponse to t h i s can be tak en by th e r e a d e r as amusing.,
a s comic, b u t he d o e s n 't th in k i t ' s comic. He t a l k s
a b o u t i t to h im s e lf , r e f l e c t s about i t . What he i s
t r y i n g to do i s c h e e r h im s e lf up, to make i t more
b e a r a b le by t r y i n g to be funny ab o u t i t . But t h a t ' s
q u i t e a s e r i o u s b i t . Even in I Like I t H ere, which
h as v e ry l i t t l e to say a b o u t a n y th in g , t h e r e a re
two f a i r l y s e r i o u s m oral moments. One i s when
Bowen goes o v e r to S t r e t h e r 's s id e , having re g a rd e d
him w ith f i r s t o f a l l un easy contem pt, and becomes
p r o t e c t i v e , and the i n c i d e n t which i s supposed to
show t h i s i s when he a d j u s t s S t r e t h e r ' s f a l s e t e e t h
t h a t had been h a lf-k n o c k e d o u t o f h i s mouth. The
o t h e r th in g i s when he d is c o v e r s som ething more
a b o u t h i s w ife than he th o u g h t, t h a t she c o u l d n 't
be a b l a c k m a i l e r 's g i r l , som ething h e 'd n e v e r p u t
to h im s e lf b e f o r e , and t h a t t h a t was th e most im
p o r t a n t th in g abou t h e r.
X V III. I n o t i c e t h a t Jim Dixon makes a d i s t i n c t i o n between
th e " n ic e " and th e " n a sty " p e o p le , and t h a t t h a t
d i s t i n c t i o n I s r e f e r r e d to in y o u r l a t e r n o v e ls .
What does Jim mean by th e " n ic e " l i f e ?
T hat i s an a t t a c k i n g r a t h e r than a propounding r e
mark, a g a i n s t n o s t a l g i c de l a boue. I t ' s a c r i t i c a l
193
re m a rk , s a y in g d o n 't l e t ' s p r e t e n d t h a t I t ' s a good
th i n g to s t a r v e In a g a r r e t , t h a t th e p a i n f u l e x
p e r i e n c e s a r e good f o r you, th e d i s a g r e e a b l e e x p e r i
e n c e s a r e good f o r you . L e t ' s j u s t f a c e th e o b v io u s
t r u t h t h a t y o u 'r e p r o b a b ly a b e t t e r p e r s o n and n i c e r
to y o u r f e l l o w s i f you a r e r e a s o n a b l y c o n t e n t e d ,
r e a s o n a b l y w e ll o f f , and have a r e a s o n a b l y c o m f o r t
a b l e tim e . I t ' s n o t a m a t e r i a l i s t i c re m a rk , n o r i s
i t a s p i r i t u a l u p l i f t rem a rk , b u t i t ' s an a t t a c k i n g
r e m a r k .
Jim and I have ta k e n a l o t o f s t i c k and a l o t o f
bad m outhing f o r b e in g P h i l i s t i n e , a g g r e s s i v e l y
P h i l i s t i n e , and s a y in g : w e l l , a s long a s I ' v e g o t
me b lo n d and me p i n t o f b e e r and me p a c k e t o f f a g s
and me s e a t a t th e cinem a, I 'm a l l r i g h t . I d o n 't
t h i n k e i t h e r o f u s w ould say t h a t . I t ' s n i c e to
have a p r e t t y g i r l w ith l a r g e b r e a s t s r a t h e r th a n
some f e a r f u l woman w h o 's g o in g to t a l k to you a b o u t
E z ra Pound, and h a s n ' t g o t l a r g e b r e a s t s and p r o b
a b ly d o e s n 't wash much. And b e t t e r to have a p i n t
o f b e e r th a n to have to t a l k to y o u r h o s t a b o u t th e
b u rg u n d y y o u 'r e d r i n k i n g . And b e t t e r to go to th e
p i c t u r e s th a n go to see n o n s e n s i c a l a r t e x h i b i t i o n s
t h a t n o b o d y 's g o in g to r e a l l y e n jo y . So i t ' s
194
a p p e a lin g to common sen se i f you like,, and i t ' s a
way o f t r y i n g to denounce a f f e c t a t i o n .
XIX. Jim a ls o manages to em phasize th e d i v i s i o n o f
c l a s s e s and i s c o n s t a n t l y rem inded o f h i s lowly
s t a t u s . I s t h i s an e x a g g e ra tio n ?
H e'd be th e f i r s t to e x a g g e ra te i t to h i m s e l f , and
I d o n 't know how c o n s c io u s I was o f t h i s a t th e tim e
b u t h e 's blam ing h i s o r i g i n s f o r t h in g s t h a t h i s
o r i g i n s a r e n ' t to blame f o r . H e 's r a t h e r an u nco uth
p e rs o n anyway, he c o u ld e a s i l y be c o u th e r w ith o u t
h i s o r i g i n s b e in g changed. But I t h i n k t h a t the
p r o p o r t io n o f t h a t in Lucky Jim - - t h e s o c i a l c lim b in g
a s p e c t - - i s n o t very im p o r ta n t. For I n s t a n c e , Gore-
U r q u h a rt, who i s J i m 's e v e n tu a l s a v i o r and b e n e f a c
t o r , i s c e r t a i n l y a man o f th e p e o p le who has made
h i s way, b u t o f heavy S co tch a c c e n t , and t h e r e f o r e
n o t one o f th e S cotch u p p e r c r u s t .
XX. In T hat U n c e rta in F e e l i n g , an im p o rta n t q u e s tio n i s
r a i s e d when John Lewis t u r n s down th e prom o tio n ,
presu m ab ly f o r r e a s o n s o f i n t e g r i t y . However, Jean
b e r a t e s John f o r t u r n in g down th e job and says e c o
nomic s e c u r i t y i s more im p o r t a n t . I s t h i s e v e r
r e s o lv e d ?
I t h in k t h a t L e w is 's s c r u p l e s ab o u t tu r n in g down th e
prom otion b e cau se i t h as been r i g g e d a r e o n ly h a l f -
s c r u p l e s . I'm p r e t t y su re i f we c o u ld run th e th in g
th ro u g h a g a in up to th e p o i n t a t w hich th e p ro m o tio n
i s o f f e r e d , and Lewis had had a sudden h u r s t o f
s e l f - c o n f i d e n c e ; h e 'd say I ' l l ta k e th e money. What
i s a t work i s p a r t l y s c r u p l e s , b u t n o t enough a lo n e
to make him a c t i n a s c r u p u lo u s way. What i s a l s o
a t work th e n i s an a t t a c k o f s e x u a l p a n i c . D e s p ite
h i s view s o f h i m s e l f ; w hich a r e p a r t l y i r o n i c a l , a s
a s t r i d i n g , s n e e r i n g Don J u a n , when he f i n d s him
s e l f b e h av in g l i k e t h a t he r e a l i z e s he h a s n ' t g o t
w hat i t t a k e s to do t h a t , t h a t h e ' s a f r a i d o f
g e t t i n g r e a l l y i n v o lv e d w i t h Mrs. G r u ffy d -W illia m s
and h e ' s a f r a i d o f w hat t h i s w i l l do to h i s m ar
r i a g e . I t ' s v e ry l a r g e l y a s e l f i s h f e a r w hich he
th e n d r e s s e s up p a r t l y w ith s c r u p l e s . But he u s e s
them a s a c o v e r f o r h i s f e e l i n g s o f p a n i c - - h e ' s i n
deep w a t e r , h e ' s o u t o f h i s d e p th , h e ' s i n a s i t u a
t i o n he c a n ' t h a n d l e . Then he s t r i d e s i n t o J e a n and
sa y s I 'm a k n i g h t i n s h i n i n g a rm o r, my i n t e g r i t y i s
a t s t a k e , I ' v e t u r n e d down th e p ro m o tio n . He r e
c e i v e s a w e l l - e a r n e d k i c k i n th e stom ach by J e a n ' s
o b v i o u s l y s e n s i b l e r e t o r t , "What a b o u t th e money?
And w h a t 's so s c r u p u lo u s a b o u t you i n o t h e r f i e l d s ? "
T h a t i s a re b u k e t h a t Lewis h a s f u l l y e a r n e d . Some
o f L e w i s 's g u i l t f e e l i n g s a r e s i n c e r e . He t a l k s
n e a r th e end a b o u t n o t g i v i n g u p , n o t s u r r e n d e r i n g
196
to o n e 's d e s i r e f o r c o m fo rt, f o r sex , p l e a s i n g
o n e 's s e l f a l l the tim e, and r e a l i z e s t h a t g iv en
L e w is 's c h a r a c t e r one c a n ' t hope to keep a l l th o se
s e l f i s h d e s i r e s In check a l l th e tim e , b u t what he
must n o t do I s to s to p t r y i n g to keep them in check,
which means a t l e a s t he w o n 't be behavin g b a d ly a l l
th e tim e . T h is i s , f o r him, a very r e a l i s t i c c o n
c lu s io n to come to .
XXI. Take A G i r l Like You, on th e o t h e r hand, seems a b i t
more complex.
Yes. I began t h a t in 1955s and p u t i t a s i d e to
w r i t e I Like I t Here b e cau se i t was o b v io u s t h a t
Take A G i r l Like You was going to ta k e a long tim e
to w r i t e . I was a l r e a d y b e h in d in a se n se . I was
v e ry n e rv o u s a f t e r i t . I s t a r t e d making n o te s f o r
i t i n P o r tu g a l i n 1955* then p u t i t a s id e i n 1956,
and w rote I Like I t H e re , th en took up Take A G i r l
Like You a g a in . I was v ery n e rv o u s b e cau se i t was
go ing to be a new d e p a r t u r e f o r me. I was so n e r v
ous t h a t I made a t l e a s t tw elve d r a f t s o f th e f i r s t
c h a p t e r . I compared th e f i r s t w ith th e l a t e s t , and
r e a l i z e d th e o n ly d i f f e r e n c e was t h a t th e l a t e r
d r a f t was 10$ lo n g e r . So I went on w ith i t a t an
in c r e a s e d r a t e .
197
P e o p le s a y , " I la u g h e d l i k e h e l l a t y o u r b o o k , ” and
i n a s e n s e t h i s i s th e n i c e s t t h in g anyone c o u ld say.
B ut when somebody s a i d to me a b o u t Lucky J im ,
"Thank you f o r y o u r s e r i o u s b o o k ," I th o u g h t, ah,
you see w hat I m ean. When Take A G i r l L ik e You
came a lo n g , i t was s a y i n g , to p u t i t v e ry c r u d e l y ,
I hope t h e y ’ l l go on l a u g h in g , b u t t h i s tim e th e y
w o n 't be a b l e to e s c a p e th e n o t i o n t h a t I 'm s a y in g
som eth in g s e r i o u s . I d o n 't mean p ro fo u n d o r e a r
n e s t , b u t som eth in g s e r i o u s , and i t w orked i n t h a t
p e o p le would co nced e t h a t a n o t h e r p h a se had b e g u n .
X X II. You sp e ak o f becom ing grim m er i n y o u r view o f l i f e .
Do you see any change i n v a l u e s , i n J e n n y 's sp e e c h
a t th e end o f Take A G i r l L ike You, f o r i n s t a n c e ?
T h a t 's m eant to be a v e ry sad moment, b e c a u s e In
f a c t com pared t o S t a n d i s h 's b e h a v i o r s h e ' s a b e t t e r
p e r s o n th a n he I s , and th e B i b l e - c l a s s i d e a s a r e
b e t t e r th a n h i s , even th oug h th e y a r e q u i t e i n a d e
q u a t e . T h is i s h e r t r o u b l e - - s h e i s p r e s e n t e d w ith
a g r e a t m o ral i m p e r a t i v e o r p r o h i b i t i o n , w ith o u t b e
in g a b le to u n d e r s t a n d th e r e a s o n f o r i t , w i t h o u t
b e in g a b le to work o u t th e r e a s o n f o r I t , and w i t h
o u t w a n tin g i t , w i t h o u t b e in g te m p e r a m e n ta lly on th e
s i d e o f i t . A lth o u g h Je n n y I s w o rk in g c l a s s , t h i s
would n o t be th e r i g h t term f o r th e e a r l i e r h e r o e s .
I th in k Dixon would say i n d i g n a n t l y , "What, w orking
c l a s s ? I'm m iddle c l a s s . " I im agine D ix o n 's f a t h e r
as b e in g a s m a ll sh o p k e ep e r, o r a man i n some com
m e r c ia l firm , a low ly p o s i t i o n h u t s t i l l a w h i t e -
c o l l a r p e rs o n , o b v io u s ly low er s t r a t a . L e w is 's
f a t h e r - - I doubt i f he e v e r went down i n t o th e m in e --
i s p ro b a b ly an o f f i c e w o rk e r. The same s o r t o f
th in g a p p l i e s to Bowen. Jen n y , how ever, had to be
working c l a s s , n o t f o r any k in d o f p o l i t i c a l o r
s o c i a l r e a s o n , b u t p u r e l y f o r s t r a t e g i c l i t e r a r y
r e a s o n s , in t h a t she had to f e e l on a r r i v a l , and th e
r e a d e r must f e e l t h i s , to o , t h a t she i s o u t o f h e r
elem en t a l t o g e t h e r , and she f e e l s t h a t h e r ele m e n t
i s i n f e r i o r to th e one t h a t s h e 's i n . In f a c t , i t ' s
n o t, b u t she f e e l s i t . T h is h as g o t to be empha
s iz e d by f i r s t l y g e o g r a p h i c a l s h i f t - - s h e has come
so u th ( t h in g s have g o t t e n more m obile s in c e 1958 i n
E ngland, h o w e v e r). In th o s e days f o r a w o rk in g -
c l a s s g i r l to come so u th was som ething o f a s t e p to
ta k e . She i s s o c i a l l y i s o l a t e d , t h e r e f o r e ; t h e r e ' s
no one to go to s e e , e v e r y b o d y 's a s t r a n g e r , and
everybody h a s advanced i d e a s and everybody h a s g o t
a l i t t l e more money th an she was accustom ed to
spend, and everybody seems more glam orous th a n h e r
home en v iro n m en t, c e r t a i n l y , so s h e 'd have to be
working c l a s s .
A lso , sin c e th e book i s about th e b i t o f m o r a l i t y - -
what happens when p eo p le c a n 't g iv e any em o tio n al
backing to t h e i r b e l i e f s - - t h i s w o u ld n 't be p l a u s i b l e
e x c e p t from a w o r k in g -c la s s m ilie u where p eo ple a re
more backward in t h a t r e s p e c t . I'm e x p re s s in g
n e i t h e r a p p ro v a l nor d is a p p r o v a l when I say b a c k
ward --backw ard in a c h r o n o lo g ic a l se n se . You'd
f in d p eo p le w ith t h a t s o r t o f m o r a lity c e r t a i n l y in
Wales a s you would have done in t h a t p e rio d . B ut I
c o u l d n 't do W ales, I ' d j u s t done W ales, so she had
to come from somewhere e l s e . I could have made h e r
S cotch, b u t t h a t would have r a i s e d o t h e r problem s I
d i d n ' t w ant. I a lr e a d y had a Scotchman in the s to r y ,
and so f o r t h . N orth ern England i s a very v a rie d
p l a c e , b u t i t i s b e l i e v a b l e t h a t i n the s m a lle r
towns, in Y o rk sh ire f o r exam ple, a g i r l c o u ld have
been l i k e t h a t , born i n 1938 o r so.
X X III. B eginning w ith Take A G i r l Like You, I n o t ic e more
o f an em phasis upon sex. In l i g h t o f your review
o f P o r tn o y 's C o m plaint, i n which you s a id th e n o vel
was " u n f u n n y , h o w do you f e e l abo ut sex i n the
no vel?
Sex i s a v ery im p o rta n t t o p i c , and most p e o p le a re
i n t e r e s t e d i n I t . I d o n 't mean by t h a t t h a t i t does
no harm to o n e 's s a l e s ; t h e r e i s t h a t , t h a t i s so.
But i t ' s a ls o an Immensely p a i n f u l t o p ic , and f o r
t h a t rea so n to laugh about I t i s im portant., which
does n o t mean laughing a t i t , but i t s comic a s p e c t
i s the only one one can hope to p u t i n to f i c t i o n ,
i t s comic a s p e c t o r i t s sad n e g a tiv e a s p e c t, t h a t
people s u f f e r because o f i t . But to w r ite about
a c t u a l sex a c t i v i t y - - w h a t people do in bed, as op
posed to p e o p le 's sexu al i n t e r e s t s , schemes, sedu c
tio n c am p aigns--ex cep t co m ica lly , I th in k , i s im
p o s s ib l e . I ' d fin d i t im p o s sib le . The moment I
f e e l m yself about to w r ite a se n ten ce which g iv e s
evidence o f my sexu al e x c ite m e n t, I s to p . I d o n 't
much want to a c t u a l l y , b u t I would never do so b e
cause o f how I f e e l when I f e e l t h a t a w r i t e r i s
doing t h a t to me. I become em barrassed. I 'v e
n o th in g a g a in s t pornography p ro vided i t ’s w ell
p r e s e n te d as pornography, p ro v id ed the w r i t e r sa y s,
"Look, you and I a re going to have a j o l l y romp t o
g e th e r , I'm going to t e l l you a s to r y a l l about
what people do in bed, and y o u 'r e supposed to become
s e x u a lly e x c ite d about i t . Okay?" P in e . But i f
he says I'm t e l l i n g you now a s e r io u s , a ls o p erhaps
funny s t o r y , b u t anyway my aim i s to e n t e r t a i n you
and p o s s ib ly to e d if y you, and i f he s t a r t s tr y in g
to e x c i t e me s e x u a lly w hile h e 's doing t h a t , i t
t u r n s me o f f s l i g h t l y .
201
The o t h e r th in g i s i f i t ' s w r i t t e n a b o u t s e r i o u s l y ,
n o t p o r n o g r a p h i c a l l y b u t s e r i o u s l y - - t h i s i s when I
t h i n k th e most em barrassm en t a r r i v e s . In some o f
th e works o f D. H. Law rence, f o r e x a m p le - - s e r io u s
a tt e m p t to p o r t r a y a m arv elo u s f . I d o n 't t h i n k
i t can be done. I t ' s much f u n n i e r i n i t s e f f e c t
th a n a n y th in g I c o u ld p o s s i b l y p ro d u c e , b u t i t a ls o
p ro d u c e s e m b a rra ssm e n t. I d o n 't mean s e x u a l em bar
r a s s m e n t, b u t th e em b arrassm en t one f e e l s when o n e 's
h e a r d som ething o u t o f p l a c e , th e wrong s o r t o f
t h in g i s s a i d .
R e g ard in g th e i n c r e a s e o f se x , t h e r e i s q u i t e a l o t
i n my l a t e s t n o v e l, The R i v e r s id e V i l l a s M urder, and
t h i s i s th e a d o l e s c e n t boy and th e woman who l i v e s
n e x t d o o r. T h e r e 's none a t a l l i n th e n o v e l I began
r e c e n t l y , a t l e a s t I c a n ' t see t h e r e b e in g any.
T h is i s p a r t l y w hat a l o t o f w r i t e r s do, t h e i r d e
s i r e to e lu d e c a t e g o r i z a t i o n . To d i s a p p o i n t e x p e c
t a t i o n s . So I 'm a funny w r i t e r am I - - t h i s one,
y o u ' l l have to a d m it, i s q u i t e s e r i o u s . Oh, so I 'm
p r i m a r i l y a comic w r i t e r w ith some s e r i o u s o v e r to n e s
and u n d e r t o n e s - - t r y t h a t w ith The A n ti-D e a th League
and see how t h a t f i t s . So I 'm a w r i t e r a b o u t s o c i
e t y , t w e n t i e t h c e n t u r y man and o u r p r o b l e m s - - t r y
202
t h a t one on The Green Man. E xcept f o r one s a t i r i c a l
p o r t r a i t , t h a t o f th e clergym an, i t i s ab out some
th in g q u i t e d i f f e r e n t . So t h e r e i s a l o t o f s e x -
r i g h t , t r y t h a t on th e one I ' v e j u s t begun, i n which
s e x u a l t h in g s w i l l be r e f e r r e d to , b u t t h e y 'v e a l l
ta k e n p l a c e i n th e p a s t becau se o f the f i v e c e n t r a l
c h a r a c t e r s th e y o u n g e st i s 71. So you d i s l i k e th e
y o u th o f to d ay Mr. Amis, a s i n G i r l , 20- - t r y t h a t on
th e one I 'm w r i t i n g now where a l l th e young p e o p le
a r e sy m p a th e tic and a l l th e o ld p e o p le a re unsympa
t h e t i c . T his can be s i l l y , b u t I t h in k i t h e lp s to
p r e v e n t one from r e p e a t i n g o n e s e l f , and G raves says
th e most d r e a d f u l th in g in th e w orld i s t h a t y o u 'r e
w r i t i n g a book and you su d d e n ly r e a l i z e y o u 'r e w r i t
in g a book y o u 'v e w r i t t e n b e f o r e . Awful. I h a v e n 't
q u i t e done t h a t y e t , b u t i t ' s c e r t a i n l y som ething to
g u a rd a g a i n s t .
XXIV. Roger i n One F a t Englishm an i s c e r t a i n l y shown to
be a r i d i c u l o u s c h a r a c t e r , l a r g e l y b e ca u se he i s
ta k e n o u t o f h i s s o c i a l e le m e n t. However, n e a r th e
end i t seems you e x p re s s sympathy f o r R oger. I s
t h i s p a r t o f y o u r con cern w ith t r e a t i n g a l l c h a r a c
t e r s f a i r l y , even th e bad ones?
One c a n ' t w r i t e ab o u t anybody t h a t one h a s n 't g o t
some sympathy f o r . A r e v ie w e r rem arked t h a t ''Roger
b ehav es b a d ly i n more d i f f e r e n t ways th an i s u s u a l ,
203
even f o r an u n s y m p a th e tic c h a r a c t e r i n a n o v e l, b u t
t h a t I c a n ’t h e lp f e e l i n g t h a t th e a u t h o r l i k e s th e
c h a r a c t e r , and so do I." Yes I do, I do f e e l a l o t
o f sym pathy f o r him b e c a u s e , I t h i n k , h e ' s aw fu l a l l
r i g h t , and he knows i t , and t h i s i s no e x c u s e . B ut
i t d o e s p o i n t to a p e r e n n i a l human p ro b le m , I t h i n k ,
t h a t I t r i e d to p i n down i n R o g e r 's c h a r a c t e r and
e x p e r i e n c e s - - t h a t i f one b e h a v e s b a d ly i t ' s no h e lp
to r e a l i z e i t . R oger i s a b a s t a r d to a v e ry l a r g e
e x t e n t , and he u n d e r s t a n d s i t , and y e t he c a n ' t be
d i f f e r e n t . One i s n ' t a s k in g f o r sym pathy f o r him
e x a c t l y , b u t we a l l have o u r c r o s s e s to b e a r , and
b e in g a b a s t a r d and r e a l i z i n g i t i s a k in d o f c r o s s
w hich he b e a r s , and r i g h t a t th e end, so to sp e a k ,
th e a u t h o r s t e p s fo rw a rd a l i t t l e to sy m p a th ize w i t h
R o g er, and R oger weeps b e c a u s e a lt h o u g h nobody sa y s
so , he was a c t u a l l y i n lo v e w ith H e le n e , o r lo v ed
h e r a s much a s he i s c a p a b le o f lo v in g anybody, and
now h e ' s l o s t h e r . So y e s , I sy m p a th iz e w ith him ,
I i n v i t e th e r e a d e r to a l s o , w i t h o u t co ndo ning a n y
t h in g t h a t he d o e s .
XXV. How d id you f e e l a b o u t The E g y p t o l o g i s t s a f t e r com
p l e t i n g i t ?
I ' v e a lw ay s e n jo y e d i t . To f i l l you i n , R o b e rt
C o n q u est w ro te th e o r i g i n a l d r a f t w h ich had th e i d e a
204
in i t , and most o f th e c h a r a c t e r s i n i t , and a l o t
o f th e d ia lo g u e , and th e s c ie n c e f i c t i o n dream, th e
N e f e r t i t i s t a t u e and so f o r t h . I p u t i n th e p l o t ,
I i n tr o d u c e d th e women i n f a c t and th e t e l e v i s i o n
d£hctcle. But a g a in , you see t h a t h o r r i b l e o ld mo
r a l i t y keeps p e ep in g up from tim e to tim e , when
Schw artz f a l l s i n lo v e w ith th e t r e a s u r e r , o r s t a r t s
t o , and goes away. She s e e s t h a t you c a n ' t man y our
l i f e l i k e t h a t , i t w o n 't do f o r h e r , b e ca u se i t ' s a
c h o ic e o f what she i s - - s h e ' s e i t h e r too s t a r r y - e y e d
a b o u t what l i f e can b e , o r too d e c e n t and s e n s i t i v e
a p e rs o n .
XXVI. R e f e r r i n g to D ix o n 's d i s t i n c t i o n betw een th e " n ic e "
and th e " n a s ty " ; i s Ronnie sa y in g th e same s o r t o f
th in g in I Want I t Now when he c a l l s h i m s e l f a
" s h i t , " o r when C h u r c h il l i n The A n ti-D e a th League
lo o k s a t th e w orld and se e s every one a s " n a s t y " ?
I t h i n k th e y o v e r la p a b i t , b u t I t h in k t h a t
C h u r c h il l i s v o ic in g what Moti would c a l l s e l f i s h
s e l f - i n d u l g e n t contem ptus m undi—why i s the w o rld so
b a d - - a s a way o f making h i s ( C h u r c h i l l 's ) s u f f e r i n g s
seem more im p o r ta n t. I t h in k t h a t c o v e rs t h a t r e
mark, b ecau se Moti i s n o t th e v o ic e o f th e a u th o r
e x a c t l y (how co uld he e x p re s s th e a u t h o r 's view
t o t a l l y , b e in g an In d ia n w ith a t o t a l l y d i f f e r e n t
r e l i g i o u s b a c k g r o u n d ). However, i n t h a t scene he
205
i s p u t t i n g w hat th e a u t h o r w ould sa y when he sa y s we
m ust a l l t r y to become men.
As r e g a r d s R o n n ie, I t h i n k t h i s i s r a t h e r s e p a r a t e
on th e w h o le . H e 's making a rem ark p u r e l y a b o u t
h i m s e l f , and I t h i n k when he sa y s he h a s n ' t g o t th e
d e t e r m i n a t i o n o r th e g u t s to be a f u l l - t i m e s h i t , to
be a s u c c e s s f u l s h i t , I t h i n k t h i s i s p e r f e c t l y
t r u e . I t ' s l i k e th e man who d o e s n 't s i n c e r e l y w ant
to be r i c h - - h e h a s n ' t g o t th e c o n t i n u i t y o f e f f o r t .
I n f a c t , R onnie l i k e s p l e a s u r e , and t h i s i s th e
t h i n g a b o u t him from th e s t a r t - - a t l e a s t I k e p t t r y
in g to i n t r o d u c e t h i s n o t i o n . I t ' s n o t a c o n s c ie n c e
a t w ork. He h a s t h i s h a b i t o f b e in g e f f i c i e n t by
s a y in g w hat he t h i n k s so m etim es, a v e ry bad p r a c t i c e
i f you w ant to be a s u c c e s s ( n e v e r s a y w hat you
t h i n k ; r a t h e r , a lw ay s t h i n k b e f o r e you s p e a k ) . B ut
R onnie a l s o l i k e s p l e a s u r e , and he l i k e s women, and
t h i s i s em p h a size d s e v e r a l t im e s , and pow er s e e k e r s ,
i n my e x p e r i e n c e , d o n 't l i k e women. They may s l e e p
w i t h a l o t o f them , b u t t h a t ' s a d i f f e r e n t m a t t e r
a l t o g e t h e r . And a lm o s t a t once he s t a r t s l i k i n g
Simon (much l a t e r he r e a l i z e s he c a n ' t do w i t h o u t
h e r ) . I f he w a s n 't c a p a b le o f l i k i n g h e r , none o f
i t w ould have h a p p en e d . H e 'd h av e s a i d , "Oh th e
206
h e l l w ith t h i s , t h i s i s too much t r o u b l e . I ’ l l f i n d
someone e l s e . ” O b viously t h e r e ' s som ething wrong
w ith t h a t book, b e ca u se a l o t o f p e o p le s a id th ey
f i n d t h a t R o n n ie 's sudden c o n v e rs io n i s u n c o n v in c in g
and su d denly he s t a r t s b ehaving w e ll. I th o u g h t
t h a t i t was u n c o n v in c in g b e c a u se i t was so ob vio u s
t h a t t h a t ' s what h e 'd do, b e c a u se th e e a r l y p a r t o f
th e n o v el i s f u l l o f p o i n t e r s i n t h a t d i r e c t i o n .
XXVII. How s e r i o u s l y , th e n , sh o u ld we ta k e R o n n ie 's c o n v e r
s io n a t th e end?
I d o n 't t h in k i t ' s a c o n v e rs io n . R a th e r, i t ' s th e
p l o t t h a t comes i n t o im p o rtan c e h e r e . I f t h in g s
had been d i f f e r e n t (what we say ab o u t any drama o r
l i t e r a t u r e ) none o f t h i s would have happened. As
M ilto n sa y s , to compare th e g r e a t t h i n g s to th e
s m a l l - - I f O th e llo had sacked Iago in Act I o f
O t h e l l o , O th e llo and Desdemona would have g o t on
p e r f e c t l y w e l l f o r th e r e s t o f t h e i r l i v e s . T h a t 's
a g ran d example b u t I g iv e i t b e c a u se i t ' s such a
w ell-know n one. I f Ronnie had been d i f f e r e n t , he
w o u ld n 't have b o th e r e d w ith Simon a t a l l . R ig h t
from th e s t a r t o f t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p he i s co n cern ed
w ith h e r , b e f o r e he knows t h a t she i s r i c h and t h i s
i s very im p o r t a n t . The tu r n in g p o i n t i n th e n o v e l
XXVIII.
207
comes f a r too e a r l y from my p o in t o f view. He
sees h e r a t th e p a r t y , he l i k e s h e r , t r i e s to tak e
h e r on, i s s e p a r a te d , she re a p p e a rs in the s t r e e t
w ith o u t any shoes and such, he says c l e a r o f f ,
she says I h a v e n 't g o t any money. He th en says I
have to do som ething a b o u t t h i s g i r l , and a f t e r
th e y 'v e been to bed ( u n s u c c e s s f u l as i t i s ) , b e
f o re he f in d s o u t t h a t she has money, h e 's very
angry when she w o n 't go b u t a ls o co n cerned, I
th in k . I t ' s n o t as i f a l a s t m inute D ick en sian
change o f h e a r t o c c u r r e d , where Scrooge suddenly
says "Come on, l e t ' s b r in g o u t the tu rk e y and th e
plum pudding and l e t ' s a l l be generous to each
o t h e r . " I would l i k e to th in k t h a t i t ' s th e r e
from the s t a r t .
I n o t ic e t h a t y o u r n o v e ls o f te n conclude w ith the
two c e n t r a l c h a r a c t e r s tu r n in g to each o t h e r f o r
s u p p o rt: John Lewis and J e a n , Ronnie and Simon,
and C h u r c h ill and C a th a rin e , f o r i n s t a n c e . I s
t h i s i n t e n t i o n a l , o r d id i t j u s t work o u t t h a t
way?
I h a d n 't r e a l l y c o n s id e re d th e p o i n t b e f o r e . P e r
haps i t happens to work o u t t h a t way. Two going
o f f t o g e t h e r I s a very common ending f o r a l l s o r t s
o f movies and books and so on, and p e rh a p s t h a t
had i t s i n f lu e n c e on i t . But I suppose i t ' s a
208
r a t h e r s e n t im e n t a l f e e lin g * i f you l i k e . Among
a l l th e d i s a s t e r s t h a t have tak e n p la c e and a l l
th e p e o p le t h a t have been d is a p p o in te d * t h e s e two
have a t any r a t e g o t each o th e r* w hich i s some
s o r t o f c o n s o l a t i o n . Also* i f you lik e * th e i d e a
t h a t one c a n ' t he happy on o n e 's own* you can o n ly
be happy w ith a n o t h e r person* and so I suppose in
a se n se I am sa y in g t h a t by th e s e e n d in g s .
XXIX. How e a r n e s t l y sh o u ld we ta k e th e s u p e r n a t u r a l i n
The Green Man?
As e a r n e s t l y a s p o s s ib le * I would sa y . I t a l l
r e a l l y happens* none o f what i s re c o u n te d happ en s
o n ly i n th e h e r o ' s mind* I t ' s a l l l i t e r a l i n t h a t
s e n s e . I t h i n k we can f i t th e s u p e r n a t u r a l p a r t
I n t o th e n a t u r a l p a r t by sa y in g t h a t th e h e ro i s
made aware o f h i s own d e f i c i e n c i e s by f i n d i n g o u t
t h a t th e r e a s o n h e 's b e in g p ic k e d on by th e dead
w iz a rd to f u l f i l l h i s d e s ig n s i s t h a t th e w iz a rd
f e e l s A l l i n g t o n 's c h a r a c t e r I s e s s e n t i a l f o r th e
w i z a r d 's p u rp o se s* A l l i n g t o n b e in g a man who
d o e s n 't c a r e f o r p e o p le and m a n ip u la te s them f o r
h i s p l e a s u r e . T h a t 's th e l i n k betw een them . I
t h i n k i t sh o u ld be ta k e n v e ry s e r io u s ly * I to o k
i t v e ry s e r i o u s l y . And n a t u r a l l y I e n jo y e d d o in g
209
i t , and b ro u g h t i n some d e v ic e s t h a t had been in
my head f o r y e a r s . I ' d always been i n t e r e s t e d in
th e s u p e r n a t u r a l in f i c t i o n ; h e re was a chance to
do a g h o st s t o r y .
As alw ays, when you s t a r t to c o n s t r u c t w ith p l o t
i t tu r n s i n t o som ething e l s e , such t h a t the id e a s
about th e s u p e r n a t u r a l t h a t you had in the p a s t
seemed to have somehow produced id e a s i n the n a t
u r a l w orld t h a t f i t in w ith them. I'm a very firm
b e l i e v e r in th e id e a t h a t the u n co n scio u s does
tw o - t h ir d s o f th e work. For example, th e id e a
about opening th e window and se ein g i t i s l i g h t
i n s i d e and y e t d a rk o u t s i d e , and th e id e a t h a t
e v e ry th in g s to p s o u t s i d e , and t h a t you c a n 't move,
c a n 't le a v e the room b ecau se you c a n 't g e t through
the a i r m o lecu les ( i t ' s l ik e c o n c r e t e ) . That too
had been in my head somewhere. The id e a t h a t i t
i s d ark o u ts id e became an o bvious l i n k in the
c h ain o f s u p e r n a t u r a l c irc u m s ta n c e s . And the id e a
t h a t e v e ry th in g sto pped o u ts id e became a tta c h e d to
the i d e a o f God o r His em issary p u t t i n g in an a p
p e a ra n c e . In what o t h e r way co uld God v i s i t a
m o rta l human b e in g e x c e p t by making e v e ry th in g
sto p o u t s i d e ? O therw ise, somebody m ight come in
210
and we c a n ' t hav e t h a t . I t ' s G o d 's s e c u r i t y
m easure t h a t makes e v e r y t h i n g s t o p . I f you l i k e .
XXX. I s y o u r p o r t r a y a l o f God i n The A n ti- D e a th League
d i f f e r e n t from th e b e in g i n The G reen Man?
T hese a r e two v e ry d i f f e r e n t i n c a r n a t i o n s . In
The A n ti- D e a th L ea g u e , i t i s n ' t an i n c a r n a t i o n a t
a l l i n a s e n s e . T h is i s a view o f t h e m a lig n a n t
God, who i s v e ry w e l l d e s c r i b e d i n Em pson' s
M i l t o n 's God w here he s t a t e s p r a c t i c a l l y , , I t h i n k ,
t h a t th e o r th o d o x God o f C h r i s t i a n i t y i s v e ry
w ic k ed , and g i v e s r e a s o n s f o r t h i s . He s e e s God
p l a y i n g i n P a r a d i s e L o st n o t a l t o g e t h e r a d i s s i m
i l a r r o l e from th e r o l e God p l a y s i n The A n t i -
D eath League ( a l t h o u g h , o f c o u r s e , E m pso n's book
was w r i t t e n b e f o r e my n o v e l e v e r a p p e a r e d ) . I
t h i n k i f you w ere to lo o k a t t h a t , t h i s would
th ro w some l i g h t on The A n ti- D e a th L e a g u e . In th e
n o v e l , God i s show ing h i s m a l i c i o u s , m a le v o le n t
s i d e .
The G reen Man t a k e s a r a t h e r d i f f e r e n t v iew , and
I 'm n o t s u r e i f t h e y a r e r e a l l y r e c o n c i l a b l e . The
G reen ManT s God i s s l i g h t l y m a l i g n a n t , d o e s n 't a t
a l l o b j e c t to i n f l i c t i n g s u f f e r i n g , b u t t h a t i s
211
n o t h i s main c o n cern . H e 's ru n n in g a game t h a t ' s
much more complex th an t h a t . H e 's a d m ittin g t h a t
H e 's n o t om nipotent,, and t h a t what may s t r i k e
A ld in g to n a s very a r b i t r a r y i s i n f a c t f o rc e d upon
Him b e c a u se o f th e r u l e s o f th e game. The chap in
The Green Man does g e t tem pted o c c a s i o n a l l y { l e t ' s
throw down one d in o s a u r i n t o P i c a d i l l y C irc u s and
see w hat w i l l h a p p en ), and t h a t ' s th e s o r t o f
t h in g w ith th e b e in g in The A n ti-D e a th League
{ l e t ' s g iv e h e r a c a n c e r , sm arten them up a b i t ;
so t h a t p r i e s t th in k s h e ' s i n com m unication w ith
me does h e - - a l l r i g h t , l e t ' s s o r t o u t h i s d o g ).
Of c o u rs e I I n c a r n a t e d God i n The Green Man as a
young man sim p ly b e ca u se He c a n ' t be an o ld man
w ith an enormous w h ite b e a r d . The i d e a o f a young,
w e l l - d r e s s e d , s o r t o f a f t e r - s h a v e l o t i o n k in d o f
man, I t h i n k , made him more s i n i s t e r . T hat was
th e i n t e n t i o n , anyway.
XXXI. T u rn ing away from f i c t i o n f o r a moment, what do
you f i n d s a t i s f y i n g i n th e w r i t i n g o f p o e tr y ?
I t ' s a h i g h e r a r t , and t h e r e ' s s t i l l even to d a y a
c e r t a i n a lm o st m y s tic a l s t a t u s which a t t a c h e s i t
s e l f to a p o e t w hich th e p r o s e w r i t e r h a s n ' t g o t.
Many o f u s would be p o e ts f u l l - t i m e i f we c o u ld ,
212
b u t we c a n 't . Auden can do i t , a lth o u g h he w r i t e s
a l o t o f i n t e r e s t i n g p ro se as w e ll. I f o n e 's
m ainly w r i t i n g fic tio n ,, one would th in k t h a t a l l
o n e 's c r e a t i v e energy goes i n t o c r e a t i n g f i c t i o n .
Some s u b j e c t s , however, a re n o t s u i t a b l e f o r f i c
t i o n . I'm d e li g h t e d when I can w r i t e a poem.
There a re s e v e r a l com pensations f o r growing o l d e r
as a w r i t e r , a s you g e t to know y o u r s e l f b e t t e r ,
in y ou r w r i t in g i n c l i n a t i o n s and so on. One g e ts
more cunning, improves o n e 's te c h n iq u e s l i g h t l y
as one g e t s o l d e r . You r e a l i z e you g e t a l i t t l e
b i t b e t t e r a t making t r a n s i t i o n s , such as r e a l i z
in g what a handy word " l a t e r " I s (sa y in g , f o r e x
ample, "What a m arvelous o ld chap t h a t fe llo w
w a s ," Roger s a id to B i l l , l a t e r - - t h u s e lim in a tin g
th e need f o r d e s c r ib in g th e end o f th e p a r t y , the
d e p a r tu r e o f g u e s t s , and so o n ) . You come to
i d e n t i f y more p r e c i s e l y when to s t a r t a n o v e l, and
t h i s i s n o t again a co n scio u s t h i n g . I t suddenly
dawns on you t h a t you know enough about your c h a r
a c t e r s to s t a r t , and you u n d e rs ta n d your c e n t r a l
s i t u a t i o n to s t a r t . That means a c e r t a i n amount
o f what you a re going to say i s a lr e a d y a rra n g e d
in y o u r mind. The same a p p l i e s to p o l i t i c a l
jo u rn a lis m , f o r example. Having w r i t t e n th e f i r s t
s e n t e n c e , one o u g h t to he a b le to ta k e a r e s t , b e
c a u se one h a s done h a l f th e work. The g r e a t b e
s e t t i n g f e a r i s f i n d i n g y o u r s e l f w ith n o th in g l e f t
to s a y . I ' v e t r i e d to hedge by t r y i n g to w r i t e
d i f f e r e n t s o r t s o f b o o k s, p a r t l y b e c a u se I l i k e
g h o s t s t o r i e s , d e t e c t i v e s t o r i e s , spy s t o r i e s .
The R i v e r s i d e V i l l a s Murder i s a d e t e c t i v e s t o r y ,
s e t i n 1936 i n th e m id d le o f th e g r e a t p e r i o d o f
d e t e c t i v e s t o r i e s . My l a t e s t n o v e l w hich I 'm
w orking on now i s v e ry o r th o d o x . I d o n 't know
w h a t 's g o in g to come o u t o f t h a t .
XXXII. Of w hat im p o rta n c e i s s c ie n c e f i c t i o n ?
I t ' s d im in is h e d , b e c a u se i t ' s l i k e j a z z . T hat i s ,
th e s t u f f I u s e d to l i k e i s no lo n g e r coming o u t .
P e o p le , i n c l u d i n g m y s e lf, a r e alw ay s p o i n t i n g o u t
how much th e y have i n common, th e s e two t h i n g s .
And y o u 'v e g o t th e same s i t u a t i o n , w ith e l d e r l y
men r e p e a t i n g th e m s e lv e s , t u r n i n g o u t s t u f f w ith
low l e v e l s o f e n e rg y , o r p e o p le p ro d u c in g s t u f f
w hich you d o n 't r e c o g n i z e a s j a z z o r s c ie n c e f i c
t i o n a t a l l . And when new s t u f f s t o p s a p p e a rin g
somehow o n e 's i n t e r e s t i n th e whole o f what h a s
b een p ro d u c e d s t a r t s d im i n i s h i n g .
214
XXXIII. Do you see any new developm ents In th e g e n re ?
YeSj i f coming to a s t a n d s t i l l i s a developm ent.
One h o p e fu l developm ent i s t h a t t h e r e ' s an i n
c re a s e in one p a r t i c u l a r c o r n e r o f th e f i e l d - - t h e
t e c h n i c a l e n d --w h ic h i s th e a l t e r n a t e p r o b a b i l i t y
o r th e p a r a l l e l w o rld , and t h a t h as been i n
c r e a s e d . F o r i n s t a n c e , ta k e a t u r n in g p o i n t in
h i s t o r y and t u r n i t th e o t h e r way aro u n d . In
B rin g th e J u b i l e e , th e w r i t e r d e s c r i b e s two s o c i
e t i e s in 1954, and by d e g re e s you found t h a t th e
scene was s e t i n a backw ard a g r a r i a n n e ig h b o r
c a l l e d USA, w ith i t s more p ro s p e ro u s s o u th e rn
n e ig h b o r c a l l e d CSA. The a u th o r deduces what
would have happened had th e South won in th e C i v i l
War. The Man i n th e High C a s t le i s a n o th e r , i n
w hich by d e g re e s you r e a l i z e th e USA h as been p a r
t i t i o n e d betw een th e Ja p a n e se and th e N a z is.
Those a r e b o th American w r i t e r s .
What th e y now c a l l " s . f . " — s p e c u l a t i v e f i c t i o n - - I
c a n ' t a b id e . I t ' s e x p e rim e n ta lis m run r i o t v e ry
o f t e n , and a g a in j u s t l i k e j a z z o n ly r e c o g n iz a b le
a s s c ie n c e f i c t i o n b e c a u se th e p e o p le who w r i t e i t
u se d to w r i t e s c ie n c e f i c t i o n , l i k e j a z z which i s
215
o nly re c o g n iz a b le because the people who p la y I t
used to p la y ja z z .
XXXIV. How do you f e e l about th e ex p erim e n tal novel?
I'm a g a in s t what i s c a l l e d e x p erim en talism , b e
cause e x p erim en talism means paraded e x p e rim e n ta l
ism, and i t means experim ent o f on ly one k i n d - - in
s t y l e o r p r e s e n t a t i o n , l e t ' s say. There are o th e r
k in d s, o f c o u rse , which n o v e l i s t s a re conducting
a l l the tim e, wondering w hether th ey can convey
t h i s s o r t o f c h a r a c t e r , o r w hether t h a t s i t u a t i o n
w i l l come o f f . Every novel i s an experim ent b e
cause i t ' s new, i t w a s n 't th e r e b e fo r e , and I f e e l
the same about e x p e rim e n ta l v e rs e , o f c o u rse.
I t ' s a ls o h a rd e r to w r ite t r a d i t i o n a l l y , because
i f i n a n o v el the re a d e r i s in no doubt about what
i s supposed to be ta k in g p la c e and who i t ' s h a p
pening to , the a u th o r i s v u ln e r a b le . For example,
t h a t ' s im p la u s ib le , he w o u ld n 't have s a id t h a t ,
how does he know t h i s ? In j u s t the same way the
w r i t e r o f t r a d i t i o n a l v e rse whose meaning i s c l e a r
and who rhym es--he too i s v u ln e r a b le . The r e a d e r
might say, b u t t h a t i s a very t i r e d image, t h i s
l in e d o e s n 't rhyme p r o p e r ly . I f th e r e a d e r 's i n
216
d o ubt a b o u t w h a t 's g o in g on, h e ' s i n no p o s i t i o n
to c r i t i c i z e from my p o i n t o f view . E i t h e r you
see i t o r you d o n 't .
XXXV. Yet i f th e r e a d e r h a s no sen se o f th e t r a d i t i o n o f
th e n o v e l, from what f o u n d a tio n does he have to
c r i t i c i z e ?
He would have th e fo u n d a tio n o f h i s own e x p e r ie n c e
a s a p e rs o n , r a t h e r th a n a s a r e a d e r . P ro v id e d
th e r e a d e r can a c c e p t th e id e a t h a t t h e r e can be
a n o v e l, he h a s o n ly h i s human e x p e r ie n c e to g u id e
h i m - - t h i s c o u l d n 't happen, and so f o r t h . Does one
f i n d th e p o r t r a y a l o f such and such a p e rs o n p l a u
s i b l e and c o n v in c in g ? I t h in k t h a t so many o f th e
p r e s u p p o s i t i o n s t h a t a r e a d e r makes when p ic k in g
up a new n o v e l a r e so f i r m l y b u i l t i n t o th e whole
c i v i l i z a t i o n t h a t he can fo llo w i t , and i t d o e s n 't
ta k e a man o f any t r a i n i n g i n l i t e r a r y c r i t i c i s m
to be d e e p ly a p p r e c i a t i v e o f a n o v e l.
XXXVI. Are you aware o f h a v in g been i n f l u e n c e d by th e
cinem a? How i m p o r t a n t i s i t to you i n y o u r w r i t
in g s ?
I t h i n k i t i s i m p o r t a n t , and i t i s one o f my i n
t e r e s t s . I t p r o b a b ly comes secondhand. W r i t e r s
l e a r n e d from th e cinem a f o r q u i t e a long tim e , and
I
217
so you d o n 't anymore b eg in n o v e ls o f two o r th r e e
c h a p t e r s o f s c e n e - s e t t i n g a l a S c o t t, where you
b e g in w ith th e h e r o 's g r a n d f a th e r and so on. I
t h in k th e b u s in e s s o f c u t t i n g i s a p p a r e n t. Now
adays i t ' s p e r f e c t l y n a t u r a l to b eg in a c h a p te r
and in d e e d a n o v e l w ith d ia lo g u e , because t h a t ' s
how l o t s o f f ilm s b e g in . B efo re i g i 4 i t would
d i s t r a c t th e r e a d e r . I t ' s gone along w ith the
cinem a. Things have speeded up. I d o n 't say t h i s
i s p r o g r e s s , b u t i t i s change. The a u th o r d o e s n 't
ta k e th e tim e o f f to t e l l the r e a d e r t h i n g s , he
l e t s i t emerge, u s u a l l y i n d ia lo g u e , which i f you
l i k e i s s i m i l a r to cinema.
A nother th in g which you can p e rh a p s a t t r i b u t e to
cinema and which comes o u t v e ry s tr o n g ly in Hem
ingway a t f i r s t , i s t h a t you d o n 't ta k e th e
r e a d e r much i n s i d e th e p e o p l e 's h e ad s, c e r t a i n l y
n o t more th an one c h a r a c t e r . Wain r e f e r r e d to
t h i s a s th e b ig Hemingway r e v o l u t i o n . I t h in k now
I m y se lf am m o d estly r e t u r n i n g to th e o ld om nis
c i e n t n a r r a t o r . In my most r e c e n t n o v e l th e f i v e
p r i n c i p a l c h a r a c t e r s w i l l have t h e i r th o u g h ts s e t
down on p a p e r as w e ll a s what they say and d o .
I ' v e done t h i s a l i t t l e b i t i n the p a s t . I t ' s
218
become so o u t o f u s e t h a t p e o p le d o n ' t r e c o g n i z e
w hat y o u 'r e d o in g . I n I Want I t Now, o f c o u rs e
w e 'r e I n s i d e R o n n i e 's h ead most o f t h e tim e . A
c o u p le o f tim e s w e 'r e I n s i d e Lord B a l d o c k 's h e a d .
W e're ta k e n i n s i d e H am er's head a c o u p le o f tim e s .
One r e v i e w e r w ondered who i s t h i s anonymous n a r
r a t o r . The a n sw e r: t h e n o v e l i s t * who h a s t r a d i
t i o n a l l y had th e r i g h t to t e l l you a n y th in g he
l i k e s , o r to w i t h h o ld a s much a s he l i k e d . I
t h i n k p e r h a p s t h e cinem a h a s p a s s e d i t s p e ak
( 1 9 3 9 - 5 0 ) , w ith th e d e p a r t u r e o f H ollyw ood and
w ith th e s e v e r e t r o u b l e th e B r i t i s h i n d u s t r y i s
i n 3 and o t h e r s . Cinema becomes l e s s i m p o r t a n t ,
th e n t h e c i n e m a t i c t e c h n i q u e s o f f i c t i o n may b e
come l e s s i m p o r t a n t , and you may g e t a r e v e r s i o n
to a more " V i c t o r i a n " ty p e o f n o v e l. Of c o u rs e
t h e r e a r e some n o v e l i s t s who h a v e n 't b een to u c h e d
by t h i s a t a l l . S o l z h e n i t s y n , f o r ex am p le, seems
l i k e T o l s t o y n o t o n ly b e c a u s e o f t h e R u s s ia n s e t
t i n g , o r immense sc o p e , o r t h a t he i s p r e t t y good,
b u t t h a t t h i s te c h n iq u e h a s n ' t to u c h e d him a t a l l .
I n o t h e r books ( I h a v e n 't r e a d A u g u st, 1 9 1 ^ ) you
g e t somebody d e s c r i b e d i n a page o f d e t a i l , th e n
a l i n e o f d i a l o g u e . T h is i s v e ry w e l l b a l a n c e d i n
s t r e n g t h s and w e a k n e s s e s , g i v i n g him h i s immense
219
scope and w e ig h t. And* i t a ls o makes th e n a r r a
t i v e lum ber r a t h e r . He does ta k e h i s tim e .
XXXVII. You have even ta k e n o v e r f o r Ia n F lem in g . What
s o r t o f man d i d you i n t e n d James Bond to be In
C ol. Sun?
H e 's g o t to be l i k e F le m in g 's Bond, b u t o f c o u rs e
h e ' s a l s o g o t to be j u s t a b o u t i n t e r e s t i n g enough
to keep me g o in g . B ut I changed him a b i t in t h a t
he r e l i e s on h i s b r a i n more, works o u t e v e r y t h i n g —
who th e o p p o s i t i o n a r e - - a n d w hat you must do i s
t u r n y o u r d e f i c i e n c i e s i n t o v i r t u e s . Thus, I
d o n 't know a n y th in g a b o u t l a s e r beams, h e l i c o p t e r s ,
m id g e t su b m a rin e s and so f o r t h . Flem ing had l a i d
i t down by h i s p r a c t i c e t h a t you had to know a b o u t
t h i s b e f o r e w r i t i n g a b o u t i t . But what I d id know
a b o u t was World War I I weaponry ( s m a ll arm s) and
th e t r e n c h m o r ta r , w h ich, o f c o u r s e , d e te rm in e d
th e w hole c h a r a c t e r o f th e n o v e l. I t was a l l g o
in g to be done a t c l o s e q u a r t e r s , no h a rd w are .
S h o rt r a n g e , c l o s e q u a r t e r s , w hich makes i t a d i f
f e r e n t k in d o f an a p p e a l, b u t s t i l l an a p p e a l.
T here i s a l i t t l e more r e a l i s m i n a s e n s e , b e c a u s e
f o r th e r e a c t i o n "By God w hat a m a rv e lo u s man he
i s " I t r i e d to s u b s t i t u t e , "G o lly , i f I were j u s t
a l i t t l e b r a v e r , j u s t a l i t t l e f i t t e r and more
220
d e te rm in e d , more r e s o l u t e , I m ight p o s s i b l y be
a b le to do th e th in g s t h i s fe llo w i s d o in g ."
XXXVIII. Can you t e l l me som ething ab out y ou r u n p u b lis h e d
n o v e l?
I t ' s n o t r e a l l y i n t e r e s t i n g . A n o v e l t h a t I ' d
adm ired enorm ously, and which i s q u i t e unknown (an
E n g lis h n o v e l) , c a l l e d The S e n io r Commoner--a b o u t
l i f e a t Eaton--m ade a trem endous im p re ss io n on me.
I t ' s one o f th o se c u rio u s n o v e ls in which a b so
l u t e l y n o th in g happens a t a l l . Smith goes to see
Jo n e s and th ey t a l k , and th en Jones goes away and
r u n s i n t o Brown and th e n Brown goes away and ru n s
i n t o Sm ith. I t ' s about sc h o o l l i f e w ith no s to r y
to i t .
I f e l l u n d e r th e lu r e o f t h i s . There i s a very
crude and a b su rd s t o r y i n my n o v e l, c a l l e d The
L egacy, which a g ain h a s a m oral l i n e i n i t i n t h a t
i t s t a r t s o f f w ith a young man who has i n h e r i t e d
some money on c o n d itio n s t h a t he e n t e r s th e fa m ily
b u s i n e s s (which i s f r i g h t f u l l y d u l l - - a c c o u n t i n g or
som ething) and m a r rie s th e g i r l h i s e l d e r b r o t h e r
ap p ro v e s o f by a c e r t a i n t i m e . He w ants to be a
p o e t and he h a s a n ic e g i r l , b u t by th e end says
XXXIX.
221
to h e l l w ith p o e t r y and m a r r i e s th e n a s t y g i r l and
t h a t ' s a l l t h a t h a p p e n s . I su ppo se t h e r e a r e some
m i l d l y am using b i t s o f o b s e r v a t i o n , when he goes
to l i v e i n a b o a r d in g house f o r a tim e and th e
p e o p le i n th e b o a rd in g house a r e s t u d i e d . I t ' s
r e a l l y no good, and n o t funn y.
I t a p p e a r s t h a t l i t e r a r y c u l t u r e i s h a v in g l e s s o f
an i n f l u e n c e on th e y o u th to d a y . Do you see y o u r
s e l f a s g i v in g a le a d to th e young?
I c a n ' t see m y s e lf a s g i v i n g any s o r t o f le a d to
t h e y o ung , e x c e p t p e rh a p s an i n d i c a t i o n o f th e
d i r e c t i o n i n w hich n o t to g o . I c e r t a i n l y t h in k
i t ' s much more i m p o r t a n t to annoy th e young th a n
to t r y to c o n c i l i a t e them. Young p e o p le do r e a d
me. I d o n 't mean t h a t m ost young p e o p le do r e a d
me, b u t some do, and I hope my l u r e w o rk s. T hat
i s to s a y , i d e a l l y th e r e a d e r comes to be e n t e r
t a i n e d . I have t h i s r e p u t a t i o n o f b e in g a funny
n o v e l i s t . W hether I am o r n o t o r w h e th e r t h a t ' s
a l l I am o r n o t i s n e i t h e r h e r e n o r t h e r e . L e t ' s
sa y t h a t some i n t e l l i g e n t young p e r s o n r e a d s a
n o v e l i n th e hope o f e n t e r t a i n m e n t , he may a l s o
sa y to h i m s e l f , "W ell, t h e r e ' s more to i t th an
j u s t e n t e r t a i n m e n t , i s n ' t t h e r e ? " H aving been a t
t r a c t e d by th e s u g a r , he th e n comes t o th e p i l l .
222
XL. John G ross w rote a f a s c i n a t i n g hook e n t i t l e d The
R ise and F a l l o f th e Man o f L e t t e r s . How do you
f e e l a b o u t b e in g c l a s s i f i e d a s a man o f l e t t e r s ?
To him th e man o f l e t t e r s i s th e man who g e t s most
o f h i s income from jo u r n a lis m and w r i t i n g memoirs
o f p e o p le , c o l l e c t i n g t h e i r l e t t e r s , and a l l t h a t
ty pe o f s t u f f . I t h in k t h a t f o r me n o th in g r e a l l y
im p o r ta n t had tak e n p l a c e s in c e a b o u t 1880 i n th e
se n se t h a t w hile l o t s o f i n t e r e s t i n g books have
been p u b lis h e d , I t h in k o f m y se lf l i k e a s o r t o f
m id- o r l a t e - V i c t o r i a n p e rs o n , n o t in o u tlo o k b u t
i n th e p o s i t i o n o f w r i t i n g a b i t o f p o e tr y (we
f o r g e t t h a t George E l i o t a ls o w rote v e r s e ) , w r i t
in g n o v e ls , and b e in g i n t e r e s t e d i n q u e s t i o n s o f
th e day and o c c a s i o n a l l y w r i t i n g a b o u t them and
b e in g i n t e r e s t e d i n th e work o f o t h e r w r i t e r s and
o c c a s i o n a l l y w r i t i n g a b o u t t h a t . I 'm n o t e x a c t l y
an e n t e r t a i n e r p u re and sim p le , n o t e x a c t l y an
a r t i s t p u re and s im p le , c e r t a i n l y n o t an i n c i s i v e
c r i t i c o f s o c i e t y , and c e r t a i n l y n o t a p o l i t i c a l
f i g u r e though I'm i n t e r e s t e d i n p o l i t i c s , b u t
com bining some o f th o se t h i n g s .
S E L E C T I V E B I B L I O G R A P H Y
SELECTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY
The fo llo w in g b i b li o g r a p h y o f A m is's n o v e ls , p o e tr y
and n o n f i c t i o n i s com plete to d a t e . B ecause Rubin R abino-
v i t z h a s a lr e a d y com piled a com plete l i s t i n g o f A m is's
e s s a y s and book re v ie w s th ro u g h 1963 (se e th e append ix to
R e a c tio n A g a in st E x p erim e n tal!sm in th e E n g lis h N o v e l:
19 50-60, l i s t e d b e lo w ), my l i s t b e g in s where h i s ends. In
a d d i t i o n , I have a tte m p te d to l i s t most o f th e im p o rta n t
se co n d a ry s o u rc e s --b o o k s and d i s s e r t a t i o n s , j o u r n a l and
m agazine a r t i c l e s - - m a n y o f which were p r e v i o u s ly l i s t e d i n
J . Don Vann and James T. F. T a n n e r 's " C h e c k lis t o f R ecent
C r i t i c i s m " (B u l l e t i n o f B i b li o g r a p h y , XXVI [O cto b er-
December, 1 9 6 9 b 115-17)- And f i n a l l y , I have n o t a t
tem pted to l i s t a l l o f th e book re v ie w s and n o t i c e s , b u t
have s e l e c t e d o n ly th o se which r e f l e c t im p o rta n t c r i t i c a l
r e a c t i o n s to A m is's works a s th e y a r e p u b lis h e d . I have
a tte m p te d to avoid r e p e t i t i o n , and where s e v e r a l re v ie w e rs
s a id much th e same th in g , I s e l e c t e d th e more p ro m in en t o f
th e c r i t i c s a n d /o r p a p e r s .
Prim ary Sources
225
F ic tio n
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1955; New York: H arcourt, Brace and World, I n c . , 1956.
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1955.
I Like I t H e re . London: V ic to r G ollancz L td ., 1957; New
York: H a rco u rt, Brace and Co., I n c . , 1958.
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New York: H arco urt, Brace and World, I n c . , 1 9 6 1 .
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19o2; New York: H a rco u rt, Brace and World, I n c . , 1 9 6 3 *
One Fat E nglishm an. London: V i c to r G ollancz L td ., 1 9 6 3;
New York: H arco u rt, Brace and World, I n c . , 1§64.
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Cape, 1955; New York: Random House, I n c . , 1966.
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New York: H arco u rt, Brace and World, I n c . , 1 9 6 6.
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Jon athan Cape, 1 9 6 8; New York: H arper and Row, I n c . ,
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H a rc o u rt, Brace and World, I n c . , 1 9 6 9.
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Brace Jovanovich, I n c . , 1972.
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The R iv e rs id e V i l l a s M urder. London: Jon athan Cape, 1973;
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B r i g h t Novem ber. London: F o rtu n e P r e s s , 1947.
E d i t o r , w ith James M ic h ie . Oxford P o e tr y , 1949- O xford:
B a s i l B la c k w e ll, 19^9-
A Frame o f Mind. R e ad in g , B e r k s h i r e : R eading Scho ol o f
A r t , 1953-
K in g s le y Amis: Number 22 F a n ta s y P o e ts S e r i e s . O xford:
F a n ta s y P r e s s , 1954•
A Case o f Sam ples: Poems, 1 9 4 6 -5 6 . London: V i c t o r
G o lla n c z L t d ., 1956; New York: H a r c o u r t, B race and
W orld, I n c . , 1957.
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P o r t e r . London: Penguin Books, I n c ., 1 9 6 2 .
The Evans C o u n tr y . O xford: F a n ta s y P r e s s , 1 9 6 3 .
A Look Round th e E s t a t e : Poems, 1 9 5 7 -6 7 . London: J o n a th a n
Cape, 1 9 6 7 ; New York: H a r c o u r t, B race and W orld, I n c .,
1968 .
N o n f ic tio n (B ooks)
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E d i t o r , w ith R o b e rt C o n q u e st. Spectrum : A S c ie n c e F i c t i o n
A n th o lo g y . London: V i c t o r G o lla n c z L t d . , 1961; New
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" L it e r a r y A g e n ts." New S ta te sm a n , March 20, 1964, p. 452.
"L ife Under F r o s t . " New S ta te sm a n , December 4, 1964,
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"M f o r M urder." New S ta te sm a n , A p r il 2, 1 9 6 5* P* 540.
"The Man w ith th e M icrophone." New S tatesm an, November
19, 1965, PP. 791-92.
"A Chrom atic P a s s in g - N o te ." The S p e c ta to r , March 24, 1967*
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"W aiting f o r L e f t y . " The S p e c t a t o r , J u ly 21, 1 9 6 7* P- 75-
"Oxford P r o f e s s o r s h ip o f P o e tr y ." New S tatesm an , November
1 5, 1 9 6 8, p. 6 8 1 .
"The R ig h t to R e p ly ." The S p e c t a t o r , Ja n u ary 30, 1971*
p. 156.
"The R ig h t o f R e p ly ." The S p e c t a t o r , F ebruary 13* 1971
and March 6 , 1971* pp. 2 3 2 , 328.
"The Poet and the L u n a t i c s ." New S tatesm an , F eb ru ary 2 6 ,
1971* pp. 2 8 0- 8 1 .
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204, 3 1 0 - 1 2 .
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S e c o n d ary S o u rc e s
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A l l e n , W a l te r . B e a t G e n e r a tio n and th e Angry Young Men.
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Salwak, Dale Francis
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Core Title
Kingsley Amis: Writer As Moralist
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Doctor of Philosophy
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), Durbin, James H., Jr. (
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