Sunday, August 4, 2019
Appearance Vs. Reality Essay -- essays research papers
One of the characteristics of Realism, in American literature at least, is the ironic use of perceptions of ââ¬Å"appearanceâ⬠vs. ââ¬Å"reality.â⬠With this in mind, Henry Jamesââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Real Thingâ⬠and ââ¬Å"The Beast in the Jungleâ⬠are two works wherein such characteristics can be shown to operate as James employs cleverly woven twists of ââ¬Å"appearanceâ⬠and ââ¬Å"realityâ⬠in each of the plots. In Jamesââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Real Thing,â⬠the plot is centered on an unnamed artist and his interactions with two sets of models: the Monarchs (members of genteel society), and Miss Churm and Oronte (members of the working class). The ironically named Monarchs are a couple who appear as though they have ââ¬Å"ten thousand a yearâ⬠but whose lives diverge dramatically from the literal definition of a monarch. Upon introduction to the artist, they unwittingly deceive him into initially assuming that they are interested in commissioning a portrait; in fact, the Monarchs are seeking work as sitters. The case of mistaken identity is further compounded by the artist who pretends to be a ââ¬Å"great painter of portraitsâ⬠but who is actually an illustrator whose depictions of nobility constitute his main source of income ââ¬â his ââ¬Å"pot-boilers.â⬠Jamesââ¬â¢s introductory interplay of character identity with appearance and reality serves as a clever backdro p for the story where reality conflicts with appearance. While their outward social appearance and actions have an ââ¬Å"indefinable air of prosperous thriftâ⬠and personify that of high-class society, the Major and Mrs. Monarch are actually penniless and no longer members of the genteel sect. But the Monarchs are unable to resolve their ââ¬Å"appearanceâ⬠of high society with their ââ¬Å"realityâ⬠of financial destitution, and remain psychologically entrapped in a self-imposed netherworld of pseudo-culture and pseudo-class. Insistent upon being treated as members of the high society to which they no longer belong, the Monarchs also present a conflict of appearance and reality for the artist because he is forced to allow them the social deference of portrait sitters, yet pay them as models (viewed as their ââ¬Å"superior but not their equalâ⬠). The complexity of appearance vs. reality is further illustrated when the artist realizes that while Major and Mrs. Monarch may appear to be the ââ¬Å"real thing,â⬠he i s unable to transform their outward reflection of nobility onto his canvas without sacrificing his ... ...m. James counters Marcherââ¬â¢s emotional distance from reality with May Bartramââ¬â¢s embrace of life ââ¬â and love. But it is through the voyeuristic glimpse into Marcherââ¬â¢s internal machinations that readers understand the waste of a life based upon appearances. Like the Monarchs in ââ¬Å"The Real Thingâ⬠whose marriage to appearances entrapped them in world devoid of emotion, John Marcherââ¬â¢s identity is innately linked to ââ¬Å"fine things, intrinsic features, pictures, heirlooms, and treasures of the artsâ⬠and he is similarly constrained in a self-imposed world of apathy. Although it appears that Marcher has an enriched life, he is actually a man with ââ¬Å"â⬠¦ rather colourless (emphasis added) mannersâ⬠who is satisfied to wait for the elusive ââ¬Å"great thingâ⬠to happen. Because Marcher remains afraid to confront the ââ¬Å"beastâ⬠(the metaphoric unknown in life), it is not until the death of May Bartram that he realizes her love for him was the ââ¬Å"great thing,â⬠and that he was waiting for something that he unknowingly possessed. The simple truth that John Marcher recognized ââ¬â albeit too late ââ¬â is that ââ¬Å"It wouldnââ¬â¢t have been failure to be bankrupt, dishonour ed, pilloried, hanged; it was failure not to be anything.ââ¬
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.