Henry James, The Figure in the Carpet, art, english literature, book reviewer, text commentary, author, narrator, novel, quest
The narrator, a young book reviewer, is asked by Corvik, one of his colleagues, to write a review of a well-known author's (named Vereker) latest book. Having read the review, Vereker seizes the opportunity, when he meets the narrator, to tease him by revealing that he has missed the most important « thing » in his book, a « thing » that explains everything not only about his latest novel, but also about all his work. As he confides this to Corvik, the narrator then quickly realises that his friend is going to throw himself body and soul into the solution of this mystery, thus robbing the narrator of his quest.
[...] Whether it is his jealousy or Corvik's symbolic attempt to disclose Vereker's so-called secret which will lead to Corvik's death later, anyway, the narrator wants to be the couple's grave digger, but the more he strives to ridicule them, the stronger Corvik's will to succeed grows : he gets passionate and his enthusiasm reaches its climax with the last sentences of the extract (lines 63 to 66). If mystery has become the keyword for the narrator, as well as for Corvik and Miss Erme, Henry James remains the only figure evolving while scarcely hidden behind the features of Vereker. He aims at showing the reader that literature is a useful tool as well as the very essence of life. One just has to accept that the quest shall never end. [...]
[...] However, the strength of the feelings attracting one toward the other has nothing to do with love, but rather with a shared interest for the literary quest. The three characters are more in love with the secret they share than with one another (lines 59-60 : I wondered if they hadn't even quarelled... The confusion, though, between the love of literature and simple love shows the narrator as the spectator, as if he was no longer part of the quest ( poor Vereker's inner meaning gave them endless occasion to put and to keep their young heads together and it gives the two lovers Corvik and Miss Erme the supremacy ( They would scarce have got so wound up, I think, if they hadn't been in love). [...]
[...] The extract is thus the blatant proof that the narrator is the third wheel, the anti-hero whose role is only to be a foil. He is the one Corvik used, he is Corvik's ghostwriter actually. He is also the one Henry James used, not only to tell his story but also to settle the score with the literary critics who ignored him all his living career. Besides, he doesn't even have a name, he will only remain the narrator throughout the whole story. [...]
[...] Right from the beginning, we understand that pleasure doesn't lie as much in the answer to the quest as in the quest itself. The metaphor of the pleasure set up as an erotical pleasure (or even a sexual one) is blatant from the very first sentence: There was no hurry [...] the fascination could only grow . All the senses are on alert ( ...inhale him in slow draughts and let him sink all the way in Thus, the quest for the truth becomes the very essence of life. [...]
[...] The Figure in the Carpet - Henry James (1896) - The meaning of art and literature If The Figure In The Carpet can be seen, at first sight, as a satirical presentation of the realm of literary critics, the extract we are going to analyze proves that Henry James' short story is a lot more complex in its analysis of the meaning of art and literature. The narrator, a young book reviewer, is asked by Corvik, one of his colleagues, to write a review of a well-known author's (named Vereker) latest book. [...]
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