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New American fiction and the aesthetics of Camus and Robbe-Grillet

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New American fiction and the aesthetics of Camus and Robbe-Grillet

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Content NEW AMERICAN FICTION AND THE AESTHETICS
OF CAMUS AND ROBBE-GRILLET
by
J u d i t h Rachel K a r f io l
A D i s s e r t a t i o n P re se n te d to the
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 the
Requirements f o r the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(Comparative L i t e r a t u r e )
June 19 7 8
UMI Number: DP22536
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................
Chapter
I . GILBERT SORRENTINO: THE SIGNAL-LESS NOVEL . .
I I . STEVE KATZ: IMAGINATIVE DISLOCATIONS .....................
I I I . RAYMOND FEDERMAN: THE SPATIAL CONSTRUCT . . .
CONCLUSION ...........................................................................................................
i
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................
Figure
1 .
2 ..
LIST OF FIGURES
Page
F a c sim ile of p. 129 of D ouble or N o th in g . . . . 163
F ac sim ile of p. 270 of Take I t o r Leave I t . . . 193
i i i
I INTRODUCTION
There e x i s t s a body of American f i c t i o n , w r itte n during
Jthe past f i f t e e n y e a r s, that has been described as d isru p
t i v e , in n o v a tiv e , postcontemporary, and postmodern, and has
i
peen c a l l e d s u r f i c t i o n and s u p e r f i c t i o n . What th e s e terms
i n d i c a t e is t h a t the works appear s i g n i f i c a n t l y d i f f e r e n t
jfrom those su rro u n d in g them in l i t e r a r y h i s t o r y , and indeed
ithey a r e . New American f i c t i o n aims not a t bein g m im etic,
!as t r a d i t i o n a l f i c t i o n d o e s ; i t seeks n e i t h e r to r e c r e a t e
i
I
n o r r e p r e s e n t l i f e and n a t u r e . R a th e r, i t seeks to respond
Jto the q u e s tio n Robert Scholes fo rm u la te s i n The F a b u la to r s ,
j"What good is f i c t i o n as fiction?"'*' I t may be d e s c rib e d as
jp o ie tic : i t i s made, formed, c r e a t e d , added to the w orld.
iNew American f i c t i o n i s concerned w ith i t s own r e l a t i o n s h i p
!to the w orld; i t s w r i t e r s c r e a t e models of r e a l i t y t h a t are
r e a l only i n s o f a r as they are in v e n te d p ro d u c ts or a r t i f a c t s
" * ■ The Fabutatovs (New York: Oxford Univ. Press, 1967), p. 29.
1
p la c e d in to the w o rld , and t h e i r f i c t i o n m a n if e s ts a s e l f -
conscious awareness o f t h i s .
New American f i c t i o n sh a res many of the c o n c e r n s , t e c h
niques , and even models a s s o c i a t e d w ith the "P o st-m od ern ”
f i c t i o n of such w r i t e r s as Bellow, B a rth , H e l l e r , K o s in s k i,
Pynchon, and Vonnegut. However, in the s u c c i n c t p h r a s in g of
Ronald Sukenick, one of the new f i c t i o n i s t s ,
The Moderns questioned the idea of a priori form; we question the
idea of form its e lf. The innovative fiction writers of the Ameri
can sixties were s t i l l writing "novels" even though they under
stood that "the" novel as defined at that time in this country—
quite provincially, i t is necessary to add—was a form whose
credibility was e x h a u s t e d .2
[These w r i t e r s of the S i x t i e s began to p la y w ith the p o s s i -
I
b i l i t i e s o f f e r e d by the forms they i n h e r i t e d through t r a d i
t i o n , and found means w i t h i n the given s t r u c t u r e of convey
ing t h e i r e r a ’s d i s b e l i e f in the s t a b l e systems t h a t mimetic
modes of f i c t i o n sought e i t h e r to c r e a t e or r e c r e a t e . The
w r i t e r s I should l i k e to d i s t i n g u i s h a t l e a s t p a r t i a l l y from
the P ost-m oderns, w r i t e r s such as W alter A bish, Donald
B arthelm e, Jo n a th an Baumbach, Robert Coover, Raymond Feder-
man, W illiam Gass, Marianne H auser, Steve Katz, G i l b e r t
S o r r e n t i n o , P e te r S p i e lb e r g , and Ronald S ukenick, are
2
"Thirteen Digressions /'P a r tis a n Review, 43, No. 1 (1976), 101.
e x p lo r in g new modes of f i c t i o n a l i z i n g . Sukenick s t a t e s ,
W e write beyond any definitions of form because we believe
that fiction is always in process of defining its e lf. Not the
form but the imaginative process that creates that form is
exemplary. Form is the embodiment, the temporary context of
the imagination, an embodiment that is the consequence of the
questioning of form by the imagination. The result of this
point of view can be seen for the fiction of the seventies in
a proliferation and variety of formal options. (p. 101)
C e r ta in o f th ese o p tio n s are the s u b j e c t of t h i s work. For
the sake of economy and c o n c i s i o n , I have chosen to narrow
|th is d i s c u s s i o n of new American f i c t i o n to the works of
I
t
th r e e of the many w r i t e r s who would be a p p r o p r i a te to t h i s
jstudy: S o r r e n t i n o , whose work i s the most t r a d i t i o n a l of
|the th r e e b u t which n e v e r t h e l e s s i n d i c a t e s the n a s c e n t forms
j
jof p o i e t i c f i c t i o n ; Katz, whose works are the most c o n s i s
t e n t l y im a g in a tiv e in su b sta n c e and in n o v a tiv e in form; and
Federman, whose e x p e r im e n ta tio n w ith the forms and f u n c tio n s
of the t e x t u a l a r t i f a c t and whose c r i t i c a l w r i t i n g s s ta n d in
ithe fo regro un d of new f i c t i o n .
The w r i t e r s of new f i c t i o n have lo osed them selves from
i
i
jmany e s t a b l i s h e d t r a d i t i o n s , so t h e i r works have an u n c e r
t a i n and c o m p lica te d e t i o l o g y . I sh ou ld l ik e to d em o nstrate
t h a t they m a n if e s t many of the formal a s p e c ts and the a s p i
r a t i o n s o f the n o u vea u roman d e s c r ib e d by R o b b e - G r ille t and
the formal im p l i c a ti o n s of the a b s u r d i s t a e s t h e t i c d e s c r ib e d
1“ ' “ " " '4!
I
by Camus, b ro aden ing the g u l f t h a t s e p a r a t e s us from what
they d e s c r ib e as a f a m i l i a r b u t i n c r e a s i n g l y u n s a t i s f a c t o r y
I
I
ep istem olog y assumed and e x p re ss e d by t r a d i t i o n a l f i c t i o n . j
l
New f i c t i o n c o n tin u e s a t r e n d away from the s e a r c h f o r su b
s t a n t i v e meaning and the e x p la n a t i o n of o r d e r toward an
ja s s e rtio n of m e a n in g le s s n e s s , based on an awareness of the
i
■absence of an u l ti m a t e o rd e r governing and u n i f y in g our '
jworld. I t s t e n s io n d e riv e s l a r g e l y from i m p l i c i t and e x p l i
c i t a s s a u l t s on the l i t e r a r y co nventions a s s o c i a t e d w ith the
t
t
novel t h a t , Camus and R o b b e - G r ille t a g re e , f a l s i f y the r e l a
t i o n s h i p of th in g s in the w orld and b l i n d us to the a r b i -
i
jtrary forms o f r e a l i t y . The d ev ices su g g e ste d f o r the •
i
'expression of the a b su rd , and f o r the new n o v e l, le a d to an
open, u n fix e d concept o f f i c t i o n a l form, upon which t o d a y 's
jw riters c a p i t a l i z e . T h eir l i t e r a t u r e concerns i t s e l f p r i
m a rily w ith c r e a t e d models o f the r e a l , w ith c o n s t r u c t i o n
and p r o c e s s , and a lth ou gh i t s end is n o t moral or p h i l o
s o p h i c a l , i t t e s t i f i e s to a p r o v i s i o n a l co ncep t of r e a l i t y
by o r g a n iz in g e x p e rie n c e in' c o n s c io u s ly p r o v i s i o n a l f i c
t i o n a l c o n s t r u c t s .
The novel of the p a s t , e s p e c i a l l y the g r e a t n i n e t e e n t h -
c e n tu ry n o v e l, i s p r e d i c a t e d on a r a t i o n a l i s t w orld view in
which e v e r y th in g in the u n iv e r s e f i t s t o g e t h e r l i k e the
■pieces of a p u zz le th a t man, g iv en h is power o f r e a so n in g ,
I
jis able to s o l v e , and thus un derstand . The order i t rep re-
I
jsents i s r e l a t e d to the p o s i t i v i s t p h ilo s o p h ie s ' o p t i m i s t i c
i
b e l i e f s in the p rogress toward u n i t y , o f humanity and human
i n s t i t u t i o n s . The con cep ts o f p l o t , c h a r a c te r , and s e t t i n g
!
Jthat d is t in g u is h e d the n ovel in d ic a t e t h i s b e l i e f in order:
ithe d i s p o s i t i o n o f elem en ts in to l o g i c a l , c o h e siv e p a tte r n s
I
t
^appears to account fo r and make se n se o f e v e r y th in g , ren der-
!
■ing a l l forms o f e x p e rien ce i n t e l l i g i b l e and m ean in gfu l.
I
j The novel con tin u ed to c l i n g to such forms and id e a ls
i
J
Jeven as the e m p i r i c i s t and r a t i o n a l i s t e p iste m o lo g y th a t was
!
jits fou n d ation was d e str o y e d . The id e a o f knowing the world
jin th a t fa s h io n needed to be reform u la ted in the l a t e n in e
tee n th cen tu ry in l i g h t o f the growing acceptance o f N ie tz -
i
s c h e ' s d e s t r u c tio n o f e m p ir ic a l p h i lo s o p h ie s , the accep tan ce
i
o f the concep ts o f r e l a t i v i t y and s u b j e c t i v i t y th a t are
today at the root o f a l l e p is t e m o lo g ic a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n s .
Yet as man came to p e r c e iv e r e a l i t y d i f f e r e n t l y , a r t remained
a s h e l t e r fo r those who f e l t l ik e str a n g e r s in the u n ce r ta in
"new" w orld.
Rather than abandoning the p r i n c ip l e s o f o r d e r, n o v e l
i s t s o f the la t e n in e te e n th and e a r ly tw e n tie th c e n tu r ie s
such as* the s y m b o lis t s , e x p r e s s i o n i s t s , and s u r r e a l i s t s
i 6
i
worked these i n t o a r e l a t i v e framework in which s u b j e c t i v e
i
p e r c e p t i o n s o f r e a l i t y were seen to o rd e r i n d i v i d u a l e x p e r i
ence whose n a tu r e a p p e a rs , from the o u t s i d e , to be d i s
o rd e re d . T heir l i t e r a t u r e allow ed f o r the co nscio us or
sub con scio us mind to o rg an iz e time and space a c c o rd in g to
i t s own needs and whims, and to s y n th e s iz e elem en ts of the
r e a l i t y i t e n c o u n te rs i n t o s t r u c t u r e s o f i t s own c r e a t i o n ;
jbut i t never abandoned the b e l i e f in i t s own i n t e g r i t y , in
(its a b i l i t y to p e rc e iv e and e v a l u a t e — and thus o r d e r — the
jworld in terms of i t s e l f . The t a c i t assum ption was t h a t the
i n d i v i d u a l psyche o f man had i t s own o r d e r , which was a
r e a l , a l b e i t r e l a t i v e , o rd e r of the w o rld . The chaos of
ex p erien c e thus found a d i f f e r e n t model f o r i t s e x p la n a t i o n .
The American novel o f the 1960s and 1970s takes a d i f
f e r e n t s ta n c e a g a in . I t s p rim ary assum ption i s , as Jean
Kennard p o i n ts out in the i n t r o d u c t i o n to Number and N i g h t
mare , the b a s i c t e n e t of what she r e f e r s to as the p o s t -
L x i s t e n t i a l dilemma: man, c o n fro n te d w ith the w orld as i t
a c t u a l l y e x i s t s , p e r c e iv e s i t s i r r a t i o n a l i t y and, r a t h e r
jthan se e k in g to r a t i o n a l i z e i t , concludes t h a t h i s r e l a t i o n -
3
s h ip to i t is a b su rd . No u n i t y e x i s t s between man and h is
3
Number and Nightmare: Forms o f Fantasy in Contemporary F iction
(Hamden, Conn,: Archon Books, 1975), p. 18.
'world; re a so n and l o g i c cannot d is c o v e r o r d e r , f o r th e re is
Inone; and man's s u b j e c t i v e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s of t h a t which he
\
jperceives c r e a t e a d e c e p tiv e i l l u s i o n o f communication
i
jbetween man and h i s w o rld , f a l s e l y im plying both u n i t y and
o r d e r .
Rooted in the e x i s t e n t i a l p h ilo s o p h ie s of S a r t r e and
|camus, a b s u r d i s t s and pro p o n en ts o f the new novel have
i
i
jcreated a system f o r p r e s e n t i n g in f i c t i o n the a p p a re n t
d i s o r d e r they p e r c e i v e . The g u lf t h a t s e p a r a t e s man from
ihis w orld is the c e n t e r of t h e i r cosmogony. For those such
Jas Camus, the y e a rn in g f o r u n ity d e s p i te the a cc ep tan c e of
the g u l f engenders the sense o f the a b su rd . To Robbe- ■
I
^ G r ille t, the a s p i r a t i o n to u n i ty i s f o o l i s h sin c e the
I
Ja n th ro p o c e n tric v i s i o n of man i s a f a l s e one; the g u l f is
^the a b s o lu te .
i
l
I S u r p r i s i n g l y , the s i m i l a r i t i e s of Camus' a e s t h e t i c
I
[program f o r f i c t i o n and t h a t o f R o b b e -G r ille t have only bee
(hinted a t . Since the works to be d is c u s s e d he re m a n if e s t
I
the t h e o r e t i c a l im p e ra tiv e s of b o th , a c lo s e look a t t h e i r
i d e a s , as e x p re ss e d in t h e i r major c r i t i c a l w orks, i s w a r
r a n t e d . The com parative a n a l y s i s t h a t fo llo w s is b ased on
Camus' c o l l e c t i o n o f e s s a y s , Le my th e de S is y p h e , and Robbe
G r i l l e t ' s c o l l e c t i o n , Pour un n o u v ea u ro m a n, and aims
(prim arily a t e l u c i d a t i n g the a e s t h e t i c upon which the con- j
4 j
temporary American novel i s p r e d i c a t e d .
Both Camus and R o b b e - G r ille t re c o g n iz e man’s d e s i r e fo r
junity w ith h i s w o rld , and bo th aim to acknowledge t h a t such
i !
u n i t y is im p o s s ib le . Camus w r i t e s t h a t " c e t t e n o s t a l g i e
jd 'u n ite . . . i l l u s t r e le mouvement e s s e n t i e l du drame hu-
m a i n . ” 5 The absurd i s b orn of " c e t t e c o n f r o n t a t i o n e n tr e
jl'a p p e l humain e t le s i l e n c e d e ra is o n n a b le du monde" (p. 44),
and he p r e s c r i b e s a moral s ta n c e f o r man to take in view of |
the a b s u r d i ty o f h i s c o n d i t i o n . I t is a p o s i t i o n of acknowl
edgment and r e j e c t i o n , o f c o n s t a n t t e n s i o n between the two.
I t i s " la p a s s io n e s s e n t i e l l e de l'homme d e c h ir e e n t r e son
appel vers 1 ' u n i t e e t l a v i s i o n c l a i r e q u ' i l p e u t a v o ir des j
jmurs que l ' e n s e r r e n t " (pp. 38-3 9). Man seeks to know h is
world and h i s p la c e in i t . His re a so n informs him he is
t h e r e , a p a r t o f i t , b u t to apprehend h i s s i g n i f i c a n c e in a j
t
grand scheme i s im p o s s ib le : " . . . comprendre c ' e s t av an t j
!
4
It is not the intention of this dissertation to discuss these
writers’ own fiction, or the way in which they do, in the case of
Robbe-Grillet, or do not, as in the case of Camus, practice their own
literary principles as described here. This is the subject of a d if
ferent work.
^Albert Camus, Le mythe de Sisyphe: Essai sur I'ajbsurde (1942;
rpt. Paris: Gallimard, 1973), p. 32. All subsequent references are to
this paperback edition.
jtout u n i f i e r . . . . Comprendre le monde pour un homme, c ' e s t
i
;le r e d u i r e a l'h u m a in " (p. 32). But the w orld cannot be
i
i
jreduced to human t e r m s , f o r i t is p r o p e r l y o u ts id e o f man
and beyond h i s g ra s p . "Le truism e 'Toute pensee e s t a n th r o -
jpomorphique ' n ' a pas d 'a u t r e s e n s , " he w r i t e s (p. 32).
j
•Man's th ou gh ts im prison him; they p r e v e n t him from knowing
the w orld w hile a llo w in g him a f a l s e v i s i o n of i t .
R o b b e - G r ille t ag rees w ith Camus' i d e a s , w r i t i n g
" 1 ’ anthropomorphisme . . . ne p e u t a v o ir . . . pour b u t que
;1' e t a b l i s s e m e n t d 'u n o rd re h u m ain , g e n e r a l e t a b s o lu ," ^
an o rd e r t h a t h e , l i k e Camus, a s s e r t s does n o t e x i s t f o r man
to know. He echoes Camus in i n s i s t i n g t h a t "L'homme reg a rd e
le monde, e t le monde ne l u i rend pas son re g a r d " (p. 6 5 ).
The c o n c lu s io n drawn from t h i s i s a r t i c u l a t e d by Camus:
J"Penser, ce n ' e s t p lu s u n i f i e r , ren d re f a m i l i e r e 1 ' apparence
sous le v isa g e d 'u n grand p r i n c i p e . P e n s e r, c ’e s t re a p p re n -
dre a v o i r . . . " (p. 4 3 ). This s e n tim e n t i s c e n t r a l to the
a e s t h e t i c propounded by b o th w r i t e r s .
In the a bsurd w orld and t h a t of the new n o v e l , thought
and rea so n do n o t le a d to t e l e o l o g i c a l t r u t h s . In acc o rd -
^Alain Robbe-Grillet, Pour un nouveau roman (Paris: Gallimard,
1963), p. 77. All subsequent references are to this paperback edition
of the work.
10
ance w ith b a s i c e x i s t e n t i a l p r e m is e s , n o th in g can be known
f o r c e r t a i n , f o r the th in g s o f the w orld have no in n a te depth
or essen ce t h a t man can p e rc e iv e or a s c e r t a i n through r e a
so n in g ; e x is te n c e i s a l l one can know, y e t th in g s t h a t a r e ,
are always changing. Camus and R o b b e - G r ille t a c c e p t and
i n s i s t upon the c o n tin g en c y o f a l l knowledge. Camus p o in ts
o u t: "Ce monde, je p u is le to u c h e r e t je juge encore q u ' i l
e x i s t e . La s ' a r r e t e to u te ma s c i e n c e , le r e s t e e s t co n s
t r u c t i o n ” (p. 34). He adds, "Je comprends que s i je p u is
p a r l a s c ie n c e s a i s i r le s phenomenes e t l e s enum erer, je me
jpuis pour a u ta n t app rehen der le monde” (p. 36). Man i s a
s t r a n g e r on the e a r t h once th o u g h t to be h i s (p. 22), and
l i t e r a t u r e must r e f l e c t t h i s s t a t e by q u e s t io n i n g i t s own
a s s e r t i o n s , r a t h e r th a n c l i n g i n g to p a s t a e s t h e t i c s , founded
as they are on an o b s o le te t e l e o l o g y .
R o b b e - G r i l l e t ' s system r e q u i r e s a s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d
acceptan ce of the w orld o u t s i d e of man as i t is p e r c e i v e d ,
and the r e f u s a l o f a l l c o m fo rtab le b u t f a l s e system s t h a t
i n t e g r a t e man i n t o t h a t w o rld , or t h a t would a l l y t h a t w orld
w ith some o t h e r o rd e r of r e a l i t y beyond t h a t which man
s e n s e s . Like Camus, he would look a t the w orld anew, f o r
b id d in g re a so n to i n v e s t i t w ith meaning and o r d e r . His
v i s i o n thus a ls o r e s t s on an u n f a m i l i a r w o rld , r e a l i z i n g
|”le c a r a c t e r e ■inhab'Ltue'l du monde qui nous e n to u re :
jin h a b itu e l . . . dans l a mesure ou i l r e f u s e de se p l i e r a nosj
I _ j
h a b itu d e s d 'a p p r e h e n s io n e t a n o tre o r d r e " (p. 23). I t is a|
I
c o ld , d i s t a n t w orld t h a t R o b b e - G r il l e t p e r c e i v e s , and i t is
jthe same one Camus d e s c r i b e s : i t i s only t h e i r a t t i t u d e s
l
'toward i t t h a t d i f f e r .
| Camus b e l i e v e d in man's moral r e s p o n s i b i l i t y to f i g h t
■against b o th h i s e stra n g e m e n t from the w orld and h i s i n a b i l
i t y to u n d e rs ta n d i t . As s t a t e d p r e v i o u s l y , f o r him the
absurd i s an awareness of te n s io n t h a t i s m a in ta in e d by the
1 7
|
(g ratuitou s s t r u g g l e f o r the im p o s s ib le , and t h a t i s n ever
r e l a x e d : ” . . . l a c o n f r o n t a t i o n de c e t i r r a t i o n n e l e t de ce
d e s i r ep erdu de c l a r t e dont l ' a p p e l resonne au p lu s p ro fo n d
'de l'homme” (p. 37). I t is a c o n s t a n t b a t t l e a g a i n s t the
s o r t o f s u b te r fu g e t h a t would p r e te n d to c l a r i f y the w o rld ,
th e re b y f a l s e l y r e a l i z i n g the i d e a l , and a g a i n s t s u i c i d e ,
i n which one succumbs to the i n e v i t a b l e tyran ny o f the r e a l .
|The absurd demands t h a t man f i g h t a g a i n s t h i s c o n d it i o n
I
w h ile rem ainin g aware t h a t i t is a b s o l u t e . He a p p ro v e s,
t h e r e f o r e , of a l l systems t h a t do n o t a tte m p t to e x p la in the
absence o f r e a s o n a b le p r i n c i p l e s in the w o rld , or d is c o v e r
the e s s e n t i a l s i g n i f i c a n c e of phenomena and man's e x p e rie n c e
of them (Camus, p. 6 3 ). E x p la n a tio n s are f i c t i o n s , and what
he a p p r e c i a t e s (o f phenomenology, in p a r t i c u l a r ) i s t h a t
which in r e f u s in g to e x p la in , "veut e t r e seu lem en t une !
d e s c r ip t io n du vecu" (p. 6 3 ) . -Phenomenology, he w r i t e s , {
I
" r e jo in t la pensee absurde dans son a f f ir m a t io n i n i t i a t e
q u ' i l n ' e s t p o in t de v e r i t e , mais seulem en t des v e r i t e s "
Cp . 6 3 ).
R o b b e -G r ille t admires Camus’ e s s a y s and r e c o g n iz e s the
7
a f f i n i t i e s th a t e x i s t between t h e i r p h ilo s o p h ic a l s t a n c e s .
;H e d e s c r ib e s Camus' p h ilo so p h y thus:
Albert Camus, on le sait, a nomme absurdite l'abime infran-
chissable qui existe entre 1'homme et le monde, entre les aspi
rations de 1'esprit humain et l ’incapacite du monde a les satis-
faire. L'absurde ne serait ni dans l'homme ni dans les choses,
I mais dans 1 'impossibility d 'etablir entre eux un autre rapport
j que d 'etrccngete. (p. 70)
I
j A b i t f a r th e r on, in d e s c r ib in g h is own program, he
I
echoes those id ea s : j
I
Enregistrer la distance entre l'objet et moi ... et insister
encore sur le fa it que ce sont seulement des distances (et non
pas des dechirements), cela revient a etablir que les choses
sont la et qu'elles ne sont rien d'autre que des choses, ... II
y a desormais refus de touts complicite.
... le regard, s ' i l veut rester simple regard, laisse les
choses a leur place respective.
... le rapport d '^ absurdite » n 'e st pas loin. (p. 81)
7
Robbe-Grillet, however, considers the absurd an "alibi" (p. 44)
for not accepting the world as i t is, and he berates Camus, justifiably,
for not practicing or demonstrating in his aft what he preached in his
essays, as regards technique.
iThe programs both w r i t e r s e s t a b l i s h f o r a r t r e s t on the
(
jrefu sa l to a t t r i b u t e depth and meaning to th in g s and e x p e r i-
i
jences of the w o rld . To the ab su rd mind, as Camus d e s c r i b e s
i t , " s i 1 ' on p r e te n d d e c o u v r ir a i n s i 1 " e s s e n c e ' de chaque
o b j e t de l a c o n n a i s s a n c e , on r e s t i t u e sa p ro fo n d eu r a
1 ' e x p e r i e n c e . Pour un e s p r i t absurde c e l a e s t incom prehen-
isib le " (p. 6 5 ). R o b b e - G r i l l e t , to o , would d isp e n se w ith
!
|"les v ie u x mythes de l a 'p rofon d eu r'" in a r t , because the
Ir e a lity o f the world r e s i d e s p r im a r ily in i t s p r o v is io n a l
t
" p r e s e n c e , ” and a r t i s t s must c r e a t e a l i t e r a t u r e t h a t tak es
t h i s i n t o account (p. 25).
Such a l i t e r a t u r e r e j e c t s ev ery mode o f f i c t i o n t h a t ,
in the words o f R o b b e - G r i l l e t , " v i s a i t a imposer 1 ’ image
d ’un u n iv e r s s t a b l e , c o h e r e n t , c o n ti n u , u n iv o q u e , e n t i e r e -
ment d e c h i f f r a b l e " (p. 3 7), or t h a t a tte m p ts to come to
terms w ith " c e t u n iv e r s i n d i c i b l e ou re g n e n t l a c o n t r a d i c
t i o n , l 'a n t i n o m i e , l 'a n g o i s s e ou 1 ' im p uissan ce" (p. 39), as
Camus e x p re s s e d i t . The m ain stay s of the t r a d i t i o n a l n o v e l,
i t s formal u n i t y and i t s f u n c t i o n a l elem ents t h a t o rg an iz e
s t o r i e s and c h a r a c t e r s , are abandoned in fav o r of more
immediate and n o n e x p re ssiv e a cco un ts o f e x p e r ie n c e . These
in v o lv e the r e a d e r e i t h e r in the p ro c e ss of f i c t i o n a l i z i n g ,
c r e a t i n g . o r d e r where th e r e is none, or in t h a t of r e a l i z i n g
14
i
I
jthe absence o f o r d e r through a c o n f r o n t a t i o n w ith the
{unreasonable .
R o b b e - G r ille t d is p e n s e s w ith the concept o f " c h a r a c
t e r , ” a concept he says belongs to a p a s t age, n o t to d a y 's
in which the i n d i v i d u a l i s n o t o m n ip o te n t, n o t th e c e n t e r of
jhis w o rld , and thus n o t , in h i s view s, p r o p e r l y s i t u a t e d
a n t h r o p o c e n t r i c a l l y in a r t . F u rth erm o re, f i c t i o n a l c h a r a c
t e r s o f the p a s t have been p r e s e n t e d "in d e p th ," as though
they p o s s e s s e d in n a te c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s and were the sum of
'p e r s o n a l i t y t r a i t s of s o c i a l , p s y c h o l o g i c a l , a n d /o r economic
i
jo rig in , sm all systems l o g i c a l l y c o n s tr u e d . Today, when
jconfronted w ith such c h a r a c t e r s , R o b b e - G r ille t explains-, "on
j s 'a p e r q o i t v i t e , malgre t o u t , que ce monde e t ces hommes ont
I
e te c o n s t r u i t s en vue d 'un e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n " (p. 4 5 ), they
are p a r t of an o r g a n iz e d w orld view t h a t i s m eaningful as a
{whole and in a l l o f i t s p a r t s .
F i c t i o n a l p l o t s p e r p e t u a t e the same m is c o n c e p tio n s .
R o b b e - G r il l e t r e f e r s to th ese as "schemas p r e f a b r i q u e s dont
l e s gens o nt 1 ’h a b i t u d e , " and t h a t co rre sp o n d to " l ' i d e e
t o u te f a i t e q u ' i l s o nt de l a r e a l i t e " (p. 35). These are
r e a s s u r i n g , y e s , b u t f a l s e . More a p p r o p r i a t e l y , he i n d i
c a t e s , n o v e l i s t s sh o u ld c o n fin e them selves to anecdotes t h a t
do n o t demand l o g i c a l c o h eren c e , e i t h e r tem poral or s p a t i a l ,
I 15
I
jin terms o f c h a r a c t e r s or o f p l o t s (p. 37). The key to t h i s
!id e a i s "demand" or " n e c e s s i t y , " fo r w h ile those elem ents
o f the t r a d i t i o n a l novel are n o t i n a p p r o p r i a t e o f them
s e l v e s , i t i s t h e i r a i r of c e r t a i n t y , o f e s s e n t i a l e f f e c t s
land c o n s e q u e n c e s , t h a t i s m is le a d in g and to be avoided in
jthe new n o v e l. As he r e m a r k s ,
Les significations du monde, autour de nous, ne sont plus que
partielles, provisoires, contradictoires m§me, et toujours con-
testees. Comment l'oeuvre d 'art pourrait-elle pretendre illus-
trer une signification connue d'avance, quelle qu'elle soit?
(pp. 151-152)
In an a b s u r d i s t work, and in the new n o v e l, g e s t u r e s , w ords,
e x p e r i e n c e s , and the tr a p p in g s of atmosphere s i t u a t e w ith o u t
j
ibeing e x p r e s s i v e ; they r e p r e s e n t n o t h in g . Metaphor i s to be
a v o id e d , R o b b e - G r ille t s a y s , f o r i t s u b t l y e s t a b l i s h e s "un
r a p p o r t c o n s t a n t e n tr e l ' u n i v e r s e t l ’e t r e qui l ' h a b i t e , "
which u l t i m a t e l y " c o n d u it a l a n o t io n d'u n e u n i te cachee"
( p p . 60, 61) .
The forms o f l i f e c r e a t e d in a novel sh o u ld r e f l e c t the
jprocess o f t h e i r i n v e n t i o n and, in so doing , t h e i r a r b i t r a r y
jor p r o v i s i o n a l n a t u r e . A work o f a r t must have i t s own
i n t e g r i t y , y e t i t must a ls o mimic p r o c e s s e s o f the r e a l ,
p r o c e s s e s such as c r e a t i n g , d i s t o r t i n g , d i s c o v e r i n g . The
work o f a r t i s a c o n s t r u c t i o n , w r i t e s Camus, in which "on ne
ra c o n te p lu s ' d ' h i s t o i r e s ,' on c re e son u n i v e r s " (pp. 131,
1 3 6 ). R o b b e -G r ille t e la b o r a t e s on the id e a o f the p r o c e s s ,
a s s e r t i n g th a t " 1 'oeuvre d ' a r t , comme le monde, e s t une
forme v i v a n t e ; e l l e est, e l l e n 'a pas b e so in de j u s t i f i c a
t i o n . . . . c ' e s t dans le u r forme que r e s id e le u r r e a l i t e "
(p. 4 9 ) , and he adds th a t only the forms th a t man c r e a te s
can be o f s i g n i f i c a n c e in the world (p. 1 5 2 ). Such c r e a tio n
i s n o t , however, independent o f i t s au th or, nor does i t , as
g
c r i t i c s would m a in ta in , pretend to " o b j e c t i v i t y ," although
i t i s concerned w ith o b j e c ts and s u r f a c e s , which g ive the
contours o f form.
The r e j e c t i o n o f t e l e o l o g i c a l p h ilo s o p h ie s th a t p o s i t
9
two d i f f e r e n t l e v e l s o f r e a l i t y i s accompanied by the
Those who would denigrate Robbe-Grillet's works or theory on
account of their "objectivity" miss the point. First of a ll, the term
belongs to the nineteenth century and to the positivist novel, where one
considered that form of reality that was not mundane to be discoverable
^nevertheless in the details of mundane life. As described earlier, the
rea list and naturalist writers sought verisimilitude in their works by
applying their powers of observation and reasoning to an already formu
lated teleology. Balzac, Dickens, Flaubert, Zola, and James alike
assume a natural order in the world inevitably linking men, their
actions, and their surroundings in a closed system of logical conse
quence. The author could "restrain" his presence in his work because
theoretically i t manifested an order of reality known to the a rtis t,
though beyond the interest of his personal life: the reality its e l f was
shown, not the a r tis t. That they looked at the world with an "impar
tia l" eye is what is meant by objective; Camus' and Robbe-Grillet' s
emphasis on objects, things, surfaces, stems from an altogether differ
ent assumption.
9
That which is directly perceived in all its chaos, and that which
philosophy or religious beliefs have invested with inherent values, a
17
i
jawareness t h a t man is a lo n e , as Camus and R o b b e - G r ille t
i
i
[d escrib e. The w orld e x i s t s a p a r t from man. Yet he does see
and touch th in g s , and h i s sense p e r c e p t i o n s perm eate the
scope of h i s knowledge o f the world.. Camus w r i t e s , " L 'id e e
l
d 'u n a r t detache de son c r e a t e u r n ' e s t pas seulem ent de-
modee. E lle e s t f a u s s e " (p. 131). F a l s e , because a r t
depends on i t s c r e a t o r ' s v i s i o n ; th e r e i s no such th in g as
an i m p a r t i a l eye, he i s n o t d i s c o v e r i n g or c r e a t i n g a model
of r e a l i t y o t h e r than h i s own. R o b b e - G r il l e t d e c l a r e s ,
perhaps f a c e t i o u s l y , " c ' e s t Dieu s e u l qui p e u t p r e te n d r e
e t r e o b j e c t i f " (p. 149), because when i t comes to the p r e s
e n t a t i o n or r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f l i f e and i t s m in u te s t d e t a i l s ,
”i l y a to u jo u r s e t d 'a b o r d le re g a r d qui le s v o i t , l a pen-
I
see qui l e s r e v o i t , l a p a s s i o n qui le s deforme" (p. 14 7).
I
T h u s, in h i s works , the th in g s of the w o rld j
n'ont jamais de presence en dehors des perceptions humaines,
reelles ou imaginaires; ce sont des objets comparables a ceux
de notre vie quotidienne, tels qu'ils occupent notre esprit a
tout moment. (p. 147)
i
l
The l i t e r a t u r e t h a t Camus and R o b b e - G r ille t would j
c r e a t e i s one in which man sees the w orld around him w ith o u tj
se e k in g to communicate w ith i t ; t h a t i s , he r e t a i n s always
system that reason, intuition, or faith must discover.
jthe se n se o f the g u l f , the d i s t a n c e , th a t se p a r a te s him from
i
!
ihis s u r r o u n d in g s, w h ile n o tin g the p r o c ess o f p e r c e p tio n and
|
e v a lu a t io n th a t deforms i t . For Camus, in th e o r y , t h is
jwould e n t a i l d e p ic t in g the s t r u g g le to e s t a b l i s h bonds and
o r d e r, to d is c o v e r meaning in the th in g s o f the w o rld , but
f in d in g none. For R o b b e -G r ille t, i t means d e p ic t in g man
alone in the w o r ld , co n fro n ted w ith a m ean in gless array o f
th in g s and o f sen se p e r c e p tio n s whose meaning i s always in
•doubt.
! To accom plish th e se e n d s, both would focu s on the su r-
j
Ifaces o f the o b j e c t s o f t h e i r c o n s c io u s n e s s , and d e sc r ib e
o n ly t h e s e . Camus w r i t e s , "L' oeuvre absurde e x ig e un a r
t i s t e c o n s c ie n t de ces l i m i t e s e t un a r t ou l e c o n c r e t ne
s i g n i f i e r ie n de p lu s que lui-meme" (p. 1 3 2 ). The l i m i t s
Jare th ose imposed by the mind, which has renounced i t s
powers o f r e a so n in g . "La c o n s c ie n c e ," he s a y s , "ne forme
l
pas l ' o b j e t de sa c o n n a ls s a n c e , e l l e f i x e se u lem en t, e l l e
e s t l ' a c t e d ' a t t e n t i o n ..." (pp. 6 3 - 6 4 ) . To t h i s same
j
p o i n t , R o b b e -G r ille t d e c l a r e s : "la su r fa c e des ch oses a
c e s s e d 'e t r e pour nous le masque de le u r c o e u r , se n tim en t
qui p r e lu d a it a tous l e s 'a u -d e la ' de la m etaphysique" (p.
27). The a r t i s t ' s a t t e n t i o n , th en , i s turned to the compo
s i t i o n o f th in g s p e r c e iv e d ; h is work, in the words o f Camus,
j " i l l u s t r e le renoncement de l a pensee a ses p r e s t i g e s e t sa
j r e s ig n a ti o n a n ' e t r e p lu s que 1 ’ i n t e l l i g e n c e qui met en
oeuvre le s ap parences e t couvre d 'im ag es ce qui n ' a pas de
r a i s o n " (p. 133). R o b b e - G r il l e t a g re e s : "La r e a l i t e a - t -
e l l e un s e n s ? " he a s k s , " L ' a r t i s t e contem porain ne p e u t
repondre a c e t t e q u e s tio n : i l n ’en s a i t r i e n " (p. 152) .
jThey would both p ro c e e d , th e n , w ith the ta sk o f c r e a t i n g a
l i t e r a t u r e t h a t r e s t r i c t s i t s e l f to a p r e s e n t a t i o n o f the
v i s i o n the a r t i s t does p o s s e s s . Since " 1 'e x p l i c a t i o n e s t
v a i n e , " Camus p r o f e s s e s t h a t " d e c r i r e , t e l l e e s t l a d e r n i e r e
a m bition d 'u n e pensee a b su rd e" (p. 1 29 ), which becomes as
well the u l t i m a t e am b itio n of the new n o v e l i s t . Robbe-'
G r i l l e t s p e c i f i e s a new lan g u a g e, as i t w ere, to e f f e c t the
changes he d e s i r e s in the n o v e l:
Nous constatons, de jour en jour, la repugnance croissante des
plus conscients devant le mot a caractere visceral, analogique
ou incantatoire. Cependant que l'a d jectif optique, descriptif,
celui qui se contente de mesurer, de situer, de limiter, de
definir, montre probablement le chemin d iff ic ile d'un nouvel
art romanesque. (p. 27)
The aim i s to allow a d i f f e r e n t k in d of c o m p o s itio n , one
t h a t i s o s t e n s i b l y f r e e o f p r e j u d i c e d assum ptions of o r d e r ,
to m a n if e s t a d i f f e r e n t model f o r the forms o f l i f e as th ese
a re p e r c e iv e d a n d /o r c r e a t e d . The s u b j e c t of such f i n i t e
d e s c r i p t i o n s is the th in g s o f the w o rld , a l l t h a t which
20
I
!
^affects the s e n s e s , memory, and the v a r ie d forms o f the
i
jim agination ( R o b b e - G r il l e t , p. 1 48 ), which "expose sim p le -
I
jment l a s i t u a t i o n de l'homme e t de l ' u n i v e r s avec le q u e l i l
i
e s t aux p r i s e s " (p. 4 4 ). Not s u r p r i s i n g l y , a t t h i s p o i n t ,
h aving d i s c a r d e d re a so n to a s s e s s and e x p la in phenomena,
|both a r t i s t s d e s c r ib e the c r e a t i v e a c t t h a t ensues as a
I
p ro c e s s o f i s o l a t i n g the o b j e c ts of t h e i r v i s i o n . Camus,
i
whose l i t e r a r y theory i s su b o rd in ate to the p h ilo so p h y he
p r o f e s s e s , r e i t e r a t e s :
La conscience met en suspens dans 1 'experience les objets de
j son attention. Par son miracle, elle les isole. Ils sont des
! lors en dehors de tous les jugements. (p. 64)
j R o b b e - G r i l le t , whose i n t e n t i o n is more s p e c i f i c a l l y to
j e s t a b l i s h a new l i t e r a t u r e and new c r i t e r i a f o r ju d g in g i t ,
I
|is more s p e c i f i c . His a t t e n t i o n i s drawn f i r s t to "le
Jregard,” which i s "le sens p r i v i l e g i e " (p. 81) in th a t i t
jean i s o l a t e d e t a i l s o f what i s ob serv ed , although the w r ite r
L u st c o n fin e h im s e lf to the l i n e s , the forms th a t are se en
I
J(p. 82), f o r , in the end, " i l ne s ' a g i t p lu s a l o r s de la
n a tu r e des images, mais de l e u r co m p o sitio n . . . " (p. 162).
Like Camus, R o b b e - G r il l e t i n s i s t s t h a t the a r t i s t ' s v i s i o n
be w ith o u t p r e j u d i c e :
Que ce soit d'abord par leur presence que les objets et les
gestes s'imposent, et que cette presence continue ensuite a
: 2i
i
dominer, ...
Dans les constructions romanesques futures, gestes et objets
seront ta avant d'§tre quelque ohose;.... (p. 23)
I
JThus he would d escrib e things that might normally go un-
p o t ic e d or be considered unimportant, as w e ll as those of
Lome import, in such great d e t a i l that whatever r e la t io n s h ip
these have with th e ir o r ig in a l con tex t i s obscured. His
idea i s that:
Plus s'accumulent les precisions, la minutie, les details de
j forme et de dimension, plus l'objet perd de sa profondeur.
C'est done ic i une opacite sans mystere: . . . (p. 89)
The r e a d e r i s c o n fr o n te d w ith i n f o r m a tio n t h a t e x p re s s e s
n o th in g or makes a mockery o f the e x p r e s s iv e v alu e of the
th in g s d e s c r i b e d . O b jects are seen in new ways, as i s the
world in which they e x i s t .
A rt can c r e a t e a new r e a l i t y by i t s co m p o sitio n of
f a m i l i a r forms in new r e l a t i o n s h i p s . And a lth o u g h the work
jof a r t i s , a s s u r e d l y , as Camus s t a t e s , a p r o d u c t of " l a
pensee l a p lu s l u c i d e " (p. 132), i t i s a ls o "m o d est," says
iR o b b e - G r ille t, fo r n o th in g i s known in advance and no con
c lu s io n s are drawn. The novel i s an i n v e n t i o n , he s a y s ,
" i n v e n t i o n du monde e t de l'homme, i n v e n t i o n c o n s ta n te e t
p e r p e t u e l l e rem ise en q u e s t io n " (p. 1 7 5). The w r i t e r and
the r e a d e r c o l l a b o r a t e in a r e f l e x i v e e x p e rie n c e t h a t has no
jprede term ined meaning and i s open to a v a r i e t y o f i n t e r p r e - j
i
t a t i o n s , as i s a l l e x p e r i e n c e . " L ’e c r i t u r e romanesque ne
v is e pas a in fo rm e r . . . e l l e o o n s t i t u e l a r e a l i t e " (p. 175),
claim s R o b b e - G r i l l e t , and t h e r e i n l i e s i t s j u s t i f i c a t i o n .
Camus p rop oses t h a t c r e a t i o n fo llo w s " L ' i n d i f f e r e n c e e t
l a d e c o u v e rte " (p. 130), i n d i f f e r e n c e to the s i g n i f i c a n c e of
I
i
phenomena and e x p e r i e n c e , to the f u t u r e ; d isc o v e ry o f the
i n f i n i t e v a r i e t y o f c o n to u rs t h a t the e x i s t e n t i a l w orld
p r e s e n t s . " In c a p a b le de su b lim e r le r e e l , l a pensee s ' a r -
r e t e a le mimer" (p. 136). This a s c e r t a i n e d , he adds,
i
Toute pensee qui renonce a l'un ite exalte la diversite.
Et la diversite est le lieu de l 'a r t . La seule pensee qui
j libere l'e s p r it est celle qui le laisse seul, ... (p. 155)
I
jCamus saw in such c r e a t i o n the u l t i m a t e absurd a c t , f o r i t
[leads nowhere and r e s o l v e s n o t h in g : i t i s "le b o u l e v e r s a n t
i
temoignage de l a s e u le d i g n i t e de l ’homme: l a r e v o l t e
tenace c o n tre sa c o n d i t i o n , l a p e rs e v e r a n c e dans un e f f o r t
ten u pour s t e r i l e " (p. 154).
i The work bo th w r i t e r s e n v i s i o n i s , of c o u rs e , a g r a
t u i t o u s one, u s e l e s s to man. I t has no a u t h o r i t y , i t p r e
tend s to no i n t u i t i o n o f truth, or o r d e r , i t i s m erely
a n o th e r th in g of the e x i s t e n t i a l w o rld . R o b b e - G r ille t
a d v is e s a r t i s t s to " c e s s e r de c r a i n d r e ’ l ' a r t pour l ' a r t '
comme le p i r e des maux" (p. 4 3 ), f o r , going back to the
1 • - 1
jO rig m a l prem ise ,
|
i . . . raconter pour distraire est fu tile .. . raconter pour faire
croire est devenu suspect . . . [et] la realite est trop derou-
tante, trop ambigue, pour que chacun puisse en tirer un en-
seignement. (p. 39)
'Art, he s a y s , " n ' e s t pas un enveloppe aux c o u le u rs p lu s ou
i
jmoins b r i l l a n t e s chargee d 'o rn e m e n te r le 'm essage' de 1' au-
i
t e u r . . . " (p. 51). The a b s u r d i s t a t t i t u d e Camus e x p re s s e s
Jalso demands t h a t the work o f a r t rem ain " c o n s c ie n te de sa
i
j g r a t u it e " (p. 1 37), f o r , in accordance w ith i t s b a s i c p h i l o -
i
s o p h i c a l p r i n c i p l e s , " l a v a le u r d 'u n e n o t i o n ou d'un e v ie se
mesure a son i n f e c o n d i t e " (p. 9 6 ), and the work sh ou ld
r e f l e c t t h i s , h a v in g n e i t h e r purpose no r u s e f u l n e s s . I t i s
i t s e l f an a bsurd phenomenon, Camus s t a t e s , n o t a refu g e of
the absurd (pp. 1 2 9 -1 3 0 ). He and R o b b e - G r il l e t would have
t
t h e i r l i t e r a t u r e be concerned p r i m a r i l y f o r i t s own b e in g ,
a t the expense even of t h e i r own p h i l o s o p h i e s .
The novel does h a v e , on the o t h e r hand, what Camus
c a l l s "sa l o g i q u e , se s r a i s o n n e m e n t s , son i n t u i t i o n e t ses
p o s t u l a t s . I I a a u s s i ses e x ig e n ce s de c l a r t e " (p. 135),
o r , in the words o f R o b b e - G r i l l e t , "une n e c e s s i t e t o u t
i n t e r i e u r e " (p. 5 1 ). This n e c e s s i t y , t h i s c l a r i t y , have
n o th in g to do w ith the w orld o u ts id e the novel (p. 154), fo r
i t s f u n c t i o n , once a g a in , i s to c r e a t e s t r u c t u r e s of
,experience t h a t a r e , o f th e m se lv e s, r e a l : "Dans to u te
j
|1*oeuvre, l e s r a p p o r t s de l'homme avec le monde, l o i n
\
jd 'a v o ir un c a r a c t e r e sy m b o liq u e , s o n t constamment d i r e c t s e t
j
jimmediats" (p. 180). The r e l a t i o n s h i p s w i l l change and be
a l t e r e d by the d i f f e r e n t s t a t e s of c o n sc io u sn e ss t h a t p e r
c eive them, b u t i t must be remembered t h a t j u s t as "chacun
jvoit dans le monde sa p ro p re r e a l i t e . . . le roman e s t j u s t e -
Jment ce qui l a c r e e " (p. 1 75). Again, i t i s pure i n v e n t i o n ,
jbased on the m yriad forms of e x p e rie n c e and the d i v e r s i t y of
phenomena to be found in a c t u a l i t y , b u t r e a l i z e d in the
im a g in a tio n . These forms need n o t appear "repondre a aucune
f o n c t i o n ou i n t e n t i o n p r e c i s e " (p. 178), b u t need s t i l l * to
r e t a i n a sense of t h e i r l i t e r a r y c o n te x t and i t s assump-
10
|tio n s .
i
j Images are to be a c c e p te d as r e a l , not r e v e l a t o r y or
i
e x p r e s s i v e ; C o l e r i d g e 's n o t i o n o f the w i l l i n g s u s p e n s io n o f
d i s b e l i e f i s o b s o l e s c e n t . This concept r e f e r s to the id e a
t h a t l i t e r a t u r e can r e p r e s e n t some r e a l i t y i f we allow i t
t o . I f l i t e r a t u r e c o n s t i t u t e s a r e a l i t y o f i t s own, r e g a r d
l e s s of any " o t h e r " r e a l i t y , the id e a goes b e g g in g . An a r t
As William Gass remarks in F iction and the Figures o f L ife
(New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1970), "No novel is without its assump
tions" (p. 23). The aim of this introduction is to elucidate those
that make up the foundation of the new American novel.
j " " """ " ‘ " " “2 5
I
jth at is g r a t u i t o u s demands to be d i s b e l i e v e d i n terms of
what l i e s o u ts id e o f i t s e l f ; i t p re te n d s n o t h in g , and most
i
c e r t a i n l y , in the words o f R o b b e - G r i l l e t , " e l l e ne cherche
p lu s a cac h er son c a r a c t e r e n e c e s s a ire m e n t mensonger . . . "
(p. 163). Thus, as the a u th o r i n v e n t s , he may f o r t h r i g h t l y
demand the r e a d e r ’s p a r t i c i p a t i o n in the c r e a t i o n o f the
I
jwo rk .
| Indeed, the new novel demands a g r e a t d e al from i t s
{ re a d e rs, n o t in terms of i n t e l l e c t u a l or em otion al respo nse
ito , or concern f o r , c h a r a c t e r s and t h e i r s i t u a t i o n s , b u t in
jthe a c t u a l c r e a t i o n o f the t e x t . There are ch o ic es to be
L ade, q u e s tio n s to pon d er, gaps to be c o n s id e r e d and p o i n ts
of view to be e v a l u a t e d or c h a l le n g e d , f o r the a u th o r does
n o t p r e t e n d t h a t t h e r e i s only one way, t h a t h i s ch oice of
p o r t r a y i n g an e v e n t or o b j e c t is r i g h t and n e c e s s a r y . The
Inovel i s a t e s t i n g ground f o r i t s e l f , where new r e l a t i o n
s h ip s among t h i n g s , and th ose who p e rc e iv e them, are e s t a b
l i s h e d and d e s tr o y e d w ith the h e lp of the r e a d e r who b r in g s
to the work h i s own d e s i r e s f o r u n i t y and m eaning, b u t who,
in thus h e lp i n g to c r e a t e the f i c t i o n from the in f o r m a tio n
be r e c e i v e s , f in d s the same c o n fu s io n and u n c e r t a i n t i e s as
abound in h i s own l i f e , and must re c o g n iz e the p r o v i s i o n -
a l i t y o f the c o n s t r u c t h e ld in h i s hands.
26
Je a n Kennard d i s c u s s e s the i m p l i c a t i o n s o f t h i s as
re g a rd s the ab surd in Number and N igh tm a re. She w r i t e s :
Sartre and Camus, whose descriptions of the absurd show us that
our usual view of the world is mere fiction, claim the writing
of fiction as one authentic method of dealing with the absurdity
of existence. Man needs to feel that his life has order and
meaning; the production of a novel which claims to be no more
than an illusion, can f u lf ill this need. It is not surprising,
then, that in an atmosphere so permeated with the Post-existential
sensibility, a dominant theme of the contemporary novel should be
the writing of novels. (p. 37)
In contem porary f i c t i o n , a lth o u g h the w r i t i n g o f n o v e ls may
n o t be the s u b j e c t in a l l c a s e s , the n a tu r e o f f i c t i o n , as
opposed to the n a tu r e o f r e a l i t y , i s of c o n s t a n t th e m a tic
im p o rtan c e . The novel i s a phenomenal b u t n o t a b s o lu te
r e a l i t y composed o f w ords, p r e s e n t i n g th ou gh ts and g e s tu r e s
" f i g e s dans l ' i n s t a n t " ( R o b b e - G r i l l e t , p . 160), the moment
of r e a d in g .
The contem porary American novel i s , as Kennard d e
s c r i b e s i t , a " p o s t - e x i s t e n t i a l " novel t h a t assumes the
a b s u r d i t y o f man’s r e l a t i o n s h i p to the w o rld . The w r i t e r s
whose work she a n a ly z e s — p r i m a r i l y John B a r th , Joseph H e l
l e r , James Purdy, and Kurt Vonnegut, J r . — employ v a rio u s
te c h n iq u e s to produce the awareness o f a b s u r d i t y they p r o
fe s s by f r u s t r a t i n g the r e a d e r ' s e x p e c ta ti o n s of the n o v e l.
A ll the c r i t e r i a Camus e s t a b l i s h e s f o r an a b s u r d i s t work are
p r e s e n t : c h a r a c t e r s and s t o r i e s e x i s t o u t s i d e the l o g i c a l
framework o f chronology and c a u s a l i t y , so n o th in g i s
e s t a b l i s h e d w ith c e r t a i n t y ; language i s shown to be as u s e
l e s s as rea so n in e l u c i d a t i n g " t r u t h " and e s t a b l i s h i n g the
r e l a t i o n s h i p o f e x p e rie n c e s and th in g s in the w o rld ; and
some o f the works are s e l f - c o n s c i o u s , o f t e n rem inding the
r e a d e r t h a t the f i c t i o n a l work t h a t e x i s t s in h i s hands
i m i t a t e s the f i c t i o n a l system s t h a t abound in h i s l i f e and
are j u s t as g r a t u i t o u s .
New American f i c t i o n d i f f e r s from the l i t e r a t u r e about
which Kennard w r i t e s p r i m a r i l y because i t has abandoned both
the con cep t o f "the n o v e l" and the b e l i e f in i t s a b i l i t y to
— in the i n s t a n c e s she d e s c r i b e s — m ir r o r an a b su rd w o rld .
R a th e r, new f i c t i o n seeks new forms fo r the new models o f
the r e a l i t y i t i n v e n t s . Where the novel she d e s c r i b e s
in te n d s to be m im etic, new American f i c t i o n aims to be
poie t i c .
The a u th o rs whose works are to be d i s c u s s e d h e r e —
G i l b e r t S o r r e n t i n o , Steve K atz, and Raymond Federman— a r e ,
to r e i t e r a t e , b u t a few o f the many contem porary w r i t e r s in
America whose works m a n i f e s t the t h e o r e t i c a l l i t e r a r y
im p e r a tiv e s of the ab su rd as o u t l i n e d by Camus, and of the
nouveau roman as R o b b e - G r il l e t d e s c r i b e s i t . I have chosen
to d i s c u s s th e s e t h r e e because t h e i r works m a n if e s t e s p e
c i a l l y c l e a r l y the concerns and in n o v a tio n s in n a r r a t i v e
; 28
i
^technique t h a t c h a r a c t e r i z e much o f contem porary f i c t i o n .
[Before d i g r e s s i n g , two th in g s sh o u ld be n o te d : f i r s t , t h a t
j
jthese a u th o rs are n o t y e t p a r t of an o rg a n iz e d group, move
ment, or sch oo l p r o f e s s i n g a u n i f i e d co n cep t o f what f i c t i o n
i s , or what the novel sh o u ld b e . However, even the most
p e r f u n c t o r y glance a t t h e i r works r e v e a l s f e a t u r e s t h a t are
i
I
|shared by a l l and appear to be c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f many of
(them. The aim o f t h i s d i s s e r t a t i o n in lo o k in g a t the works
i
jof th re e w r i t e r s is n o t only to d e s i g n a t e those a s p e c ts t h a t
t
;are common to t h e i r w orks, b u t to e l u c i d a t e the p o s s i b l e
J s i m i l a r i t i e s o f t h e i r aims and assum ptions by r e l a t i n g those
'aspects to the a e s t h e t i c s t h a t my own f i r s t r e a d in g s sug-
J
t
igested as r e l e v a n t , and to which a few c r i t i c s have a ll u d e d
i
jin p a s s i n g , th e re b y d i s t i n g u i s h i n g some g e n e ra l co ncep ts
jupon which new American f i c t i o n i s p r e d i c a t e d . Second,
a lth o u g h I have chosen to d i s c u s s each o f the th r e e w r i t e r s ’
I
works in terms o f a s p e c i f i c f e a t u r e t h a t to me seems most
i
p ro m in e n t, i t sh o u ld be remarked t h a t th e y , as w e ll as the
|
many works t h a t w i l l n o t be d is c u s s e d h e r e , sh a re those
t r a i t s and p r o p e n s i t i e s to v a ry in g d e g re e s .
S o r r e n t i n o , K atz, and Federman a l l assume t h a t the
chaos o f e x p e rie n c e has no r a t i o n a l u n d e r p i n n i n g s , and thus
the co n v en tio n s o f the n ovel t h a t l o g i c a l l y o rg an iz e
1 29
1
i
e x p e r i e n c e are d i s c a r d e d in fa v o r o f p r o v i s i o n a l c o n s t r u c t s ^
1
ith a t are more t r u t h f u l l y analogous to a c t u a l p r o c e s s e s of
o r g a n iz in g p e r c e p t i o n s . These p r o v i s i o n a l c o n s t r u c t s may
take the form o f p a s t i c h e s , as in S o r r e n t i n o 's n o v e l s , where
■ i
jthe absence o f s i g n a l s , o f f u n c t i o n a l i n d ic e s o f meaning,
i
I
jleaves the d i f f e r e n t b i t s to imply a w orld t h a t i s e x p e r i e n -
I
i t i a l , n ot bound to a l o g i c a l system or one o f consequence;
they may be u n t e l e o l o g i c a l , i n s i s t i n g , as does Katz in h is
work, on the power o f the im a g in a tio n to in v e n t f i c t i o n s
t h a t we e x p e rie n c e p e r se , and t h a t do n o t n e c e s s a r i l y have
any meaning; they may e x i s t as l e x i c a l a r t i f a c t s , ta k i n g
advantage o f the s p a t i a l p r o p e r t i e s o f the p a g e , as Federman
d o e s , to focus our a t t e n t i o n on th e words them selves and the
d e l i b e r a t e manner in which f i c t i o n s are c o n s t r u c t e d from
i
I
jthem, and from them a lo n e . A ll d isp e n se w ith r e p r e s e n t a t i o n
i
and w ith r e a l i s m , se e k in g i n s t e a d to i n v e n t , to c r e a t e some
th in g new in the w o rld . Language is u s e l e s s in the a tte m p t
to e x p re s s a p r e e x i s t i n g r e a l i t y , b u t i t i s a l s o the only
m a t e r i a l the w r i t e r has to c r e a t e the new one; thus the new
novel i s co nceived as an a r t i f i c i a l c o n s t r u c t , b u i l t o f
words whose f u n c t i o n i s to c r e a t e models of r e a l i t y , co n
c e p t s , or a b s t r a c t i o n s and to be them selves r e a l ; to im p a rt
a s e n s e , a sound, a rh y th m ,.a n d to n e . The s u r f a c e s o f
J 3 0 j
i ;
(experience are o f f e r e d , in l i e u of a n a l y s i s and e x p l a n a t i o n , !
i
Jas the o b j e c ts o f p e r c e p t i o n , r e v e a l i n g a p r o v i s i o n a l w orld
i
I i
j d i r e c t l y e n c o u n te re d . D e t a i l s o f te n accum ulate w ith o u t
a p p a r e n t , or w ith d e c e p t i v e , p u rp o se ; th e r e i s a tendency to
p r e s e n t in f o r m a tio n t h a t does n o t add to an u n d e r s ta n d in g of
a scene or s i t u a t i o n , which i s a r b i t r a r y and c o n t i n g e n t .
Indeed, elem ents o f p l o t , i f th e s e are p r e s e n t , do n o t have
i
n e c e s s a r y c o n s e q u e n ts , a lth o u g h they o f t e n have unexpected
or i r r a t i o n a l o n e s. In some w orks, n o t a b l y S o r r e n t i n o 's
^Im aginative Q u a l i t i e s o f A c tu a l T h in g s , K a t z ’ s The Exaggg&ra-
t-ions o f P e t e r P r i n c e , and Federm an's Take I t or Leave I t ,
i
[the s t a t e of mind of the a u t h o r / n a r r a t o r i s em phasized (as
!
!in R o b b e - G r i l l e t ' s own n o v e l s ) , and t h a t o f the r e a d e r is
! J 5
q u e s t io n e d , f o r c i n g an awareness of the c o m p o s itio n a l a c t
i t s e l f . The n o v e ls a ls o ten d to be s e l f - c o n s c i o u s l y aware
of the n a tu r e o f t h e i r d e s ig n , and o f t h e i r c r e a t o r ’s p r o
v i s i o n a l a u t h o r i t y ; the c o n tin g e n c y o f e x p e r ie n c e i s o f f e r e d
as a g ro u n d - r u le f o r the game of f i c t i o n t h a t has no ab so
l u t e t r u t h to o f f e r .
The n a tu r e o f f i c t i o n and the p ro c e s s o f c r e a t i n g i t
r e p l a c e the n a tu r e of r e a l i t y and the e x p r e s s i o n o f t r u t h ,
as openly s e l f - c o n s c i o u s works a s s e r t . We are fac ed w ith
the u n r e a s o n a b le , the u n t e l e o l o g i c a l , and the p u r p o s e l e s s ,
i 31
ifrom which we l e a r n to see the w orld in which we l i v e in new
I
[ways. We may l e a r n o f a q u a l i t y o f l i f e , or o f the myriad
(forms of e x p e rie n c e p o s s i b l e in l i f e , b u t n ev er o f the
i
I
n a t u r e of l i f e or the n a tu r e o f e x p e r i e n c e . The s u b j e c t of
th ese works is i n e v i t a b l y , in a l l i n s t a n c e s , f i c t i o n ; we
l e a r n t h a t the r e a l i t y we p e r c e iv e i s the r e a l i t y we c r e a t e :
a g a in , f i c t i o n .
I CHAPTER I
i
I
GILBERT SORRENTINO: THE SIGNAL-LESS NOVEL
Where are those signals we look for when we meet
the fictional bitch? . . . The novel makes no
sense! It has no plot! . . . Nothing happens,
nothing really happens! It is not even an attack
on the middle class, i t is—nothing. Under the
words there is nothing.-^
In an e ssa y e n t i t l e d "The V arious I s o l a t e d : W. C.
jWilliams' P r o s e , " G i l b e r t S o r r e n t in o a i r s h i s views on the
j
[novel, h o n o rin g W illia m s ' work as a p r o to ty p e o f the f i c t i o n
i
'he a d v o c a te s . He a p p r e c i a t e s h i s p r e d e c e s s o r 's avoidance of
th o se s i g n a l s in l i t e r a t u r e t h a t " d i r e c t our a t t e n t i o n to a
p a r t i c u l a r c o n f i g u r a t i o n of c h a r a c t e r or p l o t " (p. 195) ,
i
|but t h a t / are "gimmicks, elem ents of c r a f t s m a n s h ip , or the
la c k of i t " (p. 19 6). He p o i n t s out t h a t " s i g n a l s a s s u re us
t h a t we are here , oh y e s , in the w orld t h a t we u n d e rs ta n d " i
^Gilbert Sorrentino, "The Various Isolated: W . C. Williams'
Prose," New American Review, 15 (1972), 202.
i
|but in f a c t "what we 'u n d e r s t a n d ' are the s i g n a l s " them-
!
s e l v e s (p. 195). He c o n ti n u e s ,
| They allow the writer to slip out from under the problems that
only confrontation with his materials can solve. Novels are
made of words. The difficulty in writing fiction is that the
words must be composed so that they reveal the absolute reality
of their prey, the subject—and at the same time, they must be
in themselves real, i . e . , they do not have to stand for a spe-
1 cific meaning, (p. 196)
I
A b i t c h in f i c t i o n i s n o t a r e a l b i t c h ; she i s the p ro d u c t
o f the i m a g i n a tio n , composed o f w ords. Words do n ot r e -
!
jcreate l i f e , they p r e s e n t a p r o c e s s of a b s t r a c t i o n , c r e a t i n g
\
(images t h a t sh o u ld r e v e a l the " a c t u a l . " S o r r e n t i n o 's con
c e p t o f the a c t u a l i s l i f e i t s e l f , which the a u th o r must
produce w i t h o u t r e l y i n g on s i g n a l s , which obscure i t . He
jw r ite s , s u p p o r tin g h i s n o n r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l th e o ry o f l i t e r a -
jture :
| The novel must exist outside of the life i t deals with; i f is
| not an imitation. The novel is an invention, something that is
made; i t is not the expression of "self"; i t does not mirror
reality. If i t is any good at all i t mirrors the processes of
the real . . . (p. 196)
S ig n a ls m erely " s a t i s f y the d e s i r e t h a t we be t o l d what we
a lr e a d y know"; they c o n fin e the im a g in a tio n to an a u t h o r 's
w e l l - o r d e r e d w o rld , d e c e p t i v e l y , he a s s e r t s , making i t seem
"as i f l i f e r e a l l y has form and meaning, w h ile i t i s , o f
c o u r s e , the w r i t e r who has given i t th e s e q u a l i t i e s " (p. 197).
j 3 4 i
j The novel i t s e l f must have form, w r i t e s S o r r e n t i n o ,
! I
' I
which allows the p r o cesses of the r ea l to be seen d i r e c t l y , i
I t w i l l p r e s e n t "n o t the meaning o f l i f e , b u t a r e v e l a t i o n
o f i t s a c t u a l i t y " (p. 197). The s i g n a l - l e s s novel acknowl
edges an i n c a p a c i t y to make sense o f the w o rld , p r e f e r r i n g
i n s t e a d to i s o l a t e the " e s s e n t i a l q u a l i t i e s of the most
obscure e v e n t s " (p. 193) o f l i f e as a g iven p e r s p e c t i v e
d e f i n e s them, and to p r e s e n t th e s e w ith o u t a n a l y s i s , e x p l a
n a t i o n , or r a t i o n a l i z a t i o n . There i s no t r u t h , no s i g n i f i
cance d i s c o v e r a b le b e n e a th the words; the a c t u a l s ta n d s on
i
i t s own. I t i s a novel such as both Camus and R o b b e-G rillet
e n v isio n e d : the n o v e l i s t invents a world w ithout g iv in g i t
Leaning, he d e scrib es that which h is v i s i o n i s o l a t e s w ithout
presupposing any l o g i c a l systems for ordering the things
jperceived, nor does he seek in any way to rep resen t the
world as i t already e x i s t s . Without s i g n a l s , w ithout c lu es
to th e ir meaning, the o b j e c t s , words, and gestu res o f the
novel have no s i g n i f i c a n c e beyond t h e ir p resen ce, and the
read er's im agination i s free to p a r t ic ip a t e in the compo
s i t i o n a l p r o c e s s .
In h i s f i r s t p u b lis h e d n o v e l, The Sky C h a n g es, S o rre n -
I
t i n o composes images of a man and h is f a m ily , the w orld in
which they l i v e , and a noxious em p tin ess in American l i f e .
The n o v e l, on one l e v e l , i s about a man's jo u rn e y by c a r J
I I
(from Brooklyn to Mexico w ith h i s w i f e , two c h i l d r e n , and
!
f th e ir d r i v e r . The j o u r n e y 's pu rp ose i s a p e r s o n a l one f o r
i
I
*
the p r o t a g o n i s t , who seeks to renew h i s r e l a t i o n s w ith h i s
I
jwife and r e c o n c i l e the e v e n ts o f h i s p a s t . His d e s t i n a t i o n
Jis i d e a l i s t i c a l l y a s s o c i a t e d w ith h i s goal o f s o l v i n g h i s
p e r s o n a l p ro b lem s. The novel i s a rra n g e d in s h o r t s c e n e s ,
fragm ents o f e x p e r i e n c e , each d e s ig n a t e d by the name o f a
'place the man has b e e n , or v i s i t s on t h i s t r i p . S i g n i f i -
!
jc a n tly , the jo u rn e y does n o t rea ch i t s in te n d e d end: the
man ends up in San F r a n c i s c o , n o t Mexico, s e p a r a t e d from h i s j
w if e , who goes o f f w ith t h e i r c h i l d r e n and the d r i v e r , w hile
the n ovel c lo s e s w ith a scene from an e a r l i e r p e r i o d in
A lbuquerque, New Mexico.
The novel i s r e p l e t e w ith images o f a l i e n a t i o n and
f a i l u r e ; th ese are i t s r e a l s u b j e c t s . The scenes i n the
t e x t are s p a t i a l l y , te m p o r a lly , and s u b s t a n t i a l l y d isjo in te d ,j
r e v e a l i n g n o t the l i f e o f the p r o t a g o n i s t , b u t h i s l i f e ' s j
s i t u a t i o n . The d e t a i l s and images o f e x p e r ie n c e a r e , how- j
e v e r , c o n s i s t e n t in t h e i r n a t u r e : the man's hopes and
I
i l l u s i o n s o f r e e s t a b l i s h i n g h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w ith h i s w if e ;
h i s f e e l i n g s o f i s o l a t i o n and a l i e n a t i o n ; h i s a l t e r n a t i n g
a w aren ess, i g n o r a n c e , and r e j e c t i o n of h i s s i t u a t i o n ; o t h e r
jscenes o f s o l i t u d e and f a i l u r e . S o r r e n t in o i s o l a t e s the
I
^experiences so t h a t they app ear i n c o h e r e n t and have no con-
i
Ise q u en tial l o g i c ; h i s s u b j e c t must be a b s t r a c t e d from the
I
k
p u r p o s e l e s s e v e n ts and g e s t u r e s in v e n t e d .
I
1
The t e x t b e g in s w ith the h u s b a n d 's r e f l e c t i o n on the
lintended purpose o f the j o u r n e y , d i s c l o s i n g an awareness of
i
i
h i s a l i e n a t i o n from h i s w i f e , h i s own i s o l a t i o n , and h is
i
i
hopes o f remedying the s i t u a t i o n :
I
| To discover, after 7 years, that he doesn't know her, his wife.
| And money available, to leave with, to go to Mexico? And why
not, to face her there, break out of that cocoon that he has
carefully wrapped himself in, the mummy. . . .
. . . the tearing out of the rotting roots and the firing
O
them westward.
The d i f f e r e n t space i s to allow the husband, who has no name
in the t e x t , a chance a t a d i f f e r e n t l i f e . His background
!
h as no meaning f o r him, and he b e l i e v e s th in g s w i l l be
c l e a r e r e lsew h ere , so he may f i n d a way of p r e s e r v i n g h i s
■marriage. The f i g h t a g a i n s t h i s i s o l a t i o n i s thus a sso -
!
c i a t e d w ith s p a t i a l change.
So the fam ily l e a v e s . They go to A r l i n g to n : "Grey
sk y , grey r a i n , g reen f a l l i n g a p a r t under the f a l l " (p. 1 5 ),
2
The Sky Changes (New York: Hill and Wang, 1966), pp. 11-12.
jthen W ashington D .C ., th en Ohio, where th e re occurs "the
f i r s t o v e r t f a i l u r e ; the broken-down c a r " (p. 18). Images
of d e ath abound: A r l i n g to n "does n o t e x i s t e x c e p t as Wash
in g to n e x i s t s (which does n o t e x i s t e x c e p t as a c em etery )"
(p. 15). The whole o f Newark, Ohio, is "su rro u n d ed by the
dead co rn and the e x h a u ste d e a r t h " (p. 21). These are not
sym bolic— they do no t have any meaning—-but they give us our
p r o t a g o n i s t ' s p e r s p e c t i v e . We see him f a c i n g d i s i n t e g r a
t i o n , which i s what he hopes to e sc a p e .
The n ex t scene is Drakestown, New J e r s e y : "1939; 10
y ears o ld ; a farm . ' I ' l l Never Smile A g a in .' H i t l e r march
ing " (p. 23). I t i s a d i f f e r e n t time and sp a c e . "His
m other is c a l l i n g him . . . She is i n d i s t i n c t in the g e n tle
d a rk n e ss t h a t e n f o ld s h e r " (p. 23). Memories o f d e a t h ,
J
jd e fe a ts . Ohio, th en I n d ia n a , th en a fla s h b a c k to New York:
i
j He remembers the night his son was conceived. Of course. . . .
j She comes out of the bathroom, naked, he swallows, offers
j her some wine . . . The third time she calls him by another name
| and his heart shrinks like a plum. (p. 28)
t
I
j
jThis n a m e l e s s , f a c e l e s s n a r r a t o r i s d e f e a t e d by im personal
j
words coming from the p e rs o n o s t e n s i b l y c l o s e s t to him, h i s J
i
w ife . But the p a t t e r n o f h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p s i s one of d i s
ta n c e , of i m p e r s o n a l i t y . In a n o th e r s c e n e , when he meets an
old f r i e n d in B rooklyn, the re u n io n is a ls o d e fin e d i n terms
jOf empty words and g e s t u r e s : " th e y l i e d warmly to each
I
o t h e r and t h e i r f r i e n d s h i p resumed where i n s a n i t y and
d e s p a i r had c u t i t o f f " (p. 6 9 ). F i c t i o n s cover the
s t r a n g e n e s s and s o l i t u d e of which our p r o t a g o n i s t i s unaware
i n h i s r a p p o r t w ith o t h e r s .
During the jo u rn e y the h u s b a n d ’s hopes are c h a lle n g e d
I
I
!by h i s o c c a s i o n a l r e c o g n i t i o n of the f u t i l i t y of h i s en-
I
1
d e av o r. The fa m ily moves through I n d ia n a , I l l i n o i s , s o u t h
e rn I l l i n o i s . H ere, "th ey seem to head i n t o c lo u d s , i n to
jra in , as i f even the w e a th e r i s t r y i n g to t e l l him t h a t the
iwhole th in g i s s t u p i d " (p. 36). C o n trary to h i s e x p e c t a
t io n s , a lth o u g h "he e x p e c te d n o th in g i n p a r t i c u l a r to change
on the ro a d , . . . he d id n o t e x p e c t i t to be s t u p i d " (p.
i
36). The p r o g r e s s i o n o f time and space r e s o l v e s n o th in g .
The w e a th e r and th e p l a c e s the fa m ily v i s i t s or t h a t he
r e c a l l s form a model o f e x p e r i e n c e , meaning no more th an
iwhat they a re : changes of a p a t t e r n t h a t the p r o t a g o n i s t
i
e x p e r ie n c e s in tim e , the only c e r t a i n t y th e r e is'. P a r a
d o x i c a l l y , though se e k in g s o l i d a r i t y in a f u t u r e time and
space , the husband f e a r s time and what he se n se s may be the
i n e v i t a b l e consequences o f h i s u n d e r t a k in g , i t s f a i l u r e .
"He wants to do no more than hide from the time th at crushes
Jhim" (pp. 2 0 -2 1 ), but the changing s k ie s fo rb id him any
' " ' ' 39 1
com fort or- r e s p i t e . "He had l e f t a s t a b l e m is e r y , a p o s
s i b l e m is e ry , to f i n d the same m isery on the r o a d , and r a i n "
(p . 39) .
I
S o r r e n t in o uses a com b in atio n o f f i r s t - p e r s o n n a r r a t i o n
and F l a u b e r t ’s s t y l e -incL'Lvect t i b v e to r e v e a l th e p r o t a g o
n i s t ’s th o u g h ts . Sometimes he i s l u c i d about the m ista k e of
I
a i s e n t e r p r i s e :
Has he lost his mind completely, what is wrong with him that he
flees to Mexico, that he hasn’t the strength to face his own
cowardly relations with his wife at home, . . . (p. 19)
Most o f the tim e, however, h is i l l u s i o n s and hopes dominate.
j"If we were happy once, why not a gain ," he qu eries (p. 80).
Sorrentino o fte n ste p s in d i r e c t l y to counter those i l l u -
'sions and p in p o in t h is p r o t a g o n i s t ' s mistakes as regards thei
^undertaking. The fam ily is "charmed" by New Orleans, for
Jexample , but Sorrentino d e f l a t e s the romance :
So he smoked on, and gazed at the house across the street,
mistaking the peace that this old city gave him with a peace
that he could only have made solid through his own manufacture,
his own mind. (p. 74)
tVhen not deluded by h i s own m is c o n c e p tio n s , the p r o t a g o n i s t
i s w i l f u l l y d e lu d in g h i m s e l f , so t h a t a t some tim es he b e
l i e v e s h i s f a n t a s i e s , and r e f u s e s th e r e a l i t y t h a t would
d e s tr o y them, a l l the w h ile acknowledging the p o t e n t i a l of
the r e a l i t y to i n t r u d e :
! He awaited her declaration, not dreaming that i t ever really j
j would be made, hoping that somewhere between this grim and
i lifeless country and San Francisco, some miracle of love would
| occur so that she would be to him as he now imagined her to
| have been before they had left New York. (p. 127)
I
This f i c t i o n , however, does n ot work: a t v a rio u s tim es i n !
I
the novel he i s s t r u g g l i n g a g a i n s t h i s own aw areness o f the j
t r u t h .
i
! He knew i t would come, but, now? . . . Whatever world he had
constructed over the past few years, shored up over the past
weeks of the trip , had numerous escape routes, safety valves:
he had long known all this, had even prepared himself for i t ,
but this was simply insanity, tonight . . . (p. 179)
The t r i p i s a f i c t i o n c r e a t e d as an escap e r o u te to postpone
'his f a i l u r e . Though the husband does n o t r e a l i z e i t ,
i
■Sorrentino shows us h i s s e a r c h f o r h i m s e l f and h i s w ife in
i
t
|the c i t i e s and towns o f America has been a m isg uid ed one.
|
Us the fam ily e n t e r s the West, the land i t s e l f te a c h e s the j
| i
husband of em p tin ess and i s o l a t i o n . The u l t i m a t e k in d of
jso lid peace t h a t comes from and r e s t s w i t h i n the i n d i v i d u a l
i
jis seen in New Mexico, b u t i t i s f r i g h t e n i n g and has n o th in g
to o f f e r the husband:
The land was a throwback to some time when monsters walked and
crawled the earth. Great vistas of reddish soil, preposterous
mesas blue, purple, black in the distance. (p. 101)
I t is a f o r b i d d in g p la c e to man, i t exudes i t s in d ep e n d en c e,
i t s a l o o f n e s s , i t s p a s s i o n l e s s p r e s e n c e , and thus i t i s
j f i t t i n g t h a t here the husband glim pses the t r u t h o f h is
jestrangem ent from the w o rld . "His h e a r t s h r i v e l e d a t the
1
b e a u ty , the s p a c e , the u t t e r b a r r e n n e s s " o f the d e s e r t , and
'he r e a l i z e s t h a t "no men belon ged h e r e . " He knows, to o ,
t h a t " th e y were e n t e r i n g the c o u n try t h a t was most f i t t i n g
jfor them a l l " (p. 1 01 ), f o r h e re the s i l e n c e i s r e a l .
i
\
In Brooklyn he b e l i e v e d in l o v e , in b in d in g r e l a t i o n
s h ip s t h a t are founded upon and covered w ith l i e s . In New
Mexico, he " s o l i d l y fa c e d f o r the f i r s t tim e , w i t h o u t
j e q u i v o c a t io n , the t r u t h of a l l o f i t " : t h a t he i s a lo n e .
He d e c i d e s , " i t would take n o th in g f o r h e r to lea v e me, she
'has to do i t , t h a t ’s what t h i s t r i p i s a l l a b o u t ” (p. 102).
i
♦
I
jSuch l u c i d i t y i s i n t e r m i t t e n t , as we have s e e n , f o r i t i s
jp ain fu l and f r i g h t e n i n g , a complete d e f e a t . As he gazes o ut
j
jover Taos, he muses, "A lan d of u t t e r s t e r i l i t y : one looks
i
Jat i t , you look a t i t a l l your l i f e lo n g , and i t does n o t h
i n g , and i t w ins" (p. 1 14). The land c o n q u e rs, f o r i t does
n ot need a n y th in g o r anyone; i t s independence i s i t s
s t r e n g t h .
The husband has depended on h i s hopes and i l l u s i o n s ,
b u t as th e s e f a l l a p a r t he rem ains o b l iv i o u s o f the causes
of h i s f a i l u r e s . "The p a s t had never happened, he was h e r e ,
[in the middle o f a l i e n l a n d , p a tc h in g and p u t t e r i n g , unaware
'of what had b ro k e n , or where" (p. 123) . He does know some- ■
I
jthing i s wrong, f o r a g a in and a g a i n , as i n the sky he p e r - j
J
Iceives , the e m p tin ess d e c l a r e s i t s e l f :
!
j Far in the distance, a gigantic white cloud stretched flat
across the sky, bending with the curve of the earth. He
started down, almost in panic, filled with an unrecognizable
i fear, a choking sense of his own loneliness and failure. (p. 131)
i
•His a tte m p ts to reach h i s d e s t i n a t i o n , to e s t a b l i s h a p o s i
t i v e r e l a t i o n s h i p w ith h i s w i f e , to r e c o n c i l e h i m s e l f w ith
I
h i s p a s t , have f a i l e d . The sky over h i s head has changed,
as have the c irc u m s ta n c e s o f h i s l i f e , b u t no t i t s p a t t e r n ,
>nor h i s s i t u a t i o n . In the wake o f the time t h a t has e la p s e d
|
land the d i s t a n c e s t h a t have been t r a v e l e d , the husband is
i
• s t i l l fac ed w ith h i s own s o l i t u d e , and he c o n tin u e s to refuse
! i
[to a c c e p t i t . He may r e a l i z e the f u t i l i t y o f h i s g e s t u r e s ,
i
[but he w i l l always s u b s t i t u t e h i s i l l u s i o n s f o r h i s r e a l i t y .
i
When he p e r c e i v e s h i s d e f e a t s , he r e j e c t s h i s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y
! I
[for h i s u n d e rta k in g a l t o g e t h e r : " I f th ey never re a c h e d |
I
Mexico, i t would n o t be h i s f a u l t , b u t h e r s " (p. 127). This
i i s , a g a i n , a " s a f e t y v a lv e " f o r p r e s e r v i n g the i n t e g r i t y of
i
h i s i l l u s i o n . A f t e r r e a c h i n g San F r a n c is c o and l o s i n g h i s
|
[family, the r e a l i z a t i o n o f h i s p h y s i c a l a l i e n a t i o n compels
i
him to f u r t h e r e s c a p e . He spends two weeks in an a l c o h o l i c
|
b l u r ; th e n , we a re t o l d , " a f t e r 10 days he bought a t r a i n
t i c k e t to New York and, soon a f t e r , l e f t " (p. 180).
The f i n a l scene o f the novel d e s c r i b e s a couple the
jfamily e n c o u n te re d in A lb u q u e rq u e , who have managed to
[escape i n t o a w orld they c r e a t e d , b u t a t q u i t e a p r i c e . He
jis a drug a d d i c t , she an a l c o h o l i c . S o r r e n t in o w r i t e s ,
"They s a t , decorous and s e r e n e , . . . b l u n t e d , s e c u re from
each o t h e r , and from e v e r y t h i n g e l s e " [p. 181). I n s u l a t e d
[and i s o l a t e d , they embody the t r u t h o f man's p o s i t i o n in an
a b su rd w o rld , one t h a t they shun.
The end of the novel i s not the end o f the s t o r y , i t is
S o r r e n t i n o ' s l a s t comment. I t i s a f i n a l v i s i o n of empty
l i v e s l i v e d out in a s t e r i l e la n d , a v o id in g c o n f r o n t a t i o n ,
a c c e p t in g complete a l i e n a t i o n . I t i s a d e c id e d ly n e g a tiv e
image o f i n e r t i a , which ap pears as a c o u n te rw e ig h t to the
e x p e r ie n c e s of the p r o t a g o n i s t . The p a t t e r n o f l i f e t h a t
the novel r e v e a l s , of l u c i d i t y and acknowledgment, o f i l l u
s io n s and r e f u s a l s , and o f e n d le s s d e f e a t s , has n o t ta u g h t
him a n y th in g . He i s as unaware of what is wrong i n h i s l i f e
a t the c o n c lu s io n o f the novel as a t the b e g in n in g . His
s i t u a t i o n is one o f s t r u g g l e ; he i s caught betw een h i s need
and d e s i r e f o r u n i t y ( in Camus' w ords, " l ' a p p e l humain") and
the t r u t h ( " le s i l e n c e d e r a is o n n a b le du m o n d e"), b u t he
n ever g iv es up, as have the p eo ple in A lbuquerque.
j The Sky Changes is n o t th e s t o r y o f one man or one !
i i
jo u r n e y , b u t a d e s c r i p t i o n o f the m o d a l i t i e s o f i s o l a t i o n ini
I
America. The e v e r - c h a n g in g p a t t e r n s o f w e a t h e r , ■t e r r a i n , ;
I
c i t i e s , and the p r o t a g o n i s t ' s e x p e r ie n c e s do n o t a f f e c t the
p a t t e r n of h i s l i f e , nor do they e x p re ss i t ; they are the
!
|re a l q u a l i t i e s o f i t s d e s o l a t i o n . S o r r e n t i n o 's f i c t i o n is
i \
n o n r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l ; i t does n o t o rg a n iz e l i f e and d e p i c t i t
r a t i o n a l l y so t h a t we may f e e l se c u re in our u n d e r s ta n d in g j
o f i t . We see the e f f e c t s of a problem , n o t i t s causes or |
|i t s r e s o l u t i o n . The p r o t a g o n i s t does n o t r e p r e s e n t a r e a l
man; he e x i s t s as an a b s t r a c t i o n w ith o u t name, f e a t u r e s , a
s p e c i f i c h i s t o r y , or a f u t u r e . The scen es and e v e n ts o f t h e ,
n ovel t h a t occur i n the d i f f e r e n t g e o grap hic l o c a l e s , under
d i f f e r e n t t i t l e s , a re o r g a n iz e d in a s t r u c t u r e o f no p a r
t i c u l a r c o n f i g u r a t i o n ; t h a t i s , the s t o r y has only a frame
o f tem poral and s p a t i a l u n i t y , b u t no l o g i c a l o r d e r w i t h i n .
The p r o g r e s s i o n of the jo u r n e y i s p u n c tu a te d w ith scenes
from p a s t tim es and, in some i n s t a n c e s , from the f u t u r e , and
th e s e are always s e t i n d i f f e r e n t p l a c e s . The focus o f the
novel s h i f t s each t i m e , a llo w in g the image p r e s e n t e d to
s ta n d on i t s own, r e g a r d l e s s o f an a p p a re n t c o n n e c tio n to
the s t o r y or i t s p r o t a g o n i s t , a s , f o r exam ple, in the l a s t
sc e n e . A b s t r a c t and c o n c r e te images o f d iv o rc e u n i f y t h i s
i '*45
1
jwork, b u t th e s e are n e i t h e r c o n s e q u e n t i a l l y nor c o h e r e n tly
e x p l a i n e d . The d e t a i l and s p e c i f i c images r e v e a l the q u a l i
t i e s o f a way o f l i f e t h a t does n o t a c t u a l l y e x i s t as such,
ibut i s d i s c e r n a b l e as the a u th o r c r e a t e s — in v e n ts - —i t from
i
mundane e x p e r ie n c e s we can re c o g n iz e and i d e n t i f y w ith o u t
d i r e c t i o n s .
The s i g n a l s t h a t could r e v e a l the man's p s y c h o l o g ic a l
make-up or o t h e r s i g n i f i c a n t re a so n s f o r h i s p o s i t i o n , those
*
[
t h a t could e x p l a i n why he and h i s w ife a re e s t r a n g e d and why
1
he cannot communicate, those t h a t co uld give h i s s t r u g g l e
isome meaning in terms o f the "outcome" o f h i s l i f e — a l l are
jmissing. His e x p e r i e n c e s , a t t i t u d e s , and r e a c t i o n s do n o t
jlead to an u n d e r s ta n d in g o f the man: they a re i n them-
j s e l v e s , a lon g w ith the q u a l i f i c a t i o n s o c c a s i o n a l l y pro po sed
I
by the n a r r a t i n g p e r s o n a , the r e a l i t y S o r r e n t i n o c r e a t e s .
|The novel has no c lim ax , no r e s o l u t i o n , f o r , in d e e d , i t has
I
l
jalmost no p l o t ; so i t sim ply e n d s. S o r r e n t i n o 's f i c t i o n
jdoes n o t announce any t r u t h s ; i t f o r c e s us i n t o a p ro c e ss
I
jof a b s t r a c t i n g the r e a l from the f a l s e , t e l l i n g us very
j l i t t l e about e i t h e r one. Like W illia m s , he does n o t a t t a c k
'.America, the man, h i s w i f e , or h i s dream s. He d e s c r i b e s
only a way o f l i f e , and i t s i r o n i e s .
The r o l e of a r t , a c c o rd in g to both Camus and Robbe-
i 4 6 1
j j
j G r i l l e t , i s to in v e n t l i f e , n o t to i m i t a t e i t . S o r r e n t i n o \
i
[creates in t h i s work n o t a l i k e n e s s of l i f e , b u t a p ro c e s s
i
!in which d i f f e r e n t p e r s p e c t i v e s — the a u t h o r 's and t h a t o f
l
I
h i s p r o t a g o n i s t , and u l t i m a t e l y t h a t of th e r e a d e r — collabo-
i
[rate in the c o n s t r u c t i o n o f a hollow s o l i t u d e t h a t i s r e a l
I
Jin s p i t e o f the f i c t i o n t h a t r e v e a l s i t . S o r r e n t in o does
i
n o t ap pear to defy the c o n v e n tio n s o f p l o t or c h a r a c t e r ;
i n d e e d , h i s n a r r a t i v e i s f a i r l y c o n v e n tio n a l in s y n ta x and
i n i t s i n d i f f e r e n t or i r o n i c to n e , b u t as he f r e e s the
|
im a g i n a t io n from r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l f i g u r e s and s i g n a l s ,
!
jd ir e c tin g i t i n s t e a d toward the a b s t r a c t , th e s e o t h e r con
v e n tio n s f a l l by the way and we have the new novel o f the
!
i
'absurd t h a t Camus and R o b b e - G r il l e t e n v is io n e d .
L’oeuvre d'art nait du renoncement de 1 'intelligence
a raisonner le concret. (Camus, p. 132)
i
Camus' w ords, and s i m i l a r words by R o b b e - G r i l l e t , are
a p p l i c a b l e to a l l o f S o r r e n t i n o 's f i c t i o n , i n which n a r r a
t i v e p o i n t o f view i s r e s t r i c t e d to d e s c r i p t i o n of d e t a i l s
i
i t i s o l a t e s w ith o u t the i n t r u s i o n o f a s u p p o r t i n g " i n t e l l i
g e n ce ” t h a t could give d i r e c t i o n or meaning to the d e t a i l .
j
In h i s second n o v e l, S te e lw o r k , i s o l a t e d memories o f c h i l d -
lood and a d o le sc e n c e are woven t o g e t h e r to form an image o f
l i f e in a South Brooklyn n eighborhood d u rin g the y e a rs 1935-
47
1951. The novel i s what Jerome K link ow itz c a l l s a " c o l l a g e
3
o f moments," n i n e t y - f i v e o f them, which are each g iv en
d a t e s , y e t a re a rr a n g e d w ith no r e s p e c t to chro nology and
have only randomly a s s o c i a t e d th e m a tic c o n c e rn s . These
e p is o d e s are about peop le and i n c i d e n t s in the g iv e n p l a c e ,
a t the g iv en t i m e , and a lth o u g h th e r e are no i n d i c a t i o n s of
what th ey mean, s e p a r a t e l y or c o l l e c t i v e l y , and th ey have no
s e q u e n t i a l l o g i c , th ey s t a n d t o g e t h e r to form a v e ry p e r
so n a l p i c t u r e t h a t i s d i s c e r n a b l e to the i m a g i n a t io n , how
e v e r in com p lete and i n e x a c t to the r a t i o n a l mind.
The disem bodied memory o f the n a r r a t o r r e c a p t u r e s a
f e e l i n g o f l i f e in the neighborhood by fo c u s in g s h a r p l y and
s e n s i t i v e l y on the a c t i v i t i e s and concerns o f the many p e o
p le who l i v e d t h e r e . The f i r s t v i g n e t t e o f the n o v e l,
• t i t l e d "19 45 ," i s a bo ut j a z z , " g r e a t b l a s t s o f f o r e i g n a i r .
. . . the whole wide w o rld e n t e r i n g the h ou se" and in v ad in g
the l i v e s of the l i s t e n e r s as though i t had " b l a s t e d a h o le
i n the w a ll around them ." I t g iv es them a d i f f e r e n t p e r
s p e c t i v e on t h e i r w o rld : " th e y went o u t s i d e and the s t r e e t
seemed d i f f e r e n t , th ey saw i t narrow . With people c lo s e d
3
Jerome Klinkowitz, Rev. of Imaginative Qualities o f Actual
Thingss Steelwork^ and Splendide Hotel by Gilbert Sorrentino, The
Village Voice Literary Supplement, November 22, 1973, p. 28.
I 4
out from the g i g a n t i c w o r l d . ” The neighborhood was an (
e n c la v e ; now, as the n a r r a t o r r e c a l l s i t , the l i g h t from j
o u t s i d e compels a c l o s e r s c r u t i n y o f t h a t w o rld .
I
We see f i r s t the angry men in b a r s , " lo o k in g f o r more
Reds, or pinkos a t l e a s t , to b e a t up" (p. 5 ) . They are ugly
\
I
p eople , w ith t h e ir "greenish teeth" and "corned b e e f com- !
iplexion" (p. 6 ) , and so i s t h e ir mood. The Brooklyn accents
'and j a r g o n — "Where were the fu c k in Red b a s t e d s ? " (p. 5 )—-
I
emphasize the narrow scope o f t h e i r v i s i o n . There are many
im m ig ran ts, s t r a n g e in looks as in h a b i t s , i n t e g r a t e d i n t o
I
the n eighborhood t h a t demands s e l f - s u f f i c i e n c y and shows no j
*
com passion. One such im m igrant fam ily came "from E a s t e r n
E u r o p e , o ut from under the Nazis , or through the Nazis ,
! !
■somehow, o r , as no one knew a n y th in g about them, p erh ap s j
sim ply from some d r i e d - u p P e n n s y lv a n ia c o al or s t e e l town" j
I
i(p. 7 ). The n a r r a t o r d e s c r i b e s the m other as "a g i a n t " who j
i
wore a " t i g h t - f i t t i n g c a p - l i k e b la c k s c a r f " and who " s to o d j
j I
alw ays, w ith arms f o l d e d , . . . a g r e a t r i n g o f keys . . .
d a n g lin g from one h and "; th en he r e v e a l s the a t t i t u d e of the
c o l l e c t i v e :
^Steelwork (New York: Pantheon Books, Random House, 1969), p. 3.
hereafter cited as SW.
She was Miss America. Neighborhood irony. She stood in black
• smoke in all the kids' imaginations, her Mongol face, yellow-
! ish, without a smile to neighbor or tenant, (p. 7)
I
jlhe n a r r a t o r does r e c a l l some o f the i n h a b i t a n t s w ith com-
I
ip a s sio n , p r i m a r i l y the p o o r e s t , the l o n e l y , and the con
fu s e d . T h eir problem s are a l l th o se o f everyday l i f e ; none
i
s ta n d s o u t . There was Black Tom, an im m igrant Irish m an who
dreamed of b r i n g i n g h i s fa m ily to America. "Tom was g ray .
A ll o f him. His f a c e , tho ug h, merged i n t o the blue around
h i s eyes and in the hollow s o f h i s cheeks" (p. 9 ) . His
s t o r y is from 1939: t h e r e ' s "war a g a i n , the B r i t i s h were up
t
to i t a g a i n , " w h ile h e , c o ld and a lo n e , f e e l s only h i s sup-
;per of p o t a t o e s , " b i t t e r clumps of p i g i r o n in h i s stomach"
t(p. 9 ) . When he d i e s , in 1943, the p r i e s t says he "was a
Jgood man, 'hum ble, d e v o u t, and h a r d w o r k i n g , '" b u t remembers
t
him d i f f e r e n t l y : " 'Q u e a sy ' i s the word he used when he
th o u g h t o f i t " (p. 11 4). I t was n o t an easy l i f e th e r e and
i
th e n , and n o t a p r e t t y one. No o t h e r judgments are p o s
s i b l e .
The a d o le s c e n t s have t h e i r problem s as w e l l . Pub erty
b r i n g s about i n c r e d i b l e c o n f u s io n , m o stly about se x . "Sex
o logy: 100 F a c ts " i s 1 94 0 's guidebook on the s u b j e c t . Some
e x a m p le s :
6. I f you jerk off you get a heart attack.
14. If you jerk off your balls dry up.
j 24. Clean girls won't suck cock.
29. Your mother fucked a couple of times accidentally.
47. You get the clap easiest from to ile t seats in the subway.
56. Dirty books and pictures make you a moron.
70. All a rtists are fags. (pp. 46-49)
jThere a re the joys of f i r s t l o v e s , o f " b u t t e r f l y k i s s e s , "
remembered through the d is a p p o in tm e n t o f goodbyes, "because
i
jW e must c o n s i d e r our R e li g i u s d i f e r e n c e s [sic] . D o n 't you
ithink?" (pp. 2 2 -2 4 ).
j
World War II has i t s g r e a t impact on the n eig hb orh oo d .
"Some o f the boys . . . were very annoyed t h a t the whole
t
th in g ended b e fo re th ey e v e r got a chance to g e t i n t o i t "
j(p. 83). O thers d id g e t i n t o i t , only to r e t u r n as "heaps
jof c h a r r e d arms and le g s , r ip p e d g e n i t a l s and s h a t t e r e d
I
jbrains betw een them and the q u a r r e l i n g l i n e s w a i t i n g to buy
jchuck chopped” (p. 8 4). O thers d id n o t r e t u r n a t a l l .
i As time p a s s e s , the c h i l d r e n grow to a d o l e s c e n t s , the
a d o le s c e n t s are "gone, or t u r n i n g i n t o dru n k s" (p. 86). For
(those who rem ain in the neig hb orh oo d t h e r e a re no s u r p r i s e s ,
i
\
j u s t b i t t e r s w e e t d i s a p p o in t m e n t s . Only the d eath o f a young
g i r l seems e v e r to shock them, f o r d e ath is n o t a p a r t o f
t h e i r immediate w o rld . She i s "a h ig h sc h o o l g i r l who knew
a l l o f the c u s t a r d crowd, and had been going o ut w ith George
B e rl r e g u l a r l y . . . . Now .she was d e a d ," and t h e i r r e a c t i o n ,
511
I
'in c lu d in g G eo rg e's g r i e f , i s
as they had learned i t , out of the movies. It was, indeed, a
movie they had all seen over and over again, the same movie with
different faces, here in the streets: real. (pp. 114-115)
But t h a t r e a l i t y does n o t s u r v iv e long in the e n c l a v e .
"Death ou t of a movie, h e a d l in e d e a t h , the c e n t e r f o l d . And
as those d e a t h s , i t was o ld a week l a t e r " in the n e i g h b o r
hood whose own v i c i s s i t u d e s immunize i t from such d i s r u p t i v e
i
I
to cc u rren c es, and which seek s to s t a b i l i z e . Even the g i r l ' s
!
fa m ily "had p e rh a p s moved, o u t o f some sen se o f e m b a r r a s s
ment, or g u i l t — to be a l i v e : to shop: to w a i t f o r the bus:
to stu d y Spanish and Typing" (p. 116).
| In d eed , t h e r e i s a p la c e f o r everyone i n the n e ig h b o r-
i
i
hood; the r o l e s do n o t change, though the people and the
|
Jplaces may. There i s even an "annual l i s t i n g , by Eddy
I
jBeshary, a c c o rd in g to e x c e l l e n c e , o f a l l th o se who g a th e r e d
jin Y o d e l's s t o r e " (p. 1 68 ). Such are the a c t i v i t i e s o f those
whose l i v e s a re bound to and by th e s e s t r e e t s o f so u th
B rooklyn, a w o rld c e n t e r e d on 68th S t r e e t .
The novel ends w ith i n t i m a t i o n s o f th e n e ig h b o r h o o d 's
dem ise, w hich, we l e a r n , was f a t e d e a r l y on. The e p iso d e
i s d a te d 1939: " I t was b i t t e r c o ld , the l i g h t was dying
f a s t ” ov er the empty p a r k . The o u t s i d e w orld was a lr e a d y
moving in on the e n c la v e : " I t was sad to see the p a rk going
Hike t h a t , the t u n n e ls would soon have highway s t r e a k i n g
|under them, i n s t e a d o f the o l d , cob bled w alks he knew" (p . j
1
177) .
The novel does n o t c lo s e on t h i s n o te o f m elancholy
n o s t a l g i a . On the c o n t r a r y , the l a s t l i n e of the work, on
a page by i t s e l f , and in the n a r r a t o r ' s p r e s e n t t e n s e , s i g -
i
Inals i t s f u t u r e : "They are a l l gone i n t o the w orld of
l i g h t , " p erh aps throu gh the h o le b l a s t e d " i n the w a ll around
them" (p . 3 ), a llo w in g some o f them to e s c a p e . They are
gone from the n eighborhood o f 1951, b u t e x i s t in the l i g h t e d
w orld o u t s i d e , t h a t o f the n a r r a t o r ' s v i s i o n .
I t is the n a r r a t o r ' s v i s i o n , a s p e c i f i c p o i n t o f view
formed through tim e , t h a t anim ates t h i s work. I t i s o l a t e s i
d e t a i l s of a c t u a l l i f e — remembered, in v e n t e d — in a n arrow ly
I
[defined c o n t e x t , th en assem bles them in a b a re s t r u c t u r e
t h a t rem ains an a b s t r a c t i o n th ro u g h o u t, as the t i t l e S t e e l
work i m p l i e s . Camus and R o b b e - G r il l e t b o th p o i n t ou t the
jimportance o f the v i s i o n t h a t i s o l a t e s , as t h i s s e r v e s to
p r e c l u d e b o th e v a l u a t i o n and judgment o f the o b j e c t , and the
i
i
r e l a t i v e s u b j e c t i v i t y o f the v i s i o n i t s e l f h e lp s to d e fin e
the p e r c e i v e r ' s s i t u a t i o n in h i s w o rld . The s u p e r f i c i a l and
p r o v i s i o n a l n a tu r e o f the i n f o r m a ti o n i s thus p r e s e r v e d .
The images of the p e o p le and the d e s c r i p t i o n o f a t t i t u d e s
jand e v e n ts are in sh a rp focus b u t , a g a in , the s i g n a l s are
j
m is s i n g , and i t i s l e f t up to th e im a g in a tio n to a s s i m i l a t e
the e p is o d e s and d i s c o v e r t h e i r t r u t h . C on sider the f o l l o w
ing e x c e r p t s :
THE OLD W ITCH 1935
THEY LIVED on the ground floor, so l i t t l e Jake would run in off
the street dozens of times a day. A glass of water, a glass of
milk, tie my shoes, dry gloves, nobody to play with, the kids
were hitting him, in and out. His mother, abandoned for three
years by the father, poor and on re lie f, struggling with her
misery and loneliness, watching him, trying hard to keep her
temper. (p. 92)
1948
D OLAN
The Heart, Pierced
AFTER MOPPING Yodel's floors and Pat's floors, and, i f he was
lucky, Gallagher's floors in the mornings, he'd take his few
bucks and get his wine, and get out of i t in. the park, or in a
doorway. And sing, the old songs, s t i f f , his head back in an
incredible tension, his arms out s t i f f from his body, eyes
closed, the listeners transfixed at the sweetness of the Irish
tenor, . . . (p. 126)
1949
CO OK Y
The Main Attraction
SHE HAD CO M E BACK to te ll everyone that she worked in a carni
val, a road show, moving from city to city, up there with all
the old-timers—how they had started. A1 was amazed, Were there
any dog acts? Any kind of animal acts at all? . . .
She stood against the cooler. She was the main attraction.
Cookie LaNord. Frozen solid into a cake of ice. (pp. 140-141)
Each v i g n e t t e or e p is o d e is a s e l f - c o n t a i n e d u n i t , a p a r a
digm o f e x p e r ie n c e t h a t c o n t r i b u t e s to the c o n ce p t o f th e
! 5 4 1
* i
n e ig h b o rh o o d S o r r e n t i n o s k e t c h e s . The u n i t s o f t h i s l i t e r -
i
iary e d i f i c e are c o n s i s t e n t w ith each o t h e r in t h a t each i s a
r e a l a s p e c t o f the p o v e r t y , f r u s t r a t i o n , ig n o r a n c e , or e v en
t u a l d i s i n t e g r a t i o n o f the n e ig h b o rh o o d , or th e games p la y e d
jto cover t h e s e . They a r e , however, f i x e d in a p a t t e r n t h a t
j i s , o f i t s e l f , m e a n in g le s s , and the p a r t s are i n t e r c h a n g e
a b l e , l i k e the s t e e l g i r d e r s t h a t give s u p p o r t and s t r u c t u r e
to a new b u i l d i n g .
i
j To u n d e rs ta n d the s y n ta x o f t h i s n o v e l, i t i s u s e f u l to
^compare i t to t h a t o f a c o l l a g e , as K link ow itz d o e s , and in
jview o f S o r r e n t i n o 's own a p p r e c i a t i o n of the term as the
|
■poet Ja ck S p ic e r u se s i t when h e , S p i c e r , d e s c r i b e s h i s
i
i
Idesire f o r the o b j e c t s in h i s poems to be "as r e a l as the
! 5
jnewspaper i n a c o ll a g e i s r e a l . " Each e p i s o d e , o r u n i t of
i
the c o n s t r u c t i o n , i s a r e c o g n iz a b le a c t u a l i t y t h a t i s im a g i
n a t i v e l y p la c e d in an a r t i f i c i a l c o n t e x t , from which the
f i c t i o n a l e x p e r ie n c e d e r i v e s i t s v a l i d i t y . Each p a r t o f the
c o lla g e inform s the whole o f the p ie c e , as each c o n t a i n s , or
adds t o , c o n n o ta ti v e in fo rm a n ts o f what the whole seeks to
i
t
r e v e a l . There a r e , however, no f u n c t i o n a l elem en ts i n or
*
among the p a r t s , no " s i g n a l s " as S o r r e n t in o uses the term*
^Gilbert Sorrentino, Rev. of "A Fake Novel About the Life of
(Arthur Rimbaud" by Jack Spicer, Kulohva1, 9 (Spring 1963), 82.
. . 5~5~j
i I
ithat d i r e c t us to a s p e c i f i c meaning and have n e c e s s a r y
c o n seq u e n ts in the o t h e r p a r t s ; t h a t i s , t h e r e i s no i n h e r -
!
jent c o r r e l a t i o n betw een them such t h a t one l o g i c a l l y demands
{something in or from a n o t h e r . T h eir common c o n t e x t , the
c o n s t r u c t i o n i t s e l f , s u f f i c e s . In S te e lw o r k t h i s a s p e c t i s
a ch iev e d by the d i s r u p t e d c h ro n o lo g y , which i n h i b i t s l o g i c a l
Jconsequence, and a ls o by the la c k of a s p e c i f i c p l o t , c h a r
a c t e r , or theme, ty in g the e p is o d e s t o g e t h e r i n the space
and time o f the n o v e l .
The d i s r u p t e d c h ro no lo g y o f the t e x t a ls o t u r n s our
a t t e n t i o n away from th e n a tu r e o f the e p is o d e s toward the
random flow o f the n a r r a t o r ' s memory; we are o b s e r v in g n ot
g u s t the n e ig h b o rh o o d , b u t the way i t i s p e r c e i v e d . We are
I
d i r e c t e d to the p r o c e s s o f r e a l i z i n g t h a t which i s n o t r e a l ,
o f a b s t r a c t i n g from words the concepts t h a t S o r r e n t in o
c r e a t e s from q u a l i t i e s o f the " a c t u a l . " His v i s i o n r e s t s on
jthe s u r f a c e s o f t h i n g s , the a c t u a l ; i t c an n o t j u d g e , u n d e r
s t a n d , r a t i o n a l i z e , or u n if y the o b j e c t s o f h i s p e r c e p t i o n .
i
For i n s t a n c e , we f i r s t meet Black Tom in a moment o f h i s
I
^despair, th e n l e a r n from an e p is o d e d a te d fo u r y e a r s l a t e r
and 105 pages l a t e r , o f h i s d e a th from m a l n u t r i t i o n . There
as a l o g i c a l c o n n e c tio n , p e r h a p s , b u t the s i g n a l s do not
e x i s t in the t e x t i t s e l f : a gray demeanor and a lo n g in g f o r
o n e 's fa m ily do n o t i n d i c a t e t h a t the man w i l l s t a r v e him- ■
s e l f to d e a th . The t r u t h we may glim pse i s m erely o f the
i !
[ p a tte r n o f h i s l i f e and d e a t h . I
i i
J " I t is d i f f i c u l t , " S o r r e n t i n o w r i t e s , " f o r us to a c c e p t
i
jthe t r u t h t h a t our l i v e s make a p a t t e r n no more m eaningful
I
th an i t s own shap e" ("V arious I s o l a t e d , " p. 205). This i s
'the a ssu m p tio n o f h i s n o v e l , whose own p ro c e s s d e n ie s the
r e a s o n a b le n e s s o f the e v e n ts in terms o f each o t h e r , and
over which the memory o f the n a r r a t o r has r e l i n q u i s h e d any
i
jpower. As R o b b e - G r il l e t would have i t , the words and ges-
jtures are th e r e , t h e i r p re s e n c e i n the t e x t dom inates and i s |
j |
jth e i r only s i g n i f i c a n c e ; o r , in Camus' w ords, the c o n c r e te j
{ s ig n if ie s n o th in g more th an i t s e l f .
In a n o th e r e p i s o d e , the n a r r a t o r d e s c r i b e s C h a rlie
T a y lo r , who "was very t a l l f o r n i n e , " who "had a f a t h e r , a
r e a l f a t h e r , perm anent man, l i v i n g w ith him and h is mother
and s i s t e r , P a ts y " (p. 35). We are g iv en a l i s t o f th in g s
to know about him:
Charlie Taylor, who gave of his day-old mince cakes from
j Drewes.
Charlie Taylor, who wore a gray tweed cabdriver's cap.
Charlie Taylor, who gave everybody whooping cough.
Charlie Taylor, whose father took him to see the Dodgers.
A kind boy. With a father and mother. And blond, stupid
sister. W hom all the boys adored.
Charlie Taylor, who maintained that only bad women fucked,
and that they did i t with their belly buttons.
j ' ’ *................* 5 7"!
I
j
| Charlie Taylor, headed for the steady job of reinsurance
i clerk, . . .
Whose mother would die of leukemia; whose siste r would marry
a fireman with acne; whose father would finish as a drunken
machinist in Flint.
A ta ll boy, clear face, gray eyes, slow and friendly. (pp. 36-37)
There i s an i n h e r e n t ir o n y in t h i s b r i e f acco u n t o f l i f e
t h a t forms i t s p a t t e r n . S o r r e n t i n o tak e s us through a
p ro c e s s o f g iv in g shape or form to l i f e , even a c h r o n o l o g i
c a l sequence o f i n f o r m a ti o n g lea n ed through tim e , b u t i t is
^n ev e rth e le ss a r b i t r a r y . The i n f o r m a ti o n i s c o r r e l a t e d in
jthe i m a g i n a t io n , which the n a r r a t o r ' s i n d i f f e r e n c e has c h a l-
!
jlenged. An a b s t r a c t p i c t u r e emerges from the s p e c i f i c
w o r d s , which la c k s i n d i c e s o f l o g i c or c o n s e q u e n c e ; the. r e a l
d e t a i l s o f l i f e are p r e s e n t e d as m e a n i n g l e s s , p u r p o s e l e s s —
a b s u r d . The p a t t e r n i s n e i t h e r r a t i o n a l nor i r r a t i o n a l ; i t
i s , as Camus w r i t e s , " d e r a i s o n n a b l e , e t i l n ' e s t que c e l a "
(p. 70).
As a w r i t e r , S o r r e n t i n o e l u c i d a t e s the m yriad e x p e r i
ences o f the n e ig h b o rh o o d , b u t h i s v i s i o n i s r e s t r i c t e d .
L i s p o i n t o f view d e f i n e s th e neighborhood in a c e r t a i n
l i g h t , the l i g h t of dusk— e sc a p e d a t the c lo s e o f the novel
— and i t mandates the l i m i t a t i o n s p r o v i s i o n a l r e a l i t y j
j
imposes on h i s powers to r e a s o n . Camus w r i t e s , " L 'a b s u r d e ,
c ' e s t l a r a i s o n l u c i d e qui c o n s t a t e ses l i m i t e s " (p . 71),
; 5 8 s
j i
;the l i m i t a t i o n s o f d e a l i n g w ith the c o n c r e t e . The absence {
i
o f s i g n a ls to d efin e meaning fo rc es the o b je c ts to e x i s t J
i
{independent o f l o g i c a l or c o n v e n tio n a l system s o f th o u g h t
and p e r c e p t i o n ; as in the new n o v e l, they e x i s t w ith o u t
'depth. Memory h e re does n o t give meaning to o b j e c t s , only
form; the l u c i d v i s i o n does n o t r e p ro d u c e , nor does i t
e v a l u a t e a neighborhood t h a t may have e x i s t e d once. I t
'd e s c r ib e s , and in so d o in g , c r e a t e s a new w o rld , i t s own.
i
The r e a d e r i s ta k e n through the p r o c e s s o f c o n s t r u c t i o n to
a r r i v e a t an a b s t r a c t i o n of l i f e , which r e s u l t s in an aware-
l ’
!
n e ss o f the v i s i o n i t s e l f .
!
|
; Subsequent to t h i s n o v e l , S o r r e n t i n o tu r n s h i s a u t h o r i a l
! . I
ipoint o f view toward h i s own c r a f t , the c r e a t i o n o f f i c t i o n
l
i t s e l f . I t is no lo n g e r used only to f i x i n f o r m a ti o n in a
p r o c e s s o f c o n s t r u c t i o n , b u t as the e s s e n t i a l component of
the p ro c e s s and i t s r e s u l t , and s i g n a l s are i t s enem ies. ;
j
S o r r e n t i n o w r i t e s in I m a g in a tiv e Q u a l i t i e s o f A c tu a l \
! T h i n g s , "Prose w i l l k i l l you i f you give i t an i n c h , i . e . , J
' 6 '
i f you t r y and s u b s t i t u t e i t f o r the w o r l d . " The f i c t i o n a l
c r e a t i o n s o f p ro se must be s t r i c t l y c o n t r o l l e d , f o r only the
a r t i s t ' s i n v e n t i o n can a c t u a l i z e the a b s t r a c t i o n s c r e a t e d by
I
^Im aginative Q u a litie s o f A ctual Things (New York: Pantheon Books,
Random House, 1971), p. 112. Hereafter cited as IQAT.
59
I
la n g u a g e . R e p r e s e n t a t i o n seeks to s u b s t i t u t e the f i c t i o n a l
j
!
;for the r e a l w hich, he a s s e r t s , i s i m p o s s i b l e . He w r i t e s in
jthe e s s a y on W i l l i a m s : "The in v e n te d c h a r a c t e r can only
i
jreveal the a c t u a l i f he i s th e c r e a t u r e of the n o v e l i s t ' s
! i n v e n t i o n , no t a s i g n a l whom we s t u p i d l y t h in k i s doing
som ething ' b e l i e v a b l e ' " ("V ario u s I s o l a t e d , " p. 1 9 8 ). The
in o v el's p rim a ry c o n ce rn i s f o r the m a n i f e s t a t i o n o f i t s
i
i a r t i f i c e and the incumbent r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f the a r t i s t to
I
make som ething the r e a d e r apprehends as r e a l p e r se . The
L u b j e c t h e re i s f i c t i o n , as the t i t l e s u g g e s t s . S o r r e n t in o
[engages s h i f t i n g p e r s p e c t i v e s on h i s t a s k , the c r e a t i o n of
f i c t i o n , t h a t i n t r u d e and o v e rla p to the p o i n t t h a t d i s t i n c
tio n s betw een the r e a l (th e a c t u a l and i t s c o n t e x t , the book
[ i t s e l f ) , and the f i c t i o n (th e im agined q u a l i t i e s , the con
s t r u c t e d models o f e x p e r i e n c e ) , are d i f f i c u l t to p e r c e i v e .
In e x p l o r i n g the n a tu r e o f h i s c r a f t , S o r r e n t i n o makes what
[Sharon Spencer c a l l s "an h e r o i c a tte m p t to t h r u s t the r e a l
i t y o f the work o f a r t i n t o the s u r r o u n d in g r e a l i t y o f l i f e
7
(and to merge the two in an i n t e r s e c t i n g c o n s t r u c t . " The
p e r c e p t i o n o f o v e r l a p p in g l a y e r s of the r e a l and th e f i c
t i o n a l as the i m a g in a tio n weaves them t o g e t h e r i s d e sig n e d
7
Space 3 Time and S tru c tu re in the Modem Novel (New York: New
York Univ. Press, 1971), p. 51.
; 60
t
las analogous to the p r o c e s s o f p e r c e p t i o n i n everyday l i f e .
I !
I \
\ In the n o v e l, S o r r e n t i n o s ta n d s b e h in d ev ery i n c i d e n t ,
tevery c h a r a c t e r , e v e ry rem ark; u l t i m a t e l y h i s p o i n t o f view
i
i s the s u b j e c t o f the work, i t s f i c t i o n . The r e l a t i v e
c lo s e n e s s to h i s work t h a t he m a in ta in s p a r a d o x i c a l l y i n
s u r e s i t s autonomy as he d e s i g n a t e s i t as h i s own c r e a t i o n ,
som ething o f the w o rld . To r e v e a l the a c t u a l , the novel
needs to be in d e p e n d e n t o f the r e a l , y e t i t is n e c e s s a r i l y
i
i
jtied to a s u b j e c t i v e o u t lo o k . As Spencer d e s c r i b e s i t , "A
\
p e r s p e c t i v e is b u t a p o i n t o f view upon r e a l i t y . To see the
i
j tr u t h , one must see s i m u lt a n e o u s ly from a g r e a t many p e r -
f
jsp e c tiv e s , or from one c e a s e l e s s l y moving p e r s p e c t i v e " (p.
;9 2) . S o r r e n t i n o uses the l a t t e r te c h n iq u e i n h i s f i r s t two
i
n o v e ls , the form er in t h i s one. Here the m u l t i p l e p e r s p e c
t i v e s are a u t h o r i a l and e d i t o r i a l , sometimes complementary
and sometimes c o n f l i c t i n g .
j
| The work ("T h is i s n o t a n o v e l. More a c o l l e c t i o n of
' b i t s and p i e c e s ' " [p. 11, n . ] ) is w r i t t e n l a r g e l y in the
I
i f i r s t p e rs o n , t h a t p e rs o n b e in g G i l b e r t S o r r e n t i n o , who i s
i
i
jw ritin g the w ork, a c t u a l l y and f i c t i o n a l l y . I t i s a b ou t the
w r i t e r w r i t i n g , the a u th o r c r e a t i n g . He i s an i n t r u s i v e
n a r r a t o r a t tim e s , co m p lain in g o f the d i f f i c u l t i e s w ith the
s t o r i e s and c h a r a c t e r s , e x p l a i n i n g h i s p ro c e s s as he
i 61 j
i
\
p ro c e e d s . His s t a te m e n ts a r e , I b e l i e v e , to be ta k e n s e r i - '
i
|Ously, as they echo id e a s e x p r e s s e d i n S o r r e n t i n o 's c r i t i c a l )
w r i t i n g s . When h i s i n t e n t i o n i s ir o n y he c o n t r a d i c t s him
s e l f , or p r o v id e s a f o o tn o te as an added p e r s p e c t i v e . There
i s a f i c t i o n a l p e rs o n a of an e d i t o r , to keep check on the
p e r s o n a o f the w r i t e r when the l a t t e r f a i l s somehow, and
toward whom S o r r e n t i n o can be very a n t a g o n i s t i c ; they are
i
i n t e r a c t i n g c h a r a c t e r s in the work. To complete the c i r c l e
i s ZuZu J e f f e r s o n , the c r e a t i o n who, as an e d i t o r , may a ls o
comment on S o r r e n t i n o the a u th o r w i t h i n the f i c t i o n . The
game i s p la y e d o u t l i k e a baroque c o n c e i t .
The work c o n s i s t s o f e i g h t c h a p t e r s , each c e n t e r i n g on
*a p a r t i c u l a r c h a r a c t e r , u n i f i e d p r i m a r i l y by the a u t h o r i a l
i
'hand w i e ld i n g the words t h a t c r e a t e them. The j a c k e t n o te s
d e s c r i b e th e s e c h a r a c t e r s as " v i v i d " ; t h i s i s t r u e i n s o f a r
i
as they are r e c o g n i z a b le as a b s t r a c t i o n s o f c e r t a i n c h a r a c - j
t e r t r a i t s o r , more g e n e r a l l y , ty p es we may have e n co un tered.
jThey are by no means l i f e l i k e , s in c e we are n o t g iv en s u f f i
c i e n t i n f o r m a ti o n a bo ut them, nor s i g n a l s , nor are we i n
v i t e d to u n d e r s ta n d them: only S o r r e n t i n o ' s a t t i t u d e has
any s u b s t a n c e .
The n a r r a t i n g p e r s o n a , S o r r e n t i n o , i s openly a n t a g o n i s
t i c toward the demands o f h i s c r a f t , which has been s p o i l e d
(by i t s own c o n v e n tio n s , and to the demands o f h i s presumed !
i :
jaudience , e d i t o r s and the g e n e r a l p u b l i c a l i k e , who have i
been t r a i n e d to look f o r s i g n a l s and u n d e rs ta n d only t h e s e .
i
jHis f r u s t r a t i o n and la c k of i n t e r e s t i n c r e a t i n g l o g i c a l andj
j" b e lie v a b le " s t o r i e s and c h a r a c t e r s are e x p r e s s e d d i r e c t l y
i
!i n t h i s t e x t , and j u s t i f i e d by i t , f o r n o th in g in h i s f i c -
Ition is presumed a b s o l u t e . The f i r s t l i n e of the t e x t
i
e s t a b l i s h e s the e q u iv o c a l n a tu r e o f f i c t i o n a l c h a r a c t e r s .
I
|"What i f . . ." the s e n te n c e b e g i n s , s i t u a t i n g S o r r e n t i n o
|
jw ithin the work, p o s in g a q u e s t i o n no t q u i t e r h e t o r i c a l in
I
|nature :
What i f this young woman, who writes such bad poems, in com
petition with her husband, whose poems are equally bad, should
stretch her remarkably long and well-made legs out before you, j
so that her skirt slips up to the tops of her stockings? (p. 3) j
j
We are i n a h y p o t h e t i c a l l y r e a l w o rld , b e in g asked to r e a c t j
jto i t . There fo llo w s a l e t t e r from t h i s young woman, S h e ila j
| |
H enry, to h e r p a r e n t s . As in the opening p a ra g r a p h , to ;
I . j
jwhich i t i s j u x ta p o s e d w i t h o u t n a r r a t i v e commentary, t h i s j
i 1
l e t t e r is a ls o p r e s e n t e d as r e a l : an a s t e r i s k n e x t to one
o f i t s p h r a s e s , "the honeymoon i s o v e r , " i n d i c a t e s a f o o t -
j
n ote a t the bottom of the page o f S o r r e n t i n o 's book (n ot in
I
the l e t t e r or the n a r r a t i v e t h a t e n s u e s ) , in which the j
a u t h o r / e d i t o r re m a rk s, "T his p h ra s e i s used w i t h o u t iro n y "
j(p. 4 ) . I t i s an obvious dev ice t h a t h e r e , r a t h e r than
's u b s t a n t i a t i n g the p e rs o n a o f S h e i l a Henry, a f f i r m s the
i
I
jpresence o f the a u t h o r i a l p e r s o n a , who s u b s e q u e n t ly tak es up
I
jhis n a r r a t i v e in a more c o n v e n tio n a l b u t r i g o r o u s l y con
t r o l l e d f a s h i o n . "We d e a l h e r e , " he a d m its , "w ith a s p e c i
f i c young woman, one whose c h ild h o o d i s n o t germane to our
d e s i r e s " (p. 6 ) . The h ere-an d-n ow o f the a u th o r and o f the
a u d i e n c e 's r e a c t i o n to h e r i s a l l t h a t is r e l e v a n t ; S o rre n -
jtino has n e i t h e r the i n t e r e s t nor the a b i l i t y to expose a
whole l i f e .
The s t o r i e s he t e l l s a re r e s t r i c t e d to the q u a l i t i e s o f
l i f e he w ishes to r e v e a l , and to which only i s o l a t e d b i t s o f
i
1
[inform ation a re p e r t i n e n t . He can d e s c r i b e a problem i n
jSheila H e n ry 's r e l a t i o n s h i p w ith h e r husband: " I t i s c l e a r
Ithat S h e i l a ' s husband can only s a t i s f y or a t the l e a s t
I
iin trig u e h e r by b e in g someone e l s e , " b u t a d d s, "I can no t
d e f in e the f i n a l c o n f i g u r a t i o n o f t h e i r l i v e s , e x c e p t to
!
guess t h a t d iv o rc e w i l l n o t remedy i t " (p. 9 ) . S o r r e n t i n o
i s i n d i c a t i n g the e s s e n t i a l q u a l i t y o f the r e l a t i o n s h i p , n o t
1 • i •
how i t w i l l or may d e v e lo p . I t i s n o t a r e a l r e l a t i o n s h i p ;
b u t the n a tu r e o f i t , which e x i s t s in the d e t a i l s g iv e n , is
an a b s t r a c t i o n o f a k in d of r e l a t i o n s h i p we can r e c o g n i z e .
'Moreover, S o r r e n t i n o avoids the " c o m fo rta b le c o n s p ir a c y " of
i 64
i
which R o b b e - G r il l e t w rote by r e f u s i n g to an aly ze and to
I
iprovide s i g n a l s we c o uld use to u n d e rs ta n d the l i v e s of
j
[these p e o p le , and by a d m i t ti n g i n s t e a d the p r o v i s i o n a l
I
{nature o f h i s e v a l u a t i o n . S h e i l a H e n r y ’s l e t t e r s and poems,
and the l i s t o f t h in g s she l i k e s and d i s l i k e s , and the p r e -
l
Icise d e t a i l s o f h e r r e l a t i o n s h i p w ith h e r husband, circum -
iscrib e the w o rld she l i v e s in and h e r l i f e . These a c t u a l
I
j
q u a l i t i e s are s u f f i c i e n t f o r a r e c o g n i t i o n of t h a t l i f e ,
j
(though a b s o l u te knowledge of i t i s p r e c l u d e d . S ig n a ls are
u n n e c e s s a r y , f o r what we need to know i s r i g h t t h e r e , on the
s u r f a c e , in the w o r d s . S h e i l a Henry i s c r e a t e d from de-
1
!
j s c r i p t i o n s o f the a c t u a l , y e t h e r l i f e tak es shape as an
a b s t r a c t i o n , n o t as a r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f som ething or someone
a c t u a l .
In a d i f f e r e n t k in d o f m aneuver, S o r r e n t i n o f o r c e s h i s
r e a d e r s ' p a r t i c i p a t i o n in the c r e a t i o n o f a " c h a r a c t e r " by
{borrowing one t h a t i s a lr e a d y formed and p l a c i n g i t in h i s
own c o n t e x t . I t i s a f a c e t i o u s p l o y , one o f c a l c u l a t e d
jsu b v e rsiv en e ss in S o r r e n t i n o ' s b a t t l e a g a i n s t the conven-
i
j t i o n a l . This i s h i s p ro b lem , r e f e r r i n g to the w ife o f one
B a rt K ahane:
I never liked his second wife, as a matter of fact, . . . I ’m
not interested in her character. . . . What a bore she is! Can.
you imagine being a novelist and having to make her up, make her
.__-r-H?elievable?_. (p• -193) .___ . ___ _______________________ _________
iThis i s h i s s o l u t i o n , to f a c i l i t a t e h i s c h o re :
i !
' j
j I have a mildly interesting idea, though, for those readers— i
j and they are, I understand, legion—who insist on a character j
| they can "get ahold of." Let's say that Bart's wife is Lolita.
| I mean, she is the exact Lolita that Nabokov stitched together.
J O.K. Now you've got Bart's wife—there she is , already made,
j grown up, . . . (p. 193)
f
jL o lita i s a s i g n a l , o s t e n s i b l y d i r e c t i n g us to som ething we
j
iknow , as remembered and " u n d e rs to o d " from N abokov's work.
iBut she w i l l e x i s t i n a new c o n te x t h e r e , and thu s what we
i ’
i
:think we u n d e r s ta n d i s compromised. The images o f h e r ,
ir e ta in e d in memory, are the u n i t s of a new c o n s t r u c t i o n ; we
i
|
ic o lla b o r a te w ith S o r r e n t i n o in the p r o c e s s o f i n v e n t i n g B artj
* j
jKahane, f o r whom L o l i t a i s m erely an " a c t u a l t h i n g " o f h i s (
i
j l i f e . She i s "w ith him a t the r i g h t p l a c e s , " and " t e r r i f i -
i
Jcally b e a u t i f u l in c l o t h e s " (p. 1 9 5 ), an a s s e t to h i s image
o f h i m s e l f . T heir r e l a t i o n s h i p , however, i s empty. They go
t h e i r s e p a r a t e ways; th ey do n o t communicate. We do n o t
n e e d to know t h e i r p e r s o n a l h i s t o r i e s or p s y c h o l o g i c a l p r o
f i l e s ; the images o f s u p e r f i c i a l concerns are S o r r e n t i n o ' s j
f i n a l i n t e n t h e r e . " I ’m n o t i n t e r e s t e d , " he admonishes u s, j
l
" in w h e th er t h i s man la y awake a t n i g h t , or c r i e d . What is
{ i n t e r e s t i n g i s t h a t th e s e t h i n g s , i f they o c c u r r e d , d id n o t
i
i n any se n se change h i s l i f e " (p . 196). We are c o n fin e d to
the on ly t r u t h S o r r e n t i n o 's f i c t i o n has to o f f e r , forms o f
l i f e t h a t a g iv en p o i n t o f view i n v e n ts from i s o l a t e d ,
a l o g i c a l b i t s o f i n f o r m a ti o n .
S o r r e n t i n o allow s us to apprehend from images w hatev er
th e r e i s t h a t can be known, w i t h o u t commitment to any abso-
I
j l u t e s . The n a r r a t i v e comm entaries a s s u r e the preem inence o f
ihis p e r s p e c t i v e , which q u a l i f i e s the f i g u r e s d e s c r i b e d , and
i
as the i n f o r m a ti o n i s u n c e r t a i n or ch an g in g , so a re those
f i g u r e s . He w r i t e s o f one c h a r a c t e r , " I 'm i n t e r e s t e d in
i
! Leo. Follow the d o ts " (p. 1 15 ). His i n t e r e s t can be
a t t r i b u t e d to h i s awareness o f the f a c t t h a t i t i s "n o t t h a t
Leo e x i s t s , b u t even the in v e n te d Leo has a s e t in my mind
t h a t i s d i f f e r e n t from the way he w i l l t u r n ou t h e r e " (p.
I l l ) ; t h i s c h a r a c t e r ' s i n d i v i d u a l i t y i s i n d e t e r m i n a t e . "Leo
i s r e a l l y Leo ( i n v e n t e d , o f c o u r s e ) . I mean he i s n o t , was
n e v e r , and w i l l n o t be ( I 'm alm ost c e r t a i n ) Guy Lewis" (p.
!l1 5 ). S o r r e n t i n o h e s i t a t e s b e f o r e com m itting h i m s e l f to the
d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n ; i d e n t i t y , he i n d i c a t e s , i s n e v e r a c e r
t a i n t y , r e a l i t y changes a c c o rd in g to p e r s p e c t i v e and in v e n
t i o n . In d ee d , he t e l l s us o f the p ro c e s s o f p e r c e p t i o n t h a t
t
( i n t e r p r e t s s p e c i f i c images as g e n e r a l i z e d c o n c e p ts :
J
All these people are follow-the-dots pictures—all harsh angles
that the mind alone can apprehend because we have already seen
their natural counterparts. I'm saying that i f you know Leo,
you'll see him plain. If not, you'll see what I let you see.
(p. H D
! 6 7 i
j I
jThe a u th o r has f u l l c o n t r o l over the a b s t r a c t i o n h i s words |
c r e a t e , over the s p e c i f i c d e t a i l s he p r o v id e s to s u g g e s t h is
i n t e n t i o n to our i m a g i n a t io n . There i s , however, no " s u c
c e s s " or " f a i l u r e " p o s s i b l e in t h i s e n d e a v o r, f o r th e p r o d
u c t is n o t a r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f a r e a l p e rs o n we know, or
even as S o r r e n t i n o knows him. He i s m erely the s p e c i f i c
! t
jimages as we apprehend them.
The use o f l i s t s to d e s c r i b e a c h a r a c t e r i s a v a r i a t i o n
Jof the p a r a t a c t i c j u x t a p o s i t i o n of images used p re d o m in a n tly
I
kn the t e x t , and i t f u n c t i o n s a l s o as a u n i t o f the con-
i ’
i
i
s t r u c t i o n . As su c h , i t r e v e a l s the a r b i t r a r y n a t u r e o f the
f i c t i o n a l c o n s t r u c t . One example s u f f i c e s :
j Following are twenty things that Leo and some of these enrap-
j tured girls did during those two years.
1. Ate a mountain of paella.
2. Went to the Art and the New Yorker theaters every time the
picture* changed.
3. Struggled through a hell of a lot of those creamy scrambled
eggs I've already spoken of.
4. Lost a raincoat in Dillon's Bar. !
5. Found l i t t l e Italian restaurants tolerable only i f the ]
diners feel each other up during the antipasto. j
6. Spent $1,457.70 on cabs.
7. Went to Stony Point, the Hamptons, and Connecticut for a
lot of warm martinis and burned chicken.
8. Watched the dawn come up in Tompkins Square Park.
9. Got drunk on Virginia Gentleman in some rich man's house
in Great Neck.
j 10. Got drunk on Gallo Burgundy at an opening at the Tanager
I Gallery.
*1 should say "film."
. . . .. 68 j
| 11. Got drunk on J § B, Jack Daniels, and Seagram's V.O. at an
! opening at Martha Jackson's.
i 12. Met hundreds of roommates, friends, ex-lovers, college bud
dies, people who danced and acted, film-makers, directors,
and junkies.
! 13. Smoked a lot of marijuana with that serious, intense look
| that characterized the heads of that era.
14. Went to parties at the A rtists' Club.
| 15. Bought flowers "spontaneously" so they could feel like
j characters in a bad French movie.*
j 16. Were on hand for Ornette Coleman's opening at the old Five
Spot.
17. Went to innumerable readings in coffeehouses, bars, galle
ries, churches, and lofts.
18. Stained a lot of sheets at the Albert, Brittany, Marlton,
and Van Rensselaer hotels.
19. Read Kulchia‘ and commented on the arrogant clique that ran
i t .
20. Painted four apartments.
t
i *1 should say "film."
I
I
,The l i s t i s pere m p to ry and f r i v o l o u s , in b o th s e n s e s a r b i -
I
j t r a r y , r e v e a l i n g a m e a n in g le ss p a t t e r n of l i f e . I t s o r d e r
I
jis s e q u e n t i a l b u t n o t a t a l l c o n s e q u e n t ia l ( p a r a t a c t i c , no t
h y p o t a c t i c ) ; the r e l e v a n c e o f the e x p e r ie n c e s stems only
!from the l i v e s c o n s i s t e n t l y i n v o lv e d . The i n f o r m a t i o n g iv en
an the l i s t , p r e c i s e as i t i s , does n o t p o r t r a y l i f e , nor
i
'even Leo: th e r e i s n o th in g t h a t i d e n t i f i e s him, or d i s
t i n g u i s h e s him from anyone e l s e ; y e t the e q u iv o c a l p e r s p e c
t i v e o f the a u t h o r ’ s s p e c i f i c a t i o n s does c h a r a c t e r i z e a
.p a tte rn o f l i f e i n s o f a r as the a c t u a l o u t l i n e s i t s shap e.
!
With one sto n e S o r r e n t i n o d e s t r o y s the myth and conven
t i o n o f c h a r a c t e r as the sum o f l o g i c a l , r e c o g n i z a b le
69
l a t t r i b u t e s , and t h a t o f s t o r y as an e x p l a n a t i o n o f p eop le
j
[and e r a s . The a c t u a l i s s u p e r f i c i a l , the r e c o r d i n g o f
i
| a c t i v i t i e s w i t h o u t p u rp o s e , and the s u p e r f i c i a l r e v e a l s
j d e t a i l s of a p i c t u r e , o f many p i c t u r e s , whose shapes are
I
'determ ined in the i m a g i n a t io n . The d e t a i l s do n o t add up,
or compose an o r g a n ic w hole; we have on ly a vague, changing
I m p r e s s i o n o f L eo 's l i f e d e s p i t e the s p e c i f i c , p r e c i s e
i
i
jin fo rm atio n g iv e n . N othing can be e x p e c te d from t h i s c h a r
a c t e r , Leo.
S o r r e n t i n o assumes the same p o s t u r e toward h i s s t o r y as
I
jhe does toward h i s c h a r a c t e r : he i s n o t to be tak e n to
(account f o r a n y th i n g , and demands t h a t h i s r e a d i n g au d ie n ce
j p a r t i c i p a t e in the c r e a t i v e p r o c e s s . He w r i t e s , f o llo w in g
the l i s t o f what Leo and the g i r l s d id in New York,
i
i
| If the reader will take all these things, and imagine for
j himself the events leading up to them, the places through which
Leo and his various loves passed to get to do these things, and
the events that followed these things, he will have a general
picture of the hip New York scene during those years. In other
words, the reader is asked to write the book that I have no
interest in writing. I don't give a damn about the scene during
those years. (p. 122)
iThe a u th o r i s r e s p o n s i b l e u l t i m a t e l y only to h i s l i m i t e d
v i s i o n , n e i t h e r to a r a t i o n a l system o f o r g a n i z i n g t h i n g s ,
nor to c o n v e n tio n , no r to h i s own p r e c o n c e iv e d id e a s about
i
h i s work, nor to h i s r e a d e r s . He i s q u i t e aw are, however,
' 70
|that th is i s a r e a c tio n a r y p o s i t i o n , and the a n t a g o n is t ic
f
f
'stance he takes to defend i t , however p u e r i l e , serv es to
|
(emphasize not only the new r o le o f the author v i s - a - v i s h is
I
jwork, b u t, d e c i s i v e l y , the r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f the reader,
which i s to use h is own im agin ation and be a part o f the
( f i c t i o n a l p r o c e s s . Sorrentino w r i t e s , in the e ssa y on
i
(Williams :
i W e are not told what to think, but are instead directed to an
j essence, the observation of which leads to the freeing of our
own imagination and to our arrival at the only "truth" that
fiction possesses. ("Various Isolated," p. 197)
lit i s not c le v e r n e s s or e r u d i t io n th a t Sorrentino demands,
jnor i n t u i t i o n , for those only complete (or compete with) the
I
itext. "The f l a s h , the in s t a n t or c l u s t e r o f meaning must be
i
(extrapolated from 'the p a g e le s s a c tu a l' and p resen ted in i t s
|
im a g in a tiv e q u a l i t i e s " (p. 1 9 7 ), he w r i t e s , and i t must be
japprehended in the same fa s h io n . The "essence" o f which he
i
i
jwrites i s the nature o f e x p e rien ce s or p a tte r n s o f l i f e , and
I
jit i s d is c o v e r a b le only at the l e v e l o f the e x p erien ces
[themselves. Since the s i g n a ls th a t would f i x the meaning
\
jof the images have been withdrawn, the "essence" the images
Jreveal i s ambiguous and p r o v i s i o n a l . I t i s the a r t i s t ' s
Itask to in v e n t, s e l e c t , and arrange d e t a i l s th at are a c t u a l ,
Ipresent these through a given p o in t o f view ("the p a g e le s s
i
[actu al") , w ith the o b j e c t o f c r e a t i n g an " e s s e n c e " t h a t does
jnot y e t e x i s t , or cannot be p e r c e i v e d . R a tio n a l exam ination !
does n o t r e v e a l i t , nor p r o b in g a n a l y s i s ; only the im a g in a
t i o n can re c o g n iz e what a c t u a l l y i s n o t , and p e r c e i v e some
t h i n g t h a t i s , t h a t has been c r e a t e d in w ords. Thus the
sense we have a b o u t L eo ’s " s c e n e , " which r e s u l t s from e x p l i
c i t , e x a c t item s t h a t are l i s t e d , b u t have no s p e c i f i c
meaning (we know he went to p a r t i e s a t th e A r t i s t s ' Club;
jwhat does t h i s mean?) , i s an ambiguous one, changing and
I
c o n t i n g e n t .
S o r r e n t i n o l a r g e l y p r e s e n t s and defends h i s id e a s about
t
jthe novel by d e s c r i b i n g or im p lying what i t i s n o t . I t i s |
I
h o t l i f e h i s t o r i e s ; i t i s n o t p r o v i d i n g l o g i c a l or r e p r e
s e n t a t i o n a l c o n te x ts f o r i n c i d e n t s and g e s t u r e s ; i t i s n o t
t e l l i n g us what we t h in k we need to know (IQAT, p . 3 4 ). He
r e f u t e s the a c c e p te d p rem ise s o f t r a d i t i o n a l f i c t i o n by
c h a l l e n g i n g the assumed demands o f h i s r e a d e r s . Toward the
end o f the novel ap p ea rs the fo llo w in g q u e s t i o n n a i r e directed
8
to the r e a d e r , mocking h i s e x p e c t a t i o n s of what h i s own
d u t i e s are :
8
A device f i r s t used by Donald Barthelme in Snow White for much
the same purpose.
~ '.....".........." 7 2
Why is the pussy willow Bart's favorite plant?
Did Bart like Dick Detective's blurb on the Gom Gallery bro
chure?
Point out a failure of tone in L o lita .
Do you think i t rather melodramatic that the author should make
Bart blind?
What contemporary a rtis ts might as well be blind?
Discuss the name "Harry Bore." Does i t in any way remind you
of Dick Powell?
Following is a short l i s t of names. Study them and try to deter
mine the author's intent in setting them down.
John Ashbery
Vladimir Nabokov
Norman Mailer
Kenneth Koch
Bruce Jay Friedman
Kenneth Noland
Mark Van Doren
Richard Lippold
Bart thought Scott Fitzgerald's best story was "Absolution."
Was he right?
j "See you in the funny papers" was Bart's favorite—albeit
j affected—parting remark. The implications of this remark
are profoundly aesthetic. (pp. 207-208)
;This i s one o f the p o i n t s where the a r t and the r e a l i t y of
i
i
'the t e x t h e ld i n hand merge. S o r r e n t i n o , and h i s f i c t i o n ,
l
|do n o t p ro v id e a l l the a n s w e r s , and they su p p ly n o th in g f o r
the r e a d e r to use as guides f o r a n sw e rin g . S o r r e n t i n o a ls o
d e m o n s tra te s by the a r b i t r a r y n a t u r e o f the q u e s t io n s how
i r r e l e v a n t a l l such i n f o r m a t i o n i s . What co u ld th e answers
mean? Would the added knowledge give or imply a deep er
u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f the t e x t ? Are th e r e any " c o r r e c t " answ ers?
j ’ ’..........." ' "7 31
l ;
iThe i m p l i c i t answ er, o f c o u r s e , is no. I t does n o t m a t t e r 1
I
jwhy B a r t goes b l i n d , much l e s s w h e th er i t is " r a t h e r melo-
jdram atic" in the n o v e l. For " B a rt is going to go b l i n d any-
i
[way. I have spoken" (p. 207), says the a u t h o r i t a r i a n Sor-
!
r e n t i n o , a g a in a s s e r t i n g the a r b i t r a r y p r e r o g a t i v e s o f f i c
t i o n . L o g ic , i n t e r n a l o r e x t e r n a l , i s always a v i c t i m of
the a b s u r d .
|
j There i s no way to a s s i m i l a t e r a t i o n a l l y what happens
i
t
in the n o v e l. The c h a r a c t e r s a re a r t i f i c i a l e n t i t i e s , fo r
whom s e n tim e n ts o f any s o r t a re sim ply i n a p p r o p r i a t e .
Does anyone feel bad about Bart's blindness? Hardly. There has
| been no sense of sympathy whatsoever for this character. One
j neither hates him nor loves him. There is , in fact, no feeling
j for him in any way. (p. 209)
t
I I
i |
jS o rre n tin o i n s i s t s on the f a c t i c i t y o f th e e v e n ts he de- j
I
j s c r i b e s , and demands t h e i r immediate a c c e p t a n c e , n o t the
c o n s id e r e d a n a l y s i s t h a t would be a p p r o p r i a t e to r e p r e s e n -
t a t i o n a l f i g u r e s . S o r r e n t i n o e f f e c t i v e l y p r e v e n t s t h i s , as
one more seem ing ly g r a t u i t o u s a c t o f r e s i s t a n c e to the
["com fortable c o n s p ir a c y " co nclu des the c h a p t e r about B a r t
K ahane: "He can see again! As f a r as I'm c o n c e rn e d , t h i s
rem arkab le developm ent p e r f e c t l y f i t s in w ith the e n t i r e
l i f e o f t h i s i n t o l e r a b l e l o u t " (p. 211). His " l i f e " i s in
f i c t i o n , where such developm ents need n o t f i t t o g e t h e r a t
ia.ll. B a r t Kahane i s m erely an i n g r e d i e n t in the "brew"
^ p . 198) th e a u th o r has c o n c o c te d , h i s b l i n d n e s s and su b s e -
|
jquent s i g h t i n g r e d i e n t s in the shape o f h i s l i f e , " d o t s "
jth a t we f o llo w . To r e v e a l what he w ishes about t h i s c h a r a c -
i
t e r , the a p p r o p r i a t e i s n e i t h e r r a t i o n a l nor s e n t i m e n t a l , i t
jis what i s n e c e s s a r y , w h a te v e r i s in v e n t e d to c h a r t the
I
p a t t e r n . The r e a d e r does n o t g e t in v o lv e d w ith the c h a r a c -
[
jte r , b u t w ith i t s c o n s t r u c t i o n .
j
j S o r r e n t i n o e n jo y s m a n ip u la tin g h i s r e a l f i c t i o n a l w orld
J
'so t h a t h i s c h a r a c t e r s may sh a re w ith him the l i f e encoun-
l
i
Itered in the n o v e l, as does Leo, b u t h i s own power always
1
9
(do m in ates. In a c h a p t e r e n t i t l e d "Radix Malorum," S o r r e n -
{tino s i m u lt a n e o u s ly b u i l d s and d e s t r o y s a c h a r a c t e r named
t
'Anton H a r le y , who is g reed i n c a r n a t e , p l a y i n g th e n a t u r e o f
*
I
h i s p e r s o n a l i t y and w h a tev e r r a p p o r t i t may have w ith a c t u
a l i t y a g a i n s t th e i m p o s s i b i l i t y o f such a c h a r a c t e r r e a l l y
e x i s t i n g . He i s a c a r i c a t u r e more th an a c h a r a c t e r , y e t
j S o r r e n t i n o ’s a t t i t u d e toward him makes him in some r e s p e c t s |
i
I
the most " r e a l " o f a l l the f i c t i o n a l c r e a t i o n s . S o r r e n - '
!
t
t i n o ’s c o n te m p t, d i s g u s t , and d i s l i k e f o r t h i s c r e a t u r e , the!
i
9
The t i t l e is not intended as symbolic or metaphoric, but as a
straightforward definition. Greed is the "root of all evils," and
Anton Harley is greed in human form.
I I
(exp ressio ns of which a re q u i t e funny, are a ls o v e ry r e a l , j
jand i t i s t h i s t h a t th e r e a d e r u n d e r s t a n d s . S o r r e n t i n o 's J
m u l t i p l e p e r s p e c t i v e s , as a u t h o r i a l p e r s o n a , as a c h a r a c t e r ,
and as a c r i t i c p ro v id e th e dim ensions n e c e s s a r y f o r us to
a c c e p t the f i c t i o n a l c r e a t i o n , w h ile th e focus on h i s own
power to c r e a t e r e s t r i c t s t h a t r e a l i t y to the venomous p e r
s p e c t i v e s t h e m s e l v e s .
I
j The c h a p t e r opens: "Greed was A n to n 's problem . I'm
j
-not i n t e r e s t e d i n how he got t h a t way. There he s t a n d s , now,
|in a l l h i s e a r t h l y b e a u t y , l e t ' s say w ith t h r e e c h e e se -
i
b u r g e r s i n each hand" (p. 155). Anton i s o n e -d im e n s io n a l,
an a b s t r a c t i o n ; he has and needs no background and no f u t u r e ,
l i k e t h e o t h e r c h a r a c t e r s . We a lr e a d y know what t h e r e is to
jknow. His d e s p i c a b l e " l i f e " e x i s t s only as the o b j e c t of
h i s c r e a t o r ' s s c o r n . The c r e a t i o n i t s e l f has no i n t e g r i t y ;
jS o rre n tin o makes sure o f t h i s by b e in g in f r o n t o f him a l l
|
jthe way. Anton i s a " r a v a g in g mouth" who "made the most
I
I
h o p e le s s poems" (p. 155). In w r i t i n g t h i s , S o r r e n t i n o i s
(
jnot ju d g in g him; he i s i n v e n t i n g him w ith images to be
(accepted a t face v a lu e : " I t ' s f a n t a s t i c to t h in k o f p e o p le
c a r i n g about w h eth er Anton i s w r i t i n g a g a in o r n o t , or of
t h i n k i n g about h i s o ld work in r e l a t i o n to h i s new w ork”
(p. 15 5). I t i s f a n t a s t i c b e c a u s e , w i t h i n the c o n te x t
76
i
i
^of th e f i c t i o n , Anton i s n o t a good w r i t e r and i s an awful
I
jperson; so much i s s t a t e d . But i t i s a ls o f a n t a s t i c in the
{
jsense of p r e p o s t e r o u s : the r e a d in g au dien ce must n o t look
beyond the r e a l i t y o f A n to n 's e x i s t e n c e i n the t e x t p r o p e r .
The dual i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of S o r r e n t i n o 's remark i s the
( r e s u l t o f h i s frag m e n te d p re s e n c e i n the t e x t , which r e f u s e s
i
•the character an autonomous l i f e w h ile i n s i s t i n g t h a t , as a
Iproduct of h is c r e a t o r ' s im ag in a tion , he does have a te x tu a l
Jrea lity o f h is own. The danger l i e s , then, in the propen-
r
f
i s i t y o f such a c r e a t i o n to g e t away from h i s c r e a t o r ; i t
i
(does n o t occur h e re because S o r r e n t i n o i s p r e s e n t , and th e r e
t
;are no s i g n a l s r e f e r r i n g us to a r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l r e a l i t y .
!
|F a c e t io u s l y rem in d in g us of h i s own b a s i c l i t e r a r y t e n e t s ,
I
j
he w r i t e s o f Anton:
Ignore the fact that he is made out of words. I t 's very in te r
esting that he should appear in this book. He sort of walked
right in while I was tacking Leo together. And here he is ,
picking his teeth. (pp. 157-158)
Again, two th in g s are s i m u lt a n e o u s ly r e v e a l e d : A n to n 's
o bn o x io u sn ess and S o r r e n t i n o 's c r a f t s m a n s h i p . As a v a r i a - i
]
t i o n of the f i r s t - p e r s o n n a r r a t i v e , the a u t h o r ' s p re s e n c e J
d e f i n e s h i s d i s t a n c e from h i s m a t e r i a l s and the p e r s p e c t i v e
t h a t c h a r a c t e r i z e s the new n o v e l, d e s i g n a t i n g the t e x t as
o b j e c t , and, as S o r r e n t i n o employs f i r s t - p e r s o n n a r r a t i o n ,
;here d e n ie s the omnipotence and om niscience o f the a u t h o r /
i
l
ipersona. He rem ains w e ll w i t h i n the c o n f in e s p r e s c r i b e d by
jCamus and R o b b e - G r i l l e t f o r the p r e s e n t a t i o n o f the r e a l , as
i t p e r t a i n s to c h a r a c t e r or e v e n t ; a probe o f the d e s c r i p
t i v e d e t a i l s we r e a d r e v e a l s u n c e r t a i n t y and c o n f u s io n .
S o r r e n t i n o ' s a n im o s ity tow ard Anton i s the o n ly s u re e lem en t
I
jof t h i s c h a p t e r as the c o n c u r r e n t a s p e c t s o f the r e a l and
!the f i c t i o n a l a re b le n d e d .
I
If you invite him to dinner, buy a steer. Ah, I see that this
chapter will be full of my own bile toward this wretched man.
I'm making him up too, but each l i t t l e piece of him is taken
from the file s.* And I loathe each piece. Face like an ax.
Everything was greed. I recall meeting him once just about
the time he was f ir s t married. . . . I can't judge him, when
I think about him I see a worm, feeding.
The author has not explained what he means by " file s." (p. 156)
j"If you i n v i t e him to d i n n e r " i s the f i c t i o n a l t e x t p r o p e r .
|To i n s u r e t h e r e i s no m is ta k in g i t s f i c t i o n a l i t y , the p e r
so n a o f the w r i t e r i n t r u d e s and e s t a b l i s h e s h i s d i s t a n c e
i
J v i s - a - v i s th e c r e a t i o n . However, he compromises t h a t s ta n c e
i
i
when he r e f e r s to the " f i l e s " from which h i s m a t e r i a l s come,
)
(as though th e r e were some a u t h e n t i c i t y to t h a t c r e a t i o n ,
•Anton. In f a c t , the f i l e s of S o r r e n t i n o ' s e x p e r ie n c e may
f
i
Iwell be the so u rc e of d e t a i l h e r e , s e l e c t i v e l y a rra n g e d in
|
jhis i m a g i n a t io n , b u t th e n th ey become f i c t i v e , to o . Next,
jthe e d i t i n g p e r s o n a , p e rh a p s ZuZu, p u ts the whole th in g in
jthat nebulous realm where the a ctu a l and f i c t i o n a l are in - I
I
j d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e , w ith the comment "The a u th o r has n o t ex-
jplained . . . ." This e d i t o r , o f c o u r s e , i s no more and no
I
lless r e a l than Anton; they e x i s t at the same l e v e l o f f i c -
j
‘t i o n a l i t y .
I 7
i
j U l t i m a t e l y , we must a c c e p t the " r e a l " and the " f i c -
jti o n a l" as terms r e l a t i v e to each o t h e r and to the p o i n t o f
jview e s t a b l i s h e d i n the t e x t . In t h i s work, i t i s S o rre n -
jtino's p o in t o f view , which he c o n sta n tly m aintains and
♦
which i s i n c o n s t a n t m otio n. He w r i t e s of Anton:
I
J
! It was seeing him that made me realize that I had to really s t i r
j this prose around to make sure that he doesn't walk around in
i this book with any degree of reality. That i s , his reality.
I
t
Fine. (p. 160)
1 I want him to walk around in this book with my reality. Fiction.
The a u t h o r 's p o i n t o f view and th e n a r r a t i v e p e r s p e c t i v e are
h e re the same, and have a r e a l i t y i n the t e x t s t r u c t u r e d
I
'somewhere betw een the r e a d e r ' s a p p re h e n s io n o f the t e x t and
1
jthe c r e a t i o n s t h a t are a p a r t o f i t . The r e a d e r s ta n d s i n
jthe i n t e r s e c t i o n where the r e a l , the f a l s e , and the make-
j
b e l i e v e c o n v e rg e . The j u x t a p o s i t i o n o f th e s e " s t r u c t u r e s "
i
!is in te n d e d to s u g g e s t the " p r o c e s s e s o f th e r e a l , " which
1
jthe new novel aims to p o r t r a y . W ith in the s t o r y , which is
o f the c r e a t i o n o f l i t e r a t u r e , the a u t h o r i a l p e rs o n a co n
s t a n t l y b o l s t e r s the i n s e c u r i t y he f e e l s r e g a r d i n g h i s work
| 79
i
jby a t t a c k i n g th o se whose demands m ight j e o p a r d i z e h i s su c -
i
jcesS. In the c h a p t e r t i t l e d "The B u tc h e r Cut Him Down,” he
I
I
l a n t i c i p a t e s the r e j e c t i o n of h i s work on th e b a s i s o f an
( i r r e l e v a n t a e s t h e t i c . He t e s t s h i s e d i t o r s " to see i f they
i
I
are f i t to p a ss judgment on b o o k s ." He p ro p o se s a q u i z ,
sa y in g t h a t " th e y must g e t s i x r i g h t . " The f i r s t few o f the
Iquestions are t h e s e :
!
j 1. What contribution to jazz drumming did Big Sid Catlett make?
| Jo Jones?
j 2. What is uniquely excellent about Paul Goodman's fiction?
j 3. What is a swizzle stick? A swizzle? (p. 77)
jlf th e e d i t o r s can p a ss t h i s t e s t , n o t m erely knowing about
I
jd rink in g and contem porary l i t e r a t u r e and j a z z , b u t a l s o ’by
jdem o nstratin g an u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f S o r r e n t i n o ’s id e a s on thesej
(m atte rs, th e n he f e e l s they may judge h i s work. A gain, i t
is n o t of the e d i t o r s t h a t we l e a r n , b u t o f S o r r e n t i n o 's
!
j a t t i t u d e toward them, or what th ey sh o u ld b e . The l i k e l i
hood o f f i n d i n g such as would a c c e p t h i s work, i t i s implied,*
i s s l i m , and y e t we are r e a d i n g the book, i t has been pub
l i s h e d , and the c y n i c a l barb i s i n f a c t a s e l f - s e r v i n g
d e v ic e t h a t a s s u r e s the r e a d e r , and th e w r i t e r p resu m ab ly ,
o f the w o rk 's l e g i t i m a c y . (
| As a novel a b ou t the w r i t i n g o f a n o v e l, Im a g in a tiv e j
Q u a l i t i e s o f A c tu a l Things r e v e a l s an a t t i t u d e about w r i t i n g
and w r i t e r s . Contemptuous o f the c h a r a c t e r s he c r e a t e s , !
i
d i l e t t a n t e s one and a l l , and the w orld th ey b o th l i v e i n andJ
[feed on, he c irc u m v e n ts the problem s e x p e c te d in c r e a t i n g
|
them, i n s i s t i n g t h a t only the models he c r e a t e s , h i s own
f e e l i n g s , and h i s own p e r s p e c t i v e and p e r c e p t i o n o f what
jthey are about are r e a l . The n ovel d e p i c t s a c o n f r o n t a t i o n
I
I
o f i t s a u t h o r ' s a t t i t u d e tow ard h i s s u b j e c t s and the s u b
j e c t s th e m s e lv e s . Readers te n d to want to g rasp the o b j e c t
]
|of n a r r a t i v e p e r s p e c t i v e , r a t h e r th a n a t t e m p t i n g to u n d e r-
jstand the p e r s p e c t i v e i t s e l f ; t h i s i s what S o r r e n t i n o aims
to c o r r e c t , s t e p p i n g i n c o n s t a n t l y to make v i s i b l e h i s
j
•maneuvering i n the t e x t , s h i f t i n g h i s p o s i t i o n , ta k i n g up
^ d if f e r e n t s t a n c e s , a l l to f o rc e an aw areness o f h i s p r e s
e n c e , a t the expense of h i s s u b j e c t s . The a c t u a l th in g s he
d e s c r i b e s have no meaning u n l e s s and u n t i l q u a l i f i e d by the
i
mind t h a t p e r c e i v e s and c r e a t e s them; t h i s i s the n o v e l 's
t r u t h .
1 S o r r e n t i n o c o n s i d e r s f i c t i o n to be the r e n d e r i n g of
a b s t r a c t i o n s t h a t language has to o f f e r in the form of
images to communicate the " a c t u a l , " as t h i s i s i s o l a t e d by a
g iv e n p e r s p e c t i v e . F i c t i o n c a n n o t, and h i s does n o t , r e p r e
s e n t the w o rld ; i t seeks to m i r r o r the p r o c e s s e s o f l i f e j
i n s t e a d . N a r r a t i v e i s r e s t r i c t e d to d e s c r i p t i o n s o f o b jects*
j
1 81
jin R o b b e - G r i l l e t ' s g e n e r a l s e n s e , which a re ju x ta p o s e d w i t h -
jout r e g a r d f o r ch ron olo gy or o t h e r t r a d i t i o n a l s t r u c t u r e , to
s u g g e s t the d i s o r d e r e d n a tu r e and p a t t e r n o f e x p e r i e n c e .
There are no s i g n a l s t h a t d i r e c t the r e a d e r to an u n d e r-
j
jstan d in g o f what the sc en e s or images mean; th e s e a re l e f t
l a s the p r o v i s i o n a l i n d i c e s o f an i n i m i t a b l e r e a l i t y , or
'essence o f the r e a l i t y . The only o r i e n t a t i o n we have i s
t h a t o f the p o i n t s o f view t h a t have a l i g h t e d on the m a t e r i
a l s we c o n f r o n t i n the t e x t s , making m a n i f e s t so m ething we
have n o t se en b e f o r e . The p a r t i c u l a r v i s i o n c r e a t e s a new
r e a l i t y as the images are composed and chan ging p a t t e r n s
e me r ge .
S o r r e n t i n o n e v er p ro b es b e n e a th the s u r f a c e s o f the
im ages, nor does he a s s i m i l a t e a l l the i n f o r m a t i o n p r e
s e n t e d . His c h a r a c t e r s move in an a b su rd w o rld where t h e i r
a c t i o n s amount to n o t h in g more th a n an im p r e s s io n in the
mind o f the r e p o r t e r , and a s k e tc h y one a t t h a t . There are
no r a t i o n a l e x p l a n a t i o n s f o r what o c c u r s ; in d e e d , in Im a g i
n a t i v e Q u a l i t i e s the m o ti v a ti o n s o f c h a r a c t e r s , as s u g g e s te d
by the n a r r a t o r , are always r e n d e r e d e q u i v o c a l l y . S o rre n -
t i n o ’s l i t e r a r y th e o ry and h i s f i c t i o n assume the t e n e t s of
the a b su rd as Camus p ro p o se d them: the w o rld i s u n r e a s o n
a b l e , the r e a l c o n t i n g e n t , and the work o f a r t s h o u ld , in
jre c o g n iz in g them, r e f r a i n from o r g a n i z i n g , p r o b i n g , e x p l a i n
i n g , assum ing a l o g i c a l and m eaning ful o r d e r f o r the th in g s
o f the w o r ld . The " e s s e n c e " o f th in g s t h a t can be known i s
s u p e r f i c i a l , and always ch an g in g ; i t i s r e a l , b u t p r o v i
s i o n a l .
As b o th Camus and R o b b e - G r i l l e t p r o p o s e , S o r r e n t i n o ' s
j
(vision i s o l a t e s , s i t u a t e s , d e s c r i b e s , and th e n le a v e s the
p b j e c t s o f i t s a t t e n t i o n to s t a n d a lo n e . He r e c o r d s h i s
i
I
(v isio n, p e r i o d . His n o v e ls s u g g e s t p a t t e r n s o f l i f e by
p r e s e n t i n g paradigm s o f e x p e r i e n c e , b u t th e s e a re n o t hypo-
t a c t i c a l l y r e l a t e d , so the p a t t e r n s are always ambiguous
(despite t h e i r c o n s t r u c t i o n o f p r e c i s e d e t a i l s . The " s i g n a l -
l e s s " n o v e l, w ith i t s j u x t a p o s i t i o n o f sc e n e s t h a t are tem
p o r a l l y a n d /o r s p a t i a l l y d i s o r d e r e d , r e p u d i a t e s the r a t i o n a l
I
jand e m p i r i c a l e p is te m o lo g y assumed in the t r a d i t i o n a l novel
jand in our p e r c e p t i o n s o f the w o r ld . H ere, c h a r a c t e r s and
jplots e x i s t in o u t l i n e form o n ly , based on in co m p lete and
u n c e r t a i n p e r c e p t i o n . S o r r e n t i n o does n o t p r e t e n d to u n d e r
s t a n d the w o r ld , nor does he a tte m p t to communicate what is
or what e x p e r i e n c e s o f i t mean. As he j u g g le s th e r e a l ( h is
p o i n t o f v i e w ) , the f a l s e ( th e f i c t i o n s in v e n t e d in the
t e x t ) , and the m a k e -b e lie v e (th e im a g in a tiv e q u a l i t i e s ) , he
e f f e c t u a t e s the c o n tin g e n c y o f h i s v i s i o n and the w o rld upon
which i t r e s t s .
j CHAPTER II
I
I
J STEVE KATZ: IMAGINATIVE DISLOCATIONS
New fiction can be differentiated from old on the basis
of its tabulation, its willingness to allow the composi
tional act a self-conscious prominence and to invest
j that act with love, a sense of game, invention for its
| own sake, joy.^
| S t e v i c k 's words a p t l y d e s c r i b e the e x u b e r a n t f i c t i o n of
;Steve K atz, whose " f a b u l a t i o n " s p r i n g s from an u n b r i d l e d
im a g i n a t io n a p p l i e d l i b e r a l l y to a v a r i e t y o f o th e rw is e
mundane t o p i c s . K a t z 's p a r t i c u l a r a r t i s t r y r e s t s w ith the
f o r c e o f h i s s p e c u l a t i v e powers to in v e n t codes f o r and
I
'c o n te x ts o f e x p e r ie n c e t h a t are u n l ik e any we know, t r a n s - j
i
form ing f a m i l i a r id e a s and a f a m i l i a r w o rld i n t o s t r a n g e ,
o f t e n funny, and h i g h l y i m p l a u s i b le o n e s. His n a r r a t i v e s
p ro c e e d p r i m a r i l y by i m a g in a tiv e l i n g u i s t i c and e p is te m i c
!
‘ ''Philip Stevick, "Scheherezade Runs Out of Plots, Goes on Talking;
the King, Puzzled, Listens: An Essay on New Fiction," Tviquarterly, 26,
No. 2 (Winter 1973), 362. Reprinted in The Novel Today, ed. Malcolm
Bradbury (Manchester, England: Manchester Univ. Press, 1977), p. 216.
I t
d i s l o c a t i o n s of sound p h r a s e s , i d e a s , and im ages, and hence j
I !
from c o m fo rta b le p o i n t s of r e f e r e n c e , so t h a t our u n d e r- i
I
s t a n d i n g o f c h a r a c t e r s or e v e n ts i n space and time i s u n d e r - 1
m ined. Having no i n t e n t i o n o f r e p r e s e n t i n g the w o rld as i t j
as h a b i t u a l l y p e r c e i v e d , the f i c t i o n e x p lo r e s the c r e a t i o n !
I
b f e x p e r i e n c e , and a s s e r t s the power o f the i m a g in a tio n to
dom inate our u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f r e a l i t y .
Katz s u g g e s ts the a b su rd by compromising r e a s o n a b le !
assu m p tio n s o f the r e l a t i v e meaning o f e x p e r i e n c e , and by
p ro v o k in g an awareness o f the f i c t i o n s t h a t cover the e m p ti-
I
n ess o f c o n t i n g e n t e x i s t e n c e . The form er i s a c h ie v e d in h i s }
( f ic tio n by an em phasis on the c o n t e x t o f e x p e r i e n c e s . The
[function o f a c o n t e x t i s r e f e r e n t i a l , y e t the i m a g i n a t io n ,
i
which p e rm its the i l l o g i c a l to c o e x i s t w ith the l o g i c a l , the
■impossible to be p o s s i b l e , and the r a t i o n a l to be i r r e l e v a n t ,
can d i s l o c a t e i t s o b j e c t from f i x e d p o i n t s o f r e f e r e n c e in
[the c o n t e x t p r o v i d e d , o r i t may i n v e n t a c o n t e x t t h a t has no
r e f e r e n t i a l s i g n i f i c a n c e i n the w orld as we know i t .
O s t e n s i b l y f r e e o f the r a t i o n a l im p u lse , u n i n h i b i t e d by
f ix e d n o t io n s o f " t r u t h ” and " r e a l i t y , " the i m a g in a tio n
a c c e p t s the p r o v i s i o n a l n a tu r e o f th e w o rld and the m yriad
p o t e n t i a l forms of e x p e r i e n c e , and may, i n t u r n , i n v e n t new
o n e s. This i s a cco m p lish ed when Katz i n v e n t s an a c t u a l code
jth a t c ir c u m s c r i b e s the ’’l o g i c " o f f i c t i o n a l e x p e r ie n c e . The j
| i
I
( r e l a t i v e f u n c t i o n o f a code is m e t a l i n g u i s t i c : i t d e s c r i b e s j
jits own r e l a t i o n s h i p to t h a t which i t seeks to d e f i n e or
j e x p r e s s . When the i m a g i n a t io n d i s l o c a t e s e x p e r ie n c e from
|the r e f e r e n t i a l and the r e a s o n a b l e , whose code we u n d e rs ta n d ,
i
and d e s c r i b e s a w orld o p e r a t i n g by a d i f f e r e n t code, we are
f o r c e d to r e c o g n iz e the p r o v i s i o n a l and u l t i m a t e l y f i c t i o n a l
(nature o f system s t h a t give the i l l u s i o n o f a c c o u n tin g f o r
e v e r y t h i n g i n the w o rld . The meaning o f e x p e r ie n c e s d e
s c r i b e d i n such f i c t i o n i s sub orn ed by th e s e l f - r e f l e x i v e
t
'a s s e r t i o n s of the f i c t i o n i n h e r e n t in a l l o r g a n iz e d communi
c a t i o n .
The p r o d u c t o f the i m a g i n a t io n i s a s e l f - c o n t a i n e d
c o n s t r u c t , e n t i r e l y g r a t u i t o u s . I t i s as Camus s a y s : where
I
jorder and meaning are a b s e n t , man must know ingly " t r a v a i l l e r
;et c r e e r ’pour r i e n ’ " (p. 152) , j u s t as i n h i s a b su rd w o rld
j
jhis a c t i o n s are f u t i l e , b u t com pelled by the f o r c e o f l i f e .
j Many o f the a b su rd e le m e n ts o f K a t z 's work are a c h ie v e d
i
w ith s u c c e s s throu gh h i s use of the t e c h n i c a l a s p e c t s o f the
'nouveau rom an, which i s known f o r i t s a tta c h m e n t to th in g s
and to the s u r f a c e s o f the r e a l as e n c o u n te r e d by a g iv en
p e r s p e c t i v e . Im p lied in R o b b e - G r i l l e t ' s a e s t h e t i c i s a d i s
t r u s t o f the im a g i n a t io n t h a t can imbue th e th in g s o f the
; 86
w o rld w ith s i g n i f i c a n c e r e l a t i v e to man, i . e . , a d i s t r u s t o f
the ro m a n tic i m a g i n a t io n t h a t in v o lv e s the a n t h r o p o c e n t r i -
jcity he adam antly eschew s. However, the im a g i n a t io n can be
I
jco n sid e red and a p p l i e d as an e le m e n t of p e r s p e c t i v e : i t can
I
jdeform the o b j e c t s o f i t s a t t e n t i o n or d i s l o c a t e t h e i r
I
(arrangement w i t h o u t ro m a n tic c o m p l i c i t y . R o b b e - G r i l l e t him-
i
i
(se lf i n c l u d e s " t o u te forme d ' im a g i n a t io n " i n h i s d e f i n i t i o n
jof " o b j e t , ” c i t i n g the g e n e ra l d e f i n i t i o n of t h i s word:
>
I
f t o u t ce qu i occupe 1 ’e s p r i t " (p. 148).
i
1
| A ll works o f f i c t i o n a r e , by d e f i n i t i o n , im a g in a tiv e
I
'c o n s t r u c t s ; the d i f f e r e n c e i n th e new n o v e l i s t h a t the
t ’
jim a g in a tio n i s l i b e r a t e d from the ta s k s o f r e c o n s t r u c t i o n
jand r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , and i s i n s t e a d e x p e c te d to c r e a t e anew,
Jor show the w o rld in new ways. P o i e s i s r e p l a c e s m im esis.
Two f u n c t i o n s of the i m a g i n a t io n a re s p e c i f i c a l l y m entioned
jby R o b b e - G r i l l e t : t h a t o f s u g g e s t i n g " le c a r a c t e r e inhab'C-
t u e l du monde qui nous e n t o u r e : i n h a b i t u e l . . . dans l a
jmesure ou i l r e f u s e de se p l i e r a nos h a b i t u d e s d 'a p p r e h e n -
jsion e t a n o t r e o r d r e " (p. 23) , and t h a t o f becom ing, "a l a
ilim ite le s u j e t du l i v r e " (p. 3 6 ). The i m a g in a tio n o f f e r s
models o f r e a l i t y (which are d i s t i n g u i s h e d from i t ) , and
th e s e models are s i m u lt a n e o u s ly the f i c t i o n and the s u b j e c t
o f the f i c t i o n .
A p a r t of the n a tu r e o f f i c t i o n in the new n o v e l, th e n ,
i s to be s e l f - c o n s c i o u s and s e l f - r e f l e x i v e . I t must n o t , in
the words o f R o b b e - G r i l i e t , " c a c h e r son c a r a c t e r e n e c e s -
s a i r e m e n t mensonger" (p. 1 6 3 ). Since we can no t know t r u t h ,
we can a t b e s t t r y to be aware o f our f i c t i o n s , which are
the r e f l e c t i o n s o f our a p p ro x im a tio n s o f th e r e a l , or our
i n v e n t i o n s o f i t . The novel must t u r n i t s a t t e n t i o n no t
outward, tow ard the th in g s of the w o rld , which have no mean
in g t h e m s e l v e s , b u t inw ard to where th ose t h in g s a re r e
f l e c t e d in and r e f r a c t e d by the mind, and where the a u t h o r ' s
im a g i n a t io n f r e e s them to i n t e r a c t and change a t w i l l .
R o b b e - G r i l l e t e n v i s i o n s a novel t h a t
. . . thinks i t s e l f , questions and judges i ts e lf ; not through
the means of a character developing superficial commentaries,
but through an incessant reflection at the level of the narra-
O
tive its e lf : gesture, object, situation.
I t i s i n t h i s manner t h a t th e p r o v e r b i a l n o t i o n o f form as
c o n t e n t ta k e s on some s i g n i f i c a n c e . The novel r e f l e c t s , as
S o r r e n t i n o s a y s , n o t r e a l i t y , b u t a p r o c e s s , and i t i s i t -
I
{self t h a t p r o c e s s .
I
As does Camus, R o b b e - G r i l l e t mandates i n v e n t i o n as the
2
Robbe-Grillet, article in L ’Express, November 8, 1955, as quoted
in Henry Peyre, French Novelists o f Today (New York: Oxford Univ.
Press, 1967), p. 369.
88
n o v e l i s t ' s p rim a ry t a s k . I t i s the freedom and r e s p o n s i
b i l i t y of a b s u r d i s t s and p r a c t i t i o n e r s o f the new novel to
I
(invent what R o b b e - G r i l l e t terms ( i n r e f e r r i n g to the work o f
'Robert P i n g e t ) , "des o v e a t io n s p u ves qui ne r e i n v e n t que de
j
j l ' e s p r i t de c r e a t i o n " (p . 1 38 ). The r o l e of the i m a g i n a t io n
(in the new novel i s a c r u c i a l o n e , i n s o f a r as i n v e n t i o n
jdepends upon i t as much as i t does upon p e r c e p t i o n ,
j The i m a g i n a t io n a llo w s us to b re a k w ith the r o u t i n e
jsystems e s t a b l i s h e d i n l i f e and l i t e r a t u r e f o r o r g a n i z in g
our e x p e r i e n c e s . As each moment in time and space i s d i f -
j
’ f e r e n t from o t h e r s , so tem poral and s p a t i a l b o u n d a rie s o f
I
l i t e r a t u r e may be o b l i t e r a t e d . In d e s c r i b i n g B e c k e t t ' s ' En
i
'a tte n d a n t G o d o t, R o b b e - G r i l l e t w r i t e s a d m ir in g ly : "Dans c e t
I
junivers ou l e temps ne c ou le pas , le s mots a v a n t e t a p re s
n ' o n t aucun s e n s ; s e u l e compte l a s i t u a t i o n p r e s e n t e . . . "
j(p. 1 2 9). The immediacy o f the f i c t i o n a l e x p e r ie n c e t h a t
jR o b b e -G rille t a p p r e c i a t e s and p ro p o se s i s a r e s u l t o f the
w ith d ra w a l o f a l l p o i n t s o f r e f e r e n c e , i n c l u d i n g n o t j u s t
jthose o f time and s p a c e , b u t o f c h a r a c t e r and e le m e n ts of
p l o t as w e l l . As m entioned e a r l i e r , the g r e a t e s t g i f t of
k a t z ' s i m a g in a tiv e powers i s t h a t which a llo w s him to d i s -
i
l o c a t e w o r d s , i d e a s , and images from the meanings and con
t e x t s n o rm a lly a s c r i b e d to them, or from th o se he has
89
p r e p a r e d f o r u s . Such d i s l o c a t i o n s a re s t a r t l i n g and amus
in g ; they d e f t l y d i s c r e d i t th e meaning o f r a t i o n a l d i s c o u r s e ,
f r u s t r a t i n g c r i t i c a l a tte m p ts to a s c e r t a i n th e r e a l o r the
t r u t h b e h in d the words , o r sometimes j u s t our e x p e c t a t i o n s
o f t r a d i t i o n a l , l o g i c a l forms i n f i c t i o n , and th e y focus our
a t t e n t i o n on th e i s o l a t e d image as i t i s r e v e a l e d to u s.
In his: f i r s t w ork, The E x a g g g e r a tio n s [ s i c ] o f P e t e r
P r in c e , Katz e s t a b l i s h e s the novel as a p r o v i s i o n a l con
s t r u c t i o n o f im ages. The work p ro c e e d s throu gh a s e r i e s o f
im a g in a tiv e i m p r o v i s a t io n s upon t o p i c s a s s o c i a t e d •w ith the
name " P e t e r P r i n c e , " which d e n o te s a t v a r i o u s tim es a c h a r
a c t e r , a town, a s h i p , and a c h a r a c t e r of a n o th e r c h a r a c t e r 's
f i c t i o n . There i s no a p p a r e n t m o t i v a t i o n b e h in d the
a rra n g em e n t o f the n a r r a t i v e p o r t i o n s o f the work; th e s e
ap pear to be a s s o c i a t i v e or m erely a d d i t i v e in n a t u r e . The
n a r r a t i v e s are o f t e n i n t e r r u p t e d by u n r e l a t e d t o p i c s and a re
seldom c o n clu d ed ; problem s and t e n s io n s t h a t a re c r e a t e d are
n e v er r e s o l v e d , b u t f o r g o t t e n or l o s t as th ey g e n e r a te
o t h e r s . Some sc en e s a re c o n s t r u c t e d w ith a l t e r n a t i v e or
m u l t i p l e form s; some a re q u e s t i o n s o r f l a t l y d e n ie d t h e i r
" t r u t h " by o t h e r p o r t i o n s o f the t e x t ; some a re sim ply
c ro s s e d o u t . A ll form p a r t s of a t e x t i n which chaos and
c o n tin g e n c y are assumed i n the o r g a n i z a t i o n and s u b s t a n c e .
90
The novel opens w i t h o u t the formal a m e n itie s of o r i e n
t a t i o n . I t i s a k i t c h e n s c e n e : P e t e r P r in c e and h i s w ife
are a rg u in g about c a t s , which she l i k e s and he k i l l s , and
Lim burger c h e e s e , which he l i k e s and she d e t e s t s . No b a c k
ground i n f o r m a t i o n i s p r o v id e d f o r t h i s i n i t i a l sc e n e ; we
a re c o n fr o n t e d w ith an i s o l a t e d group o f im a g e s . N othing i s
known and n o th in g can be q u e s t io n e d about e i t h e r o f the
c h a r a c t e r s , and the t e n s i o n betw een them i s n e v e r p u r s u e d .
The scene sim p ly e n d s , w i t h i n a page of the o p e n in g , w ith
the announcement: " L e f t on h i s own a f t e r h i s d iv o rc e P e t e r
P r in c e bo ug ht c a t s , s u r p r i s i n g h i m s e l f and h i s f r i e n d s . He
gave up Lim burger f o r m u e n s te r , and made h i s l i f e on a l l
3
c ounts more b la n d f o r a w h i l e . " And t h a t b a s i c a l l y con
c lu d e s t h a t s t o r y , f o r t h i s w ife d i s a p p e a r s from th e t e x t ,
and the c a t s and Lim burger ap p ea r only s p o r a d i c a l l y , and in
q u i t e d i f f e r e n t c o n t e x t s . Katz has t o l d us a l l th e r e i s to
know, n o th in g i s assumed, the s i t u a t i o n c an n o t be u n d e r
s t o o d . P e t e r P r i n c e ' s change in t a s t e i s u n a cc o u n te d f o r
and, as we are a d v i s e d , u n a c c o u n ta b le .
That f i r s t s e c t i o n of the n ovel ends w ith some words
a bout P e t e r P r i n c e ' s p a s t and f u t u r e , a p a ssa g e in which
^The E xagggerations o f P e te r P rince (N ew Y o r k : H o l t , R i n e h a r t a n d
W i n s t o n , 1 9 6 8 ) , p . 2 .
I
I
' ‘ 91 1
i
I i
K a tz 's im a g in a tio n ta k es o f f on words and im ages, le a v i n g i
i
jthe time and space o f the e s t a b l i s h e d s i t u a t i o n b e h in d . We
jare t o l d t h a t P e t e r P r in c e t r a v e l s and e x p e r ie n c e s many
t h i n g s :
In America sometimes the haze parted life gauze on a desert land
scape and he could see distances, over the nap of sagebrush on
the h i ll s , the sand dunes, prickly pear, the Joshua trees, the
yucca, and he would have liked a camel bazaar, carpets, men with
braids of garlic around their necks, or even some habitable
pueblos out of the land, the land i t s e l f flowering into people,
instead of the encapsulated suburbs of the nightmare, like Tucson
he saw, like Albuquerque, Denver, Phoenix, Reno, Boise, Laramie.
(pp. 2-3)
The f a n t a s y tu r n s c o n c r e te n o t to a n aly ze P e t e r P r in c e or
e x p l a i n American to p o g ra p h y , or to make a sp e ec h a b o u t urb an
s p r a w l . I t i s a s i m i l e gone w i l d , w i t h o u t purp ose and w i t h -
jout any b u t form al r e s o l u t i o n . The words p r o l i f e r a t e , d i s -
i
p la y in g the energy o f K a tz ’s im a g in a tio n , r a th e r than r e p r e
s e n t i n g an e x t e r n a l r e a l i t y . The paragraph co n c lu d e s w ith j
Jthe s ta t e m e n t , "P eter P rin ce d i d n ' t know where he w as, and
most o f the time i t d i d n ' t m a tte r , as lo n g as he was t r y in g
i
to be h e l p f u l " (p. 3 ) . The f i r s t p a r t o f the s e n te n c e can - J
jcels any s i g n i f i c a n c e h i s t r a v e l s may have or have had; the
i
s e c o n d p a r t v o id s any p o t e n t i a l meaning o f h i s e x p e r i e n c e s ;
the t h i r d p a r t b e a r s no r e l a t i o n to a n y th in g we have been
t o l d ab ou t P e t e r P rin c e thus f a r . The s e n te n c e i s s y n t a c
t i c a l l y l o g i c a l , the words t e l l us so m eth in g , b u t have no
j r e f e r e n t i a l meaning to which we can r e l a t e .
| The n a r r a t i v e i s i n t e r r u p t e d a f t e r t h a t empty s t a te m e n t
l
w ith a r e f l e c t i o n o f the f i c t i o n a l p r o c e s s i t s e l f :
Enough! Katz, you're making this all up. It doesn't make a
b it of sense. I t 's not a promising beginning. Why can!t you
j follow the instructions? You can't write whatever you want:
j Peter Prince Peter Prince Peter Prince. Where's the story?
! How are you going to catch us up in i t and write a novel so
} the reader won't be able to put i t down, he's so involved. . . .
A reader wants to know what's going on. (p. 3)
In d ee d , K a t z 's p r e r o g a t i v e i n making i t a l l up i s to a s s e r t
h is r e b e l l i o n a g a i n s t the " i n s t r u c t i o n s ” o f t r a d i t i o n a l
f i c t i o n and to d i s s u a d e , as does S o r r e n t i n o , th e u n c o n scio u s
's u b s t i t u t i o n o f the a u t h o r ' s f i c t i o n a l w o rld f o r the r e a d -
l
Jer's own. One way o f d oing so i s to u n s e t t l e the r e a d e r ' s j
I . I
I ' I
(com fortable a ssu m p tio n o f "knowing w h a t 's going o n ." The !
i . I
(confusing a s s a u l t o f s t o r i e s and v a r i a t i o n s o f s t o r i e s aboutj
i
P e t e r P rin c e a cc o m p lish e s t h i s , as th ey s p r i n g from no
j
s t a b l e , f i x e d c o n c e p t o f h i s i d e n t i t y o r h i s r o l e . For I
i n s t a n c e , when P e t e r P r in c e d e c id e s he can no lo n g e r l i v e
i i
(with h i s m o th e r, two s i d e - b y - s i d e n a r r a t i v e s ensue as though'
i
I
re s p o n d in g to h i s p r e d i c a m e n t . The t e x t looks l i k e t h i s :
[ Peter Prince could see that he had scorched his mother. j
She had withered like a prune, and when she turned to walk (
ahead, tears like shaved ice slid from his lowered lids. He \
I
couldn't take i t any more. He couldn't take living with her
and hurting her any more.
[ Linda Lawrence remembers
Peter Prince as a landscape, a
treeless semi-desert clothed in
the nap of sagebrush and out
croppings of lichened rock on
his bare, shallow mountains.
. . . The town, in the long
valley near where he ends, is
called Peter Prince, and down
the valley into Peter Prince
flows a serpentine river called
Katz.
[ Linda Lawrence calls this
story, SPUD HAZELEY'S MYSTERIOUS
TRUNKS. At that time, living
in Peter Prince, was a mysteri
ous man by the name of SPUD
HAZELEY, . . .
9 3 i
i
I
[ "What are you doing here?" ' ■
said Hector Hastingford, ner- [
vously scanning 's s u it
cases .
[ "Oh, baby," said c::^ X •
"I just got so bugged with my
scene at home, with my mother,
and the constant supervising,
that I had to sp lit, and I
thought I'd take you up on your
offer for a few nights, i f I
could just camp here t i l l I found
a place. M y own pad, or some new
scene for myself. I'm just so
strung out."
[ Hector Hastingford blushed.
He didn't remember , but
he had a habit when he was drunk
of inviting young boys . . . (p. 22)
The e f f e c t o f the j u x t a p o s i t i o n o f columns o f s t o r i e s t h a t
i
jare i n t e r t w i n e d i s to s u g g e s t the p r o v i s i o n a l n a t u r e o f'
sequence and co n seq u e n ce , as w e ll as to d e s t r o y any c e r -
I
ita in ty about what o c c u r s . The p r o c e s s o f f i c t i o n i s i t s e l f
t
se en to be c o n t i n g e n t , as the in d e p e n d e n t images o f " P e t e r
<
P r i n c e " may be r e a d and app rehen ded i n w h a te v e r o r d e r s u i t s
the r e a d e r , and no one i s more t r u e or more s i g n i f i c a n t th a n
'a n o th e r. K a t z 's c a p r i c i o u s i m a g i n a t i o n throws ou t the p o s
s i b i l i t i e s , im p r o v is in g on the name, the s i t u a t i o n , and the
p h y s i c a l form he has c r e a t e d . The p r o l i f e r a t i o n o f P e t e r
j
jPrinces , i n c l u d i n g the s i g n a l , and o f images o f h i s e x p e r i
e n c e s a re analogous to th e m u l t i p l e s t r u c t u r e s o f r e a l i t y
a c c e p te d by a b s u r d i s t e p i s t e m o l o g y . These a re the
j ' 94 j
1 i
i • 1
( a l t e r n a t i v e s posed by an i m a g i n a t io n t h a t r e a l i z e s the a r b i - I
l !
| j
Jtrary n a tu r e o f a u t h o r i a l d e c i s i o n and t h a t r e j e c t s any !
; I
.jm an ifestation o f o m n is c ie n c e . S u b s t a n t i a l l y , n e i t h e r o f
jthe colum ns' c o n te n ts i s s p e c i f i c a l l y m o tiv a te d by what
i
jprecedes i t i n the t e x t . P e t e r P r in c e i s a d i f f e r e n t c h a r -
ja c te r w ith d i f f e r e n t r o l e s t h a t are n o t r e l a t e d to each
o t h e r or to o t h e r r o l e s i n the t e x t .
I As e v e n ts and images u n f o ld w ith o u t p u rp o s e , so do they I
•accumulate in a se em in g ly e n d le s s v a r i e t y . Each s i t u a t i o n
i
jhas i t s own c o n t e x t , d i f f e r e n t from the o t h e r s , a lth o u g h
I
[usually each has a r e c o g n i z a b le e le m e n t, be i t a name, a
I
jp h r a s e , a p l a c e . C h a r a c te r s change p e r s o n a l i t i e s , and p e r -
j
J s o n a l i t i e s change names (o r a r b i t r a r y s ig n s ) , and tem poral
and s p a t i a l dim ensions are t r a n s p o s e d , so t h a t the n a r r a t i v e
i t s e l f ( r a t h e r th a n the a u t h o r , th ro u g h commentary or the J
> i
! ;
jkinds o f h ead in g s S o r r e n tin o u ses in h i s e a r l y works) ,
I
jdemands the c o n t i n u a l r e v a l u a t i o n o f p r o v i s i o n a l c o n t e x t s .
i
jPeter P r in c e w ith h i s w i f e , i n E t h i o p i a , as a town, as s u r -
I
\ i
Irogate f a t h e r , k i l l e d by p o l i c e i n Verona; the c h a r a c t e r
P h i l i p F a r r e l , known a l s o as F e l to n F i r k o , F e llu p F i r r e l ,
Fowler P h e lp s ; the lad y Corky C lu n y , sometimes c a l l e d Nancy
N ottingham ; a l t e r n a t i v e n a r r a t i v e s s id e by s id e in th e t e x t ,
b r e a k i n g i n t o d i f f e r e n t " s u b t e x t s "— th e s e are e n c o u n te r e d as
d i s t i n c t form s, each w ith i t s momentary i n t e g r i t y . The
jm u ltip le a s p e c t s of p r o v i s i o n a l r e a l i t y c a n n o t be molded
l
jinto c o h e r e n t p a t t e r n s ; th ey must be apprehended i n d i v i d u
a l l y and s i m u l t a n e o u s l y . Since the p r o c e s s o f r e a d in g is
s e q u e n t i a l , the se n se o f d u r a t i o n and o f l o g i c a l consequence
jean be i n h i b i t e d only by th e s u p p r e s s i o n o f s t a b l e p o i n t s of
[ r e f e r e n c e . K a t z 's c o n s t a n t l y s h i f t i n g s i t u a t i o n s , each
jcoming i n t o focus on i t s own, a cc o m p lish e s t h i s . " L ' i n s t a n t
I
I
[nie l a c o n t i n u i t e , " s t a t e s R o b b e - G r i l l e t (p. 1 68 ), to which
1
same p o i n t P e t e r P rin c e d e s c r i b e s the book he i s w r i t i n g as
one " i n which s e p a r a t e w orld s grow s i m u lt a n e o u s ly " (p. 157).
As P e t e r P rin c e e x p l a i n s i t , "sometimes i t ' s so h a rd to' t e l l
( what has r e a l l y hap pen ed. I t ' s im p o s s ib le to know. T h a t 's
!
I
jwhy I want to d e v elo p m u l t i p l e p o s s i b i l i t i e s s i m u lt a n e o u s ly "
!
| (p . 157) , th e 'w a y Katz d o e s. The te c h n iq u e s a t i s f i e s
j a b s u r d is t s k e p t i c i s m about know ledge, and th e new n o v e l 's
jquest and d e s i r e f o r immediate e x p e r i e n c e .
j
I The a c c u m u la tio n o f e v e n ts and images i n th e novel a re
!
forms o f e x p e r i e n c e t h a t r e a l i z e P e t e r P r i n c e . The m u l t i p l e
p o s s i b l e s i t u a t i o n s , t h e i r j u x t a p o s i t i o n , and t h e i r o c c a
s i o n a l , s u b s e q u e n t , s e l f - r e f l e x i v e d e n i a l s a l l add to our
im p r e s s io n s o f the f i c t i o n t h a t i s " P e t e r P r i n c e . " He is a
c o l l e c t i o n o f images t h a t have no l o g i c a l o r m eanin gfu l
r e l a t i o n s h i p to each o t h e r , t h a t do n o t add up or d e l i n e a t e 1
a p e r s o n a l i t y or a l i f e . His e x i s t e n c e i n our im a g i n a t io n
I
depends e n t i r e l y upon h i s p r e s e n c e on the p a g e , in the w o rld j
!Katz i n v e n t s from one i n s t a n t to the n e x t . D isc o n n e c te d as |
th e s e moments a r e , w ith n o th in g to f i l l i n the gaps by which
to i n t e r p r e t them s i n g l y or r e l a t i v e l y , the c h a r a c t e r d e v e l
ops no s u b s ta n c e t h a t can be a n a ly z e d , o r from which c o n c lu -
|
s io n s can be drawn; he i s n o t a " p e r s o n ” as we c o n c e iv e the
L ea n in g o f t h i s term . Thus K a t z 's P e t e r P r i n c e : "H e's
i
jalways skimming. He n e v er le a v e s a wake" (p. 1 66). T rying
jto " g e t a h o ld o f him" i s l i k e t r y i n g to g ra s p r e a l i t y : i t
i
lis gone as soon as you re a c h o u t f o r what was t h e r e , and
^each new p e r c e p t i o n seems to draw you f u r t h e r away from
i
junders t a n d i n g , i n t o the c h a o s.
j The tend ency to i n t e r p r e t what has b een p e r c e i v e d can
be p reem p ted i n the i m a g i n a t i o n , which moves forw ard w i t h o u t
s p e c i f i c d i r e c t i o n , c r e a t i n g and e n c o u n t e r i n g i t s c r e a t i o n s ,
jand which needs b e a r no d i r e c t r e l a t i o n s h i p to the a c t u a l
jworld. For i n s t a n c e , tw enty pages beyond the s im u lta n e o u s
i
n a r r a t i v e s , i n a s e c t i o n t h a t b e g in s "By now I'm s u r e you
want to know w h a t 's r e a l l y h ap p en in g . . ." (p. 6 1 ) , Katz
t e l l s a s t o r y about P e t e r P r in c e i n E t h i o p i a , th e n i n t e r
r u p t s the n a r r a t i v e to s a y , " W ritin g t h i s book i s l i k e
t r y in g to hug a p l a s t i c c le a n in g sack (beware o f th a t p l a s - j
i
I
t i c c le a n in g sack) s t u f f e d w ith J e l l o " (p. 66). It i s un- i
ig r a s p a b le , and d i f f i c u l t to m anage, b ecau se i t i s always
Jchanging shape and d i r e c t i o n . In the su b seq u en t s c e n e ,
jPeter P rin ce i s l i v i n g w ith a lady by the name o f Bebo, and
jth eir adopted Vietnam ese orphan, a c h i l d b ad ly maimed during
the war. The c h i l d has nightm ares and scream s in the n i g h t .
i
When P e t e r P r in c e r e t u r n s home one e v en in g he f in d s the
|
jla d y 's husband in bed w ith h e r , so he goes to s i t w ith the
ich ild . The n e x t e v e n in g , when he m entions the e p i s o d e , Bebo
r e s p o n d s , '"W hat? Who was h e re ? . . . You’re c r a z y . He
I
w a s n 't h e r e . I was h e re a l l n i g h t . ' ” P e t e r P rin c e r e p l i e s ,
" ' I saw him, Bebo. I came i n h e re and he was l y i n g h e r e . ' ”
They a r g u e , and the scene co n clu d es w i t h , ' " I f t h i s happens
!
once more I'm going to k i l l y o u , ' he s a i d , o r he d i d n ' t sa y .
He d i d n ' t want to remember” (p. 8 2 ). The r e a d e r cann ot
ju d g e , and i s n o t e x p e c te d to j u d g e , w h e th e r the i n c i d e n t
w ith the husband or the r e n d i t i o n o f the argument d id or did
|
n o t take p l a c e . I t o c c u r r e d i n the pages o f th e t e x t , thus
!
jit d i d , and i s d e n ie d i n o t h e r p a g e s , and the d e n i a l is
i
^equally v a l i d . Katz demands our p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n the a r t i s
t i c p r o c e s s and p r o s c r i b e s our in v o lv e m en t w ith the c h a r a c
t e r s or t h e i r s i t u a t i o n . We must r e c o g n iz e P e t e r P r i n c e ,
j 9 8 I
I
iBebo, the o rp han , the words and g e s t u r e s n o t as r e p r e s e n t a - \
t i v e o f r e a l p eo ple or e v e n t s , b u t as the p r o v i s i o n a l con-
j s t i t u e n t s o f a f i c t i o n whose own n a tu r e we must a c c e p t as
c o n t i n g e n t . We w i t n e s s the p r o c e s s , the a r t i f i c e , the move
ment o f the a u t h o r ’s i m a g i n a t io n h e r e , and only one c e r t i
tude i s e s t a b l i s h e d : the words o f the t e x t a re r e a l , the
t r u t h o f the scene i s i r r e l e v a n t .
! L a t e r , when P e t e r P r in c e f i n d s h i s l i t t l e orphan dead,
I
{suffocated i n a p l a s t i c c l e a n i n g s a c k , we are rem inded,
i
jagain i n p a r e n t h e s e s , "I t o l d you to look o u t f o r t h a t p l a s -
I
't i c c l e a n i n g bag" (p. 9 5 ) . I t i s a s e l f - r e f l e x i v e n a r r a t i v e
joke o f s o r t s , r i d i c u l i n g the te c h n iq u e and the n o t i o n t h a t
the e le m e n ts o f a g iv e n s e t o f e x p e r ie n c e s can be f i t t e d
t o g e t h e r l o g i c a l l y and m e a n in g f u l l y , so t h a t they make sense,
pn the c o n t r a r y : "N othing had come i n a p l a s t i c sack and
had r o o s t e d on h e r f a c e " ( p . 9 5 ) . The c a u s e - a n d - e f f e c t
i
{ r e la t io n s h ip does n o t e x i s t , and our re s p o n se to th e s i t u a -
I
I
Ition i s i n v a l i d a t e d by th e r e t u r n to the p r o s e : K a t z 's
jprose k i l l s the l i t t l e g i r l , th e n c o n tin u e s on i t s way w i t h -
I
ou t r e g a r d to h e r f a t e . In d ee d , she has no f a t e , she i s a
p r o d u c t o f f i c t i o n , which has no a b s o l u t e c o r e . W e must
always re c k o n w ith the words (and t h e i r a rran g em en t) t h a t
compose the images o f the t e x t , f o r th ey are the u n i t s of
jthe r e a l t h a t Katz i s g o v e rn in g . I t i s h i s words t h a t a c t
i
i n any g iven s i t u a t i o n , t h a t p la y w ith each o t h e r and the
t h in g s they " c a u se " to o c c u r , o r n o t to o c c u r . N othing in
j a c t u a l i t y k i l l e d the o rp h a n , and the argum ent has n o t a c t u -
♦
a l l y o c c u r r e d ; only the p r o s e i s a l i v e .
As the mind p e r c e i v e s the o b j e c t s and s i t u a t i o n s i t
je n c o u n te r s , b e f o r e s y n t h e s i z i n g th e s e i n t o m ea n in g fu l s t r u c
t u r e s th ro u g h th e i n t e l l e c t and the e m o tio n s , so does K a t z 's
jim ag in atio n s e i z e the p h y s i c a l , c o n c r e t e dim ensions o f the
w o rld and c r e a t e forms f o r them, from the language a t h i s
!
d i s p o s a l . The r e p o r t s o f h i s c o n s c i o u s n e s s , tra n s fo rm e d andj
jtr a n s f o r m in g , are n o t p r o b in g or a n a l y t i c a l . However j
I !
i m p l a u s i b l e o r in co n g ru o u s the images b e , K a t z 's p e r s p e c t i v e
)
Jor t h a t a s c r i b e d to a n a r r a t o r r e s t s on s u r f a c e s ; the words
i
jrefer to the p h y s i c a l p r o p e r t i e s o f o b j e c t s , and are u sed
• l i t e r a l l y ; th ey come to the f o r e g r o u n d , d i s l o c a t i n g the
‘ image d e s c r i b e d from a r a t i o n a l f o u n d a t i o n and from the
r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l q u a l i t y we e x p e c t . For exam ple, some of
1
P e t e r P r i n c e ' s o c c u p a t i o n a l m is a d v e n tu re s fo llo w t h i s d e
s c r i p t i o n o f h i s p la c e o f employment:
»
The gatherings at the Golden Mackerel began with breathing exer
cises, and all the trim, athletic men and women, dressed in dinner
jackets and cocktail gowns winked at each other over their expand
ing and contracting chests, and so easily did the breathing come
to them that they could manage to smile. This was where Peter
Prinee worked _to support, his _hpjne_._ The foIks quoted the ir _ _______
j 1 0 0
i
! collective lung capacity at forty-three bushels or more, so
I great that the waiters, Peter Prince among them, had to hold
the windows and doors during the exercises, to keep them from
slamming. (p. 71)
i
We a re rem inded of S o r r e n t i n o ' s w ords, "Under the p ro se
jthere i s n o t h in g " ; the b r e a t h i n g e x e r c i s e i s a r i t u a l t h a t
i
'has no s i g n i f i c a n c e . I t r e v e a l s n o th in g a b o u t the pe o p le
i n v o lv e d , no r a b o u t P e t e r P r i n c e . The i n c o n g r u i t y o f e x e r
c i s e p erfo rm ed as r i t u a l , and done so in form al a t t i r e , is
n e a r l y l o s t as the f i n a l a b s t r a c t i o n o f the en erg y expended
[is made l i t e r a l and n o n s e n s i c a l . When Katz u se s s i m i l e and
f
m etap h o r, and he does so l i b e r a l l y , he a v o id s the problem of
" c o n s p i r a t o r i a l l y " u n i t i n g s u b j e c t and o b j e c t by s h i f t i n g
the focus o f h i s n a r r a t i v e e n t i r e l y from the f i r s t term to
the se c o n d , and c o n s i d e r i n g b o th l i t e r a l l y . E v e r y th in g i n
l i s f i c t i o n i s an o b j e c t w ith i t s p r o p e r q u a l i t i e s . Things
are n o t " l i k e " o t h e r t h i n g s : th ey become th o se o t h e r th in g s
and a re e s t a b l i s h e d as th e r e a l . In th e p a ssa g e q u o ted
e a r l i e r , Linda Lawrence remembers P e t e r P rin c e as a la n d -
Lcape , and so he becom es, a f t e r the i n i t i a l metonymic
a d ju s tm e n t , a l a n d s c a p e , and th e n a town. H e re, the c o l l e c -
t i v e lu ng c a p a c i t y o f the e x e r c i s e r s i s n o t j u s t a b s t r a c t l y
" g r e a t " ; i t is g iv e n a p r e c i s e d im ension t h a t i s n e v e r t h e
l e s s i n c o n c e i v a b l e . I t becomes i n t e l l i g i b l e when the second
jterm o f the im p lie d m etaphor i s made l i t e r a l and r e l a t e d
i
jthen to t h in g s in the p h y s i c a l w o rld : doors slamming,
I
jw a ite rs h o l d in g the windows. "Don’ t l a u g h , " we a re t o l d ,
the r e a l i s what K a t z 's i m a g i n a t io n p r o v id e s on the page:
j Don't laugh. Philip Farrel squeezed the trigger and that bullet
j dried its wings. That bullet. We'll get to know i t . This is
; serious, even i f Katz is making i t up. Who'd say he was making
i t up?
I'd say he was.
I'd say he was.
I'd say he was. (p. 9)
The p r o c e s s o f f i c t i o n i s th e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f words t h a t can
!
jdo a lm o st a n y th in g i n K a t z 's work. The im agined b u l l e t ,
above, e v e n t u a l l y i s used to a s s a s s i n a t e P e t e r P r i n c e ,
a lt h o u g h , as a lw ay s, t h a t scene i s p r o v i s i o n a l , and he r e -
i
t
lappears in the t e x t . K a t z 's n a r r a t i v e s a re s u p p o r te d or
i
l
•betrayed by the words t h a t c r e a t e them. Only s e l f - c o n s c i o u s
n a r r a t i v e aw areness and in v o lv e m en t keep him from j o i n i n g
the " c o m fo rta b le c o n s p i r a c y ” R o b b e - G r i l l e t warns a b o u t.
jWhen P e t e r P rin c e t a l k s w ith h i s g i r l f r i e n d B ebo's husban d,
iColeman King, the d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e i r a c t i o n s i s as p r e
c i s e l y r e c o r d e d as t h e i r words , and a d e f i n i t e c o n n e c tio n
i
betw een them i s i n d i c a t e d :
[ Peter Prince turned from the window, took four steps to the
couch, and leaned his belly on the backrest. The Negro moved
two steps over at the window to where Peter Prince had been.
They both pivoted to face each other.
.. - 1 0 2 ,
I
[ "So don't expect this nigger to thank you." Left thumb to
belt buckle, back of right hand to cover right kidney,
j [ "I don't expect anybody to thank me." Right knee raised,
left index finger inside shoe to scratch instep. (pp. 93-94)
This i s the k in d o f c o n c r e te d e s c r i p t i o n a s s o c i a t e d w ith the
jnew n o v e l. The a c t i o n s h e re a re as m e a n in g le ss as the words,
jalthough the body language d e s c r i b e d , by i t s v e ry p r e s e n c e ,
I
iwould seem to i n d i c a t e the c o n t r a r y . I t ap p ea rs to i l l u s
t r a t e b e l l i g e r e n c e and an u n w i l li n g n e s s to com m u nicate,
a lth o u g h t h i s i s n o t i n the t e x t . The g e s t u r e s and poses
I
|are th o se we can v i s u a l i z e , and i t i s l e f t to our im a g in a-
i
I
Ition to i n t e r p r e t them or give them m eaning. When b o th men
jstop, t h e i r d ia lo g u e a l s o c u l m i n a t e s , w ith the word "Nothing')
t J
(p. 9 5 ) . Laden as i t i s w ith i n t e r d e p e n d e n t d e s c r i p t i o n s of
speech and a c t i o n , K a t z 's scene i s sav ed from " c o n s p i r a t o r -
I
i a l " a s s o c i a t i o n by two o f h i s f i c t i o n a l c h a r a c t e r s , P h i l i p
F a r r e l and Linda L aw re n ce . They s t a n d back from the s i t u a
t i o n and w a t c h , p e rf o r m in g t h e i r " d u t i e s , " d i s c u s s i n g the
|
iscene and making us aware o f i t s a r t i f i c i a l i t y , i t s f a l s e -
t
!n ess. L inda says to P h i l i p , who w o r r i e s ab ou t i t :
[
1
"You're so gullible. If you look at things long enough and hard
| enough they're O.K. Just go back and read that section over,
i sentence by sentence. There are some nice sentences in i t . What
more do you want? Some nice style, some neat scenes. I t 's emo
tionally packed, but i t ' s well written just the same." (p. 96)
L e s t the r e a d e r be ta k e n i n by the s u b s ta n c e o f th e s c e n e ,
(he i s b r o u g h t r i g h t back o u t by th e n a r r a t i v e i t s e l f , which I
! !
d i s t i n g u i s h e s i t s e l f as o b j e c t , and f o r b i d s m a n ip u la tiv e
s u b t e r f u g e to s u c c e e d . L in d a 's p o i n t t h a t the scene s u c
ceeds d e s p i t e i t s r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l q u a l i t i e s i r o n i c a l l y and
i n t e n t i o n a l l y d i v e r t s a t t e n t i o n away from the e x p r e s s i v e n e s s
l
she r e f e r s t o . W hatever e m o tio n a l im pact may be t h e r e is
j d i s s i p a t e d by the r e f e r e n c e to i t s c o n s t r u c t i o n : a g a i n , the
|
j s e n t e n c e s , the w o r d s , and the way th e s e are a rra n g e d are o f
i
jprimary, im p o rtan ce i n the f a b r i c a t i o n . The t e x t advances as
j
ja s e r i e s o f images accum ulate w i t h o u t p e r c e p t i b l e d i r e c t i o n ,
which prom pts an o u t b u r s t from P h i l i p F a r r e l : " ' C a n ' t any-
i
body do a n y th in g ? D o e s n 't anybody have some c o n t r o l ? ' he
s h o u te d down the m ute, i r r e t r a c t a b l e c o r r i d o r s o f se q u en c e"
(p. 9 6 ) . K a t z 's i m a g i n a t io n i s the c o n t r o l , y e t i t i s s e l f -
r e f l e x i v e l y aware o f i t s tenuous command. O ften i t i s f r u s
t r a t e d , so Katz employs h i s c h a r a c t e r s as "muses" (p. 1 1 3),
jto keep them and P e t e r P rin c e a l i v e . He is n o t i n t e r e s t e d
jin " s u b s t a n t i a t i n g " h i s h e r o , b u t in i n v e n t i n g c o n t e x t s in
l
twhich, t e x t u a l l y and as an im a g in a tiv e c o n s t r u c t , they
j
[ e x i s t. A llow ing h i s c h a r a c t e r s to p a r t i c i p a t e in the p r o c -
!
e ss keeps the work in c o n s t a n t m otion and a l s o , w ith t h i s
s e l f - r e f l e c t i v e d e v i c e , keeps the focus on the c r e a t i v e
p r o c e s s . P h i l i p F a r r e l and h i s w ife L inda Lawrence f i g u r e
{in the f i c t i o n as much as does P e t e r P r i n c e , h a v in g been j
1
h i r e d ” f o r the n ovel as " f i e l d r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s ” (p. 16 7), [
!
exam ining P e t e r P r in c e from t h e i r own p o i n t s o f view , i n t e r - I
a c t i n g as c h a r a c t e r s o f the n o v e l, and p r o v i d i n g f l u c t u a t i n g
{points o f r e f e r e n c e i n the n o v e l ' s p r o g r e s s . As Katz s a y s ,
"They show up whenever t h e y ' r e n eed ed , sometimes c a u s in g a
l i t t l e r u c k u s , b u t u s u a l l y on the jo b " (p. 1 1 3 ). I t i s
P h i l i p and L i n d a 's d u ty to s t a y in touch w ith P e t e r P r i n c e ,
|Who i s e a s i l y l o s t in the commotion o f the n o v e l, to s p l i c e
jthe seq uen ces t o g e t h e r , as i t w e re . Katz drops in on Linda
[one e v en in g as she i s p r e p a r i n g d i n n e r , e n l i s t i n g h e r a id in
]
ithe n o v e l , and a c c o m p lis h in g h i s purpose i n so do ing :
j It must have been a real shock to her to have her own author walk
{ in while she was cooking. A character is always vulnerable when
she cooks. "I mean look, Peter Prince is somewhat your problem
too. He's your responsibility here," I went on. "That's why
you're hired, a l i t t l e additional something . . . What you should
try to help doing," I went.on, "is to keep things flowing smoothly,
help the narrative flow." (p. 98)
The c h a r a c t e r s a re m erely the a g e n ts o f m otion in the n o v e l ,
as P h i l i p t e l l s "th e P r e s i d e n t " who q u e s t i o n s h i s r e l a t i o n
s h i p w ith P e t e r P r i n c e :
[President] "You're trying to t e l l me that you spend a
whole novel with Peter Prince and you don't get a
line of dialogue, not one l i t t l e joke to te ll him,
in the margin?"
[Farrel] "I don't talk to him at a ll. Don't ask me why?
[s'io] I'm supposed to be on the lookout for him, but
_ I.. donLt_talk— to _him_____________ I. mean_I_drop_ a.. few_w.ords_.intp_____
I the text while he's sleeping sometimes, but he
never hears them." (p. 179)
The c h a r a c t e r s e x i s t b e ca u se they move in the b o o k ’s s p a c e ,
n o t because the n a r r a t i v e im p a rts to them the dim ensions of
r e a l p e o p le w ith p s y c h o l o g i c a l d ep th or s o c i a l f u n c t i o n s .
They do n o t communicate, f o r t h i s r e a s o n , and w i t h i n the
t e x t s a l l a tte m p ts to do so — P e t e r P r in c e w ith B ebo's h u s-
[band, or w ith N i l s e n the Dane, f o r exam ple— come to n o u g h t.
i
I
jcommunication i s r e v e a l e d as a n o th e r f i c t i o n , engaged to
jdisgu ise the v o id l e f t when e x i s t e n c e overpow ers r e a s o n .
^ h en P e t e r P rin c e e x c l a i m s , in a spasm o f i n s e c u r i t y , " ' I
i
mean a l l I'm t r y i n g to come to term s w ith is t h a t somehow
j
I'm in the w o rld . I'm P e t e r P r i n c e , and I'm i n m o t i o n '"
(p. 8 7 ), the whole f i c t i o n a l e n t e r p r i s e i s i l l u m i n a t e d . The
flow o f im a g i n a t io n p rod uces new arra n g em e n ts o f t h in g s in
the w o rld , t h in g s t h a t can be p e r c e i v e d d i r e c t l y , n o t need-
jing r a t i o n a l m e d i a t i o n . They e x i s t , as P e t e r P r in c e d o e s,
!
jfrom moment to moment, and i f they do n o t move i n the space
i
!of the book, and the time i t ta k e s to r e a d and im a g in e , they
are l o s t . The framework o f P e t e r P r i n c e ' s e x i s t e n c e i s one
of e n d le s s s i t u a t i o n s c r e a t e d in K a t z 's i m a g i n a t i o n , as
g r a t u i t o u s f i c t i o n a l c o n s t r u c t s . Ronald S ukenick has d e
s c r i b e d K a t z 's f i c t i o n as "The b e s t co ntem porary example o f
.
i
4
i m p r o v i s a t i o n a l s t y l e , " f o r the m a t e r i a l s seem to flow o f
t h e i r own a c c o rd , and Katz i s j u s t as w i l l i n g to d e s c r i b e
the room in which he s i t s w h ile w r i t i n g as to c o n tin u e h i s
unw ieldy n a r r a t i v e . K a t z 's r e p e r t o r y o f f i c t i o n s i s i n f i
n i t e , i t seem s, as h i s im a g i n a t io n draws from the po ol o f
jwords, id e a s , e x p e r i e n c e s , and o b j e c t s o f h i s c o n s c i o u s n e s s ,
‘and no one b i t i s s u b o r d i n a t e d to a n o t h e r .
!
J The f i c t i o n s a r e , how ever, c o n t i n g e n t upon th e a u t h o r ' s
jex e rcise o f h i s c o n s c i o u s n e s s , which Katz makes a p p a r e n t .
I
In such i n s t a n c e s , the m a t e r i a l may be u n c o n sc io u s or s e l f -
c o n s c i o u s , or b o t h . In the f i r s t c a s e , Katz c o n f r o n t s h i s
i
m a t e r i a l s and e n c o u n te r s h i m s e l f w i t h i n the framework o f the
f i c t i o n . In th e s e c o n d , the c h a r a c t e r s m a n i f e s t an aw are
n ess o f t h e i r f i c t i o n a l r o l e s and may assume the p r e r o g a t i v e
o f i n t e r a c t i n g w ith t h e i r a u t h o r , and the e v e n ts and e x p e r i
ences r e c o u n te d i n the n a r r a t i v e may "know ingly" c r e d i t or
d i s c r e d i t o t h e r p o r t i o n s o f the n a r r a t i v e , as we have s e e n .
The p r o c e s s o f c r e a t i n g f i c t i o n i s a t th e h e a r t o f a l l
new f i c t i o n , which seeks to r e f l e c t d i f f e r e n t ways of u n d e r
s t a n d i n g the w o r ld , s in c e i t , o f i t s e l f , c an n o t be u n d e r
s t o o d . K a t z 's r e f l e c t i o n s i n h i s work and a bo ut h i s work
^"The New Tradition," Partisan Review, 39 (Fall 1972), 587.
jr e f e r us to the p r o c e s s , away from the s u b s ta n c e o f the
j f i c t i o n i t s e l f or to i t s empty c o r e . He exposes h i s c o n t r o l
I i
jover the t e x t as d ep en d en t upon h i s own s i t u a t i o n , th e whims
i
of h i s i m a g i n a t i o n , and a r b i t r a r y d e c i s i o n s t h a t have l i t t l e
or n o th in g to do w ith the m a t e r i a l s , b u t w ith h i s own
e f f o r t s . He w r i t e s , as has a l r e a d y been m en tio ned :
[ By now I'm sure you want to know what's really happening,
where i t ' s really at, what's actually going on and where. I'm
going to t e ll you, and believe me, you're not going to find it
nearly so pleasant as even some of the more seedy environments
I've described so far. First of a ll, where am I? This is an
air-conditioned library study . . . (p. 61)
"W hat's r e a l l y h a p p e n in g " i s t h a t Katz i s w r i t i n g f i c t i o n ;
n o t h in g i s r e a l l y h a p p en in g i n the t e x t : K a t z 's s i t u a t i o n
and i t s e f f e c t s on h i s i m a g i n a t io n are c r u c i a l to h i s p r o d
u c t , as he e x p l a i n s :
As you may be able to te ll from the way this book looks, the
light in here is fluorescent, and you can believe I'm troubled
by that, because I know that the best books so far have been
written by natural light, or long ago maybe by candle, oil or
kerosene, and recently, incandescent; but fluorescent? You
never hear of any. I t 's such a new thing for me that I'm a j
l i t t l e nervous about i t , the experimental quality. You never j
know, having no previous models to follow, how i t ' s going to |
turn out, like I'm always pushing out in my craft toward the j
new boundaries visible under this new light. (p. 61)
With the a i r c o n d i t i o n e r Katz can work in c o m f o r t, w h ile
s t i m u l a t e d by th e new e n e rg y o f a new a g e, f o r h i s new a r t .
P u sh in g beyond the b o u n d a r ie s o f th e "known" i s p r e c i s e l y
108
what R o b b e -G .rille t w anted: new forms to d e s c r i b e or c r e a t e
new r e l a t i o n s f o r men and the w o rld , i n v e n t i o n and d i s c o v
e r y . B re ak in g w ith romanesque t r a d i t i o n may a p p e a r mundane
in t h i s c o n t e x t , b u t o f c o u rse i t i s n o t . Katz a l s o p on ders
more e s o t e r i c m a t t e r s , such as w a i t i n g f o r Ronald Sukenick
to in c lu d e him, K atz, i n h i s new work (pp. 158-159) ,5 which
d i s t r a c t s him from P e t e r P r i n c e , a l l the w h ile i n v i t i n g our
aw areness o f h i s own p r o c e s s , h i s c o n t i n g e n t f i c t i o n , w h ile
r e f u s i n g o ur in v o lv e m en t i n i t s p a ra d ig m s.
The d e c i s i o n s he makes r e g a r d i n g the s u b s ta n c e o f the
t e x t n o t o n ly e x p re s s th e a r b i t r a r i n e s s o f t h i s p a r t o f the
p r o c e s s , b u t i n h i b i t the d u p l i c i t o u s u n f o l d in g o f e v e n ts or
c h a r a c t e r s , denying them " e s s e n c e , " n e c e s s i t y , and c re d e n c e .
At one p o i n t Katz a n n o u n c e s , "There are t h i r t y pages of
t r a n s i t i o n h e re which I have, d e c id e d n o t to w r i t e , d u rin g
which time P e t e r P r in c e does a q u i c k i e t o u r . . . ” (p. 11 3).
J u s t so we know what we a re m i s s i n g , he p r o v id e s a b r i e f
summary o f P e t e r P r i n c e ' s e x c u r s i o n s and some o f h i s e x p e r i
e n c e s , and c o n clu d es by s a y in g :
He has various reactions to all these places, a group of impres
sions, a batch of moods, which were to be described in the thirty
^Ronald.Sukenick, Up (New York: Dial Press, 1968; r p t . New York:
Dell Publishing Co., 1970), p. 325
109
pages I decided not to write, all of which could add up to sensi
tiv ity galore, but you'll have to take my word for i t . (p. 113)
W e ta k e h i s word f o r e v e r y t h i n g when r e a d i n g the f i c t i o n ,
and s i n c e i t does n o t aim to be r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l , r e a l i s t i c
c o r r o b o r a t i o n o f t h a t f i c t i o n i s u n n e c e s s a r y . E xaggger.ations
,is K a t z 's f i r s t p u b l i s h e d n o v e l, and he a p p e a rs sometimes
(simply to need to e x p re s s h i s aw areness t h a t he i s n o t p ro -
J
jCeeding " a c c o r d in g to i n s t r u c t i o n s . " He a s s e r t s t h a t he
knows what he " o u g h t" to do by t r a d i t i o n a l s t a n d a r d s , as he
" p ro v e s " to P e t e r P r i n c e , who i s t h r e a t e n i n g to le a v e the
t e x t ( i n i t s e l f a novel i d e a ) :
i
i
"DESCRIPTION lives only when i t ' s appropriate to the ACTION that
i embodies i t . . . . DESCRIPTION, you might say, is the M EDIUM ,
I the BACKGROUND, the AMBIENCE, in or before which the ACTION takes
its COURSE. But the ACTION has to GeNeRaTe the NECESSITY for the
DESCRIPTION." (p. 164)
i
K atz a g re e s to d e s c r i b e h i s " i l l - c o n c e i v e d shadow" (p. 1 6 3 ),
i
b u t th e n r e l e n t s :
You know as well as I do that I don't see where I'm going. It
might as well be backward. I'm just trying these empty spaces
with luminous motion, and things. Things, things, things: How
a novel can f i l l with them like a barrel with sponges. (p. 165)
(Although Katz l a t e r c l a i m s , i n an i n t e r v i e w w ith K lin k o w itz ,
to be " s i c k o f th o se p a s s a g e s i n our work w hich r e f e r , how-
r s u a v e l y , to how the work i s b e in g made or how i t sh o u ld
• 6
'be m ade," th ey s e rv e in t h i s t e x t to d i s e s t a b l i s h i t s
j a u t h o r i t y , to a v o id the s u b t e r f u g e o f b e in g bo th i n s i d e and
i
o u t s i d e h i s c h a r a c t e r s and t h e i r s i t u a t i o n s , by making th e s e
ialways i m a g in a tiv e p r o d u c ts as opposed to r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l
f i g u r e s w ith which we can " g e t i n v o l v e d . " I t i s a new novel
t h a t s u g g e s ts the a b su rd by i n h i b i t i n g r a t i o n a l re s p o n s e s to
the c l e a r l y p r o v i s i o n a l e x p e r i e n c e s o f f i c t i o n , as provoked
!
by K a t z 's i m a g i n a t i o n .
j In h i s second n o v e l, Creamy and D e li,c io u s — E a t My Words
\
t
i(In O th er Words), Katz does n o t r e l y on s e l f - c o n s c i o u s n a r -
f
j r a tio n to d i s t i n g u i s h h i s work as a r t i f a c t or to compromise
jits paradigm s w i t h c o n tin g e n c y . R a th e r th a n c o n f r o n t i n g h i s
\
m a t e r i a l s , the t e x t i t s e l f c o n f r o n t s th e r e a d e r as a m eta-
I
jla n g u a g e , r e v e a l i n g th e novel i t s e l f , as a form al c o n s t r u c t ,
jto be the v e ry f i c t i o n i t se e k s to e x p r e s s . F a sh io n e d from
I
j u n re la te d s t o r i e s in v a r y i n g ty p es o f n a r r a t i v e d i s c o u r s e ,
j d i s j o i n t e d frag m ents o f p r o s e , and p h o to g ra p h y , t h i s work
jc a lle d a novel communicates i t s own p r o c e s s o f c o m p o s itio n
as Katz e x p l o r e s the forms o f f i c t i o n . I t b e g in s w ith "3
S a t i s f y i n g S t o r i e s , " and goes on to in c lu d e f o u r s e t s o f
"5 M y t h o l o g ie s ," one s e t o f "6 H a ik u ," t h r e e o t h e r s h o r t
^As quoted in Jerome Klinkowitz, The L ife o f Fiction (Urbana:
Univ. of Illin o is Press, 1977), p. 108.
I 111]
p ro se p i e c e s , and a p i e c e e n t i t l e d " In Our Thyme," which i s j
composed o f p ro se frag m e n ts s c a t t e r e d th r o u g h o u t the t e x t . j
The f i r s t t h r e e t a l e s o f th e n o v e l, th e S a t i s f y i n g
S t o r i e s , are e n t i t l e d "H ," ”U," and " B ," th e s i g n i f i c a n c e of
which i s q u i t e o b s c u r e , i f in d e e d any e x i s t s . They are
te n u o u s ly r e l a t e d by w o rd s, g e s t u r e s , and t o p i c s t h a t r e p e a t
t h r o u g h o u t the t h r e e l i k e l e i t m o t i f s , w h ile th e s p a t i a l
jcircu m stan ces and g e n e r a l c o n t e x t s are q u i t e d i s s i m i l a r .
In "H," a t h i r d - p e r s o n n a r r a t o r d e s c r i b e s the e x p e r i e n c e s of
a n a m e l e s s , f e a t u r e l e s s woman i n a d e s e r t - l i k e p la c e where
e v e r y t h in g i s made of y e llo w s to n e t h a t is c ru m b lin g , c r e a t
ing a y e llo w d u s t t h a t c o v e rs e v e r y t h i n g . The woman does
no t know where she i s , o r why she i s t h e r e : "At f i r s t she
b e l i e v e d t h a t she h e r s e l f had v o l u n t e e r e d somewhere to make
t h i s t r i p , b u t now she r e a l i z e d t h a t w a s n 't th e c a s e . She
7
had been s e n t . " There a re c h i l d r e n in a b a r e c o u r t y a r d , i
whom th e woman f e e l s i t i s h e r du ty to t e a c h , a lth o u g h she
!has no m a t e r i a l s f o r d oing s o , and i s t o t a l l y u n a b le to
communicate w ith them. From h e r r a i n c o a t and some o d d s-a n d -
ends she f a s h i o n s se v en b a l l s f o r the c h i l d r e n to p l a y w i t h ,
and i s o v e rjo y e d when th ey make up a game to p l a y . We are
7
Creamy and Del-iaious— Eat My Words (In Other Words) (New York:
Random House, 1968), p. 3.
; i i 2
i
linf ormed ,
\ i
i |
| She wanted to be able to speak to somebody about her success. I
J Her watch, which she had preserved, said ten minutes to twelve. !
j At twelve promptly every day her soup and bread were at the j
! door. Somebody brought i t there. Who? It made no difference.
(p. 6)
Soon a f t e r t h i s r e f l e c t i o n , a p e rs o n i d e n t i f i e d only as "the
jgovernor" r i d e s i n w ith h i s men, to ask what the woman has
j
(been d o in g . She r e p l i e s , th e n he a n no un ces, " In t h i r t y days
i
jail th e c h i l d r e n h e re must d i e " (p. 8) . He l e a v e s , and she
i
b e g in s s e n d in g the c h i l d r e n o f f i n t o the d e s e r t where a t
l e a s t th e y have a sm a ll chance o f s u r v i v a l , or w i l l d ie f r e e .
;Only one c h i l d rem ains w ith h e r when the g o v erno r r e t u r n s ,
h e a r i n g wrapped g i f t s . Two hours l a t e r a l l o f them exp lo d e , j
k i l l i n g the one boy, though n o t th e woman. The t a l e ends J
j
w ith a b l i n d man k n ocking on h e r d o o r, b r i n g i n g h e r soup and
b r e a d . He wonders why sh e i s c r y i n g ; she respo nd s t h a t she
i s n o t , a lth o u g h she i s , i n f a c t , unhappy: ” 'I sh o u ld l i k e
to b a t h e , ' she s a i d . ' I t ' s b een f o r e v e r s in c e I had a
I
i b a t h '" (p. 1 1 ). This c o n clu d es th e s t o r y . The n a r r a t i v e i s
j i
s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d e x p o s i t i o n , b u t th e s u r r e a l q u a l i t y o f the
scene and the d i s p a s s i o n a t e d e s c r i p t i o n of e v e n ts defy
r e a s o n a b l e a n a l y s i s , as we a re d i s l o c a t e d from f a m i l i a r
p o i n t s o f r e f e r e n c e .
"U" b e g in s w ith e x a c t l y th e same s i x l i n e s w ith which
"H" e n d s, a lth o u g h th e p r o t a g o n i s t , " s h e , " c an n o t u n d e r s ta n d
"why," f o r she e x i s t s in a d i f f e r e n t c o n t e x t i n t h i s t a l e .
I
"She d i d n ' t know why she had made t h a t r e q u e s t . I t was
a b s u r d . She had j u s t b a t h e d , and h e r h a b i t s of p e r s o n a l
hy g ien e were no l e s s th a n im p e cc ab le " (p. 1 2 ). She goes to
f
the washroom, and, h a v in g found a l o v e l y b ro c a d e d r e s s to
p u t on, " s te p p e d i n t o the crowded s a l o n where the p a r t y was
a l r e a d y underway" (p . 1 3 ) . The same woman, i t seem s, i s now
tin a v e ry d i f f e r e n t s c e n e . She d a n c e s , and when th e p e o p le
jbegin to p l a y a game on the dance f l o o r w ith se v en b a l l s ,
t
I
she j o i n s i n e n t h u s i a s t i c a l l y . She l i s t e n s to d i f f e r e n t
c o n v e r s a t i o n s , th e n speaks w ith a man who, a f t e r han d in g h e r
t h r e e books from a s h e l f , "su d d e n ly and d i s t i n c t l y " asks
!
iwhat the time i s . ' " I t ' s t e n to t w e l v e , ' s a i d a lm o st e v e r y
one i n the room" (p. 1 5 ). C o n v e r s a tio n s resum e, i n c l u d i n g
t h a t o f some young men d i s c u s s i n g i n f a n t i c i d e . As th e c lock
s t r i k e s noon, everyone b u t our young woman f r e e z e s s t i l l .
She runs from the p la c e ,and a man in the s t r e e t g iv e s h e r
t h r e e books , which she s i t s down to r e a d i n f r o n t o f the
i
g o v e r n o r 's m ansion. But the books a re b l a n k , and the woman
t h in k s she must be dead . "There c o u ld be no o t h e r answer to
the q u e s t i o n s th e s e u n u su a l c ir c u m s ta n c e s r a i s e d " (p. 1 7 ).
She w alks i n t o the g o v e r n o r 's m ansion, where everyone i s
114
r i g i d , l i f e l e s s . She s i t s i n f r o n t o f the g o v e rn o r; t h e n , j
‘ h a v in g d e c id e d t h a t h e r i n t e r v i e w i s o v e r, end eavo rs to j
|shake h i s hand: "when she t w i s t e d i t s l i g h t l y the hand camej
i
p f f , and the y e llo w d u s t which f i l l e d ou t the G o v e rn o r's
t
b u lk po ured o u t o f the arm, c o v e r in g the desk t o p , s w i r l i n g
jup i n t o the a i r " (p. 1 8 ). She goes a c r o s s the s t r e e t to the
I
h o s p i t a l , where someone i n q u i r e s w h e th er she has come as a
Iv o lu n te e r. She r e p l i e s , '"N o. I was s e n t ' " (p. 1 8 ).
i
I
D i r e c t e d to the m a t e r n i t y ward, she e n t e r s the room o f a
I
m other w ith a newborn i n f a n t and k i l l s the i n f a n t , a p p a r-
!
e n t l y n o t t h i n k i n g i t was a l i v e i n the f i r s t p l a c e . O u tsid e
an the c o r r i d o r , a d o c to r asks h e r to s i t on a b e n ch , which
|she d o e s, and she t h in k s about what has o c c u r r e d . " I t
w a s n 't c l e a r , " i s th e f i n a l remark o f th e s t o r y (p. 1 8 ) , and
i
iindeed i t i s n o t c l e a r . The r e c u r r e n c e o f p h r a s e s and
I
j t o p i c s , the f i c t i o n a l sy stem t h a t ap p ea rs to be o p e r a t i n g
h e r e , i n no way adds to a com prehension o f th e u n r e a s o n a b le
e v e n ts d e s c r i b e d .
"B" a l s o b e g in s w ith a r e p e t i t i o n o f the l a s t l i n e s of
the p r e v io u s t a l e , "U." The l a s t s t a t e m e n t i s fo llo w e d by
"She was t h e r e on b o a rd and t h a t was t h a t " (p. 1 9 ) . Again
"sh e " and w e , the r e a d e r s , a re d i s l o c a t e d from th e c o n te x t
t h a t has been e s t a b l i s h e d . She c an n o t remember when she
[' " ii5":
i
jdecided to make th e voyage , b u t i s p l e a s e d t h a t i t i s h a p
p e n i n g . She i s s i t t i n g i n what ap p ea rs to be th e anteroom
o f the c a p t a i n ' s q u a r t e r s , b u t when she e n t e r s t h e r e , she
r e a l i z e s i t i s an o p e r a t i n g t h e a t r e . She n o t i c e s on one
jwall a p i c t u r e o f the go v e rn o r on h o r s e b a c k , th en i s d i s
mayed to d i s c o v e r she does n o t u n d e r s ta n d th e c a p t a i n ' s
jlanguage when he speaks to h e r . When the d o c to r a p p e a r s ,
he c a n n o t u n d e r s t a n d h e r la n g u a g e . She goes on deck and
|
w atches the s a i l o r s p l a y i n g b a l l , se v e n o f which end up i n
the s e a . She o f t e n makes love w ith th e c a p t a i n among th e
b a r r e l s i n the h o ld o f the s h i p , and each day the d o c to r
jexamines h e r as though she were p r e g n a n t , a lth o u g h she knows
Lhe i s n o t . She t r i e s to l e a r n the c a p t a i n ' s la n g u a g e , b u t
(this i s im p o s s ib le b e ca u se i t changes from day to day. One I
I
day she a tte m p ts to communicate to him h e r c u r i o s i t y ab ou t
the voyage, b u t , m is u n d e r s ta n d in g h e r , he b e g in s to p ry open
the b a r r e l s :
j The barrels were full of yellow dust that caught on every slight
air-current and swirled up into the hold. For the f i r s t time she
was frightened. The Captain looked up from his operation on the
second barrel and said suddenly, " I t 's ten to twelve." The sound
of her own language made her cry. (p. 23)
She p a s s e s i n t o a "y ello w s t u p o r , " th e n comes to i n the
o p e r a t i n g room where she has b een p r e p a r e d f o r c h i l d b i r t h .
She h e a r s an a t t e n d a n t a n n o u n cin g , " ' I t ’s tw elve o ' c l o c k ' "
i(p. 2 3 ), and when she wakes she f e e l s a " m o th e rly pang"
! . |
jalthough she had n e v er d i s t e n d e d , n e v e r m issed a m e n s tru a l '
i |
{period, and n e v er f e l t any l a b o r p a i n s . A lthough she s t i l l I
! j
c an n o t u n d e r s ta n d a n y th in g b e in g s a i d to h e r , she n o t i c e s
everyone crowded a t the window of h e r room i s s m i l i n g . A
t e c h n i c i a n b r i n g s h e r a b la n k e t- w r a p p e d b u n d l e , which she
ta k e s to h e r b r e a s t . I t i s a l i t t l e d o l p h in .
{ She had borne a dolphin. Now she had i t straight. At f i r s t
she believed that she herself had volunteered somewhere to make
this trip , but now she realized that wasn't the case. She had
been sent. (p. 24)
jThese l a s t t wo s e n t e n c e s are _those. with_ which_^l.!HIl^be_gan„ __str__
e v e r y t h i n g i s n e a t l y t i e d t o g e t h e r . T ied t o g e t h e r w ith
i
w o rd s, t h a t i s . The s t o r i e s th e m se lv e s a re n o t a t a l l
" s a t i s f y i n g " ; r a t h e r , th e y a re b e w i l d e r i n g and u n s e t t l i n g ,
jln a l l th r e e th e woman i s duped by o t h e r c h a r a c t e r s i n the i
i
I f i c t i o n . and c o n fu se d by the f i c t i o n i t s e l f , K a t z 's im ages,
which plunge h e r from one scene i n t o th e n e x t , so t h a t even
the words are lo o s e d from t h e i r c o n t e x t u a l m eaning, to take
on new o n e s. In d e e d , she e x p e r i e n c e s the u s e l e s s n e s s o f
lan g u a g e in the a tt e m p t to communicate w ith p e o p le around
T e r , a lth o u g h t h a t c o n v e r s a t i o n in "U" about i n f a n t i c i d e
does seem to be r e l e v a n t to a l l t h r e e s t o r i e s . One o f the
men re m a rk s, "'You c a n ' t s a c r i f i c e hum anity on th e a l t a r of
117
r a t i o n a l i t y , ' " i n s u p p o r t o f h i s p o s i t i o n a g a i n s t i n f a n t i
c id e (p. 1 6 ). Doing what a p p ea rs to be " l o g i c a l , " g iv e n the
s
i
jcircu m stan ces o f "H" and "U," the woman i s u n w i t t i n g l y
|
j r e s p o n s ib le f o r k i l l i n g c h i l d r e n . In "B" she u n r e a s o n a b ly
g iv es b i r t h to an a n im a l. R a t i o n a l i t y and hum anity are se e n
jas u n r e l a t e d ; the r a t i o n a l r e s u l t s in d e a t h , the i r r a t i o n a l
'in b i r t h , b u t o f so m ething n o t human.
Far from r e s o l v i n g a n y th i n g , the f i c t i o n has a c i r c u l a r
form s e t in m otion and p e r p e t u a t e d by the r e p e a t e d s e n t e n c e s
[and p h r a s e s . The form i s ro u g h ly an alo go us to t h a t o f a
|
Moebius s t r i p in jto p o lo g y L i n which one t w i s t o f the. s t r i p
c r e a t e s an o b j e c t t h a t has one c o n tin u o u s edge and one con
t in u o u s s u r f a c e , r a t h e r th a n the two i t began w i t h . The
s e n t e n c e s t h a t c o n tin u e one s t o r y to th e n e x t t w i s t one
I
’ c o n t e x t to the n e x t; th ey d i s l o c a t e our u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f the
i
meaning o f the w o r d s , a lth o u g h a vague se n se o f c o n t i n u i t y
a s e s t a b l i s h e d and rem ains as a r e s u l t o f the r e o c c u r r e n c e
i
o f the w ord s. However, w h ile the r e p e a t e d words o f im ages,
o b j e c t s , and c o ncern s by t h e i r v e ry r e i t e r a t i o n s u g g e s t a
m ea n in g fu l system o f r e f e r e n c e f o r th e s t o r i e s , t h e i r s i g
n i f i c a n c e i s c o n t i n g e n t upon the v a r y i n g c o n t e x t s , and i n
f a c t , they are b u t the a r b i t r a r y i n d i c e s o f c r e a t i v e whim.
The y e llo w d u s t , se v en b a l l s , " t e n m inutes to t w e l v e , "
! * ’’ 118]
1
^occurrences a t noon, i n f a n t i c i d e , in co m p reh en sio n , and the
|
i n a b i l i t y to comm unicate, which t r a d i t i o n a l l y would b e , as
i
j s i g n a l s , the f u n c t io n a l c a r d in a l u n i t s o f a l o g i c a l and
jco h esive f i c t i o n a l s y n t a x , here have no e p i s t e m o l o g i c a l
f u n c t i o n . These s i g n a l s , we b e g in to r e c o g n i z e , have no
e s s e n t i a l s i g n i f i c a n c e ; th ey are m erely words in d i f f e r e n t
j s y n t a c t i c a l arran gem en ts. They have the s t r u c t u r a l resp o n -
j s i b i l i t y d e s c r ib e d above, and th a t o f underm ining the r e f e r -
|e n t ia l s t a b i l i t y and s i g n i f i c a n c e we e x p e c t from word-
i
jo b jects in l i t e r a t u r e .
| _ I t _is K a tz ’s im a g in a tio n that_ e s t a b l i s h e s a n d ^ d e f i n e s _
1 " ' ' " ' '
Ithe b o u n d aries o f the f i c t i o n a l w o r ld , as though n o th in g
L e a l e x i s t s o u t s i d e . To w r ite the m y t h o lo g ie s , he s a t down
i
each morning and gave h i m s e l f two hours in which to w r it e a
g
t a l e b ased on a name t h a t o c cu rred to him. As he r e c o u n t s ,
t
i
jevery morning he was fa c e d w ith a "blank s c r e e n ," th en the
t
I
jimages in a p r o c e ss o f a s s o c i a t i o n and a c c r u a l , which he
[then d e s c r ib e d . This i s an un usual kind o f a r t i s t i c p r o c -
I
I
i e s s , one th a t ig n o r e s the need to e x p r e ss so m e th in g , and
hence the s t y l e in which t h a t som ething i s e x p r e s s e d . W e
are reminded as we p ro ceed through Creamy and D e l'io d o u s o f
g
Author's conversation with Steve Katz, San Diego, Calif.,
November 1, 19 77.
'Raymond R o u s s e l , who i n v e n t e d e l a b o r a t e l i n g u i s t i c games or
9 I
jpuzzles and th e n c r e a t e d s t o r i e s to r e s o l v e them. K a t z ’s J
l
I s t o r i e s , l i k e R o u s s e l 's , have no meaning beyond the form of
I
■ i
t h e i r c r e a t i o n . They a re n o n r e f e r e n t i a l , d i r e c t i n g us i n
s t e a d to the a r t i s t ' s ta s k o f i n v e n t i n g new w o r l d s , o f f i n d
in g w i t h i n h i m s e l f and th e n s e t t i n g f o r t h the images o f a
r e a l i t y c i r c u m s c r i b e d o n ly by th e language he has to u s e .
I
In the fo u r groups o f m y t h o l o g i e s , we w atch the t r a n s m u t a
t i o n o f K a t z 's i m a g i n a t io n i n t o words , as th e d i f f e r e n t s e t s
o f images f a l l i n t o v a ry in g forms o f n a r r a t i v e d i s c o u r s e .
Indeed., Katz, h i m s e l f p r o f e s s e s a c e r t a i n s u r p r i s e a t the.. ___
c o m p a t i b i l i t y o r a p p r o p r i a t e n e s s o f h i s s u b j e c t s and t h e i r
i
form o f e x p r e s s i o n , as th e s e flow ed from him: t h a t "Gandhi"
sh o u ld be a l e c t u r e ; "Nancy and Sluggo" a w e s t e r n w ith a
t w i s t ; " F a u s t" a b i t o f p o rn o g ra p h y ; "O edipus" a t a l e from
the Lower E a s t Side o f New York; "D ickens" a t a l e o f a h a c k
neyed s e e r tu r n e d Hollywood s t a r .
T r a d i t i o n a l l y m yth olog y, a body o f m y th s, s u g g e s t s the
o r d e r e d meaning o f m an's p e r c e p t i o n o f h i s w o r ld . K a t z 's
m y th o lo g ie s , on the c o n t r a r y , r e f u t e t h e i r own s i g n i f i c a n c e ;
the v i s i o n to which th e y r e f e r i s o f a d i s o r d e r e d ,
9 ^
Raymond Roussel, Comment j fai e c r i t c erta in s de mes liv re s
(Montreuil [Seine]: Jean-Jacques Pauvert, Editeur, 1963).
120
i r r a t i o n a l p e r c e p t i o n ; th ey o f f e r no t r u t h . His use- o f the
term "m ythology" to d e f i n e the t a l e s g e n e r i c a l l y a l l u d e s to
the p r o c e s s o f c o n s t r u c t i o n , the c r e a t i v e e nd eav or u n d e r
ta k e n , as the word i t s e l f im p l i e s t h a t each i s " a b o u t"
m yths. The image p e r c e i v e d i s , i n t h i s c a s e , the myth,
which h e re has no e x p r e s s i v e o r r e f e r e n t i a l s i g n i f i c a n c e .
In d e e d , t h e i r c r e a t o r t e l l s us o f the e q u iv o c a l n a t u r e o f
jhis c o n c o c ti o n , hence the: i m p o s s i b i l i t y o f i t s h a v in g p r e
c i s e m eaning. For exam ple,
You can't seem to say anything about Faust without lying a
i l i t t l e , he was so extraordinary, whatever he was. He wasn't
i--— a f axmery~that' s for “burey but he wasn’t a' co ITege ^professor
either, and th a t's the truth. He was something or other. I t 's
hard to t e l l . (p. 33)
Drawing on f a m i l i a r m y th o lo g ic a l o r f i c t i o n a l c h a r a c t e r s ,
Katz d i s l o c a t e s our e d u c a te d re s p o n se by i g n o r i n g e v e ry
c o n v e n tio n t h a t would make them r e c o g n i z a b l e . The name
a lone rem ains as a r e f e r e n c e p o i n t , b u t the i n i t i a l d i s l o
c a t i o n has underm ined i t , and as the t a l e p r o c e e d s , we are
4
I
jled f a r t h e r away from t h a t which we know a b ou t th e c h a r a c
t e r s , th e w o rld , and even a b o u t m yths. There i s no s t i r r i n g
o f the u n c o n s c i o u s , o r o f the r a t i o n a l i m p u l s e , when we f i n d
Nancy, of the "Nancy and Sluggo" comic book s e r i e s , a gay
(male) g u n f i g h t e r i n a w e s t e r n , i n t e n t on p e rf o r m in g a
s e x u a l a c t w ith Sluggo b e f o r e k i l l i n g him; nor when the
I 1 2 1
I
J p i a s t i c Man e x p l a i n s , "I c o u ld look time i n the fa c e and
t e l l him to b ru sh h i s t e e t h " (p. 4 8 ) . These a re r a t i o n a l
'and l i n g u i s t i c d i s l o c a t i o n s t h a t r e l y on the powers o f
K a t z 's im a g i n a t io n and humor to c r e a t e new images f o r f a m i l
i a r c o n c e p t s , and i t i s thu s t h a t we l e a r n to c r e a t e the
w orld anew. The m y th o lo g ie s communicate t h e i r i n a b i l i t y to
r e p r e s e n t t r u t h , b u t a r e , as f o r m u la ti o n s of t h a t i m p o s s i
b i l i t y , i n d i c a t i o n s t h a t the i m a g i n a t io n can i n v e n t , and
i
i
r e i n v e n t , the p r o v i s i o n a l c o n t e x t s o f i t s own t r u t h .
On page 43 o f the t e x t b e g in s a p ie c e c a l l e d " I n Our
jThyme . " Under the t i t l e i s_wr i t ten_"Char>ter. . 1 7_._" T o ll owed
t "
jby a page of words t h a t have been typed over and in ked o ut
|so t h a t a l l b u t a few words a re i l l e g i b l e . One l e g i b l e s e n
te n c e r e a d s , "This i s the work o f / g e n iu s and f r e e s p e e c h ."
The f o l lo w in g page b e a r s the t i t l e and a n o t a t i o n : "(Con
t i n u e d from page 4 3 ) , " th e n a t e x t t h a t , i n t h i s c a s e , i s
m arked "C h ap ter 8 ." A su b s e q u e n t n o t a t i o n on the page r e a d s :
" ( c o n t i n u e d on page 4 3 ) . " T hroughout the t e x t are i s o l a t e d
" c h a p t e r s " o f the p i e c e ; a l l b e a r the n o te d r e f e r e n c e s to
!page 43. Even in l e g i b l e form, the c h a p t e r s are u n i n t e l l i -
I
' g i b l e , though ve ry fun ny , l i n e s o f n o n se n se . For i n s t a n c e ,
from C hap ter 8 : "H e's the same o ld honky w ith the / l e t t u c e
p i l l o w s l i p s " (p. 4 5 ); and from C h a p te r 5:
I 122
| He had that freaky substance
! on his breasts, and i f you
j think that wasn't memorable
J you should have heard him
I wink. 65 gallons of diesel
; fuel before I took his name,
j (P- 92)
jwhat can be made o f such images? Or o f the p h o to g ra p h o f a
p r o f e s s i o n a l gen tlem an w e a rin g a s u i t , s e a t e d on a c h a i r in
i
jfront o f a l a r g e , s e r i o u s - l o o k i n g e d i f i c e , w ith a book i n
1
I
h i s l a p , a cup i n h i s h an d , h i s le g s c r o s s e d , b a r e f o o t ? The
images provoke l a u g h t e r as we r e c o g n iz e th e e le m e n ts and
t h e i r i n c o n g r u i t y , the l i t t l e se n se th ey make i n terms o f
;th e wor 1 dr we know"and"theH~games ‘ pTayedTv 1 1fi“~form t h a t ~ ”p re - “
c i p i t a t e t h i s a w a re n e s s.
The n o v e l i s an a d v e n tu ro u s e x p e rim e n t in f i c t i o n mak
in g . I n d i v i d u a l l y and c o l l e c t i v e l y the t a l e s r e f e r us to
t h e i r c o n s t r u c t i o n and to a c o n ce p t o f f i c t i o n in which the
s o l e c r i t e r i o n of a c c e p t a b i l i t y i s the w i l l i n g abandon of
the known and the r a t i o n a l f o r the im a g in a tiv e i n v e n t i o n of
jthe unknown and u n e x p lo r e d , or the d i s l o c a t i o n from the com
f o r t a b l e and the assumed. By c a l l i n g the work a " n o v e l"
!
Katz opens the genre to house f i c t i o n s o f a l l s o r t s . Con-
I
jtexts a re g iv e n as p r o v i s i o n a l so th ey a r e , i n e f f e c t , u n d e r
mined w h ile an a r b i t r a r y and u n d e fin e d code a p p e a rs to be a t
jwork. The p e r c e p t i o n o f the code r e f e r s us to i t s
[ m e t a l i n g u i s t i c f u n c t i o n ; the r e p e a t e d p h r a s e s communicate a
I
I
isense o f th e i m a g i n a t io n a t work w ith w ords.
I
! In h i s n e x t n o v e l , Saw, Katz e x p lo r e s the f i c t i o n a l
i
p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f an a r b i t r a r y b u t c l o s e d t e l e o l o g y o f h is
own i n v e n t i o n . This i s an a lm o st e x c l u s i v e l y n o n r e f e r e n t i a l
!work, in which the c h a r a c t e r s p l a y o u t t h e i r r o l e s immune
from the e x i g e n c i e s o f r a t i o n a l or r e a s o n a b l e b e h a v i o r , and
!
I
jin a w o rld t h a t i s b a r e l y r e c o g n i z a b l e . I t b e g in s w ith a
i
jPreface t h a t a d v is e s the f o l lo w in g :
l
| The order of these "reports" is arbitrary although their accuracy
I is s t r i c t . They can be read at any hour of the day and there is
I „ _ ‘ r n - 1 4. T » V . ^ ^ 4_ ^ . / L ~ . J 1 C ___________ 3 _ Z — 1 ------------------
' IlO- j. . me' liacutai ■ Jiumuci c l x i w t \ j ± ci ^ j. vj_l wui us" ill “CdUH
report has been s tr ic tly regulated by universal laws that are
presently being studied, and the events accounted for within
each individual report are arranged in a sequence and system
according to a code that i s n ’t yet d e c i p h e r e d .
A ccu racy, u n i v e r s a l la w s, coded s y s te m s: th e s e a re f i c t i o n s
i
jupon which r e p r e s e n t a t i o n in th e t r a d i t i o n a l novel i s p r e d i -
i
I
c a t e d . In K a t z 's f i c t i o n , how ever, " a c c u ra c y " and f i d e l i t y
to " u n i v e r s a l law s" r e f e r to a rra n g e m e n ts e s t a b l i s h e d in h i s
I
j
Jown i m a g i n a t io n ; t h e s e terms h e re do n o t imply a b s o l u t e s ,
i
b u t are p r o v i s i o n a l f i c t i o n s s e t up to give the a p pearan ce
i
o f n e c e s s i t y . The sy stem he c r e a t e s i s a c lo s e d one, in
which the s p e c i f i c s r e f e r only to each o t h e r w i t h i n t h a t
^Saw (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1972), p. v.
124
sy ste m , and w i l l i n g l y l e a d away from the r e a l w o r ld . The 1
t i t l e , S a w , i s a case in p o i n t : Katz a s c r i b e d to each l e t
t e r .of the a l p h a b e t a number, from one to t w e n t y - s i x , th en
p ro ce ed e d to e l i m i n a t e a l l those l e t t e r s c o rr e s p o n d in g to
i n t e g e r s t h a t a re n o t ’’p r i m a r y ." With tho se t h a t rem ained ,
he looked a t th o se t h a t , when combined, added up to f o r t y -
t h r e e , the prime number a r b i t r a r i l y chosen to be used in h i s
f i c t i o n whenever a number i s r e q u i r e d , and which o c cu rs in
a l l h i s t e x t s . Among the l e t t e r s a p p r o p r i a t e to t h i s scheme,
t h e n , were a , s , and w, c o rr e s p o n d in g to 1, 19, and 23.
"Was" was a p o s s i b i l i t y , b u t too o b v io u s. Katz ;deci bed so
i
jhe chose "saw ," as i t im p lie s b o th p e r c e p t i o n and c o n s t r u c
t i o n (or d e c o n s t r u c t i o n , as you w i l l ) , e s s e n t i a l to the
i c r e a t i o n o f f i c t i o n . The d i f f e r e n t s e c t i o n s o f the work
were numbered 17, 5, 11, 3, and 7, u s in g o t h e r prime i n t e
g ers t h a t a l s o add up to f o r t y - t h r e e . 11 A r b i t r a r y and
m ea n in g le ss i s the p r o c e s s , a lth o u g h i t s r e s u l t can be
s u r p r i s i n g l y r e l e v a n t , as i s the t i t l e , or n o t , as are the
numbers o f the s e c t i o n s .
In the f i r s t t e x t u a l p a r t o f S a w , which i s number 17
and g iv e n the t i t l e . " L e r o y ," a young g i r l named E i l e e n goes
11
Steve Katz, "43," Moving Parts (New York: Fiction Collective,
1977), pp. 4-5. The sections of this book are individually, paginated.
jthree m in utes l a t e r the New York Times i s a heap o f r u b b l e "
i
|(p. 2 8 ). W ithout the r e s t r i c t i o n s o f what the newspaper
c o n s i d e r s r e a l and i m p o r t a n t , a n y th in g i s p o s s i b l e , the
i m a g i n a t io n i s s e t f r e e , and so th e f i c t i o n , the s t o r y , may
jcontinue . I t has e s t a b l i s h e d i t s own norms, i t s own coded
j r e a l i t y in which i t s f i g u r e s move and i n t e r a c t . When the
^im agination i s a llo w e d to p l a y , our modes o f p e r c e p t i o n are
a l t e r e d and the r a t i o n a l w o rld as n o rm a lly p e r c e i v e d i s no
imore th a n a n o th e r s e t of r u l e s , a r b i t r a r y and m e a n in g le s s .
I
j At the c o n c l u s i o n o f th e work, i n a s e c t i o n l a b e l e d
j"The F i r s t C h a p t e r ," Katz meets The A s tr o n a u t a t a p a r ty and
i ----- ----- - - -- -----
!is p l e a s e d b e ca u se "I t o l d him what I had w r i t t e n so f a r and
jhe s a i d i t c o r r o b o r a t e d h i s r e p o r t s to the l e t t e r " (p. 1 70).
|Katz inform s us t h a t The A s tr o n a u t t e l l s him "many amazing
j t h i n g s , some o f which I have r e l a t e d in my new book t e n t a
t i v e l y c a l l e d Leroy: S t a r r i n g the- A s tr o n a u t" (p . 1 7 0 ). As
!are P h i l i p F a r r e l and L inda Lawrence in the f i r s t n o v e l,
!
The A s tr o n a u t i s an echo o f the i m a g i n a t io n t h a t c r e a t e s him
and h i s e x p e r i e n c e s ; he i s aware o f the f i c t i o n t h a t p r o -
i
duces him and t h a t he i n t u r n v a l i d a t e s by h i s a w a r e n e s s .
The p r o c e s s i s s e l f - c o n t a i n e d , t u r n i n g in to r e f l e c t upon
i t s own code. A ll f i c t i o n f u n c t i o n s on i t s own g r a t u i t o u s
te rm s , b u t K a t z 's exposes i t s a r b i t r a r y f o u n d a t i o n and p la y s
, 12 7|
I
1 . . i
jwith i t .
I
! Katz a l s o p la y s w ith la n g u a g e , to d i s l o c a t e r a t i o n a l
I
(com prehension o f d e s c r i b e d e x p e r i e n c e . We have se e n how the
same words can be m a n ip u la te d in d i f f e r e n t c o n t e x t s to lo s e
t h e i r r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l s i g n i f i c a n c e ; i n h i s more r e c e n t
f i c t i o n Katz goes a s t e p f u r t h e r , w ith d ra w in g the se n se and
meaning o f h i s p r o s e by the very language t h a t e n g en d e rs i t .
In a s h o r t s t o r y e n t i t l e d "Death o f the Band" Katz dram a
t i z e s an a b s t r a c t c o n c e p t by t r e a t i n g i t l i t e r a l l y and
c a p i t a l i z i n g on the im a g i n a t iv e p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f f e r e d as
such ,_by_ .language . _The, key .to../the s t o r y . l i e s w ith a c h a r a c
t e r named A rn o ld , who "was r e a c h i n g f o r a new, i n e f f a b l e
12
r e a l i t y where a r t and r e a l i t y b e g in to m i n g l e . " In the
s t o r y , the two do m erge.
A rn o ld , a s p e c t a t o r a t th e c o n c e r t g iv en by the b a n d ,
i s wounded by two o f the b u l l e t s u sed to a s s a s s i n a t e the
members o f the ba n d , whose p e rf o r m a n c e , by d e s i g n , i n c l u d e s
t h e i r d e a t h s . I t i s an a b su rd d i s t o r t i o n o f the c o n c e p t o f
p a r t i c i p a t i o n in a r t . A r n o l d 's wounds, the s u f f e r i n g they
cause him, the s c a r s th ey le a v e him, a l l become a p a r t o f
12 . . .
"Death of the Band," in Statem ents: New F iction from the Fzc-
tio n C o lle c tiv e, ed. Ronald Sukenick (New York: George Braziller,
1975), p. 129.
; 128
i
i
jthe p e rfo rm a n c e , and are l a t e r i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o h i s own
I
jcom position o f music and m urder.
I
The s t o r y d e s c r i b e s a p r o c e s s , a g a in t h a t o f c r e a t i n g
a r t . The wounding o f A rn o ld , who happened i n t o the l i n e of
j f i r e , i s o n ly a p a r t o f the p r o c e s s , we l e a r n . The compo-
jser, P e t e r G lucks, has problem s f i n d i n g th e a p p r o p r i a t e
[weapon and a p p r o p r i a t e m u s i c i a n s ; A rnold must l a t e r d i s lo d g e
t
jthe b u l l e t s by h i m s e l f ; b o d ie s on s t a g e must be removed; a
j
Id e te c tiv e must a tt e m p t to s o lv e the " c r i m e ." This d e t e c t i v e
i
jis s u p p l i e d ample i n f o r m a t i o n to a cc o m p lish h i s ta s k by
[Arnold's g i r l f r i e n d (w ith whom he spends an a f t e r n o o n ,
l a r g e l y in the wounded A r n o l d 's p r e s e n c e ) , b u t the " f a c t s "
she g iv es him a re i r r e l e v a n t , f o r he i s " o f f - d u t y " and can
resp o n d only to e s t a b l i s h e d s i g n s i n p r o p e r c o n t e x t s . He
does n o t see what i s i n f r o n t o f h i s eyes b e c a u s e , a c c o rd in g
to c o n v e n t io n , i t s h o u ld n o t be t h e r e . Let the r e a d e r
■beware: Katz i g n o r e s c o n v e n t io n s , b e t r a y s h i s own s i g n a l s ,
!and means no more and no l e s s than what i s s e t on th e page.
!
'The d e a th o f the band must be a c c e p te d in th e same way as
Gregor Sam sa’s m etam orphosis in K a f k a 's s t o r y ; i t i s n o t
m e t a p h o r i c , b u t r e a l w i t h i n i t s own c o n t e x t , and the words
a re meant to be u n d e r s to o d l i t e r a l l y . Second, i t i s n o t
jwhat the c h a r a c t e r a c c o m p lish e s (or does n o t) t h a t is
I ~ 1 2 9 ]
i I
j s i g n i f i c a n t ; i t i s h i s r o l e i n the p r o c e s s t h a t m a t t e r s .
1
As lang uag e makes th e r e a l r e l a t i v e to an a r b i t r a r y code ,
i
so the f u n c t i o n o f c h a r a c t e r s and e v e n t s in f i c t i o n i s r e l a - !
t i v e to the p r o c e s s o f d e f i n i n g t h a t code. K a t z 's d i s l o c a
t i o n s mandate p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n t h a t p r o c e s s .
K a t z ’s i m a g i n a t io n i s n o t a p p l i e d , as i s S o r r e n t i n o ' s ,
i
to q u a l i t i e s o f a c t u a l t h i n g s , b u t to th e p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f
I
language and e x p e r i e n c e . Language f i l t e r s the r e a l th ro u g h
p e r c e p t i o n and i m a g i n a t i o n , q u a l i f y i n g e x p e r ie n c e as r e l a
t i v e and p r o v i s i o n a l . The focus on A r n o l d 's growing c o n
s c i o u s n e s s o f a r t , as opposed to the p sy c h o p a th o lo g y o f the
i ' ' :
j a r t i s t s and m u sic ia n s i n v o l v e d , d i s l o c a t e s our r a t i o n a l '
[ s e n s i b i l i t i e s from th e e p i s t e m o l o g i c a l code we assume to be
’o p e r a t i n g in the w o rld we know. This is f u r t h e r compromised
i
I
[by the bum bling d e t e c t i v e whose duty i t i s to s o lv e a crim e
jno one c o n s i d e r s c r i m i n a l , a b o u t which we know a l l t h e r e i s
I
to know, and whose " t r u t h ” e x i s t s s o l e l y i n the lang uage j
i
t h a t d e s c r i b e s i t , w hich , i n t u r n , ap p ea rs to be r e f e r r i n g j
r
us to a new " c o d e ." The c o m b in atio n o f the p o s s i b l e (events^
and the i m p l a u s i b le ( a t t i t u d e s , m o tiv e s) s h a t t e r s the com
p l a c e n t o r d e r we impose to a c c o u n t f o r the i r r a t i o n a l i t y o f
[ e x p e r i e n c e , in f o r m in g us o b l i q u e l y t h a t t h e r e i s no connec-
i
t i o n , l o g i c a l or a b s o l u t e , betw een such e x p e r i e n c e s and the
130
a t t i t u d e s and m o tiv es we assume e x p l a i n them. Our e n t i r e
i
jsystem o f r e f e r e n c e needs to be a l t e r e d i f we a re go ing to
" u n d e r s t a n d , " which i m p lie s t h a t a l l such system s a re a r b i
t r a r y and c o n t i n g e n t , and d e m o n s tr a te s t h a t they a re f i c
t i o n s .
In a n o th e r s h o r t t a l e , the f i r s t o f "Two S e a s id e
jYarns," Katz t r a n s f o r m s the mundane i n t o the f a n t a s t i c
th ro u g h p a r a t a c t i c j u x t a p o s i t i o n and an in c o n g ru o u s tone
t h a t m o d u lates and i s a p a r t o f the d i s l o c a t i o n s . The s t o r y
b e g in s r a t h e r o r d i n a r i l y :
|
j- The other day-as=T was walking my dog-down the beach, sniff-=--
j ing the breeze, watching the terns, admiring stones and throwing
them away, I cut my foot on a rusty piece of iron that was stick-
i 1 ^
ing out of the pebbles.
A lthough " b l e e d in g p r o f u s e l y , ” the n a r r a t o r d e c id e s to " r i d
jthe beach o f t h i s h a z a r d , " and s e t s to h i s t a s k . The p ie c e
o f i r o n i s the r i n g o f a b a r r e l , which he un c o v ers and
a tt e m p t s to open w ith the h e lp o f h i s w ife and two c h i l d r e n .
In a f l a t , even t o n e , he m en tion s how the t i r e i r o n he i s
u s in g s l i p s and c ru s h e s h i s w i f e ' s nose and how, e x c i t e d a t
"Two Seaside Yarns," Seems, 2, No. 3 (Summer 1975), 91-92. , A
later version of this story appears in Statem ents 2 under the t i t l e
"Greed." This version is substantially the same as described here,
although some things have been added. These additions are more "repre
sentational"; they belong to a recognizable world and serve to extend
the gap between the reasonable and the unreasonable in the text.
rwhat th ey f i n d w i t h i n the b a r r e l , th ey do n o t n o t i c e t h a t
1
j t h e i r
t
t i d e .
s t i l l
would
r
would
I
I
i t o r ' s
I
ito th e t o p i c o f the b a r r e l . The d i s c r e p a n c y betw een the
!
jbanal tone and f a i r l y e x t r a o r d i n a r y s u b j e c t i s d i s c o n c e r t -
i
tingly fun ny . The i n c o n g r u i t y o f h i s m ild r e a c t i o n to the
l o s s o f h i s d a u g h te r and g r e a t e x c i te m e n t o v e r_ th e b a r r e l i s
jfunny; the s y n t a x o f the s t o r y , which a p p e a rs so f a r to be
I
'q u ite s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d and l o g i c a l , b u t e x p r e s s e s such an
i
jimprobable p e r s p e c t i v e , i s d i s c o n c e r t i n g . I t i s what P h i l i p
S te v ic k c a l l s an " e p i s t e m i c d i s l o c a t i o n " (p. 1 8 9 ), in which
i
e x t r a o r d i n a r y c o n t e x t .
The s u b s e q u e n t e v e n ts o f the s t o r y are as f a n t a s t i c as
I
ithe op en in g i s b a n a l , b u t as l o g i c a l l y n a r r a t e d
i
j i n i t i a l e v e n t s . Such th in g s as th o se m en tion ed
'although th e s e t h a t fo llo w do n o t:
t
The barrel was full of tiny, delicately carved ivory elephants.
Some of them were s t i l l alive, and when they saw us they climbed
over the backs of the dead ones and marched around the rim of'
i
as a re the j
do o c c u r ,
t h r e e - y e a r - o l d d a u g h te r i s c a r r i e d o u t to se a w ith the
"There was n o t h in g we c o u ld d o ," he s a y s , a d d in g , "I
h a v e n ’ t go t over i t " (p. 9 1 ) . The e m o tio n a l tone we
e x p e c t h e re i s m i s s i n g , as i s the i n t e r e s t t h a t we
f i n d " n a t u r a l " to th o se o u tra g e o u s e v e n t s . The n a r r a -
l a s t s t a t e m e n t h e re i s b e l i e d by h i s im m ediate r e t u r n
132
the barrel like their big counterparts in the circus. Naturally
my dog went crazy when he saw the creatures. (p. 92)
" N a t u r a l l y . " The n a r r a t o r ' s im p e r tu r b a b l e l o g i c as he r e
counts t h i s o n e i r i c scene i n s u r e s the p r o b a b i l i t y o f h i s
I
e x p e r i e n c e a g a i n s t r a t i o n a l a t t a c k . The u n u s u a ln e s s o f th e
s i t u a t i o n i s acknow ledged, b u t a t the expense o f t h a t which
we most e a s i l y a c c e p t as r e a l . The dog a t t a c k s th e e l e
p h a n ts and our n a r r a t o r c lu b s him to d e a t h , in fo rm in g us
t h a t " I t ' s too b a d . In e v e ry o t h e r way he was a n ic e dog"
(p. 9 2 ) . S t i l l the n a r r a t i v e p ro c e e d s i n c o n v e n t io n a l f a s h
i o n . While t r y i n g to g e t the b a r r e l o f f th e beach t h e r e i s
y e t a n o th e r a c c i d e n t , i n which the s o n 's le g s and p e l v i s a re
c r u s h e d . The t a s k i s c o m p le te d , how ever, and " t h a t ' s why we
own t h i s whole s h i p , and t h a t b i g house o u t in the h a r b o r . "
The p o i n t i s made w i t h o u t ir o n y ; i t i s p r e s e n t e d as a
r a t i o n a l e x p l a n a t i o n . The n a r r a t o r ' s p o s t u r e i s unassum ing
and g u i l e l e s s . The s t o r y i s p r e p o s t e r o u s w h ile the n a r r a
t i v e i s l u c i d , the n a r r a t o r ' s tone in n o c u o u s , and the
sequence and con seq u en ces o f e v e n t s l o g i c a l l y p l o t t e d . The
a b s u r d i s b o r n o f t h i s l o g i c t h a t a c c e p t s the i l l o g i c a l ,
thus i n v a l i d a t i n g i t s e l f .
The n a r r a t i v e c o n t i n u e s , s a t i a t i n g the c u r i o s i t y t h a t
jthe p l o t demands. Our n a r r a t o r t e l l s us he had n o t b o t h e r e d
w ith h i s i n j u r e d f o o t u n t i l a f t e r he got the e l e p h a n t s home
and i n t o b i r d c a g e s , b u t "by th e n i t was too l a t e , and so I
l o s t the l e g . I d e c id e d on t h i s p e g - l e g i n s t e a d o f a p r o s
t h e s i s b e ca u se i t seems a p p r o p r i a t e " (p . 9 2 ) . A p p r o p r i a t e ,
y e s , b u t in t h i s c o n t e x t o n l y . The term , l i k e the word
" n a t u r a l l y " t h a t o c c u rs e a r l i e r , r e f e r s on ly to the l o g i c o f
the f i c t i o n a l c o n s t r u c t , to i t s p r i v a t e co de, and to n o t h in g
o u t s i d e . Logic l o s e s i t s c la im ov er the r e a l and becomes
p r o v i s i o n a l , a t o o l o f the a b s u r d .
What I like best now is to stick my peg-leg into this hole on
the deck. Then my son comes along in his wheelchair and pushes
— ~me around. T spinALxkb s~ Lop.~ ur my wire attaches some musiiri
wings from my arms to my belt and I turn like the radar in the
wind. I did that for them at Gibraltar and they loved i t . I
loved i t too. (p. 92)
The s t o r y co n clu d es and the r e a d e r i s t h r u s t back i n t o h i s
own w o r ld , where h i s i n c r e d u l i t y t h r i v e s . The a b i l i t y to
d i s b e l i e v e i s c r u c i a l to t h i s f i c t i o n , and t h a t d i s b e l i e f i s
j
I
j d ir e c t e d tow ard the r a t i o n a l c o n s t r u c t i o n o f im probable
u n i t s o f e x p e r i e n c e . The n a r r a t i v e o f the s t o r y is s t r a i g h t
fo r w a r d , we are l e d th ro u g h a s e r i e s o f e v e n ts t h a t , mundane
or f a n t a s t i c , compel a d e s i r e to know where we are b e in g
l e d . The com pulsion i s due i n l a r g e p a r t to th e n a r r a t o r ’s
la c k o f " i n t e r e s t " in what happens to him and th o se around
•him; so m eth ing more i m p o r t a n t , we t h i n k , must be i n the
o f f i n g . The s t o r y i s an e x p l a n a t i o n o f s o m e th in g , and
a lth o u g h we a re i n c r e d u l o u s , t h e r e i s enough r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l ,
m a t e r i a l to awaken our r a t i o n a l i m p u l s e s , and we e x p e c t the
n a r r a t o r to r e v e a l so m ethin g t h a t i s n o t a p p a r e n t , o r t h a t
he w i l l "wake up" to a " r e a l w o r l d . " None o f t h i s o c c u r s ;
the c o n c l u s i o n o f th e s t o r y t i e s up the lo o se e n d s , b u t the
I
(knot i s m e a n in g l e s s . Reason has b een l e f t , as i t w e re,
I
i
[holding an empty b a g .
The s e n se o f the a b s u r d t h a t can e a s i l y be provoked by
such e p i s t e m i c d i s l o c a t i o n s t h a t t r i c k our r a t i o n a l im pu lses
i s a l s o g e n e r a t e d by the s u b v e r s i o n o f our c o n d i t i o n e d w i l l
in g n e s s to b e l i e v e what a w r i t e r t e l l s u s . The s a t i s f i e d
tone i n which the e v e n t s a re d e s c r i b e d , however i n c o n g r u o u s ,
[provides a s y n t h e t i c i n t e g r i t y f o r the e x p e r i e n c e , and is
our only p o i n t o f r e f e r e n c e . D i s l o c a t e d from a n y th in g we
co u ld c o n s i d e r r e a s o n a b l e , f o r a c o n t e x t , the n a r r a t i v e tone
i t s e l f becomes the code we must a c c e p t in o r d e r to u n d e r
s t a n d i t s com m unication. The f u n c t i o n o f the code i s m eta-
f i c t i o n a l ; i t d e s i g n a t e s the p r o c e s s o f s y n t h e s i z i n g th e
component e le m e n ts o f the e x p e r i e n c e as the s u b j e c t o f the
f i c t i o n . Words and p h r a s e s such as " t h e r e was n o t h i n g we
c o u ld d o ," " n a t u r a l l y , " " t h a t ' s w hy," and " i t seemed a p p ro
p r i a t e " s e t the tone o f the n a r r a t i v e and are th e code words
I 1 3 5
jthat in d ic a t e the p a r t i c u l a r manner (the c o ld l o g i c ) in
‘ which the n a r r a t o r a p p re h e n d s , r a t i o n a l i z e s , and r e c o u n ts
!
h i s e x p e r i e n c e s . N oth ing o c c u rs in the s t o r y e x c e p t i t s
t e l l i n g ; th e r e i s no p l o t , o n ly what Katz c a l l s " p l o t -
14
ness": the a c t i o n or ev en ts a s s o c i a t e d w ith p l o t , w ith o u t
the fu n c t io n in g in d ic e s o f consequence. R o b b e - G r i ll e t ' s
Jwords about R o u ss e l's work are appropriate for K atz's here:
i
l
j"l'anecdote n'a ouvertement plu s de contenu, mais un mouve-
jment, un o r d r e , une com position" (p. 93), the sense o f which
comes from the narrator h i m s e l f .
K a t z 's most r e c e n t n o v e l . Mov% ng Parts , e x n ln r e s th e ,
r e l a t i v e n a tu r e o f the r e a l , f a l s e , and m a k e -b e lie v e a s -
th e s e may d e f i n e or impose th e m se lv e s on th e a u t h o r ' s work
jand on h i s l i f e . This i s the most s e l f - r e f l e x i v e o f h i s
I
.works, o f f e r i n g , i n the f i r s t o f fo u r p a r t s , e n t i t l e d
|"Female S k i n , " a l i t e r a l d i s l o c a t i o n o f a metonymic c o n ce p t
o f i d e n t i t y ; in the s e c o n d , c a l l e d " P a r c e l o f W r i s t s ," an
a lm o st s u r r e a l f i c t i o n ; in the t h i r d , " T r i p , " a d e s c r i p t i o n
!of the " t r u e " e x p e r i e n c e s o f th e f i c t i o n a l t r i p o f the
14
A term Katz mentioned to me in the conversation cited in note 8
above. It should be noted here, too, that tone does not imply a con
text, for i t i s , s tr ic tly speaking, not referential; we cannot under
stand experiences in terms of the tone that describes them; only the
code may be understood.
" 1 3 6 ]
t I
jsecond p a r t ; in the f o u r t h , " 4 3 ," an e s s a y on how t h i s |
number, which he chose d e l i b e r a t e l y b u t a r b i t r a r i l y f o r h i s
l
f i c t i o n , has in a c t u a l i t y p e rv a d e d h i s l i f e . A ll d e s c r i b e
a tte m p ts to f i x e x p e r i e n c e i n l o g i c a l or m e a n in g fu l s t r u c
t u r e s , which f a i l , thu s abandoning Katz to c o n f r o n t a t i o n s
iwith h i s r e a l and f i c t i o n a l e x p e r i e n c e s , c o n f r o n t a t i o n s in
j
jwhich n o t h in g can be r e s o l v e d .
The most i n t e r e s t i n g a s p e c t o f t h i s work l i e s in the
d i f f e r e n t ways Katz and h i s f i c t i o n a l c r e a t i o n s c ro s s p a th s
and i n t e r a c t . In "Female S k in " he re a d s "Female S k in " to
h i s f r i e n d s ; i t i s a s t o r y i n j h i c h he a11empts to e x o r e i s e
the female who h a s , f i g u r a t i v e l y , g o t t e n u n der h i s skin-, by
I
j d e s c r i b i n g , l i t e r a l l y , h i s own c lim b in g i n t o h e r s k i n , and
i
th e n h i s r e l e a s e . His r e a l i t y , e n c o u n t e r s w ith the l a d y ,
alo n e and among the f r i e n d s to whom he r e a d s th e s t o r y ,
merges w ith the f i c t i o n o f h i s e x p e r i e n c e s o f h e r t h e r e .
" T rip " b e g in s A p r i l 1, 1976, w ith the a u th o r em barking
on a jo u rn e y by Greyhound bus to N a s h v i l l e , T e n n e sse e , "to
s t e p thro u g h th e p a ce s o f P a r c e l o f W r i s t s . A f i c t i o n a l
j u n k e t " (p. 8 ). In t h a t s t o r y , " P a r c e l o f W r i s t s , " a p a c k
age c o n t a i n i n g human w r i s t s a r r i v e s a t the p r o t a g o n i s t ' s
home, and he p l a n t s the w r i s t s i n f o r t y - t h r e e flo w e r p o t s .
He s e t s o u t to f i n d the s e n d e r o f th e p a r c e l , h a v in g only
13 7]
►
the p o stm a rk , " I r o n d a l e , T e n n e s s e e , ” and the name ”C. R o u ts ”
as c l u e s . He h i t c h h i k e s to W ashington, D.C. and ta k e s a
Greyhound bus to N a s h v i l l e , where he r e n t s a c a r and b e g in s
h i s h u n t f o r I r o n d a l e . I t does n o t e x i s t , a lth o u g h t h e r e i s
an I r o n H i l l and an I r o n C i t y . There i s no p o s t o f f i c e i n j
i
I r o n H i l l , so the p a r c e l c o u ld n o t have o r i g i n a t e d t h e r e ,
!
b u t our p r o t a g o n i s t i s ta k e n to a n e arb y commune where he
s t a y s f o r a w h ile anyhow, w orkin g on an o ld saw m i l l . He
s u b s e q u e n t ly makes h i s way to I r o n C i t y , where t h e r e i s a
p o s t o f f i c e , b u t the g i r l w orking t h e r e knows n o t h in g o f the
p a r c e l o r o f a ”C. R o u t s . a n d has no fur.thor c lu e s to __
” " ...................................... ' ' I
o f f e r . She and h e r b o y f r i e n d do take him, how ever, to an !
I
e x c a v a te d I n d ia n b u r i a l ground. When he g e ts back to h i s l
New York a p a rtm e n t th e w r i s t s have s p r o u t e d i n t o b i g
" p l a n t s . ” Soon buds a p p e a r . Then, i n p la c e o f flo w e rs or
f r u i t , th ey b e a r d i f f e r e n t p a r t s o f human anatomy, from l i p s
to l e g s . As th ey ta k e o v e r h i s a p a r t m e n t , so th e y preoccu py
h i s l i f e . He w ants to t r a n s p l a n t them or g r a f t them to
p e o p le he knows; one man r e f u s e s , one g i r l a c c e p t s . The
s t o r y c o n clu d es w ith h i s r e f l e c t i o n t h a t none o f t h i s would
have happened had he had more f a i t h in the U n ite d S t a t e s
P o s t O f f i c e , and sim p ly r e t u r n e d th e p a r c e l .
N e v e r t h e l e s s , t h r e e y e a r s a f t e r w r i t i n g t h i s f i c t i o n ,
jKatz d e c id e s to e x p lo r e i t s s e t t i n g . F i r s t , he must t r a n s
f e r h i m s e l f i n t o the f i c t i o n :
|
i
I I sign a trav e lle r's check at the Greyhound window, step away
with the ticket, and so move from the condition of being Steve
Katz to assume the guise of the personal pronoun "he," the Pro
tagonist. He heads for the gates of Greyhound, shedding the
qualifications of Steve Katz like a moulting of adjectives,
and He is whatever he can be now, the vivification of the pro
tagonist of Parcel of Wrists. On his way. (p. 10)
The bus r i d e i s u n e v e n t f u l , b u t an i m p o r ta n t p o i n t i s e s t a b -
i
l i s h e d from two s t a t e m e n t s e n t e r e d in h i s j o u r n a l : f i r s t ,
t h a t i n c u t t i n g h i s h a i r b e f o r e t h e j o u r n e y , he has " a l r e a d y
I
jre v ise d i n p e rs o n the s c e n a r i o o f P a r c e l o f W r i s t s " (p. 1 0 ),
jand s e c o n d , t h a t he d e s c r i b e s h i s f e l l o w p a s s e n g e r s as h i s
i .
;"companions in f i c t i o n " (p . 1 2 ). The r e a l i t y o f the t r i p i s
i n f u s e d w ith the f i c t i o n t h a t g e n e r a t e d i t , and y e t i t is
d i f f e r e n t . "Every moment i s the s u b s ta n c e o f h i s s t o r y "
(p . 14) as he p r o c e e d s , y e t the d e t a i l s n e c e s s a r i l y w i l l n o t
s y n c h r o n i z e . The bus s t a t i o n - i n N a s h v i l l e i s n o t a t a l l as
ihe had d e s c r i b e d i t , which e n g e n d e rs d is a p p o in t m e n t and a
r e c o g n i t i o n o f the a b s u r d i t y o f l i f e , which does n o t conform
to the f i c t i o n s i n v e n t e d f o r i t : "N othing h e re o u t o f P a r
c e l o f W r i s t s . R e a l i t y i s too fu ck e d up to c o i n c i d e .
E x p e rie n c e a cc u m u late s and d i s c r e p a n c i e s p i l e up l i k e u s e
l e s s b y - p r o d u c t s " (p. 1 7 ) . Katz c o n ti n u e s to be d i s a p -
p o i n t e d when t h i n g s a re n o t as he had e n v i s i o n e d and
i ' " " ' ' ' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 39
jin v e n ted them, and to f e e l g u i l t y when he " s t r a y s from th e
i
j s c r i p t " (p. 2 1 ). However, he i s p l e a s e d and amazed when the
[
f i c t i o n and the r e a l i t y i n t e r s e c t or merge. He ta k e s p i c
t u r e s o f "Route 43" r o a d s i g n s to c o r r o b o r a t e the r o u te
f o llo w e d in the f i c t i o n , a lth o u g h he p r o f e s s e s r e l i e f when
he has p a s s e d the l a s t one. P ho to graph s o f th e s i g n , as
w e ll as o f Katz b e f o r e and a f t e r h i s h a i r c u t and s h a v e , a re
I
[included as p a r t o f the t e x t , s u b s t a n t i a t i n g b o th the f i c
t i o n and the a c t u a l i t y . The o v e r l a p i s sometimes u n n e r v in g ,
as when in Iro n C ity the i n h a b i t a n t s wave g r e e t i n g s to Katz
as though th ey know h i m: .. ..
People wave at me from th eir cars, and I wave back, and I wave
back [s'Co] . It is more like being home than being home. Every
one is friendly, waving at my body, communicating ivith my accom
panying ghost. I haunt this place out of my own fiction, living
in one world and in another at once, but alive now in neither,
I admitting no history in one, haying none in the other. (p. 49)
Katz h a s , i n e f f e c t , become a c h a r a c t e r in a new n o v e l: h i s
e x i s t e n c e i s v a l i d a t e d by the moment o f h i s p r e s e n c e a lo n e ,
and the immediacy o f h i s p e r c e p t i o n s and e x p e r i e n c e s . He
jhas su sp end ed h i s i d e n t i t y , lo o s e n e d h i m s e l f from i t (p. 47)
to become the P r o t a g o n i s t p e o p le wave to i n I r o n C i t y .
P l a y in g P a r c e l o f W ris ts has l i t e r a l l y made S teve Katz a
I
( p r o v is io n a l e n t i t y . (An i n t e r e s t i n g e x p e r i m e n t .)
f
Near I r o n C ity t h e r e i s , i n f a c t , a commune, w hich Katz
i 140
Idecides to v i s i t . He t r i e s to " p r e d i c t the s c e n a r i o o f h i s
I
I
v i s i t to The Farm" (p . 5 7 ) , as i t i s c a l l e d , w h ile r e c a l l i n g
h i s f i c t i o n a l a c c o u n t o f i t . He f i n d s , am b ig u o u sly , t h a t
"th e commune has changed a g r e a t d e a l s i n c e he w ro te ab ou t
i t " (p. 5 9 ), m ix in g , now, the " h e ” o f the P r o t a g o n i s t w ith
the " I " o f the a u t h o r . U l t i m a t e l y he d e c i d e s , in a b s u r d i s t
f a s h i o n assum ing the f i c t i o n a l i t y o f a l l p e r c e p t i o n s o f
e x p e r i e n c e ,
j There must be two different communes. One is an invented com-
j mune, the other is an invented commune; this commune is conceived
in the mind, this commune is blown from the mind of Adam. (p. 61)
jWhile a t The Farm, a message comes to r e p o r t a tr a p p e d
jcopperhead snake ov er a t the s a w m ill, and r e q u e s t i n g a con-
I
i t a i n e r i n which to p u t i t . " 'S a w m i l l . ' That word w h i r l s in
f
jthe P r o t a g o n i s t ' s mind. Now's th e chance to p l a y P a r c e l o f
W r i s t s . He f e e l s the p l o t t h i c k e n i n g " (p . 6 3 ) . I t t u r n s
o u t to be a modern, e l e c t r i c s a w m ill, n o t a t a l l l i k e the
one in which he worked in the f i c t i o n , so "He d e c id e s i t
d o e s n ' t need h i s a t t e n t i o n " (p. 6 3 ) . F i c t i o n does n o t need
i
I
J r e a l i t y . When t h i s P r o t a g o n i s t le a v e s th e commune he b a s i
c a l l y c o n clu d es h i s f i c t i o n : " th e r e a l i t y o f The Farm had
s c i s s o r e d th ro u g h and l e f t , him w i t h no s t o r y a t a l l . P a r c e l
o f W ris ts i s f i n a l l y b e in g r e t u r n e d to s e n d e r " (p. 73).
j 141
i
| K a t z 's r e f l e c t i o n s on t h i s e x p e r i e n c e d i s t i n g u i s h the
f i c t i o n from the a c t u a l t r i p , as he comes to terms w ith b o th
o f them. The P r o t a g o n i s t has b e en r e t i r e d , Katz r e a l i z e s
t h a t " I t made me f e e l awful to be t h e r e in my f i c t i o n as my
own l y i n g p ro x y , b u t t h a t ' s the way th e f i c t i o n fum bles"
(p. 7 3 ), remembering the v a lu e t h a t the commune p u ts on
t e l l i n g the t r u t h a l l the tim e . T ru th : in any c a s e , i t is
" u n t e n a b l e " s i n c e i t i s " e v e r y t h i n g i n c l u d e d " (pp. 7 3 -7 4 ).
jThere fo llo w s a s h o r t l e c t u r e i n which Katz e x p r e s s e s h i s
j
i d e a s on the n a t u r e o f h i s c r a f t , hence on h i s u n d e r t a k i n g
las w e l l . _r.I.t i s w orth q u o tin g , i n .to.to.: • ...
Besides, this here is a fiction writer and fiction is the art of
telling. Language is the medium, and the limitation. If truth
is the result i t ' s not constructed in language, but generated as
resonances by the art of telling; and i t ' s not perceived with the
mind, but in the gut, or the spine, or the heart. I t ’s a certain
feeling. What can never be said, is what's being told. Lies can
be used in the tellin g , "truth," as well, i f there is some; i t
might take smoke in the eyes to make perception possible. How's
your rhinoceros? Tell the truth. What rhinoceros? How presump
tuous, self-righteous to " tell the truth a ll the time." That's
the result of eating too many soybeans, the ultimately deluding
drug. It makes you think you can t e l l the truth. Go te ll i t to
your rhinoceros. (p. 74)
jThe w r i t i n g o f f i c t i o n i s an a b s u rd a c t i v i t y in which the
|
'only " t r u t h " t h a t can be r e v e a l e d i s c o n t i n g e n t upon the
p e r s p e c t i v e o f the t e l l e r and the a c t u a l i t y o f h i s l i f e
a s s o c i a t e d w ith h i s t e l l i n g . Thus, on ly m e t a f i c t i o n can
I . .
hope to s u g g e s t th e a c t u a l : a l l w r i t e r s o f new f i c t i o n
142
e n t e r t a i n t h i s b e l i e f .
Katz has been to N a s h v i l l e and I r o n C i t y , t r a v e l l e d
Route 4'3, and v i s i t e d the commune, b u t i n th e end he a c c e p ts
t h a t " th e f i c t i o n i s s t i l l th e f i c t i o n , and the r e a l i t y is
the same" (p. 7 6 ). His e x p e r i e n c e s would s t i l l have been
h i s , n e i t h e r th o s e o f the p r o t a g o n i s t o f " P a r c e l o f W r i s ts "
nor in d e e d th o s e o f th e p r o t a g o n i s t o f " T r i p . " "I was
t o t a l l y t h e r e a l l the t i m e , " says K a tz, "as much as I s e n t
ou t envoys o f p e r s o n a l pronouns and p r o t a g o n i s t s . " He con
t i n u e s ,
- - ^Identity is-alv/ays -one thing-.--— Knowing• it- is-a li-th e others, and
as soon as I force a separation, perceive a separation, I'm mak- t
ing fiction. Fiction is inevitable. (p. 76)
N othing can be known as c e r t a i n ; th e r e a l becomes f i c t i o n as
soon as i t i s a p p re h e n d e d , the two meet and b le n d th ro u g h o u t
l i f e as th r o u g h o u t new n o v e l s . Katz g iv e s t h i s i d e a one
more a i r i n g i n th e c o n c lu d in g s e c t i o n o f Moving P a r t s ,
c a l l e d " 4 3 ." I t i s an e s s a y on how he came to choose and
use th e number 43 i n h i s n o v e l s , and how th e number has
s u b s e q u e n t ly r e v e r b e r a t e d i n h i s l i f e . P erhaps i t i s the
s tu d y o f " u n i v e r s a l law s" m en tio n ed in the P r e f a c e o f Saw.
In 1964 , a f t e r r e a d i n g an a r t i c l e i n S c i e n t i f i c A m eri
can about prime n u m b e rs, Katz d e c id e d to choose one t h a t he
would be a b le to i n s e r t whenever a number was needed i n h i s
143
f i c t i o n . The number 43, b e in g the o n ly one w i t h c o n s e c u t iv e
num bers, was chosen f o r no o t h e r r e a s o n th an t h a t i t
!
(appealed to him ( " 4 3 ," pp. 3 - 4 ) . In 1968 he "began to
i
[ c o l l e c t b i t s o f i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t the number t h a t happened
i
I
to c ro s s my l i f e , o r a p p e a re d i n new spapers and books" (p.
7 ). Many o f th e s e b i t s a re g iv en in the t e x t , and a l l o f
♦
ithem, as Katz p o i n t s o u t , s u p p ly th e number as "an a r b i t r a r y
I
t
jpart o f the s t o r y " (p. 7) . A few exam ples w i l l s u f f i c e :
|
Muhammed Ali was kept from boxing by the federal government for
43 months. (p. 9)
j On October 28, 1970 CBS News announced 43 Americans were killed
_i that ..week--in the_Tndo-China war- (p.-14) ..— - ■
r ' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ” ■ -
j Pete Conrad was awakened in the orbiting skylab on the morning .
| of June 2, 1973 with the singing of Happy Birthday to him. He
had just turned 43. (p. 37)
I
(After a w h i l e , "43 became more o f a n a g g in g r e s p o n s i b i l i t y
th a n a g u id in g o b s e s s i o n " (p. 18) and, he s a y s , "I s t a r t e d
t u r n i n g my fac e away from 4.3 when I saw i t in p r i n t " (p. 18) J
C u r i o u s l y , the number p u rs u e s him. He g e ts i n t o a bus and j
the d r i v e r , who has j u s t f i n i s h e d c o u n tin g the t i c k e t s , |
I
t e l l s him, " 'Y o u 'r e number 4 3 '" (p. 1 9 ); h a v in g d in n e r a t a |
[ r e s t a u r a n t one n i g h t , he f i n d s a c a s h i e r s l i p on h i s t a b l e j
t
marked w ith the number 43 (a p h o to g ra p h o f th e s l i p a p p ea rs
i n the t e x t ) ; and so on. F rie n d s and r e l a t i v e s c a l l or
iw rite to t e l l him o f t h e i r e n c o u n te r s w ith th e number or to
i " 144]
,
j r e l a t e i n f o r m a t i o n in which i t i s g iv en as a f i g u r e , and
!his sons give him a T - s h i r t w ith the number 43 on i t . The
I
(number becomes a r e a l p a r t o f h i s r e a l l i f e . Yet Katz does
i
fnot b e l i e v e i n numerology beyond i t s c a p a c i t y to h e lp one
d e s c r i b e r e a l i t y ; such system s have no i n h e r e n t a b i l i t y to
p ro v id e a n s w e r s , he w r i t e s , s i n c e "no p r e d e te r m in e d o r d e r
can c i r c u m s c r i b e t h i s w o rld o f e v e n t s . " 15
j The number i s a t o o l he has chosen to u s e , which has
i 1
("kept some random i n f o r m a t i o n o f d a i l y r e a l i t y flo w in g
i
(through my l i f e " (p . 4 5 ) . I t i s a r e t r e a t from h i s "some-
jtim es s c a r y i m a g i n a t i o n '^ fn ._ 46"L. .whence .flows, hi s„fi..ct-i-oit,. ^
I
b r i n g i n g him back to the w o rld o f p h y s i c a l and c on crete-—
a l b e i t a r b i t r a r y — d im e n s io n s . I t i s a l l the b e t t e r when, as
i n " P a r c e l o f W r i s t s " and " T r i p , " the "number 43 e n t e r s my
f i c t i o n from o f f a r e a l map o f T e n n e sse e , and th e r e a l road
becomes the f i c t i o n a l r o a d " (p . 4 5 ). The t o o l does become
a c o m p u lsio n , how ever, and he f i n d s i t " b e g in n in g to come
f i r s t , b e f o r e s e x , b e f o r e f o o d , b e f o r e th e d r i v e f o r popu
l a r i t y ” (p. 5 0 ). In f a c t , 43 i n K a t z 's f i c t i o n and h i s l i f e
i s l i k e the w r i s t - p l a n t s , which consume the p r o t a g o n i s t ' s
15
It should be noted that page 43 of "43" is blank. What could
Katz possibly put there that would be appropriate, but not cute, facile,
or contrived?
: 145
I
j li f e and, f o r a w h i l e , even more s t a r t l i n g l y , h i s a u t h o r ' s .
'There i s no r a t i o n a l e x p l a n a t i o n f o r the o r i g i n o f the
1
I
[ w r is ts , j u s t as K a t z 's ch o ic e o f the number 43, d e s p i t e h i s
I
[conscious d e c i s i o n to choose a prime number, i s a r b i t r a r y ,
i
The f i c t i o n s are c r e a t e d , th e n they tak e o v e r t h e i r c r e a t o r
and the two, even as s t a b i l i z e d , become i n e x t r i c a b l e . This
I
jis th e p o i n t o f m e t a f i c t i o n , and i t i s the p o i n t o f K a t z 's
f i c t i o n .
K a t z 's f i c t i o n i s a b su rd p r e c i s e l y b e ca u se the r e a l is
overwhelmed by f i c t i o n i n a l l h i s s t o r i e s . The im a g i n a t iv e
jepis tem ic and— lincruLs-ti c ^ - d is lo c a tio n s i n c o r p o r a t e =-the - i r - r a - — -s—
- t - - - - -— • w - jr
1
Jtional and f a n t a s t i c i n t o f a m i l i a r and p resu m ab ly l o g i c a l ,
lalthough u n f a m i l i a r , c o n t e x t s or c o d e s , a ll o w i n g them to
i
iplay out l i t e r a l r o l e s in words and p i c t u r e s . These r e p u d i -
I
jate our p re s u m p tio n s a b o u t the n a t u r e o f f i c t i o n ( t h a t i t is
r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l and can r e v e a l some t r u t h a b o u t the w o r l d ) ,
and d i s c r e d i t the l i m i t e d p e r c e p t i o n o f the w o rld a f f o r d e d
i
by r a t i o n a l and e m p i r i c a l e p i s t e m o l o g y . Assuming the e x i s -
I
j t e n t i a l i m p e r a t i v e s o f freedom and i n v e n t i o n , Katz c r e a t e s
t
i m a g in a tiv e w o rld s t h a t r e f l e c t the d i s o r d e r and u n r e a s o n
a b le n e s s o f m an's e x p e r i e n c e by s e t t i n g him, and h i m s e l f ,
a d r i f t i n a f i c t i o n a l u n i v e r s e where a n y th i n g i s p o s s i b l e
and where a l l p o i n t s o f r e f e r e n c e o r e p i s t e m o l o g i c a l codes
jare a r b i t r a r y and p r o v i s i o n a l .
| K a t z ’s work c o n s i s t s o f im ag es, o b j e c t s o f the im a g in a-
i
I
t i o n , b r o u g h t i n t o f o c u s , th e n ju x ta p o s e d to o t h e r images
t h a t m odify o r t r a n s f o r m the f i r s t o n e s, i f in d e e d th ey are
a t a l l r e l a t e d . As p r o d u c t s o f the mind, th ey a re r e a l and
o f the w o rld ; b e in g s u c h , th ey are n o t a b s o l u t e . C o n tin g e n t
as images a re on the words (and mind) u sed to c r e a t e them,
and the way th e words a re a r r a n g e d , they a r e , a f t e r a l l , no
■more than t h a t c o m p o s itio n o f w o r d s . Words c a n n o t be o t h e r
th a n th e m s e lv e s ; t h e r e i s no o t h e r r e a l i t y i n h e r e n t l y p r o
j e c t e d th ro u g h them. Thus th ey can be n e i t h e r r e p r e s e n t a
t i v e nor e x p r e s s i v e o f any o t h e r r e a l i t y . Words— and the
images th e y c r e a t e — can a t b e s t t r a n s f o r m (th ro u g h " t r a n s
m u ta t io n " ) the r e a l i t y a l r e a d y d i s l o c a t e d by p e r c e p t i o n .
K a t z 's i m a g i n a t iv e d i s l o c a t i o n s l e a d us i n t e n t i o n a l l y
f u r t h e r from the a c t u a l , u n t i l we r e c o g n iz e the in d e p e n d e n t
a r t i f a c t t h a t i s the f i c t i o n , and n o t i c e i t s s e l f - c o n s c i o u s
n e s s . M e t a f i c t i o n , and the m etalan gu age t h a t i s the t e x t u a l
a r t i f a c t , a re d e l i b e r a t e l y i n v e n t e d and do n o t se ek a d i s
g u i s e , f o r t h e r e i s no h i g h e r code o f a u t h o r i t y th a n t h a t o f
the c r e a t o r ' s i m a g i n a t i o n . This i s p r e c i s e l y the aim o f the
new n o v e l as Robbe- G r i l i e t d e s c r i b e s i t :
L'ecriture romanesque ne vise pas a informer ... elle oonst'itue
| ....................... ' " " _ 1 4 7 '
>
la re a lite . ... elle est invention, invention du monde et de
l'homme, invention constante et perpetuelle remise en question.
( p . 1 7 5 )
I t seems t h a t s i n c e in the im a g i n a t io n t h e r e are no a b s o
l u t e s , th e l i t e r a r y f i c t i o n s i t c r e a t e s are f r e e from a l l
system s t h a t b i n d the r e a l th in g s and e x p e r i e n c e s o f the
w orld i n t o o t h e r f i c t i o n s . The i m a g i n a t i o n i s the medium
th ro u g h which the r e a l and the f i c t i o n a l a re f i l t e r e d , and
o c c a s i o n a l l y a llo w e d to c r o s s p a th s .
i
CHAPTER I I I
RAYMOND FEDERMAN: THE SPATIAL CONSTRUCT
NEVER BELIEVE ANYTHING A WRITER
TELLS YOU ABOUT HIMSELF
A M A N or
for that matter a woman COM ES TO
BELIEVE IN THE END THE LIES HE or
she TELLS HIMSELF ABOUT HIMSELF or
! she te lls herself about herself."^
Raymond F ederm an 's f i c t i o n exposes i t s own f r a u d u l e n c e
as a f i c t i o n a l c r e a t i o n as i t d e s i g n a t e s the a r t i f i c i a l
c o n t e x t s o f e x p e r i e n c e s t h a t he rem e m b e rs, t h a t he e n co u n
t e r s d u r i n g the c r e a t i v e p r o c e s s , and t h a t he i n v e n t s f o r
the o c c a s io n o f w r i t i n g . He c a l l s h i s work " s u r f i c t i o n ,"
f o r i t i n t e n d s to r e v e a l the f i c t i o n i n h e r e n t in a l l s t a t e
m ents t h a t p a ss as d e s c r i p t i o n or a s s e r t i o n s o f " r e a l i t y . "
S u r f i c t i o n assumes the b a s i c t e n e t s o f a b s u r d i s t p h ilo s o p h y
and a e s t h e t i c s , and th o se o f th e nouveau roman, p r o f e s s i n g
^Raymond Federman, Double, o r N othing (Chicago: The Swallow Press,
1971), p. 91. Hereafter cited as DoN.
148
149
and d e m o n s tr a ti n g t h a t the r e a l , which is c o n t i n g e n t and
beyond m an's g r a s p , c an n o t be r e c r e a t e d , and t h a t f i c t i o n
can do no more th a n c o n s t r u c t i n v e n t e d paradigm s o f p e r
c e i v e d , hence d i s t o r t e d , e x p e r i e n c e . In d ee d , he w r i t e s in
Double or N o t h i n g , "The n o v e l i s n o t h in g e l s e b u t a denoun-
c i a t i o n [s i c ] , by i t s v e ry r e a l i t y , o f th e i l l u s i o n which
2
a n im ate s i t " (p . 146) .
Federm an's n o v e ls a re p e rh a p s the most e x p e r im e n ta l in
form and s t y l e o f the works d i s c u s s e d in t h i s s t u d y . They
a re e m in e n tly a r t i f i c i a l c o n s t r u c t s , u n r e l e n t i n g in t h e i r
p r e o c c u p a t i o n w ith a e s t h e t i c s . I t is t h e r e f o r e u s e f u l to
p r e f a c e a d e s c r i p t i o n o f the works th em se lv e s w ith some com
ments a b o u t Fed erm an 's own l i t e r a r y t h e o r i e s as he e x p r e s s e s
them in h i s c r i t i c a l w r i t i n g s .
S u r f i c t i o n i s m e t a f i c t i o n ; i t i s s e l f - r e f l e c t i v e ,
■ in te re s te d in ex am ining and e x p o s in g i t s own p r o c e s s . The
f i c t i o n s c r e a t e d in l i f e and in l i t e r a t u r e must be re c o g -
I
n i z e d as s u c h , and n o t m i s t a k e n l y , o r n o s t a l g i c a l l y , s u b s t i
t u t e d f o r r e a l i t y . " F i c t i o n c a n n o t be r e a l i t y , " w r i t e s
Federm an, " o r a r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f r e a l i t y , o r an i m i t a t i o n ,
| 2
I These words appear on an unnumbered page between pp. 146 and 147
jthat will be referred to hereafter as p. 146a.
1 5 0
3
or even a r e c r e a t i o n o f r e a l i t y . . I t i s a c o n s t r u c t ,
which e x i s t s i n d e p e n d e n t l y o f the l i f e t h a t spawned i t and
which d i s t i n g u i s h e s i t s autonomy as an a d d i t i o n to th e w o rld
The s u r f i c t i o n a l c o n s t r u c t exposes i t s own g r a t u i t o u s n e s s ,
and acknowledges i t s la c k o f " s o c i a l , m o ra l, p s y c h o l o g i c a l ,
m e t a p h y s i c a l , [o r] comm ercial v a lu e " (p . 4 2 7 ). The novel i s
■not a v e h i c l e t r a n s p o r t i n g know ledge; r a t h e r , i t is a t e s t a
ment to the i m p o s s i b i l i t y o f knowing a n y th in g b u t f i c t i o n s .
[Federman a s s e r t s , "We t h i n k we a re going to f i n d in i t the
e x p r e s s i o n o f ou r u n i t y , w hereas i n f a c t i t o n ly m a n i f e s t s
the d e s i r e o f i t " (DoN, p. 1 4 6 a ) . F i c t i o n s i n h e r e n t l y
r e f l e c t man’s w ish to s y s t e m a t i z e the r e a l i t y he c o n f r o n t s
i n the w o rld ; i t i s "always a q u e s t i o n of e x p r e s s i n g , o f
t r a n s l a t i n g som ethin g w hich i s a l r e a d y t h e r e " (p. 146a) ,
and t h i s , he p r o p o s e s , i s i m p o s s i b l e . He e x p l a i n s h i s p o s i
t i o n f u r t h e r , w r i t i n g t h a t " J u s t as the s u r r e a l i s t s c a l l e d
t h a t l e v e l o f m an's e x p e r i e n c e t h a t f u n c t i o n s in the s u b
c o n s c io u s SURREALITY, I c a l l t h a t l e v e l o f man's a c t i v i t y
which r e v e a l s l i f e as a f i c t i o n SURFICTION. " 4
3
"Surfiction: A Position," P a rtisa n Rev^ew, 40 (Fall 1973),
427. This article was reprinted as Introduction to S u r fic tio n : F ic tio n
Now and Tomorrow, ed. Raymond Federman (Chicago: Swallow Press, 1974).
4 . . .
Lawrence McCaffery, "Surfiction," rev. of S u rfic t'io n by Raymond
Federman, Contemporary L ite r a tu r e 18 (Spring 1977), 251.
_ — :
The g r e a t e s t a r t i s t i c ach iev em en t o f F ed erm an 's s u r
f i c t i o n l i e s i n h i s developm ent o f th e s p a t i a l p r o p e r t i e s o f
the pages o f h i s t e x t s and i n h i s e x p l o r a t i o n o f the t y p o
g r a p h i c a l and t y p o l o g i c a l p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f f e r e d by movable
t y p e . These are e x p l o i t e d to d i s t i n g u i s h the l i t e r a r y a r t i
f a c t from, as Sharon Sp encer c a l l s i t , " i t s s u r r o u n d i n g
c o n t e x t o f r e a l i t y " (p. 5 3 ). A r t i f i c e dom inates the f i c
t i o n a l p r o c e s s , j u s t as p e r c e p t i o n f i c t i o n a l i z e s r e a l i t y ,
d i s t a n c i n g man from i t i r r e v o c a b l y and f a l s i f y i n g i t .
Federman d i s c u s s e s the n e ed to r e v i t a l i z e th e r e a d i n g
o f f i c t i o n
. . . in order to give the reader a sense of free participation
in the writing/reading process, in order to give the reader an
element of choice (active choice) in the ordering of the discourse
and the discovery of i ts meaning. ("Surfiction," p. 428)
This can be acc o m p lish e d th ro u g h a change in the p h y s i c a l
a s p e c t s o f th e book i t s e l f , i t s p r i n t i n g , so t h a t new r e l a
t i o n s h i p s among w o rd s, and betw een the words and th e space
o f the p a g e , may be e s t a b l i s h e d . He would s u b s t i t u t e
" p a g i n a l s y n t a x " f o r g ra m m a tic a l, so t h a t the r e a d e r may
" d i s c o v e r h i s freedom i n r e l a t i o n to the p r o c e s s o f r e a d i n g
a book, i n r e l a t i o n to lan g u ag e and f i c t i o n " (p. 4 2 8 ).
Aware o f i t s a r t i f i c e , s u r f i c t i o n n a t u r a l l y d i s p e n s e s
w ith the t r a d i t i o n a l a p p ea ra n c e o f the n a r r a t i v e d i s c o u r s e
152
d e s ig n e d to be r a t i o n a l and r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l . Language, the
medium th ro u g h which p e r c e p t i o n and i n t e r p r e t a t i o n a re
t r a n s p o r t e d in l i t e r a t u r e , f a l s i f i e s m an's r e l a t i o n s h i p to
the w o rld as the r u l e s o f grammar and s y n ta x impose t h e i r
o r d e r and t h e i r l o g i c upon t h o u g h t . One o f the b a s i c t e n e t s
o f a b s u r d i s t th o u g h t and l i t e r a t u r e i s t h a t l a n g u a g e , l i k e
g e s t u r e , d i s t o r t s o b j e c t s and f e e l i n g s , and t h a t i t s i n
e f f e c t i v e n e s s , c au se d l a r g e l y by abuses o f i t , has l e d to
the d e t e r i o r a t i o n o f meaning in d i s c o u r s e . Communication i s
i m p o s s ib le b ecause i t s v e h i c l e , la n g u a g e , i s i n v a l i d . P a r a
d o x i c a l l y , la n g u a g e , when i t s v a lu e as a medium i s r a i s e d ,
can be r e c o g n i z e d as t h a t which preem pts knowledge and
c r e a t e s f i c t i o n s . Federman s a y s , " I f we a r e to make o f the
n o v e l an a r t form , we must r a i s e the p r i n t e d word as the
medium, and t h e r e f o r e where and how i t i s p l a c e d on the
p r i n t e d page makes a d i f f e r e n c e i n what th e n ov el i s s a y in g "
( " S u r f i c t i o n , " p. 4 2 8 ). The meaning o f the n a r r a t i v e c a n n o t
be ta k e n f o r g r a n t e d , f o r as i t s components a t t a i n p ro m i
n e n c e , th ey s u g g e s t a l t e r n a t i v e s , r e p u d i a t i n g the conven
t i o n s t h a t f o r c e d them i n t o p r e e s t a b l i s h e d and u n c o n s c i o u s ly
a c c e p t e d l o g i c a l s t r u c t u r e s . The a r t i f a c t becomes a l a b o r a
t o r y o f p o s s i b i l i t i e s in which the w r i t e r , th e r e a d e r , and
the language th e y s h a r e a s s o c i a t e , n o t to r e c r e a t e the w o rld
153
in which th ey l i v e , b u t to c r e a t e models o f new r e a l i t i e s .
Federman b e l i e v e s t h a t the i m a g i n a t io n c o m b in e s , d i s
t o r t s , and d i s p l a c e s , p r o v i s i o n a l l y , w hat i s a l r e a d y t h e r e :
la n g u a g e , memory, e x p e r i e n c e . N othing i s " o r i g i n a l " to the
i m a g i n a t i o n , s i n c e f i c t i o n s a r e , by d e f i n i t i o n , d e r i v a t i o n s
o f so m e th in g e l s e . He b e l i e v e s , as Ja c q u e s Ehrmann s a y s ,
t h a t the w r i t e r " p u ts language in q u o t e s , " t h a t he s e t s i t
5
a p a r t from r e a l i t y and " d e s i g n a t e s i t as l a n g u a g e ."
I m a g i n a t i o n , t h e n , i s m erely the d i s l o c a t i o n o f words common
to e v e ry o n e , and th u s im a g i n a t iv e w r i t i n g s a re n e v e r o r i g i
n a l , b u t p a r a p h r a s e s and p l a g i a r i s m s . Federman ta k e s co n
t r o l o f lan guage and makes i t dom inate h i s f i c t i o n . Where
t h e r e are no a b s o l u t e s th e r e a re no mots j u s t e s : a n y th in g
sand e v e r y t h i n g lang uag e has to o f f e r may be employed in the
p r o d u c t i o n o f f i c t i o n . Sharon S pencer w r i t e s t h a t the
i n c l u s i o n in a n o v e l o f o t h e r l i t e r a r y modes and fo rm s, and
q u o t a t i o n s from o t h e r s o u r c e s , i n h e r e n t l y r e f e r s the r e a d e r
to o t h e r p o i n t s o f v iew , f o r c i n g him to m odify h i s r e l a t i o n
s h i p to the t e x t in hand (pp. 143-146) and, more s p e c i f i
c a l l y h e r e , to i t s la n g u a g e . The r e p e t i t i o n s and r e i n v e n
S
Raymond Federman, "Imagination as Plagiarism," unpublished paper,
p. 11. Later published in revised form in New L ite r a r y H isto ry : A
Journal o f Theory and I n te r p r e ta tio n , 7 (1975-1976), 563-568.
154
t i o n s t h a t a p p e a r in F ed erm an 's w ork, as w e l l as th e b o rro w
i n g s , f i n d j u s t i f i c a t i o n i n th e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f lang uag e to
r e a l i t y , a r e l a t i o n s h i p t h a t i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d as f i c t i o n .
Federman w r i t e s ,
. . . the creator merely imitates, mimicks, parodies, repeats,
plagiarizes, not the absolute meaning that was there before,
but simply the medium (the vehicle) that pretended to bring
forth that meaning. In other words, lite ra tu re plagiarizes
i t s e l f , mumbles to i t s e l f , just as modern art represents, or
rather decomposes (concretely or abstractly) its own medium
and not reality . ("Imagination as Plagiarism," p. 8)
Federman ta k e s ad v an tag e o f th e d e s t a n d a r d i z a t i o n o f n a r r a
t i v e form and t e c h n iq u e : th e s e are d i s r u p t e d in the pages
o f h i s work n o t o n ly t y p o g r a p h i c a l l y and t y p o l o g i c a l l y , b u t
a l s o s u b s t a n t i v e l y . The p ro se i s d i g r e s s i v e , s k i p p i n g from
t o p i c to t o p i c , i t i s mixed w ith o t h e r forms o f d i s c o u r s e ,
and th e q u o t a t i o n s from or a l l u s i o n s to o t h e r t e x t s a re
i n t e g r a t e d o f t e n w i t h o u t c i t a t i o n . In s u r f i c t i o n , "w ords,
p h r a s e s , s e q u e n c e s , s c e n e s , s p a c e s , e t c . must become d i g r e s
s i v e from one a n o t h e r ” so t h a t th e s e " e le m e n ts w i l l now
o c c u r s i m u l t a n e o u s l y and o f f e r m u l t i p l e p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f j
r e a r r a n g e m e n t in the p r o c e s s o f r e a d i n g , " and the "shape and
o r d e r o f f i c t i o n w i l l . . . r e s u l t . . . from the form al
c i r c u m v o l u t io n s o f la n g u a g e " ( " S u r f i c t i o n , " p. 4 2 9 ). The
f i c t i o n a l i z a t i o n p r o c e s s w i l l in v o lv e the r e a d e r , who must
make c h o ic e s c o n c e rn in g the sequence o f e le m e n ts ( f o r
155
r e a d i n g rem ains a s e q u e n t i a l p r o c e s s ) , and e s t a b l i s h the
r e l a t i o n s h i p s among them.
Federm an's s u r f i c t i o n assumes t h a t man's r e l a t i o n s h i p
to th e w o rld i s n o t t h a t o f d i s c o v e r e r , b u t o f i n v e n t o r .
His n o v e ls e x t e r i o r i z e and r e n d e r c o n c r e t e th e e x p e r i e n c e s
o f h i s l i f e as th e s e are c r e a t e d by the f i c t i o n s t h a t
e x p re s s them. The v e r b a l r e a l i t y o f th e t e x t s c o n c r e t i z e s
by i t s form and s u b s ta n c e the p re s e n c e o f th e e x p e r i e n c e ,
m u ta ted th ro u g h time and p e r c e p t i o n . S in c e the works a re
d e s ig n e d so t h a t the a r t i f i c i a l d e v ic e s o f f i c t i o n a re e v i
d e n t , th e f i c t i o n a l l i f e Federman c r e a t e s w i t h i n d i s t i n
g u ish e s i t s e l f from t h a t which w as, o r may have b e e n , and
r e p l a c e s t h a t l i f e w i t h i n v e n t e d paradigm s o r m odels.
I n h e r e n t in h i s c o n c e p t i s t h a t which R o b b e - G r i l l e t a r t i c u
l a t e s to d e s i g n a t e the p r a c t i t i o n e r s o f the nouveau r o m a n:
... tous ceux qui cherchent de nouvelles formes romanesques
capables d'exprimer (ou de creer) de nouvelles relations entre
I'homme et le monde, tous ceux qui sont decides a inventer le
roman, c'est-a-d ire a inventer I ’homme. (p. 9)
In h i s e s s a y " I m a g i n a t i o n as P l a g i a r i s m " Federman e x p r e s s e s
the i d e a t h a t f i c t i o n i s b a se d on the e x p e r i e n c e s o f one who
w r i t e s , and t h a t t h e s e a re s im u lta n e o u s w i t h th e w r i t i n g
p r o c e s s . T ruth and r e a l i t y a re b e s i d e the p o i n t ; f i c t i o n is
the r e s u l t o f the p o i n t o f view from th e moment o f w r i t i n g .
156
The a r t o f composing a n ov el i s n o t d i f f e r e n t from t h a t o f
composing o n e 's r e a l i t y ; i n f a c t , they c o i n c i d e . In d ee d ,
Ronald Su ken ick a s s e r t s , f i c t i o n i s "a normal e p i s t e m o l o g i -
c a l p r o c e d u r e . ” 6 L i f e ' s r e a l i t y i s l o s t i n the f i c t i o n a l
p r o c e s s , f o r f i c t i o n s are d i s t o r t i o n s and f a b r i c a t i o n s , and
as such th ey are a l s o p r o v i s i o n a l and may be r e p l a c e d by
o t h e r s . Thus we r e t u r n to the n o t i o n , as Federman would
Jhave i t , t h a t l i f e as i t i s c r e a t e d i s composed o f f i c t i o n s .
" R e a l i t y , w h e th e r a p p ro a ch e d i m a g i n a t i v e l y or e m p i r i
c a l l y , rem ains a s u r f a c e , h e r m e t i c ” ( " I m a g i n a t i o n as P l a
g i a r i s m , ” p. 3 ) , w r i t e s Federman, s i n c e i t s p r o p e r t i e s are
c o n t i n g e n t . Knowledge i s b u t an i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f what i s
p e r c e i v e d (p. 4 ) , so th e r e a l c a n n o t be c a p t u r e d o t h e r th a n
as s u r f a c e s t h a t a p p e a r e x t e r i o r to man. The s u r f i c t i o n a l
novel p r e s e n t s th e s e s u r f a c e s v i s u a l l y . As th e t e x t u n
f o l d s , i t " m a t e r i a l i z e s ( r e n d e r s c o n c r e t e ) f i c t i o n i n t o
w ords" ( " S u r f i c t i o n , " p . 4 3 0 ), and the v i s u a l d im e n sio n , as
I
Sharon Spencer s t a t e s (p. 1 4 8 ), a l t e r s the a u r a l , i n t e l l e c
t u a l , and e m o tio n a l q u a l i t i e s o f w o rd s, l e a v i n g t h e i r con
s t r u c t e d ap p ea ra n c e p r o m in e n t. The i l l u s i o n s and d e v ic e s
o f the work, which are u s u a l l y h id d e n by the w o rd s, are h e re
6Joe David Bellamy, "Imagination as Perception: An Interview with
Ronald Sukenick," Chicago Review , 23 (Winter 1972), 72.
157
r e v e a l e d by them. The p r o c e s s of f i c t i o n a l i z i n g b e g in s i t s
u n v e i l i n g , because language becomes an end i n i t s e l f , and
the m u l t i p l e p o s s i b i l i t i e s o f f e r e d by i t s t y p o g r a p h ic v a r i
a b le s compel the r e a d e r ' s aw areness o f i t .
R o b b e - G r il l e t p ro p o se s t h a t the new n o v e l i s t seek new
ways o f c r e a t i n g , f i c t i o n a l i z i n g , the w o rld and man. S u r
f i c t i o n acco m p lish es t h i s f i r s t by c h a l l e n g i n g the n o t i o n
t h a t the novel r e c r e a t e s the w o rld , as d i s c u s s e d above, and
th en by c h a l l e n g i n g a l l the co n v en tio n s of the novel t h a t
f o s t e r e d t h i s i m p r e s s io n , i n c l u d i n g t h a t o f the way i n which
the t e x t is r e a d . Language d e s i g n a t e d as language p e r v e r t s
c o n n o ta tiv e meaning as i t does n o t r e f e r to i t s s u b j e c t , b u t
■instead to i t s e l f as o b j e c t . Thus i t produces i t s own mean
i n g , n o t a p r e e x i s t i n g one.
S u r f i c t i o n r e d o u b le s upon i t s e l f s e e k in g to u n d e r s ta n d
i t s own f u n c t i o n i n g , f o r , as R o b b e - G r i l l e t w r i t e s , "Le roman
moderne . . . e s t une r e c h e r c h e , mais une re c h e r c h e qui cre e
elle-m eme ses p ro p r e s s i g n i f i c a t i o n s " (p. 1 5 2 ). Federman
w r i t e s t h a t " i t i s from i t s e l f , from i t s own s u b s ta n c e t h a t
the f i c t i t i o u s d i s c o u r s e w i l l p r o l i f e r a t e — i m i t a t i n g , r e p e a t
i n g , p a ro d y in g , r e t r a c i n g what i t s a y s " ( " S u r f i c t i o n , " p.
429). Like a l l m e t a f i c t i o n , Federm an's i s l a r g e l y r e s t r i c te d ;
■to the l e v e l o f the n a r r a t i v e i t s e l f , where i t examines i t s
159
r e f e r r e d to in a l l o f h i s n o v e ls p u b l i s h e d to d a t e , as he
se e k s to f i l l the " h o le " o f h i s p a s t , which he c an n o t
r a t i o n a l l y comprehend, w ith f i c t i o n s . Double or N o th in g ,
p u b l i s h e d in 1971; Amer Eldorado , p u b l i s h e d i n France in
1974; and Take I t or Leave I t , which a p p e a re d in 1976, are
the a r t i f a c t s t h a t f i c t i o n a l i z e F ederm an's p a s t and c r e a t e
new f i c t i o n a l r e a l i t i e s f o r the p r e s e n t . A ll t h r e e d e s c r i b e
and seem to be a t t e m p t i n g to come to terms w ith th e same s e t
o f e x p e r i e n c e s from h i s l i f e ; how ever, th ey do so i n d i f f e r
e n t w a y s . There a re always new f i c t i o n s , new b e g in n in g s in
7
th e s e w ork s, an " a b s u r d u n e n d in g " to F ed erm an's p r o c e s s o f
r e i n v e n t i n g h i s l i f e , which he p r o f e s s e s as h i s aim. The
n o v e ls r e c o r d th e c r e a t i o n o f f i c t i o n s , s u g g e s t i n g by the
a p p a r e n t l y c h a o t i c and i n c o h e r e n t f o r m s , and th e f a l s e
s t a r t s , the i m p o s s i b i l i t y o f f i n d i n g o r d e r , m eaning, and
pu rpo se to th e shape o f l i f e .
Double or N o th in g i s about an a tt e m p t to c r e a t e a f i c
t i o n f o r the r e a l e x p e r ie n c e o f Federm an's p a s t , which is
i p a r t i a l l y d e s c r i b e d i n the t e x t and i s , h e n c e , a l s o f i c t i o n .
7
Take I t or Leave I t (New York: The Fiction Collective, 1976),
p. 96. The pages of this novel are not numbered; those given here
follow my own pagination, beginning with the Pretext and including every
page of the book. This book will be referred to hereafter as TIoLI.
1 6 0
The second n o v e l, Amer Eldorado , which e x i s t s on ly in
F re n c h , i s a t e l l i n g o f th o se e x p e r i e n c e s , and i s l i k e w i s e
c o n ce rn e d w ith the f i c t i o n a l i z a t i o n i n h e r e n t in the p r o c e s s
of c o m m u n ica tio n . Most o f t h i s work i s i n c o r p o r a t e d i n Take
I t or Leave I t , which i s a g r e a t l y expanded "seco nd d r a f t "
o f the second work. For t h i s r e a s o n , I have chosen n o t to
d i s c u s s Amer Eldorado s e p a r a t e l y , b u t r a t h e r to d e s c r i b e i t
on ly i n s o f a r as i t s form d i f f e r s from t h a t o f the o t h e r two
n o v e l s , and to r e f e r o n ly to th o se s t a t e m e n t s made in i t
t h a t do n o t a p p ea r e l s e w h e r e . S ince a l l t h r e e works f i c
t i o n a l i z e th e same e x p e r i e n c e s , i n an e f f o r t to o r g a n iz e
t h i s d i s c u s s i o n o f F ed erm an's a r t i s t i c a ch iev e m e n ts c o h e r
e n t l y and w i t h o u t too much r e p e t i t i o n , I s h a l l fo cu s p r i
m a r i ly on the a b s u r d i s t e le m e n ts o f Double or N o th in g and
th e e le m e n ts o f the new n o v e l in Take I t or Leave I t , b u t
in c lu d e r e f e r e n c e s to a l l t h r e e n o v e ls as i s n e c e s s a r y .
In Double or N o t h i n g Federman warns the r e a d e r to
"Never b e l i e v e a n y th in g a w r i t e r t e l l s you about h i m s e l f "
|(p. 9 1 ) , f o r d e s p i t e p o s s i b l e b a s e s in h i s t o r i c a l f a c t , the
e x p r e s s i o n s o f o n e 's e x p e r i e n c e s a re f i c t i o n s — in h i s w o rd s,
" i n v e n t i o n s " and " l i e s " (p . 5 0 ) . His n a r r a t i v e v o ic e in
t h i s work i s d i v id e d i n t o f o u r r o l e s , each b e a r i n g a r e s p o n
s i b i l i t y f o r the c r e a t i o n and p r o d u c t i o n o f th e work, so
161
t h a t the e x p e r i e n c e s d e s c r i b e d have a p a t e n t l y f i c t i o n a l
c o n t e x t , and thu s the " t r u t h " and meaning o f th o se e x p e r i
ences are i n d i c a t e d as c o n t i n g e n t .
The n o v e l opens w ith a s e c t i o n e n t i t l e d "This Is Not a
i
B e g i n n i n g , " in which the p l a n of the work i s s e t f o r t h . I t
i s a f a i r y t a l e :
Once upon a time (two or three weeks ago), a rather stubborn
and determined middle-aged man decided to record (for posterity)
. . . the story of another man . . . who had decided to lock him
se lf in a room . . . to write the story of another person— a shy
young man about 19 years old—who, after the war (the Second
World War), had come to America . . .^
!As Lawrence McCaffery p o i n t s o u t , th e e x i s t e n c e o f the t h r e e
! 9
p e rs o n s i m p lie s the p r e s e n c e o f a f o u r t h , Federman h i m s e l f .
In f a c t , h i s p r e s e n c e i s e x p l i c i t , and he r e f e r s to h i s own
I
jrole as t h a t o f "someone to c o n t r o l o r g a n iz e s u p e r v i s e i f
you w ish the a c t i v i t i e s and r e l a t i o n s o f the o t h e r t h r e e
p e r s o n s " (p . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .0 ). I t i s he who s e t s "The Real
F i c t i t i o u s D is c o u r s e " in m o tio n , the d i s c o u r s e whose i n v e n
t i o n and c r e a t i o n in the pages o f th e t e x t is p o i e t i c a l l y
r e a l , b u t whose r e l a t i o n s h i p to the w o rld o f h i s t o r i c a l f a c t
g
Page "0"— the pages of the "non-beginning" are numbered 0 to
000000000 . 0 .
g
"Raymond Federman and the Fiction of Self-Creation: A Critical
Mosaic," to appear in F ic tio n In te r n a tio n a l, Winter 1978 issue.
162
i s f i c t i t i o u s .
Federman t e l l s us t h a t the t h r e e p e rs o n s o f th e n o v e l,
r e c o r d e r , w r i t e r , and p r o t a g o n i s t , are "anx iou s to be to go
to e x i s t to i n v e n t to w r i t e to r e c o r d to s u r v i v e to become"
(p. 000000000), which th ey can do only in f i c t i o n . He i s
g iv in g them l i f e w ith i n v e n t i o n s and l i e s , and, i n the p r o c
e s s , c r e a t i n g h i s own r e a l i t y . For as the t h r e e p e rs o n s
m ingle and sw itc h p e r s o n a l pronouns in the t e x t , b o rro w in g
each o t h e r ’s i d e n t i t i e s and r o l e s , in the c e n t e r o f th e
n o v e l a l l f o u r "merge and c o n v e r g e , ” as do " th e camp" o f the
p a s t and " th e room" o f the p r e s e n t in which the s t o r y i s
b e in g w r i t t e n (p. 129) (see F ig . 1 ) . A lthough a " c l e a r
b re a k from the p a s t " i s so u g h t " s y m b o l i c a l l y " (p. 6 9 ) , says
the w r i t e r , the r e c o r d e r knows t h a t w r i t i n g c an n o t e x o r c i s e
the i n n e r s e l f (p. 1 3 7 ), i t can on ly f i c t i o n a l i z e i t , and
s u b s t i t u t e , p e r h a p s , new f i c t i o n s . In th e a b su rd w o rld
where the r e a l i s i n c o m p r e h e n s i b l e , b e in g depends on f i c
t i o n a l i z i n g . I t i s a s t a t e o f a f f a i r s t h a t can be i g n o r e d ,
or laug hed a t , w r i t e s Federman. "The o n ly way to keep
g o i n g , " he w i l l a s s e r t l a t e r i n Take I t or Leave I t , i s to
" r e i n v e n t y o u r s e l f in mad g i g g l e s laugh y o u r l i f e o u t i n t o
w ords" ( T I o L I , p . 1 7 5 ). His n o v e ls a re a l l j u s t such r e i n
v e n t i o n s .
163
After all t h i s .................... here W E are in the middle
MI D D L E
I
MIDDLE
I D
D L
MI DDLE
L
E
me
myself
I After all these contorsions
contraptions
circumvolutions
Here W E are converging
you
he
we & the other too THE SUPERINTENDANT
THE OVERALL-LOOKER
± A
one
two
three & four
and yet W E must go on for a while augmenting while converging
decreasing while augmenting
as W e augment towards our end
towards the end at least for a while longer
and yet
so many days le ft
so many boxes left
so many pages left
so many words left and so many stories too
right on W E go!
Figure 1. Facsimile of p. 129 of Double or N othing
into
one
another
the camp
the room i
together
164
Double or N o th in g fo c u s e s c h i e f l y on the p r e p a r a t i o n s
o f the second p e r s o n ( w r i t e r ) f o r h i s 365-day s t a y i n the
room where he w i l l w r i t e the s t o r y o f th e t h i r d p e r s o n . His
c o n c e rn s c e n t e r on the n e c e s s i t i e s o f h i s e n d e a v o r: r e n t a t
$8 a week; the amount needed and th e c o s t o f n o o d l e s , which
w i l l be h i s s t a p l e d i e t ; t o i l e t p a p e r , t o o t h p a s t e , c i g a
r e t t e s , c o f f e e , and, as an a f t e r t h o u g h t , p a p e r and o t h e r
w r i t i n g s u p p l i e s . At the end o f th e n o v e l , i n the l a s t
l i n e , he r e a l i z e s ,
JUST THINK . . . FOR INSTANCE . . . IF THE RO O M COSTS ONLY 7
BUCKS A W EEK . .
7 times 52 makes 364 ...............................
then_it_ d e e _ s _ n o t _ n e c e _ ss_arily_have_ to_be_ NOODLES !
(p. 191)
And s o , the e n t e r p r i s e o f w r i t i n g the s t o r y as s e t f o r t h i n
th e opening pages n e v e r even b e g i n s , and the p r e p a r a t i o n s
are n u l l i f i e d i n view o f the new c o n s i d e r a t i o n s . This
" p l o t , " t h e n , c a n c e ls i t s e l f , and w ith i t the s t o r y o f the
p r o t a g o n i s t f o r which i t s e r v e d as a fram e. The f i c t i o n
( n u l l i f i e s the com m unication o f th e r e a l e x p e r i e n c e s . As the
n ov el p ro c e e d s , the w r i t e r has b een w orking o u t the t a l e of
the t h i r d p e r s o n , b u t i r r e s o l u t e changes o f name and d e t a i l ,
the m in g lin g o f " f a c t " and f a n t a s y (by h i s own a c c o u n t ) , and
o f c o u rse the u l t i m a t e r e v i s i o n p r o p o s e d , produce an i n c o n
c l u s i v e , p r o v i s i o n a l f i c t i o n .
165
As the p l o t le a d s to i t s new s t a r t i n g p o i n t , so the
f i c t i o n s t h a t com prise i t c o n s i s t o f d i g r e s s i o n s , im p r o v i
s a t i o n s , i r r e s o l u t e b e g i n n i n g s , b u t n o t c o n c l u s i o n s . Noth
in g i s e v e r f i n a l , n e i t h e r the c a l c u l a t i o n s o f the w r i t e r ,
no r the d e t a i l s o f h i s s t o r y , n o r , in d e e d , th e i n v e n t i o n as
a w h ole, y e t t h e s e v i e f o r a t t e n t i o n i n th e t e x t . Almost
ev ery an ec d o te c o n s i d e r e d by the w r i t e r ends w ith som ething
t h a t b r i n g s him back to h i s p rim a ry c o n s i d e r a t i o n :
. . . I would do b etter getting back to my l i s t . . . stick
with the toiletpaper the toothbrush the coffee the soap sugar
salt tomato sauce the wall paper and the horses and forget
about Ernest's mother i t ' s all an illusion a fiction a lie
the only truth now is the NOODLES............. (p. 117)
I
The n o o d l e s , as the s t a p l e d i e t o f th e w r i t e r , w i l l s u s t a i n
jhim f o r the e n t e r p r i s e , and t h i s i s the n o v e l 's main c o n
s i d e r a t i o n . The p r o j e c t e d consum ption o f boxes o f no od les
i s r e l a t e d to the days on which c e r t a i n s t o r i e s w i l l be
^ r i t t e n , f i g u r i n g one box p e r day, so t h a t m e to n y m ic a lly the
i
s t r u c t u r e o f the work i s to be l a i d o u t on a "noodle map,"
and i t s c o n t e n t i s to r e v e a l a "noodle r e a l i t y " (pp. 1 1 0 -
1 1 1 ). In Fed erm an 's n e x t n o v e l, A m er Eldorado , th e p r o
t a g o n i s t r e f e r s to "th e o t h e r v e r s i o n of h i s e x i s t e n c e " i n
10
Double or Eoth-ing as " 1 ' h i s t o i r e des n o u i l l e s . " " N o u i l le "
Amer Eldorado (Paris: Editions Stock, 1974), p. 58. Hereafter
cited as AE.
166
i n French means n o t only n o o d le ; i t i s a f a m i l i a r term f o r
a p e rs o n w i t h o u t e n e r g y . The pun i n F re n c h , t h e n , r e f e r s to
the c r e a t i v e p r o c e s s s u s t a i n e d and s u b s t a n t i a t e d by n o o d l e s ,
and the i d e a t h a t f i c t i o n a l c r e a t i o n s have e x i s t e n c e b u t no
f o r c e o f ' t h e i r own. The p r o c e s s i s i m p o r t a n t : f i c t i o n i s
c r e a t e d i n the same way meaning i n l i f e i s c r e a t e d ; in d e e d ,
the l a t t e r a c t i v i t y in v o lv e s the fo rm e r. The s u r f i c t i o n a l
c o n s t r u c t e x p l o r e s the p r o c e s s o f i t s own c r e a t i o n as i t
seek s to in v o lv e th e r e a d e r i n an aw areness o f the f i c t i o n a l
a c t p r o p e r . In F ed erm an 's works the p r o c e s s i s , as in
S o r r e n t i n o ' s and K a t z 's w orks, the main s u b j e c t and an end
i n i t s e l f . I t does n o t m a t t e r what th e f i c t i o n s are or how
th e y a re r e s o l v e d ; i t m a t t e r s only t h a t they be c r e a t e d ,
p ro d u c e d , t h a t th ey and t h e i r c r e a t o r keep g o in g : f o r
s u r f i c t i o n , th e s u s te n a n c e o f f i c t i o n i s th e s u s te n a n c e o f
l i f e .
In Take I t or Leave I t Federman, th ro u g h one o f h i s
n a r r a t o r s , announces, t h a t :
The 'in tr in s ic value o f a d isc o u rse does n o t depend on the impor
tance o f i t s s u b je c t . . . b u t in f a c t in the way we approach
the a c c id e n ta l and the m eaningless3 in the way o f m astering
what i s in s ig n ific a n t. (p. 161)
The "noodle r e a l i t y " o f Double or N o th in g i s in d e e d made up
o f i n s i g n i f i c a n t d e t a i l s and f i g u r i n g s , and i t s d i g r e s s i v e
167
and i m p r o v i s a t i o n a l s t y l e make the a p p earan ce o f e v e ry t o p i c
or s t o r y seem a c c i d e n t a l . For a l l i t s c o n t r i v a n c e s and
c a l c u l a t i o n s , the n ovel i s a s h a m b le s . In the back o f the
t e x t i s a "Summary of the D i s c o u r s e , " an in d ex to i t s v a r i e d
t o p i c s . These are a few:
PAGE REFERENCES TOPICS
67 First complete l i s t of supplies
67-68 Further discussion of points of view
68 More about to ile t paper
69 Scene on the upper deck of the boat
70 Speculations on the relationship between
the protagonist and Peggy (the girl from
Milwaukee) and how this relationship may
end
71 Reflections on Love § Death
72 Description of the physical appearance
of the protagonist
73 Some philosophical thoughts about life
and fiction and more about the protago
n i s t 's character
74 Life and suffering —
Considerations about the possibility of
borrowing money (p. 195)
The s u b j e c t o f th e n o v e l, the c r e a t i o n o f f i c t i o n , i s r e a l
i z e d w ith what a p p e a rs to be any t o p i c t h a t comes to mind,
" i n s i g n i f i c a n t " f i c t i o n s . There i s no r e a s o n a b l e o r d e r to
the e p is o d e s o f the d i s c o u r s e , and as f i c t i o n s a l l o f them
a re e p i s t e m o l o g i c a l l y m e a n in g l e s s . But so a re th e e x p e r i
en ces o f l i f e , and the seemingly u n c o n t r o l l e d chaos o f the
168
f i c t i o n a l e x p e r i e n c e r e f l e c t s t h i s a b s u r d i t y . In d e e d , as
Federman says , " a n y th in g can happen i n America the same way
a n y th in g can happen i n a f i c t i t i o u s d i s c o u r s e " ( DoN, p. 114);
an unsound t e l e o l o g y i s assumed f o r b o t h .
Federm an’s o n ly p l a n , u l t i m a t e l y , f o r the p r o g r e s s i o n
o f the t e x t i s , as he announces i n the open in g pages , to
l e t the damn t h i n g shape i t s e l f by i t s e l f " {DoN, p . 5 ).
l i s i n t e n t i o n i s to argue f o r v a r i e t y and e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n
I
i n s h a p e , to b re a k up n a r r a t i v e c o h e s iv e n e s s and o r d e r . Yet
w hile the movement may be i r r e g u l a r , i t s t o p i c s i n s i g n i f i
c a n t , i t s minimal p l o t u n c e r t a i n and i n c o n s t a n t , as i t p r o
c e e d s , F ed erm an's m em ories, f a n t a s i e s , and co n cern s a re
n e v e r t h e l e s s e x p o sed , and th e s e make up b o th the e x p e r ie n c e
o f f i c t i o n a l i z i n g and t h a t o f the r e a d in g o f the t e x t . The
shape o f the novel i s , i n the en d , i n d e f i n a b l e , as are the
e x p e r ie n c e s e n c o u n te r e d i n the u n d e r t a k i n g . A lthough g r e a t
a r t i s t i c d e x t e r i t y i s d i s p l a y e d , what c o u n ts i s t h a t th o se
e x p e r i e n c e s a l s o a p p e a r to have p r e s e n t e d th em se lv e s f r e e l y ,
and w i t h o u t the i m p o s i t i o n o f r a t i o n a l a n a l y s e s o r l o g i c a l
o r d e r . The d i f f e r e n t forms o f d i s c o u r s e em ployed, and the
d i g r e s s i v e s t y l e , l e a d to what Federman c a l l s " c o n t r o l l e d
a r t i s t i c c h a o s ," which f u l f i l l s a n o th e r o f th e r e q u ir e m e n ts
o f a b s u r d i s t l i t e r a t u r e as Camus e n v i s i o n e d i t :
169
Pour que soit possible une oeuvre absurde, il faut que la pensee
sous la forme la plus lucide y soit m§lee. Mais i l faut en m§me
temps qu'elle n'y paraisse point sinon comme 1 ' intelligence qui
ordonne. (p. 132)
Federman goes a s t e p f u r t h e r : he b r i n g s t h i s " i n t e l l i g e n c e , 1 '
the prime f o r c e b e h in d the p r o d u c t i o n o f f i c t i o n s , o u t from
the wings and onto the s t a g e , and s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d l y or by
"proxy" r e v e a l s the p u l l i n g o f the s t r i n g s — in t h i s c a s e ,
the d i s t o r t i o n and d is p l a c e m e n t o f la n g u a g e , memory, and
e x p e r i e n c e . The a u th o r engages i n the p r o d u c t i o n o f f i c
t i o n s as he c r e a t e s a c o n c r e t e r e a l i t y , the a r t i f a c t , which
i s i t s e l f a m etaphor f o r f i c t i o n .
The p h y s i c a l a s p e c t s o f the book complement the f r e e
jflow of t o p i c s . The i m a g i n a t iv e p r i n t i n g o f l e t t e r s in a
word and the f r e e assem blage o f words and s e n t e n c e s on the
page add a new d im en sio n to la n g u a g e . The p h y s i c a l d i s
p la c e m e n t o f words demands a t t e n t i o n : i t i s a v e ry obvious
d e v i c e , e s p e c i a l l y i f one c o n s i d e r s the u s u a l p la c e m e n t and
i
arra n g em e n t as " n a t u r a l . " This may complement the i n t e l l e c
t u a l and e m o tio n a l q u a l i t i e s o f w o rd s, o r i t may n o t , b u t
i n e i t h e r case c o n v e n t io n a l r e a d i n g i s d i s r u p t e d , as the
em phasis on words as s t r u c t u r a l u n i t s d i s t a n c e s us from
t h e i r e x p r e s s i v e m e a n in g s . The d i s r u p t i o n i n h e r e n t l y s u g
g e s t s d i s o r d e r , s i n c e i t i s a d e p a r t u r e from the norm s, and
i s_o f.te n„ _.a.t__l.eas_t__a.t_ f i r s t , d i f f i c u l t and u n s e t t l in g to_____
170
r e a d . The v i s u a l a r t i f i c e can thus s u g g e s t language as an
a g e n t of f i c t i o n r a t h e r th a n o f r e a l i t y , and d e m o n s tra te how
much i t f i c t i o n a l i z e s our p e r c e p t i o n s .
Every page o f Double or N o th in g has a unique and
dynamic a p p e a ra n c e . The r u l e s o f grammar, s y n t a x , and
p u n c t u a t i o n are i g n o r e d , f r e e i n g the words to e x i s t i n d e
p e n d e n t ly o f th o se f i x e d s t r u c t u r e s , and a llo w in g them to
be m a n ip u la te d to s u g g e s t the c o n to u rs o f Federm an’s thought
and i m a g i n a t i o n . Words seem to be s c a t t e r e d ov er the f i e l d s ,
the p a g e s , i n v a r y i n g d e s ig n s t h a t do n o t always have s p e
c i f i c s i g n i f i c a n c e , b u t t h a t do change the pace o f r e a d i n g
and a l t e r our in v o lv e m en t w ith the c o n n o t a t i v e v a lu e o f the
w ords. The a p p a r e n t l y random and a r b i t r a r y form o f the
n a r r a t i v e and the words d is e n g a g e s us from the l o g i c a l
p r o c e s s e s o f th o u g h t a s s o c i a t e d w ith t e x t u a l c o n v e n t i o n s ,
w h e th e r or n o t the a rra n g e m e n ts o f the words complements the
d d e a s , i m a g e s , o r a c t u a l s y n ta x o f the s e n t e n c e s b e in g com-
!
muni c a t e d .
I
The typography prominent in Double or N o th in g i s e x
p l o i t e d to a l e s s e r degree in subsequent n o v e l s , but i t s
Jimpact and e f f e c t s remain c o n s i s t e n t . Statem ents can be
Jgiven s p e c i a l emphases by the change o f type and by the
p o s i t i o n i n g o f a word or group o f words in the s e n t e n c e , so
171
t h a t o f t e n , g iv e n Fed erm an's p a r t i c u l a r a r t i s t i c g i f t s , we
can se n se the i n t o n a t i o n o f the words a lm o st as though th ey
were b e in g spo ken . For exam ple, the r e c o r d e r i n Double op
N oth in g t e l l s us o f th e w r i t e r ' s l a t e s t c o n ce rn :
CIGARETTES! Almost forgot:
How can you survive
How can you exist
How can you work (without) CIGARETTES?
Right now about a pack a day (give and take an extra smoke here
and there) But under pressure could be more -- a pack and a half
-- can't t e ll now -- two maybe -- you could cut down of course
-- d
r
p the whole thing -- (p. 102)
This i s how th e w r i t e r d e s c r i b e s the p r o t a g o n i s t ' s f i r s t day
i n A m erica, h i s f i r s t subway r i d e :
e f
s d o turning
"b , i n Po.
w k 1
a . n
y is_ a t
because of the masses of people
there
i t ' s like P
\
-I- _ _ 4, a. 4. 4 < 4. 4 1
G into the BELLY of A M E R IC A
k k "k k k k k
(p. 56)
The ty p o g ra p h y h e re i s ty p o lo g y , g r a p h i c a l l y i l l u s t r a t i n g
the i d e a , s u g g e s t i n g th e meaning o f the words by t h e i r s p a
t i a l a rra n g e m e n t. However, Federman o f t e n d e v a lu e s a
172
s t a t e m e n t , r e p e a t i n g i t backward or a lo n g th e s id e o f a
page. He d e m o n s tr a te s the in ad e q u ac y o f language th ro u g h
jhis use o f l i s t s o f a l t e r n a t i v e w o rd s, synonyms, and meto-
nyms i n the a tt e m p t to im p a rt an u l t i m a t e l y im p r e c is e mean
i n g . The words p our f o r t h as they f i l l the v o i d , b u t rem ain
j u s t w ord s, the b u i l d i n g b lo c k s o f f i c t i o n s . While d e c i d in g
on the l i s t o f names o f p e o p le f o r the p r o t a g o n i s t to e n
c o u n t e r , the w r i t e r ponders how he w i l l a rr a n g e t h i s m ate
r i a l , d e c i d in g on:
a very simple style
a very direct form of narration without any distractions
without any obstructions just plain
normal
regular
readable
re a lis tic
leftoright
unequivocal
conventional
unimaginative
wellpunctuated
understandable
uninteresting
safetodigest
paragraphed
compulsive
anecdotal
salutory
textual
PROSE prose prose boring
PROSE PROSE prose PROSE plain PROSE
(p. 85)
The l i s t a lon e makes a mockery o f the i d e a s s e t f o r t h i n i t ,
and th e novel as a whole r e b u t s the i d e a o f c r e a t i n g such
173
f i c t i o n . The e n t e r p r i s e o f the w r i t e r i s a v e r b a l one, y e t
as words p r o l i f e r a t e and pages go b y , h i s p rob lem o f how he
jwill w r i t e h i s book i s n e v e r r e s o l v e d . U n t i l he does i t , he
c an n o t ap pro xim ate what i t w i l l b e , and thu s s i n c e he n e v er
b e g in s d oing i t , p r o p e r l y s p e a k i n g , the f i c t i o n s rem ain
open-en ded word a s s e m b la g e s . In d e e d , i t a p p e a rs t h a t i s a l l
they can e v e r b e , f o r the w ord s, the p r o s e , w i l l n e v e r be
" r i g h t , ” th ey w i l l n e v e r e n c l o s e t h e i r s u b j e c t . Thus,
r a t h e r th a n f i n d i n g the mots j u s t e s , Federman p r o v i d e s us
w ith ra m b lin g a p p r o x i m a t i o n s , v a r i a t i o n s , s i g n s , and g r a p h ic
a id s to the w o r d s .
The s p a t i a l d i s p la c e m e n t o f words s t r i k e s th e eye and
1
fthe mind im m e d ia te ly , r a i s i n g t h e i r v a lu e as the medium o f
i
'communication b etw een w r i t e r and r e a d e r . In t h i s m anner,
th e y c a n n o t be ta k e n f o r g r a n t e d . However, Federman a l s o
p r e v e n t s them from b e in g m is ta k e n f o r a n y th in g b u t th e i n e p t
v e h i c l e o f com m unication the w r i t e r or n a r r a t o r i s t r y i n g to
overcom e. He em phasizes the a r t i f i c e o f h i s a r t i c u l a t i o n s
ito d e v alu e t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p to the r e a l i t y they s e e k — b u t
always f a i l — to e x p r e s s . Words preem pt knowledge b e c a u se
th ey a re i m p r e c i s e , and b e ca u se th ey are a b u se d , y e t th e y
a re the m ajor means o f com m unication in l i t e r a t u r e . F e d e r
man shows us h i s m a n i p u l a t i o n o f them in the c r e a t i o n of
174 ;
f i c t i o n , he b r i n g s them to l i f e , and a llo w s them to be used j
as a c t i v e p a r t i c i p a n t s in the c o n s t r u c t i o n o f th e a r t i f a c t ,
m a n i f e s t l y d i s t o r t i n g t h e i r s u b j e c t s . In Take I t or Leave
I t he w r i t e s , o r r a t h e r h i s n a r r a t o r s a y s , in a t i r a d e :
Perhaps they are not pretty M Y W ORDS but they are M Y W ORDS and
me I employ them I arrange them as best I can M Y W ORDS because
me you see M Y W ORDS now what interests me as of today in fact
i t ' s language abandoned to chaos and disorder liberated language
delirious writing writing laughing up and down the pages words
that move and crack and giggle . . . Cpp- 185-186)
His language l i v e s , i t i s p o e t i c i n th e s e n se o f b e in g
ambiguous and a s s o c i a t i v e , 11 r a t h e r th a n s t r i c t l y f u n c t i o n a l
and d e n o t a t i v e . I t i s f r e e o f p r e e s t a b l i s h e d sy stem s and
fo rm s, a llo w in g f o r the i n d i v i d u a l i t y o f e x p r e s s i o n n e c e s
s a r y to s u g g e s t the i n d i v i d u a l i t y o f h i s v i s i o n and o f h i s
e x p e r i e n c e s i n l i f e . The manner in which he u s e s , a r r a n g e s ,
and combines w o r d s , e s t a b l i s h i n g h i s own f i c t i o n s , i s h i s
way o f c r e a t i n g h i s own r e a l i t y whose d i s o r d e r i s a k in to
t h e i r s p a t i a l d i s p l a c e m e n t and s e q u e n t i a l d i s l o c a t i o n s .
In d e s c r i b i n g the T h e a tre o f the A bsurd, M a r tin E s s l i n i
\
w r i t e s , "The s t a g e i s a m u l t i - d i m e n s i o n a l medium; i t allo w s
the s im u lta n e o u s use o f v i s u a l e l e m e n t s , movement, l i g h t ,
and la n g u a g e " (p. 296). Federman enhances th e v a lu e o f the
11Martin Esslin, The Theatre o f the Absurd (New York: Doubleday,
1961) , p. 296.
175
i p r in te d page in an e f f o r t to communicate the com plete images
of h i s en d eav o r as d r a m a t i s t s o f the a b s u rd do w i t h the
s t a g e . Federman u se s ty p o lo g y and ty p o g rap h y as th e v i s u a l
e l e m e n t s , to complement o r c o n t r a d i c t th e meanings o f the
w o rd s, or m erely a l t e r our p e r c e p t i o n , hence u n d e r s t a n d i n g ,
o f them. These f o r c e us to re a d d i f f e r e n t l y — more s l o w ly ,
b a ck w a rd s, up th e page from b o tto m to to p , round in c i r c l e s
or o t h e r d e s i g n s — and we a re f o r c e d to move w i t h th e words
lin new ways. This movement complements the p r o c e s s b u t d i s
t r a c t s from the s u b s t a n t i v e meaning or s i g n i f i c a n c e o f the
w ord s. I t a l s o , and p e rh a p s most i m p o r t a n t l y , i n t e r f e r e s
w ith the l o g i c i n h e r e n t l y assumed and e x p r e s s e d by s t a n d a r d
■syntax and h y p o t a c t i c n a r r a t i v e d i s c o u r s e . The i m a g in a tiv e
ty p o lo g y h e lp s produce an i l l u s i o n o f freedom from d i a
chrony b e ca u se t h e r e a re such v a r i e d movements and im p r e s
s io n s to c o n te n d w i t h , and the n a r r a t i v e i s so in v o lv e d w ith
i t s e l f t h a t the " p l o t t e d " sequ ence o f e v e n ts o r i g i n a l l y
p r e s c r i b e d i s ig n o r e d and our se n se o f d i r e c t i o n i s l o s t .
There i s an abundance o f words and w o r d - d e s ig n s to n o t i c e ,
b u t n o t h in g " h a p p e n s ." The f u n c t i o n a l i n d i c e s o f space and
time a re re d u c e d to th o se o f the c r e a t i v e a c t , so i t s ob
j e c t s (th e images and e v e n ts d e s c r i b e d ) a l l y th em se lv e s to
the im m ediate p r e s e n t o f the s u b j e c t / c r e a t o r , and thu s may
176
le a v e an im p r e s s io n o f b e in g s y n c h ro n o u s . I t i s f u r t h e r e d
by the e x p l o i t a t i o n o f space on the p a g e , which can s e p a r a t e
the images o r id e a s or a c t u a l l y b le n d them as the words we
choose to combine may have m u l t i p l e c o n t e x t s t h a t we must
a p preh end as n e a r l y s i m u l t a n e o u s l y as p o s s i b l e . For exam
p le :
Maybe I should have a special fund An emergency fund
One never knows No
I agreed No saving
If not the whole thing fa lls apart You buy everything in advance
Down to the last penny Down to nothing If you sta rt saving
why not a savings account?
Like all the rest And here you are back with the rest!
Counting pennies Slaving like an asshole
BOURGEOIS SALAUD
c Do n , p. 5 1 )
The s p a t i a l a rra n g em e n t b r i n g s to a focus o r deem phasizes
the words the way l i g h t i n g does f o r o b j e c t s and c h a r a c t e r s
on a s t a g e , to u n d e rs c o r e th e i d e a s they a r t i c u l a t e , o r n o t .
And, as on a s t a g e , t h i s n o n r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l d i s c o u r s e g iv es
the i l l u s i o n o f u n f o l d i n g in an im m ed iate, ongoing p r e s e n t .
The p r o c e s s o f r e a d i n g rem ains s e q u e n t i a l , and the syn -
c h r o n i c i t y o f images i s n e v e r (and n e v e r can be) f u l l y
r e a l i z e d in a n a r r a t i v e a r t form , b u t th e v i s u a l d i s p l a c e
ment o f w o rd s, t h e i r em phasis or deem phasis in p r i n t , the
177
absence or p r e s e n c e o f space on a p a g e , do add c o n n o t a t i v e
dim ension s to th e p r i n t e d medium t h a t t r a d i t i o n a l n a r r a t i v e
forms i g n o r e . The page i s the s t a g e , an empty space to be
f i l l e d w ith f i g u r e s and words or l e f t as a mute m etaphor of
fu nd am en tal e m p t i n e s s . A r e l a t i o n s h i p i s e s t a b l i s h e d b e
tween the words and t h e i r meaning t h a t i s i t s e l f c o n t i n g e n t ;
the r e a d e r must g e t i n v o l v e d , and t h i s in v o lv e m en t w i l l le a d
jhim to an aw areness o f the c o n tin g e n c y o f the f i c t i o n s he
h a s h e lp e d to c r e a t e .
I
j While the t e x t e v o l v e s , f i c t i o n s are g e n e r a t e d as o f f
s p r i n g o f the " r e a l w o r l d , " n e i t h e r r e c r e a t i o n s no r r e f l e c
t i o n s , a lth o u g h r e l a t e d , b u t d i s t i n c t and, f i n a l l y , i n d e
p e n d en t e n t i t i e s . In Double ov N o th in g th e y grow and
change as the w r i t e r g ro p es h i s way tow ard d e c i s i o n s about
ihis p r e p a r a t i o n s and c o n s i d e r s v a r i o u s s t o r i e s to t e l l a bo u t
h i s p r o t a g o n i s t . In the p r o c e s s a n y th in g can ha p p en , j u s t
as in l i f e , where "one r e a l l y n ev er knows i f i t ' s chance
jluck the s t a r s god heaven f a t e d e s t i n y or c o in c id e n c e OR
'SIMPLY A JOKE" (DoN, p . 7 7) t h a t t h in g s t u r n o u t the way
[they do. There i s no r a t i o n a l way o f p r o j e c t i n g the f u t u r e
(much l e s s u n d e r s t a n d i n g the p a s t ) , no way o f o r d e r i n g
jex p e rie n ce s m e a n in g f u l l y ; the game o f l i f e and f i c t i o n i s a
i
Igamble, one on which the b e t s must c o n t i n u a l l y be p l a c e d .
I
178
"The degree o f c o m p le tio n o f a w o r k ," w r i t e s Federman in
Take I t or Leave I t , i s "no t a t a l l " d e te r m in e d by "the
e x i g e n c i e s o f a r t or o f t r u t h 3 i t i s .f a t i g u e 3 and3 even more
s o 3 d i s g u s t " (p . 162) . A work i s com plete when i t s a u th o r
h a s , f o r the time b e i n g , e x h a u s te d h i s v e r b a l games, h i s
f i c t i o n s . Thus the on ly r e a s o n a b l e t h i n g to do, a g a i n , i s
l a u g h . F i c t i o n can be fu n ; the f l a g r a n t a r t i f i c e can be
lau g h e d a t , f o r i t mocks i t s e l f and w i l l n o t be ta k e n s e r i
o u s l y . I t i s as Federman a d v is e s i n Amer E ldorado: "Moi
je s u i s p o u r l a l e c t u r e d e l i r a n t e e t en f l a g r a n t d e l i t ! "
(p. 1 4 7 ). L i t e r a r y norms and t r a d i t i o n s a re th e v i c t i m s o f
Federm an's d e l i r i o u s , f l a g r a n t o f f e n s e s . He b e l i e v e s t h a t
i n n o v a t i o n and v a r i a t i o n are as n e c e s s a r y to f i c t i o n as they
a re to l i f e . The a b i l i t y to s e i z e o p p o r t u n i t i e s when they
p r e s e n t th em se lv e s i s o f e q u a l i m p o r t a n c e , and t h i s i s
r e f l e c t e d i n h i s f i c t i o n by i t s d i g r e s s i v e and im p r o v is a -
t i o n a l s t y l e . He w r i t e s i n Double or N o t h i n g ,
!
\
A guy must vary i f he wants to survive Must invent Let i t
happen by i t s e l f Let the damn thing shape i t s e l f by i t s e l f
Create new forms New noodles Improvise anything . . . and
keep going (p. 5)
There i s no f i x e d o r d e r , no f i n a l p l a n . E sc a p in g the p a s t
i s p o s s i b l e only i n c r e a t i n g the p r e s e n t , whose shape c an n o t
be known in a d v an ce. The w r i t e r h e r e i s n o t i n t e r e s t e d in
179
g i v i n g h i s work a c a l c u l a t e d p l o t : "I d o n ' t give a damn
a b o u t p l o t s , ” he s a y s , " p l o t s a re in f a c t u s e l e s s even i f
p l o t f u l s t o r i e s a re more l o g i c a l ” ( p . 1 0 0 ). In a l l t h r e e o f
F ederm an's n o v e ls d i s c u s s e d h e r e , a minimal p l o t i s s p e l l e d
o u t in the b e g in n i n g , b u t th e n becomes u s e l e s s and i s n o t
a d h e re d t o .
We have s e e n how a p l a n is p ro p o se d in Double or N o th
in g t h a t i s n e v e r r e a l l y p u t i n t o e f f e c t , a lth o u g h i t s
p r o c e s s u n f o l d s d u r in g the c o u rs e o f the work. The same
t a l e the w r i t e r o f t h a t n ovel i s c o n s i d e r i n g and p l a n n i n g i s
Jthe one t o l d i n Fed erm an 's s u b s e q u e n t n o v e l, Amer E ldorado.
■Here the " p r o t a g o n i s t ” o f Double or N o th in g i s t e l l i n g h i s
a u d ie n ce o f h i s f i r s t t h r e e y e a r s i n A m erica. The same
s t o r y w i l l be t o l d a g a in in Take I t or Leave I t b u t by an
i n t e r m e d i a r y f o r t h i s T e l l e r , a p e rs o n to whom th e "young
im m ig ra n t” has t o l d h i s s t o r y , who r e c o u n ts the t a l e w ith
imany, many d i g r e s s i o n s . I t i s f o r t h i s r e a s o n t h a t Federman
r e f e r s to Amer Eldorado as a " f i r s t d r a f t ” o f the t h i r d
n o v e l , and t h a t r e f e r e n c e s and c r o s s - r e f e r e n c e s to b o th a re
a p p r o p r i a t e to d i s c u s s i o n s o f e i t h e r one.
The " p l o t ” i s s i m p le . A young im m igrant a r r i v e s in
America where an u n c le a w a its him. Some time l a t e r he j o i n s
the 82nd A irb o rn e D i v i s i o n o f the army, which i s s t a t i o n e d
180
in N orth C a r o l i n a , as a p a r a t r o o p e r - He e n l i s t s f o r o v e r
s e a s d u ty i n K orea, i s g iv e n h i s l e a v e , and has t h i r t y days
to g e t to San F r a n c i s c o to s h i p o u t . The s t o r y i s o f h i s
jo u r n e y a c r o s s A m erica, "THE GREAT JOURNEY as he c a l l e d i t "
( T I o L I , p . 1 7 ) . Some o f h i s e x p e r i e n c e s a lo n g the way, in
San F r a n c i s c o , and from a d i f f e r e n t p e r i o d in time a l t o
g e t h e r , a re d e s c r i b e d . U n f o r t u n a t e l y , the young m an's p a y
c h e c k , the money he needed f o r the jo u r n e y , goes w ith h i s
d i v i s i o n to Camp Drum i n upper New York s t a t e , so he must
f i r s t d r i v e up t h e r e to- c o l l e c t i t . A f t e r numerous en co u n
t e r s and a d v e n t u r e s , he a r r i v e s a t Camp Drum b u t , to h i s
dism ay, the money has b een r e t u r n e d to N orth C a r o l i n a . He
d e c id e s to make one more p a r a c h u t e jump w i t h " th e guys" o f
th e r e g i m e n t , t h e r e i s an a c c i d e n t , and he b r e a k s b o th arms
and l e g s , s p r a i n s h i s n e c k , and s u s t a i n s v a r i o u s o t h e r
i n j u r i e s ( th e d e t a i l s v a ry s l i g h t l y from Amer Eldorado to
iTake I t or Leave I t ) . The Far E a s t , San F r a n c i s c o , the
G re at Jo u rn e y are c a n c e l l e d . " E v e r y th in g i s c a n c e l le d !
A nnulled! Once and f o r a l l ! " (AE, pp. 175-176; T I o L I , p .
4 1 3 ). The p l o t o f th e s e two n o v e ls c a n c e l s i t s e l f , as d id
t h a t o f the f i r s t n o v e l , from w i t h i n ; i t s en d , though
d e s c r i b e d in the t e x t , i s n e v e r re a c h e d by i t .
Federm an’s aim i s , p r e c i s e l y , " to t e l l a s t o r y t h a t
181
1 2
c a n c e ls i t s e l f as i t goes" { T I o L I , pp. 12, 9 6 ) , i s o l a t i n g
h i s f i c t i o n from r e a l i t y . The p l o t i s a lm o st s u p e r f l u o u s as
the s t o r y encom passes d i v e r s e e x p e r i e n c e s e n c o u n t e r e d in
d i f f e r e n t tem p o ral and s p a t i a l zones, as w e ll as th o se
e n c o u n te r e d d u r in g the T e l l e r ' s r e c i t a t i o n , and th o se
e n c o u n te r e d by the " o v e r s e e r ” as he pro d u ce s th e t e x t . The
a r t i f a c t s u s t a i n s i t s e l f w i t h o u t the s y n t a c t i c e x i g e n c i e s o f
l o g i c a l o r d e r ; i t moves f r e e l y and e s t a b l i s h e s i t s own p r o
v i s i o n a l t r u t h s , as was done i n Double o r N o t h i n g . Im p ro v i
s a t i o n s and d i g r e s s i o n s o b l i t e r a t e the form t h a t th e " p l o t "
p r o j e c t s , r e p l a c i n g i t i n s t e a d w ith a more r e a l i s t i c —
assum ing the a b s u r d i s t n o t i o n o f r e a l i t y , which i s c o n t i n
g e n t— form, i n v e n t e d as i t p r o g r e s s e s , and c a n c e l l e d .
The d i g r e s s i o n s n o t on ly d i v e r t our a t t e n t i o n from the
p l o t ; p a r a d o x i c a l l y th e y make up the s u b s ta n c e o f th e work
and give i t an e x p r e s s i v e n e s s found in few new n o v e l s .
F ederm an's n o v e ls a re a l l c o n ce rn e d w ith the e x p r e s s i o n o f
a f i c t i o n a l i z e d l i f e ; th u s h i s a s i d e s , h i s e s s a y s , poems,
land borrowings from o t h e r w r i t e r s , in the g e n e r a l l y in te n d e d
12
This statement is made in response to Ronald Sukenick's sta te
ment in his novel Out (Chicago: Swallow Press, 1973): "I want to
write a book like a cloud that changes as i t goes" (p. 136). In Take
I t or Leave I t Federman quotes this line along with his own.
182
and h e re a p p l i c a b l e words o f Sharon S p e n c e r , " c o u n t e r a c t the
n a t u r a l tend ency o f the n ovel to c o n s i s t o f a s e r i e s o f f l a t
s u r f a c e s " (p . 1 3 7 ), i n h e r e n t l y p ro d u c in g v a r i e d p e r s p e c t i v e s
on the s u b j e c t o f h i s , and o u r , a t t e n t i o n . The s u r f a c e s
h e re a re v o ic e s w i t h i n v o i c e s , r e c o u n t i n g and re s p o n d in g to
e x p e r i e n c e s o f b o th t h e i r " p a s t s " and t h e i r " p r e s e n t s , " and
they a re i n t e g r a t e d .
In b o th Amer Eldorado and Take I t or Leave I t , f o r
exam ple, i s a p a r e n t h e t i c a l d i g r e s s i o n a b o u t h i s (Federm an's/
the T e l l e r ' s / t h e T o l d 's ) f r i e n d R o bert M o ino us, " h is r e a l
name b u t i t was -pronounced M o eiln u s" ( T I o L I , p . 46) . In the
d i g r e s s i o n he t a l k s a b o u t h i s f r i e n d , w ith whom he m ight
have t r a v e l e d to C a l i f o r n i a , and th r o u g h o u t b o th n o v e l s , he
r e f e r s to the " m o i- n o u s ," i n c o r p o r a t i n g the p e rs o n and h i s
name, f o r the v a lu e o f the pun i n F re n ch , i n t o a convergence
o f p e rs o n a e in the f i c t i o n . Moinous i s an a s p e c t o f the
f i c t i o n a l r e a l i t y , more th a n a p a r t o f i t s s t o r y . The
d i g r e s s i o n b e g i n s , q u o te d h e re from Take I t or Leave I t :
By the way MOINOU-(spelled sometimes without an s)-S needless to
say he’s just an afterthought. Unpremeditated. Free.
He just happened
He just happened
on the spot! He popped up in the middle of the whole mess
the whole ( if you permit me)
paratroopical mess, as a kind of parenthetical- digression for the
j purpose of ita lic iz e d d iv e rsio n (p. 47)
183
The T e l l e r , m erging h e re w i t h the T old, i n s i s t s MOINOUS'
p r e s e n c e was n o t p la n n e d in a d v a n c e . "He was t r u l y an
i n s p i r a t i o n . Even u n der th e t r e e where th e whole s t o r y was
r e l a t e d to me MOINOUS was n e v e r m en tio n ed " (p . 4 7 ) . In Amer
Eldorado , where " th e TOLD" o f Take I t o t Leave I t i s r e c o u n t
in g h i s own t a l e , we a re in fo rm e d ,
II POPPED UP on the SPOT au milieu de tout ce bordel -- ou si
vous me permettez (de ce bordel parachutique) au milieu d'une
(digression parenthetique) ou mieux encore c'est moi qui l'invente
dans un moment de d iv e rsio n -ital-ique vous pigez? (p. 29)
Then e l u c i d a t i n g the p r o j e c t , which i s the n o v e l, he adds
i n b o th n o v e ls (h ere q u o te d o n ly in the E n g l i s h ) :
Nothing in fact was planned decided drawn contemplated pre
dicted sketched spoken discussed manipulated in advance be
tween u s .
W e simply fell
into the he of
M OINOUS on the
spur of the moment §
(within parentheses)
beyond that I was on my
own to tally free!' (TIoLI, p. 4 7)
The s p l i t t i n g o f the p e r s o n a l pronoun i n t o r o l e s t h a t
may be d i s t i n g u i s h e d o r may merge i s a p a r t o f the f i c t i o n a l
p r o c e s s , which makes the p a s t o f " r e a l i t y " i n t o " p r e s e n t
f i c t i o n . " MOINOUS i s " p r e s e n t and p r e s e n t e d as a f r i e n d
( th e o t h e r i n the same one m ight say or the me in u s ) "
(p. 4 7 ) , b u t ev en as a " g r a t u i t o u s a p p a r i t i o n " (p . 48) he
184
has a f u n c t i o n :
. . . a vehicle which may at some point (though temporarily) be
able to carry upon himself those vague neurotic complexes which
cannot (and shall not) obviously be attributed only to the te lle r
of this retold tale (standing here on his platform all alone)!
(p. 48)
In d e e d , the Told who e x i s t e d many y e a rs ago, the T e l l e r who
c r e a t e s h i s l i f e now, i n w o rd s, and Federman who has been
and w i l l be b o t h , though changed, a re l i n k e d i n the MOINOUS,
the m e - i n - u s , which i s g iv en a v o ic e in the f i c t i o n . That
v o ice knows many t h i n g s , has e x p e r i e n c e d many t h i n g s , and
c o n ti n u e s to do so as he f i c t i o n a l i z e s . We must remember
t h a t the game, th e b r i n g i n g i n t o b e i n g , a l t e r i n g , or d e
s t r o y i n g o f the o t h e r b e i n g , and how th e s e o c c u r , i s p a r a
mount. The v o ic e s t r y i n g to e s t a b l i s h th em se lv e s r e l y on
words and, w orking in two la n g u a g e s , the n a r r a t o r says t h a t
he i s n o t a p u r i s t ; r a t h e r , he w i l l i n v e n t h i m s e l f w ith
w h a te v e r m a t e r i a l s are a t hand. In Amer Eldorado th e n a r r a
t o r (th e Told o f Take I t or Leave I t ) s a y s , e x a s p e r a t e d ,
"Ne voyez-vous done pas que dans l e c o n te x te de ce r e c i t
qui se d e b a l l e dans t o u t e s l e s d i r e c t i o n s . . . i l e s t im pos
s i b l e d ' a l l e r en l i g n e d r o i t e ! " (p. 1 3 1 ). There i s too
much, too many e x p e r i e n c e s and i m p r e s s i o n s , in d i f f e r e n t
tem p o ral and s p a t i a l d i m e n s i o n s , f o r the f i c t i o n a l i z i n g
en d ea v o r to p ro c e e d a lo n g a s t r a i g h t , l o g i c a l l y o r d e r e d
185
p a t h , and to produce a c o h e r e n t d i s c o u r s e w ith a l o g i c a l and
c o n s e q u e n t i a l p l o t .
’’A ll f i c t i o n i s d i g r e s s i o n " {AE, p . 133; T I o L I , p . 98) ,
we a re t o l d ; i t d i g r e s s e s from r e a l i t i e s e n c o u n te r e d in l i f e
and in the mind. The d i g r e s s i o n upon MOINOUS f i n d s i t s
s o u r c e , p e r h a p s , i n a memory, b u t i t i s i n t e g r a t e d i n t o the
f i c t i o n as an e le m e n t o f the s t o r y and, most i m p o r t a n t l y , as
an a n alog y o f the s t r u c t u r a l and m ajor th e m a tic c o n ce rn s
r a i s e d by the t e x t . MOINOUS works s u c c e s s f u l l y in the novels
as a p r o j e c t i o n / d i g r e s s i o n / f i c t i o n a l . i z a t i o n o f the h e - t h e n
embodied i n the me-nov.
Bob Moinous i s o s t e n s i b l y k i l l e d i n a b a r f i g h t in San
F r a n c i s c o ; the T e l l e r d e s c r i b e s h i s e x p e r ie n c e o f h a v in g to
i d e n t i f y the body t h e r e . Y es, he t e l l s u s , "Me too I made
i t to F r i s c o . Me too (he s a i d ) s i n c e I'm t e l l i n g you the
s t o r y o f Moinous' d e a t h , even though I a r r i v e d too l a t e "
( T I o L I , p . 1 3 5 ). F a c t o r f a n t a s y ( s i n c e he does n o t make
i t to San F r a n c i s c o t h i r t y days l a t e r as a r r a n g e d , b e ca u se
o f the p a r a c h u t i n g a c c i d e n t — a t l e a s t , he does n o t make i t
in th e s e f i c t i o n s ) , MOINOUS i s th e p a s t r e c r e a t e d i n t o a
p r e s e n t , w hat i s gone or a l t e r e d s t i l l p o t e n t i a l l y , f i c - •
t i o n a l l y , i n c o r p o r a t e d i n t o e x p e r i e n c e .
The s t o r i e s a re a n n u ll e d as th ey p r o c e e d , from w i t h i n .
186
I t i s the T e l l e r who q u e s t i o n s h i m s e l f in Take I t or Leave
I t as to the o r i g i n s o f h i s t a l e ; i t is the S c r i b b l e r in
Double or N o th in g who i s n o t su re how h i s s t o r y w i l l p r o
cee d , and who d e s t r o y s h i s own p r o j e c t i o n s o f h i s e n t e r
prise; i t i s the s t o r y by i t s e l f , r e c o u n t e d in the f i r s t
p e rs o n in Amer Eldorado and by the i n t e r m e d i a r y i n Take I t
or Leave I t , which i s i n t e r r u p t e d and d e n ie d by i t s f i n a l
e v e n t s . "No one i s f o o l e d by t h i s i n d i r e c t m a n i p u l a t io n of
the b a s i c r e c i t a t i o n , " w r i t e s Federman ( T I o L I , p . 4 1 ) , and
in d e e d one s h o u ld n o t b e . In making the d e v ic e s o f h i s
f i c t i o n a p p a r e n t , he tu r n s h i s f i c t i o n away from the r e a l
and i n upon i t s e l f , as R o b b e - G r i l l e t p r o p o se d the new n o vel
sh o u ld do.
The f i c t i o n o f Amer E ldorado i s r e i n v e n t e d in Take I t
o r Leave I t , j u s t as w i t h i n each work the d i g r e s s i o n s are
i n v e n t i n g new f i c t i o n s to communicate the e x p e r i e n c e , and
to e x i s t as the com m unication o f the e x p e r i e n c e . I t i s t h i s
i n v e n t i o n t h a t p e r p e t u a t e s l i f e , a l b e i t in f i c t i o n a l form.
Once c o n c e iv e d , e n a c t e d , o r e n c o u n t e r e d , e v e n ts and s i t u a
t i o n s can be n e i t h e r r e c a l l e d nor r e p r e s e n t e d , only made up.
In Take I t or Leave I t , Federman w r i t e s , " L ife is made up o f
v e r b a l c o l l a g e s : r e p e t i t i o n s w ith s l i g h t v a r i a t i o n s . O bvi
o u sly th e n w e 'r e d i s t o r t i n g the o r i g i n a l ! " (p. 1 7 6 ). In
— - - y j
h i s l i t e r a t u r e the d i s t o r t i o n s e x i s t as m a n i f e s t a t i o n s o f
l i f e i t s e l f , t u r n i n g back upon th em se lv e s and each o t h e r ,
a c c u m u la tin g , and t h e r e b y c r e a t i n g , t h e i r own l i f e . They
are the r e t e l l i n g s , the f i c t i o n s c r e a t e d by the v e ry f a c t o f
t h e i r a r t i c u l a t i o n . As m en tion ed e a r l i e r , f i c t i o n i s b a se d
upon the e x p e r i e n c e s o f one who w r i t e s , s im u lta n e o u s to the
w r i t i n g p r o c e s s . The a c t o f composing f i c t i o n i s analogous
to composing o n e 's own l i f e , as R o b b e - G r i l l e t s u g g e s t s .
In d e e d , th e s e words o f R o b b e - G r i l l e t may d e f i n e a l l o f
Federm an's work:
... l'on s'apergoit que, non seulement chacun voit dans le monde
sa propre re a lite , mais que le roman est justement ce qui la
cree. L'ecriture romanesque ne vise pas a informer ... elle
c o n s titu e la re a lite . Elle ne sait jamais ce qu'elle cherche,
elle ignore ce qu'elle a a dire; elle est invention, invention
du monde et de l'homme, invention constante et perpetuelle remise
en question. (p. 175)
The e x p e r ie n c e o f Amer Eldorado i s d i f f e r e n t from t h a t of
Take I t or Leave I f , b o th a re new i n v e n t i o n s o f l i f e as w e ll
as o f f i c t i o n .
In the " P r e t e x t " to Take I t or Leave I t , Federman
a r t i c u l a t e s the p r o c e s s o f the work as he announces th e p l a n
o f the n o v e l. He i s a g a in th e o v e r s e e r or s u p e r v i s o r o f the
work, the one who i s a d d r e s s i n g us i n t h i s P r e t e x t , t e l l i n g
us o f th e w r i t e r who p u t th e r e c i t a t i o n , and a l l the i n t e r
r u p t i o n s o f the a u d ie n c e , down on p a p e r . This i s the
188
p ro c e d u re :
The writer set down f i r s t on the page
with a great deal of meticulousness
trees
roads
cars
people
in the streets rooms
and inside these rooms (behind windpwpanes) puppets
which resembled the people
in the streets!
. . . This done
the real beginning begins : a rain of words
small large
compact
fall upon the design of the story!
(TIoLI, p. 3)
The a r t i f a c t b e g in s to ta k e shape as: an am algam ation o f
w ord s, whose s u b j e c t s a re the f o u n d a t i o n o f th e f i c t i o n s ,
b u t n o t t h e i r s u b s t a n c e :
The previous figures are only a support
an adversary support
somewhat like the canvas
smooth monochromatic
prepared by the painter before he begins his real work. (p. 3)
The r e a l work i s to i n v e n t new c o n t e x t s , f i c t i o n s f o r the
f i g u r e s . The t a s k i n v o lv e s b r e a k i n g w ith p r e e s t a b l i s h e d
s y s te m s , i n c l u d i n g most n o t a b l y th o s e o f ty po grap hy and
s y n t a x .
189
Here
the design-word
and the design-syntax independent of one another
are set against one another! Syntax is abolished once and for a ll,
in advance!
Cp. 4)
The r e a s o n s t a t e d : s y n ta x
constitutes the given— i t is the hazard/fatality which determines
what will happen next: the unpredictable shape of t
7P
o
r
a
P
h
)
(p. 5)
y!
This n ovel w i l l shape i t s e l f w ith words as i t p r o c e e d s ,
i m p r o v is in g the l i f e i t c r e a t e s w ith them and making i t
r e a l . Federman echoes th e maxims o f R o b b e - G r i l l e t when he
a s s e r t s t h a t
Every
thing here leaves a mark but not sign of something
or something else but mark of a m ultiplicity
of events of which none can ever fall back into non-existence! I t is
a process of self-cancellation that renews i t s e l f upon its void
(p. 6)
The t e x t , t h e n , i s and c r e a t e s i t s own r e a l i t y , so t h a t
w h a te v e r happened to th e " p r o t a g o n i s t " i n France d u r in g the
war and in America a f t e r w a r d s i s no more and no l e s s than
what the n a r r a t o r / t e H e r h e re t e l l s the a u d ie n c e he s a i d
h a p p e n e d . "The one who t e l l s the t a l e [THE TELLER] e x i s t e d ,
long ago, b u t no lo n g e r e x i s t s to d a y" (p. 1 0 ) , w r i t e s
190
Federman, c o n te n d in g t h a t the f i c t i o n s u p e r s e d e s any p r e
v io u s r e a l i t y / f i c t i o n . M oreover, he s a y s ,
The one whose ta le i s to ld [THE TOLD] co u ld have to ld h is own
ta le d i r e c t l y b u t for reasons unknown3 chose to te ll his ta le
in d ir e c tly to th e one who i s t e l l i n g th e ta le d ir e c tly fo r the
■pleasure (or d isp le a su re ) o f those who are lis te n in g to the ta le .
(p. 1 0)
N e v e r t h e l e s s , the " s u p e r v i s o r " and th e T e l l e r , and the T e l
l e r and the Told merge i n t h i s work as i n Double or Nothing',
th e y e n t a n g l e and d i s e n t a n g l e , and the m e-n o w /h e -th e n d i s
t i n c t i o n i s d i s s o l v e d i n t o an a l w a y s - p r e s e n t f i c t i o n . The
T e l l e r sa y s ,
For all I know he may be imagining the whole thing. Dreaming i t
up! Maybe there was no HE
HE my as s !
Maybe i t was somebody else told me the story as told to him (and
so on) and I'm getting the whole thing confused
getting a ll worked up over nothing!
Originally in fact there was only one person speaking in the
French version — AM ER ELDORADO — f i r s t draft!
Therefore who can check
who can make sure
who can prove that I was there
that he was there. What counts is that I'm
here now — in the present — (re)working out the details
(re)sorting out the mess. (p. 166)
The f i c t i o n a l p r o c e s s c o n s t i t u t e s i t s own r e a l i t y , so t h a t
as Federman i n v e n t s th e f i c t i o n , he s i m u l t a n e o u s l y i n v e n t s
the p e rs o n s who e x i s t e d b e f o r e as they are i n h i s mind a t
the time o f w r i t i n g . The d e v ic e s e x p o s in g th e m se lv e s r e v e a l
the p a ssa g e o f the once-was ( h e - th e n ) i n t o the n ow -is (me-
191
now) o f f i c t i o n .
This "n o w -is" i s a l l t h a t m a t t e r s i n the new n o v e l.
Take I t or Leave I t works somewhat b e t t e r th a n i t s f i r s t -
d r a f t p r e d e c e s s o r , Amer Eldorado , b e ca u se th e T e l l e r keeps
'h im se lf and h i s t a l e im m e d ia te ly p r e s e n t h e re as he t e l l s
i t . He i g n o r e s e v e r y t h i n g o u t s i d e h i s s i t u a t i o n , c o n f r o n t
in g h i s au d ie n ce w ith a t a l e whose o r i g i n and d e s i g n a re
unknown to him, and, as we are t o l d , u n n e c e s s a r y . R h e t o r i
c a l l y , the T e l l e r a s k s :
After all who is in charge here?
who controls this mess?
who decides on the lay out?
who keeps things going back and forth? As best he can?
M E! yes MEnow and not HEthen! {TIoLI, p. 166)
In d e e d , th e MEnow i s the p r o d u c t o f r h e t o r i c , o f w ord s, and
the a d v an tag e o f the w r i t e r is p r e c i s e l y t h a t he can go on
and on i n v e n t i n g l i f e as he c r e a t e s f i c t i o n s . As Federman
says in the P r e t e x t ,
there can always be more
No law words words!
No lie
No order says to the writer : Here and Now You Must Stop
Not A Word More! He can
always go on
(p. 7)
In d e e d , he does go on, he c o n tin u e s i n v e n t i n g . The p ro c e s s
i s n e a t l y , i f somewhat a m b ig u o u sly , a r t i c u l a t e d in a poem
192
he w r i t e s f o r h i s "buddy" M o in ou s. In the c r e a t i o n o f t h i s
f i c t i o n a l f r i e n d Federman d i s c o v e r s and d e s c r i b e s th e r e
s o u r c e s o f .his own e n t e r p r i s e , as w e ll as i t s aim, and,
f i n a l l y , i t s r e s u l t (see F ig . 2, n e x t p a g e ) . The aim of
t h i s f i c t i o n , which "No law No l i e No o r d e r ” governs { T I o L I ,
p. 7 ), i s to r e i n v e n t the s e l f , to make new s e l v e s from new
f i c t i o n s . To make the "me-now" r e a l does n o t depend on the
laws o f f i c t i o n a l form, or on the l i e s o f r e p r e s e n t a t i o n , or
on th e o r d e r o f l o g i c ; i t needs o n ly a w i l l i n g n e s s to in v e n t,
and to k e e p 'o n i n v e n t i n g . Thus i t does n o t r e a l l y m a t t e r
|how h i s p r e s e n c e i s m a i n ta in e d in th e f i c t i o n , o r w h e th e r i t
conforms to p r e c o n c e i v e d i d e a s o f how and what i t s h o u ld b e .
The T e l l e r ' s t i r a d e makes t h i s q u i t e c l e a r :
So screw your guys and shut the fuck up and le t us go on even i f
the damn second version seems somewhat shaky
even i f I mess up things once in a while
even i f the second-telling doesn't match the original
even i f the logic of the chronology
j of the back and forth movement from past to
present (or vice versa) from
him to me
i and me to him does
fall apart once in a while! Who cares! (pp. 166-167)
The T e l l e r does n o t c a r e , and so h i s s t o r y does n o t p ro c e e d
l
c h r o n o l o g i c a l l y ; he a llo w s many i n t e r r u p t i o n s from h i s a u d i
e n c e , a lth o u g h n o t w ith good humor, and he o f t e n i n t e r r u p t s
ihim self to d i g r e s s on t o p i c s t h a t come to mind and to comment
193
I undouble
I multiply
I play hide-and-seek with myself
I subdivide
I cry and decry in two languages
I disappear
I see me seen
I use the thou form with myself
I cut and recut myself
I remend myself with red thread
I disperse
I am moved
o
o
I put me in myself
E - I me we
W
I unknot
s
I me us
OS I me too
O
I smgularize
I pluralize also
3
I decenter
O
2
I play ping pong alone from both sides
i —i
I schizophrenize
O
s
I amortize
I mask my mask
I meusize
I metooi ze
I me we am I
I decentralize
I concentrate towards the open side
I add up
I double up and undouble again
I redouble or nothing
I multiply by two and demultiply by four
I me me I
Figure 2. Facsimile of p. 270 o f T ake It o r Leave I t
194
on h i s t a l e . S l i p p i n g from the t h i r d p e rs o n o f the t a l e to
the f i r s t , and making comments in t h i s f i r s t p e r s o n , i n t e
g r a t e s the d i g r e s s i o n s of the n o v e l , y e t g iv es the work i t s
sense o f i m p r o v i s a t i o n w h ile m a i n t a i n i n g the c o n tin u e d p r e s
ence o f the c e n t r a l "moi-nous/me t o o . "
As e x p e r i e n c e i s p r o c e s s e d , f i l t e r e d , and d i s t o r t e d by
p e r c e p t i o n and memory, i t i s f u r t h e r a l t e r e d in th e c o n f r o n
t a t i o n w ith o t h e r e x p e r i e n c e s , i n c l u d i n g la n g u a g e , which i s
a n t e r i o r to the c r e a t i o n o f f i c t i o n and s im u lta n e o u s w ith
i t . The d i g r e s s i o n s j u x t a p o s e d t o , and as a p a r t o f the
s t o r i e s , r e v e a l t h i s p r o c e s s : the m yriad " u n p r e m e d ita te d "
th o u g h ts and e v e n t s t h a t o c cu r d u r in g the c r e a t i v e p r o c e s s
impose th e m se lv e s on each o t h e r and on the f i c t i o n s c r e a t e d
from memory and i m a g i n a t i o n . The t r i p to Camp Drum or to
San F r a n c is c o "would be m e a n in g le s s were i t . n o t t o l d ( r e t o l d
ov er a g a in ) seco n d -h a n d w i t h the k in d o f r e f l e c t i o n s s u p e r
imposed upon i t by the v o ic e w i t h i n the v o i c e " (p. 1 7 8 ),
b e c a u se th e t r i p i s , as composed, remembered, and e n han ced ,
a l l o f the e x p e r i e n c e s o f the p a s t and p r e s e n t combined in
the w r i t i n g or t e l l i n g ab ou t i t . "Yes i n d e e d , " the T e l l e r
s a y s , " t h a t s t o r y would be b o r i n g spoken l i n e a r l y ! " (p. 178).
M oreover, i t would be a r t i s t i c a l l y f a l s e and i r r e s p o n s i b l e
i f , in b e in g l i n e a r , i t t r i e d to p a ss f o r t r u t h and o r g a n iz e
195
the e x p e r i e n c e s c o n s e q u e n t i a l l y ; the v a l i d i t y o f the a r t i
f i c e l i e s in the aw areness o f i t s f i c t i o n a l i z a t i o n : the t r i p
i s b u t the r e f l e c t i o n s su p erim p o sed upon i t ; i t i s r e a l only
i n s o f a r as i t e x i s t s f i c t i o n a l l y .
D ig r e s s io n s a re the " o b j e c t s o f c o n s c i o u s n e s s ” t h a t
d i s t i n g u i s h th em se lv e s in the c r e a t i v e e n d e a v o r. The f i c
t i o n , the m o i- n o u s , i s made up o f an i n f i n i t e number and
v a r i e t y o f such o b j e c t s , from many d i f f e r e n t s o u r c e s , upon
which i t i s u s e l e s s to impose o r d e r , l o g i c , o r c o h e s i v e n e s s .
S u r f i c t i o n assumes o n ly the absence o f th e s e t h in g s in the
l i f e i t seek s to f i c t i o n a l i z e . As the T e l l e r s a y s , h i s
w o rd -b e in g i s an assem blage or c o l l a g e o f words u sed by h i s
c r e a t o r ; i t has no i n h e r e n t or a b s o l u t e p r o p e r t i e s ; i t i s
p r o v i s i o n a l and t h e r e f o r e u n r e a s o n a b l e . I t i s n e i t h e r a
r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f some l i v i n g b e i n g , nor an " o r i g i n a l "
i n v e n t i o n : i t i s a f i c t i o n , which i s to s a y , a d i g r e s s i o n
from the r e a l :
. . . nothing prevents me (in moments of self-deprecation) from
characterizing myself through others: through the words of others,
through quotations, misquotations, references or differences,
collages/montages (or for that matter plagiarism of that most
obvious source), and whatever else comes to mind. (p. 1 7 7)
13
"Plagiarism of that most obvious source" refers, of course, to
Federman's own "actual" lif e .
196
F i c t i o n s are w o r d s , and we a l l sh a re and c o n t r i b u t e to the
arra n g em e n t o f our w ords. L if e i s t h e r e f o r e p e r c e i v e d
thro u g h the words p r e s e n t to and in c o n s c i o u s n e s s ; th e s e may
come from anywhere , and are p a r t and p a r c e l o f our aw areness
o f the w o r ld . In a s e c t i o n o f Take I t or Leave I t e n t i t l e d
" l a u g h t e r and l i t e r a t u r e , " t h e r e a p p e a rs an a l l u s i o n to the
t o r t u o u s p a th o f c r e a t i n g f i c t i o n s : . . a l l good s t o r y
t e l l e r s go to BETHICKETT on t h e i r way to Heaven and t h a t is
why p e rh a p s th ey are so long i n r e a c h i n g t h e i r d e s t i n a t i o n
. ." (p. 1 7 5 ). The r e f e r e n c e rem inds me o f an an ec d o te
Federman r e c a l l s a b o u t Samuel B e c k e t t : w h ile he was w orking
w ith James Joyce on Finnegans Wake , t h e r e was a knock on the
d o o r, and Joyce s a i d "Come i n . " B e c k e tt i n c o r p o r a t e d th e s e
words i n t o the t e x t he was t y p i n g , and Joyce a llo w e d them to
rem ain t h e r e . Which i s to s a y , i n t e r r u p t i o n s and d i g r e s
s i o n s are p r o p e r to the f i c t i o n a l p r o c e s s , s in c e th ey are
14
p r o p e r to th e e x p e r ie n c e o f th e w r i t e r c r e a t i n g f i c t i o n s .
I f the d i g r e s s i o n s o f t h i s n o v e l a re n o t i n t e r e s t i n g to
the r e a d e r , or i f he i s anx io us to g e t on to the a d v e n tu re s
h i n t e d a t by th e semblance o f a p l o t , Federman a d v is e s him
to sim ply s k i p th o se p a r t s and go on to o t h e r s . He c a l l s
"^This story was told to me by Federman in Chicago in April 1976.
197
i t "THE LEAPFROG t e c h n i q u e ! " (p. 227). There i s , a f t e r a l l ,
no p r e e s t a b l i s h e d o r d e r to the t a l e ; i t s e le m e n ts a re non-
c o n s e q u e n t i a l ; t h e r e i s n o t h in g to be l e a r n e d from i t
d i r e c t l y , and th u s t h e r e i s n o t h i n g c r u c i a l to be m is se d .
The a r t i f a c t demands t h a t we e x p e r i e n c e i t , n o t t h a t we gain
a n y th in g from i t ; i t m erely adds new f i c t i o n s , new dimensions
to our l i v e s . As R o b b e - G r i l l e t w r i t e s ,
... la fonction de l ' a r t n 'e st jamais d 'i l l u s t r e r une verite—
ou m§me une interrogation— connue a l'avance, mais de mettre
au monde des interrogations (et aussi peut-§tre, a terme, des
reponses) qui ne se connaissent pas encore elles-m§mes. (p. 14)
S u r f i c t i o n q u e s t i o n s only i t s p r o c e s s e s , f o r i t i s a s e a r c h ,
n o t a r e s p o n s e . T h is , p r e c i s e l y , i s the gamble o f Double or
N othing and Take I t or Leave I t : a m an's l i f e can be e i t h e r
i n v e n t e d or c a n c e l l e d in th e f i c t i o n a l i z a t i o n o f h i s e x p e r i
e n c e s . I t i s a n y o n e 's g u e s s , Federman a f f i r m s ; he m ere ly
engages i n the game. The w r i t e r o f Double or n o t h in g p o n
d e rs the i d e a t h a t most s t o r i e s a re composed of answ ers to
i
u n f o r m u la te d q u e s t i o n s , a lth o u g h most p e o p le n e v e r a tt e m p t
to e l u c i d a t e th o se q u e s t i o n s . He d e c i d e s ,
Therefore i t is preferable i f the writer wants to be inventive
modern progressive and experimental to try a more forward method.
That is to say to work backward. To give the questions as the
substance of his fiction rather than give the answers. (DoN,
p. 150)
A problem a r i s e s , how ever, "because most q u e s t i o n s c an n o t be
198
a n sw ered ” (p. 1 50 ), and t h i s le a d s him to quote a s t a t e m e n t
from F ederm an's own work on Samuel B e c k e t t , Journey to
C haos, in which "THE DISCOVERY OF KNOWLEDGE” i s s t a t e d as
the " d e f i n i t e c l e a r g o a l ” o f f i c t i o n .15 I f t h i s i s t r u e ,
the w r i t e r a d d s, "Then t h e r e ' s l i t t l e hope f o r HIM ---------- o r
------------ ME," b e ca u se .the knowledge g a in e d from f i c t i o n i s
f a l s e and p r o v i s i o n a l . S u r f i c t i o n , l i k e a l l forms o f new
f i c t i o n , seek s n o t to in fo rm b u t to c o n s t i t u t e r e a l i t y , and
so F ederm an's n o v e ls s e t up a game in which what i s won or
l o s t i s the f i c t i o n a l r e a l i t y , n o t a n y th in g b ro u g h t to i t
from o u t s i d e . " L ' a r t e s t v i e , ” w r i t e s R o b b e - G r i l l e t , " r i e n
n ’y e s t jam ais gagne de fagon d e f i n i t i v e ” (p . 1 7 3 ). In an
u n p u b l is h e d l e t t e r Federman, t o o , i n s i s t s ,
The idea of non-referential fiction is to depart as much as pos
sible from the given and thus erase cancel annul the mimetic
quality of fiction. Since there is really no winner and no loser
in the game but only the rules that lead to a to tally gratuitous
game then one can conclude that playing the game is to ta lly use
less. Or as Beckett would say, to make of failure a howling suc
cess . - * - 6
The g r a t u i t o u s n e s s o f t h i s f i c t i o n is e v i d e n t as each n o v e l
t u r n s i n upon i t s e l f and upon the f i c t i o n s o f the o t h e r
^J o u rn e y to Chaos: Samuel Beckett's Early F ic tio n (Berkeley:
Univ. of California Press, 1965), p. 4.
15Letter to author, April 1976. Federman also quotes Beckett in
the essay "Imagination as Plagiarism."
199
n o v e ls c o n t i n u a l l y . Double or N o th in g i n c o r p o r a t e s p a ssa g e s
from e a r l i e r w r i t i n g s , Amer Eldorado c o n t a i n s r e f e r e n c e s to
i t s f i c t i o n a l p r e d e c e s s o r , Double or N o th in g , and in Take I t
or Leave I t t h e r e i s even a b r i e f b i o g r a p h i c a l s k e t c h o f one
"Hombre De La Pluma" ( = Feder M ann), and a c a t a l o g u e o f h i s
w r i t i n g s , some o f which a re c a l l e d Chaos, Sam , Don, T i o l i .
This l a s t one, T i o l i , i s d e s c r i b e d a s: " u n f i n i s h e d ( t r a n s .
by the a u th o r and r e t i t l e d El. Am in F re n a h -Y id d is h v e r s i o n ) "
Cp. 348). This i s how Fed erm an's own work i s f i c t i o n a l i z e d ,
and we can see h e r e how i t i s d i s t o r t e d . The f i c t i o n s do
n o t mean a n y th in g ; th e y are sim ply p r e s e n t e d .
The s u c c e s s o f Federm an's f i c t i o n can be a t t r i b u t e d to
h i s n e v e r f o r c i n g a n y th in g upon i t , nor does i t f o rc e any
t h i n g upon the r e a d e r . The game i s p la y e d f o r fu n , and f o r
w h a te v e r b e n e f i t s may be d e r i v e d from c o n s c i o u s l y c r e a t i n g
o n e 's own f i c t i o n s . Even the most s e r i o u s p a s s a g e s in the
t e x t s on l i t e r a t u r e , or on the e x p e r i e n c e s o f the me-now/
h e - t h e n ( " th e w a r - th e cam ps-the t r a i n - x - x - x " ) d e r i v e from
the f i c t i o n a l c o n t e x t com plete g r a t u i t o u s n e s s . "What m at
t e r s h e r e , " says the T e l l e r , " i s the p l a y f u l n e s s o f the
m a t t e r [ , ] th e i n t e r p l a y o f the s i t u a t i o n " (p. 1 2 0 ). He
c o n t i n u e s :
200
skip i t I have no answers
OK you say O K
you even say that as a matter of fact within the social system of
c a p ita listic structures this whole story has no problematic
no order
no form no ideology there are rather more minuses than pluses in
i t
(and what about pulses [st-o] and misuses) no
depth no aesthetic value this tory [sfe] in other words no
philosophy£
(.T Io L I, p. 120)
iThese s t a t e m e n t s are n o t a l l t r u e , b u t th e y d i s c u l p a t e the
T e l l e r from the n o v e l 's random movement and i n n o v a t i v e ,
e x p e r im e n ta l f o r m s , adding to the se n se o f i m p r o v i s a t i o n in
the t e x t . C e r t a i n l y the most im p o r ta n t f e a t u r e o f th e novel
jis the abandonment o f t r a d i t i o n a l n a r r a t i v e te c h n iq u e s used
to t e l l a s t o r y . In d ee d , the s t o r y i n F ederm an's n o vel i s
t h a t o f th e t e l l i n g o f a s t o r y and, i n p a r t , o f the non-
I
c o n fo rm ity o f i t s t e l l i n g . I t depends as much upon the
T e l l e r as upon the T o ld , f o r i t i s h i s p e r c e p t i o n , u n d e r
s t a n d i n g , memory, and i m a g i n a t io n t h a t produce th e f i c t i o n ,
I
jand th e Told i s pure f i c t i o n . The shape o f th e work i s
u n p r e d i c t a b l e and g r a t u i t o u s , b u t t h i s i s c r u c i a l to i t :
thus the novel always r e f e r s back to i t s e l f , to the b a re
jdevices and the t y p o g r a p h ic phenomena t h a t r e v e a l i t s
p h e n o m e n o lo g ic al e x i s t e n c e . " L ' e c r i t u r e romanesque . . . e s t
i n v e n t i o n , i n v e n t i o n du monde e t de l'homme" ( R o b b e - G r i l l e t ,
p . 1 7 5 ), and c an n o t r e l y on p r e e s t a b l i s h e d forms to e x p re s s
201
the p r o t e a n r e a l i t y o f man and h i s e n c o u n t e r s . As th e moi-
nous seek s i t s f i c t i o n a l new v o i c e , i t must v e n tu r e beyond
the known, a d m i t ti n g i t s i n v e n t e d n e s s , i t s e x a g g e r a t i o n s ,
d i s t o r t i o n s , and p l a g i a r i s m s — i n s h o r t , the f i c t i o n a l i t y o f
i t s r e a l p r e s e n c e i n the w o rld .
Federm an's f i c t i o n a f f o r d s h i s r e a d e r s the p o s s i b i l i t y
of la u g h in g a t the a b s u r d i t y of l i f e , as he e x u b e r a n t l y and
i n c o h e r e n t l y c h r o n i c l e s the moves o f a g r a t u i t o u s , i m p e r t i
n e n t , and s o l i p s i s t i c game. L ife i s composed o f such f i c
t i o n s , so th e s u r f i c t i o n i s t assum es, and th e s e f i c t i o n s are
as he c r e a t e s them. In d e e d , "What are we h e re f o r? I f n o t
to improve r e a l i t y so t h a t i t may someday become f i c t i o n or
l i t e r a t u r e ' " { T I o L I , p . 7 8 ). P erhaps to c a n c e l r e a l i t y
once and f o r a l l . That i s the gamble.
CONCLUSION
D i v e r s i t y and i n n o v a t i o n c h a r a c t e r i z e the new American
f i c t i o n d e s c r i b e d h e r e . There i s no one sc h o o l o f th o u g h t
or s t y l e t h a t can be i d e n t i f i e d to d e s c r i b e s a t i s f a c t o r i l y
a l l the works w r i t t e n and t h e i r c r e a t o r s ' i d e a s a b o u t them,
f o r no one c o n ce p t o f th e n a t u r e o f f i c t i o n p r e v a i l s .
N e v e r t h e l e s s , t h e r e e x i s t c e r t a i n a ssu m p tio n s t h a t ap p ea r
fu nd am en tal to much o f the l i t e r a t u r e p u b l i s h e d d u r in g the
p a s t d e ca d e, t h a t which I would d i s t i n g u i s h as new f i c t i o n ,
assum ption s t h a t a p p ea r to b e lo n g to the d e v e lo p in g t r a d i
t i o n s o f the a b su rd and the nouveau roman. The works o f
S o r r e n t i n o , K a tz, and Federman e x em p lify m ajor c on cern s and
modes o f p r e s e n t a t i o n to be found in new f i c t i o n , though
they on ly p a r t i a l l y r e p r e s e n t a l l th o se t h a t a re c u r r e n t l y
b e in g examined and t r i e d by such w r i t e r s as W a lte r A b ish ,
John A shbery, J o n a th a n Baumbach, J e r r y Bumpus. George Cham
b e r s , R obert C o o v e r, W illia m Gass, Marianne H a u se r, E la in e
K r a f , P e t e r S p i e l b e r g , and Ronald S u k e n i c k , to name a few.
203
The c o n c e rn o f t h i s s tu d y has been to e l u c i d a t e some b a s i c
a e s t h e t i c p r i n c i p l e s upon which t h e i r v a r i e d and changing
s t y l e s seem p r e d i c a t e d , and as the rem arks t h a t have been
made are in te n d e d to be g e n e r a l l y a p p r o p r i a t e and s p e c i f i
c a l l y a p p l i c a b l e to a l l th e s e w r i t e r s , so are the c o n s i d e r a
t i o n s t h a t f o llo w . C e r t a i n l y such e p i t h e t s as d i s r u p t i v e ,
i n n o v a t i v e , s u r f i c t i o n , and s u p e r f i c t i o n s u i t t h i s l i t e r a
t u r e w h ich, as we have s e e n , b r e a k s away from the t r a d i
t i o n a l form and s y n t a x o f th e n o v e l i n d e f i a n c e o f i t s con
v e n ti o n s , b r e a k s down the t r a d i t i o n a l d i s t i n c t i o n s betw een
f i c t i o n a l gen res to the dismay o f c o n v e n t i o n - o r i e n t e d c r i t
i c s , and i n v e n t s new idiom s f o r the e x p r e s s i o n o f m an's
e x p e r i e n c e s i n a w orld t h a t does n o t resp o n d to h i s needs
f o r o r d e r and m eaning. R a th e r , th e l i t e r a r y forms s e l f
c o n s c i o u s ly a r t i c u l a t e th e f i c t i o n a l i z a t i o n o f e x p e r ie n c e
and p r e s e n t m an's s i t u a t i o n s and e n c o u n te r s i n the r e l a -
t i v i s t i c w o rld as u n r e a s o n a b l e , d i s j o i n t e d , and p u r p o s e l e s s ,
p ro v o k in g th e se n se o f the a b su rd n o t only by r e f u s i n g t r a
d i t i o n , b u t by a v o id in g r a t i o n a l a n a ly s e s o f e x p e r ie n c e
i t s e l f .
The d e v ic e s R o b b e - G r i l i e t p ro p o se s f o r the new novel
se rv e the com m unication o f th e a b su rd in f i c t i o n w e l l , f o r
th ey allo w the f i c t i o n a l e x p e r ie n c e th e s e n s e o f immediacy
204
n e c e s s a r y to c irc u m v e n t the l o g i c a l im pulse f o s t e r e d by
t r a d i t i o n a l f i c t i o n , i . e . , the d e s i r e f o r com prehension t h a t
exceeds p e r c e p t i o n . In r e f r a i n i n g from a n a l y s e s , th e c o n
t i n g e n t and p r o t e a n r e a l i t y d e s c r i b e d i n a n d /o r m a n i f e s te d
by the f i c t i o n a l c o n s t r u c t can be a p p reh en d ed . D i f f e r e n t
a u th o r s a tt e m p t to c r e a t e the se n se o f th e p r o v i s i o n a l in
d i f f e r e n t ways, b u t most have s o u g h t to do so i n i t i a l l y by
i n t e r f e r i n g w ith the d i a c h r o n i c i m p e r a tiv e o f the l i t e r a r y
medium, which n a t u r a l l y p re s u p p o se s a l o g i c a l s t r u c t u r e .
S o r r e n t i n o does t h i s by j u x t a p o s i n g th e te m p o r a lly o r s p a
t i a l l y o r i e n t e d n a r r a t i v e p o r t i o n s of h i s work in a l o g i c a l
sequ ences and by s u p p r e s s i n g the f u n c t i o n a l i n d i c e s n e c e s
s a r y f o r the c o h e siv e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f c h a r a c t e r s and e v e n t s .
E x p e rie n c e s thus lo s e an o r d e r e d c o n t e x t and, h e n c e , t e l e o -
l o g i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e . K a t z 's d i s l o c a t i o n s i s o l a t e the
images he c r e a t e s w ith language from the w o rld we t h i n k we
iknow and from th e consequences a s s o c i a t e d w ith a p l o t t e d
d i s c o u r s e (from the r e a s o n a b l e , in r e a l i t y and in f i c t i o n ) ,
le n d i n g an i l l u s i o n of s y n c h r o n i c i t y , the s e q u e n t i a l p r o c e s s
o f r e a d i n g n o t w i t h s t a n d i n g . The to p o lo g y o f Federm an's
n o v e ls s u c c e s s f u l l y i n h i b i t s the a u to m a tic h a b i t o f r e a d i n g
a n a r r a t i v e one l i n e a t a tim e , l e f t to r i g h t , top to b o t
tom, m a n i f e s t i n g by i t s v e ry d e s ig n th e no nuniform ,
205
d i s c o n t i n u o u s , and w h o lly a r t i f i c i a l p r o c e s s o f f i c t i o n a l i -
z a t i o n t h a t c h a r a c t e r i z e s h i s p e r c e p t i o n and a p p re h e n s io n of
e x p e r i e n c e , and the t u r n away from m im etic models o f r e a l i t y
to p o i e t i c o n e s .
A ll th r e e w r i t e r s a re b a s i c a l l y d e a l i n g w ith i l l u s i o n s ,
s i n c e n a r r a t i v e — and more s p e c i f i c a l l y lan g u a g e — i n t r i n s i
c a l l y o r d e r or p r e s e n t an o r d e r e d com m unication. The
a tte m p t to impede t h i s r e f l e c t s , f i r s t , the r e j e c t i o n o f
r e p r e s e n t a t i o n as a v a l i d a r t i s t i c o b j e c t i v e ; second and
i n h e r e n t l y , the d i s t r u s t o f la n g u a g e , which does n o t e x i s t
in a o n e -to - o n e r e l a t i o n s h i p w ith r e a l i t y , b u t which manipu
l a t e s th o u g h t p r o c e s s e s and d i s g u i s e s the f i c t i o n s t h a t
r e s u l t from a l l e x p r e s s i o n s of the r e a l ; t h i r d , the s e a r c h
f o r an idiom , a d i f f e r e n t k in d o f la n g u a g e , t h a t c an , in
f a c t , e x p r e s s the m e a n in g le s s n e s s o f e x p e r ie n c e w i t h o u t
b e t r a y i n g i t i n so d o in g . This le a d s to the m e t a l i n g u i s t i c
c h a r a c t e r of much o f new f i c t i o n , o r the m e t a f i c t i o n s c r e
a te d f o r i t .
R o b b e - G r i l l e t d e s c r i b e s th e new novel as a medium f o r
the e x p l o r a t i o n o f the f i c t i o n s t h a t c h a r a c t e r i z e a l l our
knowledge o f the w o r ld , and he mandates t h a t i t always be
aware t h a t i t i s engaged i n t h i s p r o c e s s o f f i c t i o n a l i z i n g .
In a c c o r d a n c e •w ith the need f o r the k in d o f com m unication
206
t h a t r e v e a l s n o t i t s o b j e c t , b u t i t s own p r o c e s s , the
w r i t e r s of new f i c t i o n have by and l a r g e fram ed t h e i r f i c
t i o n s w ith a s t i l l l a r g e r f i c t i o n , c a l l e d i n t o p la y as soon
as th ey en d eav o r to a r t i c u l a t e e x p e r i e n c e . W hether the t e x t
i s f o r m a lly d e s ig n e d and d e f i n e d as a medium f o r the p r e s e n
t a t i o n o f i t s i n c o r p o r a t e d f i c t i o n s , s t r u c t u r a l l y d e f i n i n g
the code by which th ey o p e r a te (a m e t a l a n g u a g e ) , o r w h eth er
a f i c t i o n i s e s t a b l i s h e d f o r the c r e a t i o n o f f u r t h e r f i c
t i o n s ( m e t a f i c t i o n ) , an a p p re h e n s io n o f the image and e x p e r
ien c e d e s c r i b e d w i t h i n i s p re c e d e d and c o n d i t i o n e d by the
aw areness o f t h e i r f i c t i o n a l i t y . We can n e v er "know w h a t 's
going o n ," or what the meaning o f e v e n ts o r s i t u a t i o n s i s ;
jwe can d i s c u s s , j u d g e , or a n a ly z e t h a t which we re a d about
on ly as the p r o v i s i o n a l , f i c t i o n a l p ro d u c ts o f a c r e a t i v e
i n t e l l i g e n c e t h a t i s i t s e l f p o w e rle ss to communicate a p r e
e x i s t i n g r e a l i t y o r to d i s c o v e r the t e l e o l o g i c a l s i g n i f i
cance o f e x p e r i e n c e . We c o n f r o n t , t h e n , only a t e x t , and
n o t l i f e i t s e l f . In so a v o id in g the semblance o f p o r t r a y i n g
r e a l i t y , and i n r e f r a i n i n g from d i d a c t i c o r o t h e r " u s e f u l "
p r e t e n s i o n s , new f i c t i o n im p lie s t h a t th e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f
man's a r t i c u l a t i o n s and the r e a l i t y he se ek s to communicate
i s t h a t o f i n v e n te d f i c t i o n s , so t h a t meaning i s p u r s u a n t to
c r e a t i o n and c o n t i n g e n t upon i t , and beyond i t , is
207
i r r e l e v a n t . Thus the m ean in gfu l som ething t h a t i s f i c t i o n
(th e a r t i c u l a t i o n o f p e r c e p t i o n s ) i s a b le to s u g g e s t the
absence o f r e s i d e n t meaning in t h a t which i t f i c t i o n a l i z e s
(th e o b j e c t s o f p e r c e p t i o n ) .
New f i c t i o n adds i t s e l f to the w orld n o t i n d e s p a i r or
f r u s t r a t i o n , a lth o u g h t h i s i s o c c a s i o n a l l y evoked, b u t as an
a s s e r t i o n o f the freedom and r e s p o n s i b i l i t y o f w r i t e r s to
in v e n t the r e a l and seek o u t the p o s s i b i l i t i e s a f f o r d e d by
c o n t i n g e n t e x i s t e n c e . A ll too o f t e n , how ever, the i n d e
p en d en t e s s a y s and e x p l o r a t i o n s t h a t are the most p o s i t i v e
c o n t r i b u t i o n s o f the developm ent o f i n d i v i d u a l i z e d e x p r e s
s io n s o f e x p e r ie n c e become s o l i p s i s t i c games t h a t p r e c lu d e
a p p re h e n s io n and com prehension o f any s o r t . This i s one o f
the d an g ers o f an a r t t h a t o f f e r s i t s e l f f o r i t s own sa k e:
even the b e a u ty o f the a r t i f i c e may be submerged b e n e a th an
u n i n t e l l i g i b l e s tre a m o f words t h a t o b f u s c a t e the q u a l i t y o f
the a c t u a l to which even the most n o n r e f e r e n t i a l works o f
f i c t i o n must a tte m p t to s e n s i t i z e t h e i r a u d ie n c e s . The
a c t u a l we re c o g n iz e may e x i s t in form al s t r u c t u r e , tone or
rhythm o f l a n g u a g e , th e code or c o n te x t o f e x p e r i e n c e s , as
metonym, m etap h o r, or a l l e g o r y ; w h a te v e r i t b e , i t must be
p r e s e n t , e l s e the r e a d e r i s l o s t . Federman a p p e a rs to
u n d e r s t a n d t h i s when he s u g g e s ts in Take I t or Leave I t t h a t
208
i f h i s r e a d e r i s g e t t i n g b o re d he sh o u ld s k ip to a n o th e r
s e c t i o n o f the work. This i s a v a l i d id e a in terms o f the
p r o v i s i o n a l or a r b i t r a r y form he w ish es h i s f i c t i o n to
ap p ea r to h a v e , b u t u n f o r t u n a t e l y , the r e a d e r i s j u s t as
l i a b l e to p u t the work down f o r e v e r . The problem i s common
to much o f new f i c t i o n , w h ich, b ecause i t r e f u s e s to be
r e p r e s e n t a t i o n a l and e x p r e s s i v e , and because i t has and
needs such "a s o p h i s t i c a t e d aw areness o f the form al o p tio n s
and t e c h n iq u e s a v a i l a b l e t o d a y , " 1 o f t e n ig n o re s the need f o r
the e v o c a t i o n or e x p r e s s i o n o f a p e r s o n a l s u s c e p t i b i l i t y to
the f i c t i o n s c r e a t e d .
P a s s io n i s e s s e n t i a l to c r e a t i o n ; the need f o r a w r i t e r
to e x p re s s some s e n s i t i v i t y to h i s m a t e r i a l s sh o u ld govern
the c r e a t i v e i m p u l s e . In the case o f much o f the new f i c
t i o n d e s c r i b e d h e r e i n , t h i s has been l a r g e l y , to i t s d e t r i
ment, an i n t e l l e c t u a l s e n s i t i v i t y , the r e s u l t of which i s
t h a t the works are o f academ ic i n t e r e s t o n ly . The a b su rd
t h a t i s communicated i s d e p e r s o n a l i z e d by the l a y e r s of
f i c t i o n , c o l d l y d i s t a n c i n g th e w r i t e r from th e e x p e r ie n c e s
he i n v e n t s . The a r t i f i c e has made many o f the works a r t i
f i c i a l , a q u a l i t y t h a t c an n o t be s u s t a i n e d over lon g p e r i o d s
1Ronaid Sukenick, "Statement," in Statements: New Fiction from
the Fiction Collective (New York: George Braziller, 1975), p. 7.
209
o f time w i t h o u t becoming f r a n k l y b o r i n g to even the most
a c a d e m ic a lly minded o f r e a d e r s . Of the a u th o r s whose works
I have d i s c u s s e d , only S o r r e n t i n o c o n s i s t e n t l y manages to
av o id t h i s t r a p , b u t th e n a g a i n , h i s work i s the l e a s t
e x p e r im e n ta l o f th o se d e s c r i b e d . Although a l l are n e g a t i v e ,
the f e e l i n g s o f n o s t a l g i a , c o n te m p t, h o s t i l i t y , o r a n im o sity
t h a t c h a r a c t e r i z e S o r r e n t i n o ' s f i c t i o n s p ro v id e a t e n s i o n
betw een the e x p e r i e n c e s o f the t e x t and i t s c r e a t o r , to
which the r e a d e r can resp o n d in a v a r i e t y o f ways. That
t e n s i o n e x i s t s i n a r e l a t i o n s h i p t h a t i s n o t " c o n s p i r a t o r
i a l , " b u t i d e n t i f i e d by the d i s t a n c e , d i s t o r t i o n o f p e r c e p
t i o n , and i n v e n t i o n c l e a r l y i n d i c a t e d i n th e f i c t i o n .
Jerome K lin k o w itz w r i t e s i n h i s book L i t e r a r y D isru p
t i o n s : The Making o f a P ost-C ontem porary American F i c t i o n ,
" S u r v iv a l depends upon f i n d i n g s i g n i f i c a n t r e l a t i o n s h i p s
2
w ith r e a l i t y , " and he adds to t h i s a q u o t a t i o n from Ronald
S u k e n ic k 's f i c t i o n : "'T he comm unication o f our e x p e r ie n c e to
3
o t h e r s i s the e le m e n ta l a c t o f c i v i l i z a t i o n . ' " One such
r e l a t i o n s h i p i s , a d m i t t e d l y , the f i c t i o n a l i z a t i o n p r o c e s s
i n h e r e n t in the com m unication o f e x p e r i e n c e ; how ever, t h i s
^(Urbana: Univ. of Illin ois Press, 1975), p. 127.
^Ronald Sukenick, "What's Your Story," in The Death o f the Novel
and Other Stories (New York: The Dial Press, 1969), p. 154.
210
can be no more th a n a s t a r t i n g p o i n t o f a body o f l i t e r a
t u r e ; the p o i n t can in d e e d be r e p e a t e d too many tim e s . The
su b s e q u e n t p o i n t , t h a t f i c t i o n can no t s u c c e s s f u l l y c a p tu r e
r e a l i t y , as e x p re s s e d e i t h e r by f a i l e d a tte m p ts to do so ,
by r e f u s i n g to do s o , by i g n o r i n g the r e a l a l t o g e t h e r , o r by
subm erging i t u n der l a y e r s o f f i c t i o n s and m e t a f i c t i o n s , can
a ls o be only a b e g in n i n g . H a p p ily , t h i s i s what th ey a re
p r o v in g to b e .
The p e r s o n a l i z e d s e n s i t i v i t y to the p r o c e s s o f f i c t i o n
a l i z i n g and to f i c t i o n a l i z e d e x p e r ie n c e has s t a r t e d to make
i t s way i n t o new f i c t i o n . K a t z 's Moving P a rts i n t e g r a t e s
f i c t i o n and a u to b io g ra p h y to d i s c o v e r " s i g n i f i c a n t r e l a t i o n
s h i p s " betw een them as th ey r e l a t e to the e x p l o r a t i o n o f
i d e n t i t y , and he communicates h i s f e e l i n g s o f f r u s t r a t i o n ,
amazement, and jo y as th ey o v e r l a p . In a s e r i e s o f as y e t
u n p u b lis h e d " P r i s o n P i e c e s , " the form o f which Katz c a l l s
"p o em p ro se, becau se the l i n e s do n o t rea ch a l l the way to
4
the r i g h t m arg in , and a re e c c e n t r i c i n terms o f the l e f t , "
he conveys an e x tre m e ly s e n s i t i v e com passion f o r the i n
mates , as w e ll as h i s c u r i o s i t y and o c c a s i o n a l l y c y n ic a l
m is g iv in g s about them. The p i e c e s c a p tu r e i m a g i n a t i v e l y
4
Read by Steve Katz at San Diego State University, Calif., Novem
ber 1, 1977.
211
the p e c u l i a r i t i e s o f s p e e c h , s i t u a t i o n , and r e s p o n s e s he
e n c o u n te r e d on, and in v e n t s f o r , h i s v i s i t to t h e . p r i s o n ,
f i c t i o n a l i z i n g them w i t h o u t c l i c h e s , w i t h o u t a t t e m p t i n g to
d e fin e an i n h e r e n t meaning i n e i t h e r t h e i r e x p e r ie n c e or h i s
e x p e r ie n c e o f them; i n s h o r t , w i t h o u t compromising the a e s
t h e t i c i d e a l s of the a b su rd or th o se o f the new n o v e l.
Raymond Federm an’s most r e c e n t l y p u b l is h e d p i e c e , ’’The
Voice i n the C l o s e t , " a r t i c u l a t e s the f i c t i o n a l im p e r a tiv e
t h a t u n d e r l i e s h i s n o v e ls p u b l i s h e d to d a t e . I t i s a most
a g o n iz in g e x p r e s s i o n o f d e s p a i r and, p e r h a p s , d e f e a t , t h a t
pours from an u n p u n c tu a te d t o r r e n t o f w o r d s . I t o p e n s :
"h ere now a g a in s e l e c t r i c s t u d makes me speak w ith i t s b a l l s
a l l b a l l s , " 5 i n d i c a t i n g Federman i s a g a in s i t t i n g a t h i s IBM
S e l e c t r i c t y p e w r i t e r w ith i t s i n t e r c h a n g e a b l e b a l l s o f t y p e ,
which has the power to make him c o n f r o n t a r e a l i t y he has
been a v o i d i n g , w ith i t s h e l p , in h i s f i c t i o n s . He i s i n the
a t t i c o f h i s house w ith h i s t y p e w r i t e r and in th e c l o s e t of
the a p a rtm e n t in P a r i s where h i s p a r e n t s t r i e d to h id e him
from the N a z is, b u t he i s o u t s i d e the pages of the n o v e l s ,
where he was "u nab le to become the c o r r e s p o n d e n t o f h i s
5"The Voice in the Closet," in Statements 2: New Fiction, ed.
Jonathan Baumbach and Peter Spielberg (New York. The Fiction Collec
tive, 1977), p. 95.
212
i l l u s i o n s " ( " V o ic e ," p . 1 0 5 ). The man a t the t y p e w r i t e r
r e f l e x i v e l y and r h e t o r i c a l l y demands o f th e maker o f f i c
t i o n s , "m oino us,"
but where were you te ll me dancing when i t all started where were
you when the door closed on me shouting I ask you when I needed
you the most letting me be erased in the dark at random in his
words scattered nakedly telling me where to go how many times yes
how many times must he foist his old voice on me his detours his
cancellations . '. . (p. 99)
At the end of the p i e c e he acknowledges h i m s e l f as a " s u r
v i v o r who d i s s o l v e s i n v e r b a l a r t i c u l a t i o n " and has to
"adm it t h a t h i s f i c t i o n s can no lo n g e r match th e r e a l i t y o f
-my p a s t " (p. 1 0 5 ). This i s new f i c t i o n a t i t s b e s t , c r e a t
in g a f i c t i o n w h ile exam ining the r e l a t i o n s h i p of the r e a l
and the manner in which i t is communicated; r e t a i n i n g a
se n se o f the d i s t a n c e , the g u l f , t h a t e x i s t s betw een man and
h i s e x p e r ie n c e o f the w o r ld , such t h a t a l l h i s a tte m p ts to
d e f i n e i t r e s u l t i n a d e s c r i p t i o n , h e re p a r t i c u l a r l y p o i g n
a n t , o f a p e r s o n a l , hence p r o v i s i o n a l , v i s i o n t h a t i s u l t i
m ately u n s a t i s f a c t o r y . Federman g iv es a p e r s o n a l d im ension
to S o r r e n t i n o 's maxim, "A rt c an n o t re s c u e anybody from any-
,,6
t h i n g .
The a u th o r of new f i c t i o n does n o t p r e t e n d to
^Gilbert Sorrentino, "The Moon in Its Flight," New American
Review, 13 (1971), 163. _______
213
o m n is c ie n c e , and he r e j e c t s h i s own a u t h o r i t y r e g a r d i n g h i s
medium and the m a t e r i a l s from h i s l i f e and i m a g i n a t io n . The
f i c t i o n as a c o n c r e te s t r u c t u r e th u s e x i s t s as an in d e p e n
d en t a r t i f a c t f o r the r e a d e r to e x p e r ie n c e and to which he
must r e s p o n d , or n o t , w i t h o u t g u id a n c e . He i s p r e v e n te d
from g e t t i n g in v o lv e d w ith the paradigm s o f e x p e r ie n c e
d e s c r i b e d , w h ile b e in g fo r c e d to p a r t i c i p a t e in the co n
s t r u c t i o n (th e e x p r e s s io n ) o f the e x p e r i e n c e . A r e l a t i o n
s h ip thu s does e x i s t betw een the t e x t and the r e a d e r who
c o n f r o n t s i t , one t h a t le a d s to a n o th e r problem fa c e d by new
f i c t i o n and i n h e r e n t i n any d i s c u s s i o n o f i t .
The problem i s t h a t o f the e x t e n t to which c o h e r e n t
a n a ly s e s (or g e n e r a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n s ) o f the form o f new
f i c t i o n and d e s c r i p t i o n s o f i t s m a t e r i a l s b e l i e the i n c o
h e re n c e or absence o f o r d e r and pu rp ose i t seeks to commu
n i c a t e . The w r i t e r s , as j u s t m e n tio n e d , employ a m eta
language or m e t a f i c t i o n , or e p i s t e m i c d i s l o c a t i o n s , t h a t
s e t a s t a g e , as i t w e re , f o r the e v e n ts t h a t w i l l u n f o l d ,
and they make i t an e q u iv o c a l one or r e v e a l i t to be p r o
v i s i o n a l . The r e a d e r and c r i t i c , how ever, approach the t e x t
assum ing t h a t some u n i t y and purpo se do e x i s t , and no m a t t e r
what i s done to th w a rt th e s e a ssu m p tio n s— be th ey i n terms
of the t r a d i t i o n a l e x p e c t a t i o n s o f the n ov el or n o t— we seek
214
to d i s c o v e r th e o r g a n i z i n g p r i n c i p l e or r e a s o n a b le i n t e n t i o n
t h a t e n g en d e re d the work. That i s , o f c o u r s e , what t h i s
stu d y has done, and t h e r e i s b u t one re s p o n se to the j u s t i
f i a b l e q u e s t i o n of w h e th er such an approach i s v a l i d : i t
i s , i f the c r i t i c a l a p p a r a tu s i s employed w ith a c a u t io u s
aw areness t h a t i t can a t b e s t d e s c r i b e , n o t e x p l i c a t e , i t s
own p e r c e p t i o n s o f the e x p e r ie n c e o f the work, and in so
d oin g be aware a l s o t h a t i t i s c r e a t i n g y e t a n o th e r f i c t i o n .
to o r d e r such p e r c e p t i o n s — " c r i t i f i c t i o n ," Federman c a l l s i t
(T I o L I , pp. 343-3 45 ). Many w r i t e r s and c r i t i c s are today
fa c e d w ith t h i s i s s u e , and a l l r e c o g n iz e t h a t a new c r i t i c a l
language sh o u ld be i n v e n te d to d e a l w ith the new language o f
f i c t i o n . In a more g e n e r a l v e i n , Ronald Sukenick s a i d to
K lin k o w itz , one o f s e v e r a l c r i t i c s who a re se e k in g to f i n d
and e s t a b l i s h j u s t such an id io m , " i t would be i n t e r e s t i n g
i f c r i t i c i s m c o u ld b e g in to expand i t s s to c k o f r e s p o n s e s to
the e x p e r ie n c e of f i c t i o n ” ( K lin k o w itz , L i f e o f F i c t i o n , p.
1 1 5 ), f o r t h a t s to c k has become as tire s o m e as the t r a d i
t i o n a l f i c t i o n f o r which i t was c r e a t e d . M e t a c r i t i c i s m ,
p a r a c r i t i c i s m , s t r u c t u r a l and d e c o n s t r u c t i v e c r i t i c a l
ap p ro ach es may be what i s so u g h t; maybe h o t . The r e c e n t
works o f such c r i t i c s as Ihab H a ssan , Federman h i m s e l f ,
Lawrence M cC affery, Campbell Tathum, and R ob ert S choles
215
c e r t a i n l y come c l o s e . At t h i s time the c h a lle n g e i s g r e a t ,
f o r i t rem ains q u e s t i o n a b l e w h e th er new f i c t i o n can make a
s i g n i f i c a n t e n t r y i n t o the a n n a ls o f l i t e r a r y h i s t o r y w i t h
o u t a p p r o p r i a t e c r i t i c a l accompaniment.
The e t i o l o g y o f new f i c t i o n s u g g e s te d h e re c o n t r i b u t e s ,
I hop e, to an u n d e r s ta n d in g o f i t s f o u n d a t i o n in t h a t l i t e r
ary h i s t o r y . Camus' s u g g e s t i o n s f o r a b s u r d i s t f i c t i o n , and
the te c h n iq u e s p ro p o se d by R o b b e - G r i l l e t f o r the new n o v e l,
[Which are l a r g e l y the same, have been embraced by th o se
w r i t e r s who seek to e x p lo r e m an's r e l a t i o n s h i p to and e x
p e r i e n c e i n a w orld t h a t i s c h a o t i c and u n r e s p o n s i v e , one
where h i s a c t i o n s a re f u t i l e and g r a t u i t o u s , h i s g e s t u r e s
m e a n in g le s s , and h i s p e r c e p t i o n s c o n t i n g e n t . The w r i t e r s o f
new f i c t i o n w i l l , i t i s hoped, c o n tin u e to i n v e s t i g a t e ,
t
exam ine, and i n v e n t l i t e r a r y forms t h a t s u i t b o th t h e i r
i n d i v i d u a l t a l e n t s as a r t i s t s and the im p e r a tiv e o f l i b e r a
t i o n t h a t complements t h e i r r e c o g n i t i o n o f the absence o f
a b s o l u te o r d e r . One h o p e s , t o o , they w i l l b e a r in mind t h a t
t h e i r t a l e n t s must give v o ice to t h e i r p a s s i o n s , f o r i f
a n y th in g i s c e r t a i n in an a b su rd w o r ld , i t i s t h a t men have
f e e l i n g s about i t . And f i n a l l y , i t is hoped t h a t t h i s stu d y
which r e c o g n iz e s i t s t r a d i t i o n a l d e s c r i p t i v e a p p ro a c h , w i l l
have h e lp e d to e s t a b l i s h a c o n t e x t f o r new f i c t i o n , to
216
v a l i d a t e i t h i s t o r i c a l l y , u n t i l such time as a new c r i t i c i s m
i s i n v e n te d to complement i t , as w e l l .
B I B L I O G R A P H Y
217
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s e r v e as p r e t e x t s o r c o n te x ts f o r f i c t i o n s t h a t r e g a r d them
s u s p i c i o u s l y . Simply by o f f e r i n g the p l o t in a d v an c e, he
can t u r n the r e a d e r ' s a t t e n t i o n e l s e w h e r e , tow ard the move
ment o f th e t e x t as i t s k ip s and t u r n s and "mumbles to i t
s e l f , " w h ile the d i s c o u r s e fo llo w s " th e c o n to u rs o f the
w r i t i n g i t s e l f as i t ta k e s shape ( u n p r e d i c t a b l e shape)
w i t h i n the space o f the page" ( " S u r f i c t i o n ," p. 4 2 9 ). What
e v e r meaning may be found w i l l come from t h i s shape , n o t
from r e v e l a t i o n s o f t r u t h ab ou t the w o rld t h a t l i e s o u t s i d e .
The a u th o r abandons th e r o l e o f o r g a n i z e r o f r e a l i t y and
a c c e p ts t h a t o f f i c t i o n i s t .
I t i s known to be t r u e t h a t Raymond Federman was d i s
c o v e re d h i d i n g in a c l o s e t in h i s p a r e n t s ' a p a rtm e n t in
P a r i s by N a z is ; t h a t the p a r e n t s , s i s t e r s , and o t h e r r e l a
t i v e s were s e n t to c o n c e n t r a t i o n camps, p ro b a b ly A u sch w itz;
and t h a t he e sc a p e d by jum ping o f f a t r a i n in s o u t h e r n
France and f o r s e v e r a l y e a r s worked on a farm t h e r e , u n t i l
an u n c le i n America s e n t f o r him. These d e t a i l s , and some
from h i s f i r s t e x p e r i e n c e s i n A m erica, a p p ea r and a re
225
S u k e n i c k , Ronald. "The New T r a d i t i o n . " P a r tis a n R e v ie w , 39
( F a l l 1972) , 580-588 . Rpt. as "The New T r a d i t i o n in
F i c t i o n " i n S u r f i c t i o n : F i c t i o n Now and Tomorrow. Ed.
Raymond Federman. Chicago: The Swallow P re s s , 1974.
_____________________. Out. Chicago: The Swallow P r e s s , 1973.
_____________________. " S t a t e m e n t . " S ta te m e n ts : New F i c t i o n
from the F i c t i o n C o l l e c t i v e . New York: George Bra-
z i l l e r , 1975. Pp. 7-8.
" T h i r t e e n D i g r e s s i o n s . " P a r tis a n R eview ,
43, No. 2 (1976) , 90-101 .
__________________ _ . "Twelve D ig r e s s io n s Toward a Study o f
C o m p o sitio n ." . New L i t e r a r y H is to r y , 6 (W inter 1974-
1975) , 429-437 .
_____________________. Up. New York: D ial P r e s s , 1968; r p t .
New York: D ell P u b l i s h i n g C o., 1970.
W ellek, Rene, and A u s tin W arren. Theory o f L i t e r a t u r e .
3rd ed . New York: H a r c o u r t , Brace § World, 1962.
W olfe, Tom. "Why They A r e n 't W ritin g the G reat American
Novel Anymore." E sq u ire , 78 (December 1972) , 152-158,
272-280.
jto Van C o r t l a n d t Park in New York C ity w ith a puppy, which |
I
Tier f r i e n d , a hawk, c a r r i e s o f f and e a t s . The hawk th en
I
r e t u r n s to sa y :
i
"It sure is swell of you to keep on bringing me those tender
pups. They make me feel so good. A hawk in New York is like
a fish out of water these days. No eats here. Everything
comes frozen or in cans." (p. 7)
iThis i s a f a n t a s t i c t a l e in which th e c h a r a c t e r s ' co n cern s
are r e c o g n i z a b l e a lth o u g h t h e i r p a r t i c u l a r c ir c u m s ta n c e s are
•
n o t , n e c e s s a r i l y . The e le m e n ts may be o r d i n a r y , b u t t h e i r
jcom bination may n o t be .
In the pa rk E i l e e n meets a sp h e re who i s p i c k i n g mush
rooms and who "makes h e r s m i l e . " They spend the a f t e r n o o n
t o g e t h e r , make l o v e , and the n e x t morning th e sp h e re i s gone.
i
E i l e e n goes o u t f o r a walk and meets The A s t r o n a u t , who
Announces he w i l l be t a k i n g over h e r p l a c e i n the s t o r y .
'"'Now t h a t I am h e re you no lo n g e r can be the main c h a r a c t e r
J o f LEROY’ " (p. 2 7 ). She i s " s t a r t l e d by such a t w i s t , though
I
n o t u p s e t , " and ask s The A s tr o n a u t one f a v o r b e f o r e d e p a r t -
i I
| i
i n g . She s t i l l needs to blow up the New York T im es, f o r , as!
^he e x p l a i n e d to the hawk,
"Everybody reads i t and stuffs his head full of information.
What good is information to the people? All it. does is prevent
me from becoming an adventuress." (p. 8)
T o g eth er E i l e e n and The A s tr o n a u t head downtown, and " F o r ty -

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Creator Karfiol, Judith Rachel (author)

Core Title New American fiction and the aesthetics of Camus and Robbe-Grillet

Degree Doctor of Philosophy

Degree Program Comparative Literature

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag comparative literature,OAI-PMH Harvest

Language English

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c17-735216

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Legacy Identifier DP22536.pdf

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Document Type Dissertation

Rights Karfiol, Judith Rachel

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Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

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