Composition. Narrative Peculiarities of The Novel

Download as docx, pdf, or txt
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 4

Philosophical and aesthetic background of Iris Murdoch’s “The Black Prince”

1. Composition. Narrative peculiarities of the novel.


The composition of Murdoch’s novel “The Black Prince” is indeed exceptional,
if not daring. Bringing to a novel like this, full of vague and ambiguous meanings and
plot lines, a first-person narration by the protagonist is a tricky way to manipulate the
reader’s mind and emotions. Considering the very nature of Bradley Pearson, it is
somewhat vainly to try to track down the truth and clear understanding of what is
taking place. However, it seems to be the very punch line of the novel perception.
Murdoch uncommonly composed her novel to include forewords and postscripts
written by all her leading characters, and all four “depict Bradley as an unreliable and
self-centered narrator”. (2004, p.691) Thus, it seems like reader has not just one
source of information but actually a few of the accounts of events, though Bradley
repeatedly tries to remind that his point of view is authentic. The power of empathy
through authoritative ‘I’ enters as Pearson’s means to control and manipulate the
reader. He claims that “Art is concerned not just primarily but absolutely with truth.
It is another name for truth.”, and by doing that he presents himself as a true artist
possessing the truth.
Pearson as a narrator seems to appear quite cautious, deliberately letting the
reader know about his ‘transformation’ in life even before the novel. Moreover, he
accurately recalls all the conversations and events that happened. All these things
make us subconsciously accept his version of the truth. Gillian Dooley claims that on
one hand Pearson has “a very definite self-image”. But at the same time often times
he contradicts himself and is mistaken about his nature, or even turns out to be a liar.
Still, it feels like reader is not ready to see this narration as such. Then why does
Murdoch so patently ask us to question Bradley’s reliability? (2003, p.5) The thing is
that, as Bove writes, the ultimate goal of Murdock’s novel was to make the reader
think and see the characters as distinct and separate individuals with rights of their
own. (2003, p.5)
The final transformation of Pearson we can see in the very last paragraph of his
Postscripts, where he writes about Priscilla and Julian:
This book has been in some way the story of my life. But it has also been, I
hope, an honest tale, a simple love story. And I would not wish it to seem at the
end that I have, in my own sequestered happiness, somehow forgotten the real
being of those who have figured as my characters. I will mention two. Priscilla.
May I never in my thought knit up the precise and random detail of her
wretchedness so as to forget that her death was not a necessity. And Julian. I do
not, my darling girl, however passionately and intensely my thought has worked
upon your being, really imagine that I invented you. Eternally you escape my
embrace.
These words testify to Pearson’s long way during the trial and how far he went,
as Dipple writes, from irritating inadequacy to the absolute of art and thence to death.
(2003, p. 11) This first person narration creates a frame for the whole novel, and thus
leave the reader with the closure, which, however, remains durable.

4. The role of love within the realm of art: erotic love as fuel for an inspiring
artist to create art, or one that questions the artist’s ability to see the subject of
his art fully.

The theme of love constitutes an integral part and a whole basis for the
Murdoch’s novel “The Black Prince”. However, the love portrayed in here is not the
kind of love usually depicted in the literary soil, but love which is blinding,
overpowering, enabling, ambiguous, dangerous. Two particularly facets of love
paradoxically interwoven in this novel are erotic nature of love, exhilarating and
propelling, and illuminating one, that obstructs the reality.
The fact that forbidden affection between Bradley Pearson and Julian Baffin had
a profound impact and virtually shaped Pearson’s vision of art is beyond doubt. The
very first time he realized the extent of his feelings, as Pearson himself recalls, was a
moment of “blinding joy” for him. This overwhelming feeling made a man self-
centered and pensively concentrated on his own ego and self-exploration. For sure
this did not make Julian pleased. She felt deceived and misled. Claiming to be “an
equal partner in this game” she tried to illuminate the truth for him:
‘You mean you don’t care what I think?’
‘Not now.’
‘Because you’ve spoilt all the fantasy fun of your love by bringing it out
into the real world?’
This “fantasy fun” of Pearson’s love became its ultimate objective. As Martha
Nussbaum says in her essay, it creates “an egoistic fog”. (2004, p.691) Indeed, at first
this fog propels him to change his attitude towards the world, but as soon as sexual
aspect enters, Pearson’s adequacy fades away and his craving for the goodness
becomes corrupted. The mixture of lust, awe, desire to possess and anxiety
completely obscures his clear vision. Thus, he hides the truth about Priscilla’s suicide
as well as about his age. His creation of art is corrupted just as much. Focused on his
own passion and erotic desire he no longer can describe the real love that was
between them. The subject of his art is now crooked.
Does it mean then that this art of Pearson’s gained nothing from his love but a
spoiled perspective? By no means. Here, the other facet of love comes into view, the
love inspiring and propelling. From the very beginning Pearson appears as an
unsuccessful writer. However, in the course of the story we see the very paradox of
the situation: the blinding desire of love opened Pearson’s eyes to create. The story
itself became a clear vision of art. “The vision of love itself is inherently unstable and
inconstant. Only through the life of art do we ever succeed in possessing all that we
have loved, in the sense that only then does our mind embrace the past experience
with unerring specificity and sureness”, says Martha Nussbaum. (2004, p. 705)
Thus, Pearson could not clearly see and perceive the subject of his art until he
lived that subject. He could only use this very subject in order to create art, where, as
an artist, he could finally see the truth and possess it. In his postscript he said, “And
Julian. I do not, my darling girl, however passionately and intensely my thought has
worked upon your being, really imagine that I invented you. Eternally you escape my
embrace. Art cannot assimilate you nor thought digest you. I do not now know, or
want to know, anything about your life. For me, you have gone into the dark.”
References
Dooley, Gillian, (2003). Iris Murdoch’s Use of First-Person Narrative in The
Black Prince. English Studies, 85 (2), p. 134-146. Retrieved April 12, 2020,
from
https://www.academia.edu/2057816/Iris_Murdochs_Use_of_FirstPerson_Narrative_in_The_Black_P
rince

Nussbaum, C. Martha, (2004). "Faint with Secret Knowledge": Love and Vision in
Murdoch's The Black Prince. Poetics Today, 25(4), pp. 689-710. Duke
University Press. Retrieved April 12, 2020, from
https://muse.jhu.edu/article/177243/pdf

You might also like

pFad - Phonifier reborn

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


Alternative Proxies:

Alternative Proxy

pFad Proxy

pFad v3 Proxy

pFad v4 Proxy