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Narrative Techniques
in
Doris Lessing’s Stories and Sketches
A Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty of Humanities and Letters
of Bilkent University
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in
English Language and Literature
by
Özlem Uzundemir
January, 1996
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I certify that I have read this thesis and that in my opinion it is fully
adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor
of Philosophy in English Language and Literature.
Prof. Bülent R. Bozkurt
(Committee Member)
I certify that I have read this thesis and that in my opinion it is fully
adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor
of Philosophy in English Language and Literature.
/ 0 -
Prof. Nail Bezel
(Committee Member)
I certify that I have read this thesis and that in my opinion it is fully
adequate, in scope and in quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor
o f Philosophy in English Language and Literature.
Dr. Rüçhan Kayalar
(Advisor)
11
Approved by the Institute of Economics and Social Sciences
Prof. Ali Karaosmanoglu
111
Abstract
Narrative Techniques
in
Doris Lessing's Stories and Sketches
Özlem Uzundemir
Ph.D. In English Literature
Advisor: Dr. Rüçhan Kayalar
January, 1996
The
Lessing's
to
the
aim
of this
short stories
narrative
S tructura lists
the
thesis
is t o
and s k e tc h e s , w i t h
techniques
Roland
introduction
analyze
developed
Barthes
where
and
them es
by
G enette.
narrative
the
first
dealing
second
involving
"form "
w ith
concerning
the
an
observation
o r an a d o l e s c e n t ' s
adult's
of
an
experience
outsider
the
French
Follow ing
- try
are
research -
developm ent,
and
to
the
third
prove
how
clarifies "m e a n in g ".
This
study
also trie s to
has c h a n g e d f r o m
plot
a child
Doris
strategies
discussed, the three de velop m en tal chapters of this
the
of
particular reference
m ainly
Gerard
these
the
structures
dem onstrate
how
Lessing's
style
referential stories w h ic h have w ell-o rga nized
and
developed
characters
to
sketches
having
no s t o r y line or c e n t r a l c h a r a c t e r s to d i s c l o s e t h e u n c e r t a i n t i e s
of m odern societies.
IV
özet
D oris L essin g'in Ö ykülerinde A nlatı T ek nik leri
Özlem Uzundemir
İngiliz Edebiyatı Doktora Tezi
Tez Yöneticisi: Dr. Rüçhan Kayalar
Ocak, 1996
Bu
tezin
amacı
Doris
Yapısal cıl arından
Roland
Bar t hes
Le s s i ng' i n
ve
Gerard
anl at ı t e k n i k l e r i d o ğ r u l t u s u n d a el e a l ma k t ı r .
öykülerini
Genette'in
Fransız
gel iştirdi ği
Bu t e k n i k l e r i n t ar t ı ş ı l dı ğı
gi ri ş b ö l ü m ü n ü üç b ö l ü m i zl er. İlk b ö l ü m b i r ç o c u ğ u n g e l i ş i m i n i , i k i n c i
bölüm
yetişkinin
gözlemlerini
ilişkisini
deneyimlerini,
anlatan
öyküleri
irdelemektedir.
tekniklerinin
nasıl
Bu
üçüncü
i ç er i r .
çal ı şma
değiştiğine
de
Her
bölüm
ise,
bölüm
Lessi ng' i n
bir
ve
biçem
öykülerindeki
kurgu
değinmektedir.
anlam
yabancının
İlk
iki
bölümde
i n c e l e n e n g e r ç e k ç i ö y k ü l e r y e r i n i ü ç ü n c ü b ö l ü m d e el e al ı n an d ü z e n l i
b i r o l a y ö r güs ü ve k a r a k t e r l e r i o l m a y a n "skeç" l er e bı r ak ı r .
Acknowled gements
I
would
supervisor
like
Dr.
encouraging
to
express
Rüçhan
Kayalar
suggestions
at
all
my
for
deepest
her
s t ages
in
gratitude
invaluable
the
to
my
support
and
preparation
of
this
thesis.
I offer thanks
to
Prof.
Bülent
B o z k u r t and
Prof.
Nail
Bezel
for t h e i r e v a lu a tio n and c o m m e n ts .
Special t h a n k s to Dr. Ö z k a n Ç a k ı r la r and
Dr. M e l t e m
Kiran-
Raw f o r s h a r i n g t h e t r o u b l e s o m e m o m e n t s o f th is thesis.
My
thanks
recommendations,
ar e
al s o
due
to
and
to
my
like
to
express
Dr.
sister
Gülşen
Ender
for
Say ı n
for
providing
al l
her
the
necessary sources.
I would
also
my thanks
to
Nalan
Şafak f o r
b r i n g i n g t h i s t h e s i s i n t o i ts f i n a l v e r s i o n .
Finally,
I would
like
to
acknowledge
d e a r e s t h o m e m a t e s . N a z l ı , Elif and M ü j d a t .
I d e d i c a t e this thesis to my parents.
VI
the
tolerance
of
my
'D e a r S tu d e n t.
thousands
of
Y ou ar e m a d .
w ords
about
W hy s p e n d m o n th s a n d years w r it in g
one
book,
or
even
t h e r e a r e h u n d r e d s o f b o o k s w a i t i n g to be r e a d .
one
w rite r,
when
You d o n ' t see t h a t
you are the v i c t i m o f a p e r n ic io u s s y s te m . A n d i f you h a v e y o u r s e l f
chosen m y
w ork
as
your su b je ct,
a n d i f you do h a v e
to
w rite
a
t h e s i s - a n d b e l i e v e m e I a m v e r y g r a t e f u l t h a t w h a t I ’ ve w r i t t e n is
b e in g f o u n d u s e f u l b y you - then w h y d o n ’t you re a d w h a t / ha ve
w ritte n
and make
a g ainst
your
own
up
your m in d ab out
life,
your
own
what
you
experience.
thin k,
Never
te s tin g
m in d
it
about
P r o f e s s o r s W h i t e a n d B l a c k . ’ ( L e s s i n g , f r o m P r e f a c e to The G o l d e n
N ote boo k)
Vll
T ab le of C o n te n ts
Page
1
List of A b b r e v i a t i o n s
Introduction
C h a p t e r I: N a r r a t i v e s T h r o u g h A C h i l d ' s P e r s p e c t i v e
16
C h a p t e r II: N a r r a t i v e s T h r o u g h an A d u l t ' s
55
Perspective
C h a p t e r III: N a r r a t i v e s T h r o u g h T h e " O t h e r Ey e"
109
Conclusion
1 32
Notes
140
W o rk s Cited
141
Vlll
LIST OF A B B R E V I A T I O N S
C o lle c te d A fr ic a n S to rie s : CAS
C o l l e c t e d S t o r i e s : CS
L o n d o n O b s e r v e d : LO
INTRODUCTION
Doris
Lessing's
insubstantial
critical
short
stories,
attention
h a v e so f a r b e en c l a s s i f i e d
themes.
The A fr ic a n
display
and
the
have
compared
and a n a l y z e d
only
received
with
for example,
concern
have
with
b e en
he r
in t e r m s
issues,
novels,
of their
between
scrutinized
colonial
rather
revolve around
and t h e i n t e r r e l a t i o n s h i p
colonized,
Lessing's
when
stories which,
the th e m e of colo niz atio n
colonizer
which
so
while
the
as
to
stories
w h i c h d w e l l on t h e t h e m e o f t h e w o m a n ' s s u p p r e s s i o n h a v e b e e n
handled
in r e l a t i o n
Burkom
(1968),
stories
by
for
Lessing,
to
the
author's
instance,
although
feminist
deals
in
the
inclinations.
with
the
title
of
theme
he r
of
S e l ma
several
article
"'Only
Connect':
F o r m and C o n t e n t in t h e W o r k s o f D o r i s L e s s i n g "
used
word
the
"form".
Likewise,
as
Anthony
Chennells's
" R e a d i n g D o r i s L e s s i n g ' s R h o d e s i a n S t o r i e s in Z i m b a b w e "
indicates,
the
critic
dwells
on t h e t h e m e s
of
Lessing's
she
title
(1 9 9 0 )
African
stories.
Existing
considerable
employed
research
extent
in t h e m ,
on
the
which
Lessing's
stories
significance
of
al s o c o n t r i b u t e
has
discarded
narrative
to
a
strategies
to their meaning.
The
a i m o f t h i s t h e s i s , t h e n , is t o add a n e w i n s i g h t t o t h e t h e m a t i c
analysis of
Doris
Lessing's
stories
and s k e t c h e s
with
particular
reference
to
narrative
methods
developed
by
the
French
S t r u c t u r a l i s t s , R o l a n d B a r t h e s and Ge r a r d G e n e t t e . T h e n o v e l t i e s
brought
forward
by
their
theories
which
emphasize
d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n " n a r r a t o r " and " p o i n t o f v i e w "
grouping
on
the
of
Lessing's
relationship
them atic
stories
and s k e t c h e s
between
categorization
"content"
with
and
of the stories
allow
state
and
observations,
narrative
finally
will
be
strategies
those
in t h e f o l l o w i n g
dealing
elucidated
in
order
with
to
with
an
relaying
an
the
the
chapters
an
outsider's
emphasis
foreground
stress
Thus,
as n a r r a t i v e s c o n c e r n i n g a c h i l d ' s e x p e r i e n c e , t h o s e
adult's
a new
specific
"form".
the
on
their
relationship
b e t w e e n " w h o t e l l s " , " w h o s e e s " and " w h a t is t o l d " .
As
D o rr i t Cohn ( 1 9 9 0 )
dichotomy
content"
between
and
"the
the
"what"
and
instead
"expression".
prefers
the
"expression"
"action"
term
and
action.
Moreover,
fiction
separately,
on
the
content
introductory
various
and
expression".
"function"
of
a r g u e s , a n y n a r r a t i v e r e l i e s on t h e
Barthes
instead
for
than
chapter
fiction
it
in
may,
(1977)
"content"
on
"content",
the
dealing
the S tru c t u ra lis ts
of
"how",
(1980),
for
"narrating"
rather
of
Genette
"story"
the
terms
is
"the
uses t h e t e r m s
and
the
"narration"
other
hand,
"narrative"
production
with
that
the
of
for
narrative
elements
of
have pro po se d to c o m m e n t
of
therefore,
its
be
discourse.
beneficial
to
a s p e c t s o f d i s c o u r s e so as t o e x p l a i n h o w f o r m
In
this
clarify
reveals
meaning.
B e f o r e e x p l a i n i n g t h e S t r u c t u r a l i s t s ' v i e w s on n a r r a t i v e
strategies,
discussed
the
to
classical
elucidate
theory
what
on
Barthes
"point
of
view"
and G e n e t t e
will
object to
be
and
w h a t k i n d o f n o v e l t i e s t h e y p r o p o s e in n a r r a t i v e t h e o r y .
Traditional
"narrator"
and
theory
"point
of
of
fiction
view"
deals
with
interchangeably,
b e t w e e n t w o ty pe s of narrator: " f i r s t - p e r s o n "
(which
is
narrator,
the
who
story
narrator
being
also
can
tells.
As
approach
approach
understanding
as
"the
is o n e o f t h e
s/he
"can
known
these
Charters
other fictional
another,
but
characters
t h e y s a y and d o . " ( 1 9 9 0 , 8 0 3 ) S i n c e
"First-person"
is d i r e c t l y
explains,
narrator
except
by
involved
this
type
in
of
as o n e h u m a n
has
no
observation
way
of
of
what
the " f ir s t - p e r s o n " narrator
has no a u t h o r i t y o v e r t h e c h a r a c t e r s or e v e n t s ,
t o be l i m i t e d ,
terms
and " t h i r d - p e r s o n "
characters
the
two
differentiating
omniscient").
characters,
Ann
the
s / h e is t h o u g h t
s u b j e c t i v e and t h e r e f o r e u n r e l i a b l e .
t h a t the biased n a rr a ti on of the " f i r s t - p e r s o n "
Cha rte rs adds
narrator creates a
g a p " b e t w e e n t h e w a y he or s he s ee s c h a r a c t e r s and e v e n t s and
the
reader's
sense
of
what
b e c a u s e t h e r e a d e r is w a r n e d
really
happened"
w it h the pronoun
(1 9 9 0 ,
"I"
803),
not to tru s t
t h e n a r r a t o r . On t h e o t h e r h a n d , t e x t s w h o s e " n a r r a t o r or f o r m a l
speaker
never
speaks
c h a r a c t e r s d e s i g n a t e d by
4)
are
called
of
himself/herself
third-person pronouns"
"third-person
narratives".
This
but
rather
(Ehrlich
type
of
of
1990,
narrator.
who
is
also
objective
identified
and
with
trustworthy.
the
author,
S/he
has
is
considered
god-like
to
be
characteristics
m o v i n g a r o u n d and c o m m e n t i n g on t h e c h a r a c t e r s and e v e n t s .
Norman
Friedman
modifies
the
classical
view
with
a very
d e t a i l e d d i s t i n c t i o n of e i g h t t y p e s of n a r r a t i v e s t a n c e :
a)
"editorial
omniscience"
which
allows
the
narrator
to
c o n t r o l e v e r y t h i n g in t h e s t o r y ;
b)
" n e u t r a l o m n i s c i e n c e " w h i c h m e a n s no d i r e c t i n t r u s i o n ;
c)
"I"as witness;
d)
" I " as p r o t a g o n i s t ;
e)
"multiple
characters
selective
to
omniscience"
express
their
which
thoughts
allows
directly
the
as
these
i deas pass t h r o u g h t h e i r m i n d s ;
f)
"selective
omniscience"
where
the
reader
is
limited
to
t h e m i n d s o f o n l y on e o f t h e c h a r a c t e r s ;
g)
" d r a m a t i c m o d e " w h i c h i n v o l v e s no n a r r a t o r as in a p l a y ;
h)
" t h e c a m e r a " w h i c h a c t s as a r e c o r d i n g m e d i u m o f e v e n t s ;
( 1 9 5 5 , 1 1 60-1 1 84)
Likewise,
Wayne
Booth,
whose
R he toric
of
Fictio n
is
c o n s i d e r e d t o be o n e o f t h e m o s t i n f l u e n t i a l b o o k s in t h e ar ea o f
theory
of fiction ,
"first-
person"
finds
and
the
classical
"omniscient"
distinction
confusing
of
narration
because
of
as
the
a m b i g u i t y of the te r m
stories
which
are
"omniscience".
told
by
A cco rd in g to Booth,
"third-person"
t h e c o n s c i o u s n e s s of a character"·
narrators
but
some
through
are ha r d t o be d e f i n e d by t h e
e x i s t i n g t e r m i n o l o g y , as t h e c h a r a c t e r " ' n a r r a t e s '
hi s o w n s t o r y ,
e v e n t h o u g h he is a l w a y s r e f e r r e d t o in t h e t h i r d - p e r s o n . " ( 1 9 8 7 ,
151)
Roland
narrator
the
as
al s o
reacts
"third-person"
consideration
fiction
and
Barthes
of
the
and
against this
"first-person",
narrator
and
as p e r s o n s or l i v i n g e n t i t i e s .
characters
narrative
are
should
simply
never
"be
"paper
with
identification
of
(in t h e
and
the
the
narrator
real l i f e) and w h o w r i t e s is n o t w h o i s . "
motto-like
expression
"third-person"
a work
of
He s t a t e s t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r
w r i t e s (in
this
of the
he o p p o s e s
in
because
With
speaks
characters
beings"
confused
since
narrative",
112)
"w ho
conception
author
narrative)
Barthes
narrator w ith
of
of
that
is n o t
who
(1977,
1 1 1-
obliterates
the
a
author,
the
for
he
t h i n k s t h a t " t o g i v e a t e x t an A u t h o r is t o i m p o s e a l i m i t on t h a t
text,
to
finish
it
with
a final
signified,
to
close
the
writing."
(1 9 7 7 , 147)
Similarly,
"s/he"
and
"I",
Genette
do
not
states
explain
tha t the t w o
whether
the
grammatical
story
is t o l d
forms,
by
a
n a r r a t o r o u t s i d e t h e s t o r y or on e o f t h e c h a r a c t e r s . A c c o r d i n g l y ,
for Genette,
first-person verbs indicate tw o diffe ren t situations:
" t h e n a r r a t o r ' s o w n d e s i g n a t i o n o f h i m s e l f ... or el s e t h e i d e n t i t y
o f p e r s o n b e t w e e n t h e n a r r a t o r and on e o f t h e c h a r a c t e r s in t h e
story."
(1980,
244)
can
interfere
narrator
Hence, Genette c o n clude s t h a t since every
in
the
n a r r a t i v e c a n be c o n s i d e r e d
possibility
of
all
types
of
story
in
the
form
as " f i r s t - p e r s o n " .
narrator
of
"I",
every
He a d d s t h a t t h e
appearing
in
"first-person"
f o r m at c e r t a i n i n t e r v a l s o f t h e s t o r y is s i g n i f i c a n t in p o i n t i n g o u t
th e in a d e q u a c y of narra tion
in n a r r a t i v e s
where
the
as " t h i r d - p e r s o n "
narrator
remains
and
outside
"first-person"
the
story
l i ne
b u t r e f e r s t o h i s / h e r o w n o p i n i o n s in t h e f o r m o f " I " .
G e n e t t e al s o c l a i m s t h a t t h e t w o t e r m s " p o i n t o f v i e w " and
"narrator"
between
refers
to
theorists
have
"who
as
have
b e en
us e d
inconsistently
speaks"
and
"who
"voice"
and
"mood".
so
far
failed
to
sees",
without
which
distinguishing
he r e s p e c t i v e l y
According
make
the
to
Genette,
distinction
between
" ' w h o is t h e c h a r a c t e r w h o s e p o i n t o f v i e w o r i e n t s t h e n a r r a t i v e
perspective?'
and
...
'who
is
the
narrator?'"
(1980,
20)
w rites:
if
a story
particular
is t o l d
from
character
the
...
point
the
of v i e w
question
of
a
whether
t h i s c h a r a c t e r is al s o t h e n a r r a t o r ,
speaking
in
the
narrator
is
first
someone
person,
el se
who
or
whether
speaks
of
the
him
in t h e
third
He
person,
is n o t
a question
of
point
of
view
...
bu t a q u e s ti o n of voice. ( 1 9 8 0 , 20)
Genette,
haphazard
therefore,
us e
arguing tha t
of
the
while
criticizes
terms
some
Friedman
"point
of
and
Booth for their
view"
of th e ir cate go ri es
of
and
"narrator",
narrative
stance
are r e l a t e d t o " p o i n t o f v i e w " , o t h e r s r e f e r t o t h e " n a r r a t o r " . For
instance,
in
omniscience
Friedman's
distinction
deal
the
with
the
first
"narrator",
two
whereas
categories
those
of
groups
co n c e rn in g the " f i r s t - p e r s o n " suggest " p o in t of v i e w " . M oreover,
Genette points out B o o th 's f a u l t y c on s ideration of the c ha rac te r
as
the
narrator
character's
in
those
stories
of
view.
Genette
point
differentiated
between
"narrator"
which
are
remarks
and
told
that
"point
if
through
Booth
of v i e w " ,
then
s h o u l d h a v e a s s e r t e d t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r is " t h i r d - p e r s o n "
a
had
he
whereas
t h e p o i n t o f v i e w is t h a t o f t h e c h a r a c t e r . (1 9 8 0 , 1 8 8 )
Genette
"point
of
prefers
view",
connotations"
to
use t h e
term
"focalisation"
"to
avoid
the
too
(1980,
Rimmon-Kenan draws
asserts
that
using
189)
of
this
term.
terms
are
which
used."
specifically
Similarly,
Genette's
coinage
Shlomith
often
occurs
(1983,
71)
when
"focalisation"
between
'point
"Focalisation"
of
she
has
the
perspective
and
view'
is
of
visual
a t t e n t i o n to the same a r g u m e n t w h e n
" a d v a n t a g e of dispelling the c o n fu s io n
narration
instead
or
defined
similar
in
the
D i c t i o n a r y o f N a r r a t o l o g y as " t h e p e r s p e c t i v e in t e r m s o f w h i c h
t h e n a r r a t e d s i t u a t i o n s and e v e n t s are p r e s e n t e d , t h e p e r c e p t u a l
or
conceptual
position
(Prince 1 9 8 8 , 31)
referred
from
that
thinks
the
to
by
of
that
hi s
terms
of
which
they
are
rendered."
In t h i s s e n s e , t h e p e r c e p t u a l p o s i t i o n w h i c h is
Genette
the
as
"focalisation"
narrator
"focalisation"
"first-person
tells
in
or
the
childhood
teller.
is d i f f e r e n t
retrospective"
memories,
must
Furthermore,
from
narratives,
because
be d i f f e r e n t i a t e d
the
Genette
"narration"
even
where
the
narrator
narrator
is
an
in
adult
w h i l e t h e f o c a l i s a t i o n is t h r o u g h a c h i l d ' s p e r c e p t i o n . 2 T h e r e f o r e ,
i t w o u l d be w r o n g t o r e f e r t o t h e c h i l d as t h e n a r r a t o r .
G e n e t t e c l a s s i f i e s f o c a l i s a t i o n as:
a)
"zero-degree
focalisation"
where
the
narrator
says
more
than the characters know ^;
b)
"external
focalisation"
where
the
narrator
says
l es s
than
the characters know ^;
c)
"internal
focalisation"
where
events
are
told
through
the
c h a r a c t e r ’ s point of v i e w ^ ( 1 9 8 0 , 189)
The
first
type
of
focalisation,
" nonfocalised" (1980,
because
the
impossibility.
term
189),
al s o
defined
by
Genette
as
has c a u s e d d i s p u t e s a m o n g c r i t i c s ,
suggests
no
focalisation
which
is
an
D o r r i t C o h n , f o r i n s t a n c e , in her a r t i c l e " S i g n p o s t s
10
of
Fictionality :
A
Narratological
Perspective"
claims
that
"no
fictional work
c an be s ai d t o r e m a i n n o n f o c a l i s e d . " (1 9 9 0 , 7 8 7 )
Nevertheless,
w h a t G e n e t t e m e a n s by " z e r o - d e g r e e f o c a l i s a t i o n "
is, t e l l i n g t h e s t o r y t h r o u g h v a r i o u s p e r s p e c t i v e s . W i l l i a m N e l l e s ,
on
the
Focus"
other
hand,
proposes
in
the
hi s
term
article
"Getting
"free-focalisation"
Focalisation
instead
d e g r e e f o c a l i s a t i o n " , w h i c h hel ps c l a r i f y t he m a t t e r .
This
avoids
the
misleading
absence
and
quantity
coinage
and
has
by
more
"zero-
He r e m a r k s :
implications
carried
the
of
into
of
Genette's
appropriate
c o n n o t a t i o n s o f an e x t e n d e d r a n g e o f n a r r a t o r i a l
options,
o f a n a r r a t o r n o t t i e d t o or l i m i t e d
by
the k n o w le d g e of characte rs . ( 1 9 9 0 , 369)
N e l l e s a l s o a r g u e s t h a t t h i s c o i n a g e s h o u l d n o t be c o n f u s e d w i t h
omniscient
narration,
as
focalisation
is
means
"by
no
the
narrator
using
necessarily
this
all-knowing."
type
of
(1 9 9 0 ,
369)
In t h e c a s e o f " e x t e r n a l f o c a l i s a t i o n " , G e n e t t e e x p l a i n s t h a t
t h e n a r r a t o r can o n l y m e n t i o n t he a p p e a r a n c e of t h e c h a r a c t e r s ;
in
other
words,
possibility
(1988,
75)
the
narrator
focuses
on
a character
and
"all
o f i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t a n y o n e ' s t h o u g h t s is e x c l u d e d . "
Genette
claims
that
in
"internal
focalisation".
11
conversely,
referred
the
to
focal
from
the
character
outside"
is
never
and t h e
"described
character's
n o t " a n a l y z e d o b j e c t i v e l y by t h e n a r r a t o r . " ( 1 9 8 0 ,
i t m a y be p o i n t e d
and
"who
meaning.
tells"
In
out that this distinction
brought
some
forward
cases,
for
by
instance,
the
even
thoughts
are
1 9 2 ) In s h o r t ,
between
Genette
or
"who
does
sees"
enrich
the
may
use
narrator
"internal fo c a lis a tio n " to depict the unre liability of the characte r,
or t h e e m p l o y m e n t o f " e x t e r n a l f o c a l i s a t i o n "
is an e f f o r t on t h e
p a r t o f t h e n a r r a t o r t o r e m a i n o u t s i d e t h e n a r r a t i v e l i ne t o l e a v e
all g r o u n d t o t h e c h a r a c t e r s .
Since Gen ette finds the classical c a te g o riz a tio n of narration
as
"first-person"
and
he
proposes
distinct
group
is
two
related
to
"third-person"
the
groups
confusing
of
narrative
narrator's
"homodiegetic
narrator"
is
one
"heterodiegetic
narrator"
does
degree
of
not
the
interfere
claims th a t "hom odiegetic narrator"
and
stance.
of
simply
the
r ol e
first
characters;
in
the
story.
and
He
has d e g r e e s o f i n v o l v e m e n t :
s / h e is r e f e r r e d t o as " a u t o d i e g e t i c " )
role,
The
involvement:
t h e n a r r a t o r m i g h t be t h e p r o t a g o n i s t o f t h e s t o r y
a secondary
inadequate,
of
(in t h a t c a s e
or t h e n a r r a t o r m i g h t h a v e
an
observer
or
witness.
(1980, 245)
Genette's
second
categorization
hi s n o t i o n o f " n a r r a t i n g t i m e "
of
narration
and " s t o r y t i m e "
is r e l a t e d
to
w h i c h can n e v er
12
catch
up
with
the
former.
Thus,
he
classifies
the
levels
of
n a r r a t i o n as: " e x t r a d i e g e t i c " and " i n t r a d i e g e t i c " . ( 1 9 8 0 , 2 4 5 ) A s
R i m m o n - K e n a n al s o e x p l a i n s , a n a r r a t o r w h o is " a b o v e " t h e s t o r y
s/he
tells
is
"extradiegetic",
whereas
a
narrator
who
is
a
c h a r a c t e r in t h e f i r s t n a r r a t i v e t o l d by an " e x t r a d i e g e t i c " n a r r a t o r
is an " i n t r a d i e g e t i c " o n e . ( 1 9 8 3 , 9 4 )
status
of
the
narrator
into
four
Finally, G en ette d iv id e s the
categories
by
using
the
two
c a te g o rie s of na rr atio n:
a)
"extradiegetic-heterodiegetic"
narrative
where
there
is
a
f i r s t d e g r e e n a r r a t o r w h o t e l l s a s t o r y s / h e is a b s e n t f r o m ® ;
b)
"extradiegetic-hom odiegetic"
narrative
which
has
a
first
degree na rra to r w h o re coun ts his/her o w n s to r y ^ ;
c)
"intradiegetic-heterodiegetic"
narrative
where
a
second
d e g r e e n a r r a t o r t e l l s a s t o r y s / h e is a b s e n t f r o m ® ;
d)
"intradiegetic-hom odiegetic"
narrative
whose
second
d e g r e e n a r r a t o r t e l l s h i s / h e r o w n s t o r y ® (1 9 8 0 , 2 4 8 )
One m o r e t e r m
related to
"discourse"
which
might
require
s o m e e m p h a s i s at t h i s p o i n t is t h e " n a r r a t e e " - t h e a d d r e s s e e o f
the
text
-
which
is
briefly
discussed
by
Genette
and
later
e l a b o r a t e d by G e r a l d P r i n c e ( 1 9 9 2 ) in hi s a r t i c l e " I n t r o d u c t i o n t o
the
Study
should
fictive
not
of the
be
Narratee".
treated
as
According
the
reader,
w h e r e a s t h e r e a d e r is r eal .
to
Prince,
because
the
the
narratee
narratee
is
In D i c t i o n a r y o f N a r r a t o i o g y ,
13
he c l a i m s t h a t " t h e s a m e real r e a d e r c an r ead d i f f e r e n t n a r r a t i v e s
( e a c h h a v i n g d i f f e r e n t n a r r a t e e s ) ; and t h e s a m e n a r r a t i v e ( w h i c h
always
has t h e
same set of narratees)
varying
s e t o f real
narratee
is f i c t i v e ,
narrator.
Thus,
"intradiegetic",
narrator,
readers."
s/he
is on
Genette
on
for
(1 9 8 8 ,
us e s
which
the
the
he
categorizing
"extradiegetic"
narrator,
he
"extradiegetic"
narratee
"with
c an
57)
h a v e an i n d e f i n i t e l y
In a d d i t i o n ,
same
narrative
criterion,
bases
the
hi s
whom
l ev e l
as t h e
"extradiegetic"
classification
narratee
claims,
since the
as
can
well.
only
each
of
the
The
address
real
and
reader
an
c an
i d e n t i f y . " ( 1 9 8 0 , 2 6 0 ) In a n a r r a t i v e t h e r e m a y be on e or s e v e r a l
narratees,
and l i ke t h e n a r r a t o r t h e n a r r a t e e m a y be o n e o f t h e
characters
of the
story
as in t h e
case of the
epistolary
novel.
T h e r e is a l s o " z e r o - d e g r e e " n a r r a t e e w h o has no e x i s t e n c e in t h e
story,
who
knows
the
k n o w s n o t h i n g a b o u t t h e c h a r a c t e r s and e v e n t s ,
but
language
the
us e d
by t h e
narrator.
As
Prince
lists,
f u n c t i o n s o f t h e n a r r a t e e are as f o l l o w s :
... he c o n s t i t u t e s
a relay b e t w e e n the na rra to r
and t h e r e a d e r , he h e l p s e s t a b l i s h t h e n a r r a t i v e
framework,
narrator,
he
he
serves
emphasizes
to
characterise
certain
themes,
c o n t r i b u t e s to the d e v e lo p m e n t of the plo t,
becomes
the
spokesman
w o r k . ( 1 9 9 2 , 23)
for
the
moral
of
the
he
he
the
14
All
of
these
"narrator",
aspects
of
"focalisation"
discourse,
and
related
"narratee"
mainly
will
be
to
the
handled
in
r e l a t i o n t o c o n t e n t in t h e a n a l y s i s o f D o r i s L e s s i n g ' s s t o r i e s and
sketches,
with
since the
the
narrative
meaning
of these na rr a ti v e s
strategies they
employ.
is h i g h l i g h t e d
The f i r s t
chapter
of
t h e t h e s i s w i l l i n c l u d e s t o r i e s w h i c h are c o n c e r n e d w i t h a c h i l d ' s
d e v e l o p m e n t , w h i l e t h o s e w h i c h deal w i t h an a d u l t ' s e x p e r i e n c e
will
be
covered
in
the
second.
Finally,
those
which
relay
a
f o r e i g n e r ' s p e r c e p t i o n w i l l be s c r u t i n i z e d in t h e t h i r d c h a p t e r .
Apart
chapter,
child,
from
which
are
displaying
second
chapter,
viewpoint.
"Little
all
Tembi",
African
his/her
on
the
narratives
stories,
are f o c a l i s e d
self-realization.
the
other
hand,
The
deal
H ence, t he d i f f e r e n c e of v i s i o n
an a d u l t w i l l
be u n d e r l i n e d in t h e f i r s t t w o
the
"otherness"
i de a
of
which
in
appears
the
through
stories
with
in
a
the
adult's
a child
chapters.
either
in
the
between
first
and
Moreover,
the
form
of
b l a c k and w h i t e o p p o s i t i o n or as m a l e and f e m a l e d i f f e r e n c e w i l l
be h a n d l e d in r e l a t i o n t o t h e t y p e o f f o c a l i s a t i o n t h e s e n a r r a t i v e s
employ.
The
o n e s in t w o
lack
an
different
these
third
chapter
is
distinguished
w a y s . To b e g i n w i t h ,
organized
from
sketches
the
plot
and
stories
are t o l d
from
the
previous
it deals w i t h s k e t c h e s w h i c h
central
mentioned
and f o c a l i s e d
characters.
in t h e
Secondly,
first tw o
by t h e
same
chapters,
agent,
who
15
h a p p e n s t o be an o u t s i d e r .
Except
Chapter
are
told
"The
Story
II, all t h e s t o r i e s
by
of
a Non-Marrying
Man",
and s k e t c h e s d i s c u s s e d
"extradiegetic"
narrators,
who
examined
in t h i s
are
in
study
sometimes
i n v o l v e d in t h e s t o r y b u t s o m e t i m e s r e m a i n o u t s i d e t h e n a r r a t i v e
l i ne.
A s r e g a r d s t h e " n a r r a t e e " , t h e r e is no d i r e c t r e f e r e n c e in
Lessing's
level
of
stories,
narration
therefore,
as t h a t
the
of t he
narratees
belong
"extradiegetic"
to
the
narrators,
same
and
t h e i r u n a c k n o w l e d g e d p o s i t i o n w i l l n o t be m e n t i o n e d , u n l e s s t h e
n a r r a t o r e x p l i c i t l y r e f e r s t o h i s / h e r a d d r e s s e e in s t o r i e s , s u c h as
" A n U n p o s t e d L o v e L e t t e r " in C h a p t e r T w o .
16
CHAPTER I
N A R R A T I V E S T H R O U G H A C H I L D ’ S P E R S P E C T IV E
... a g o o d m a n y c h i l d r e n are b o r n l o o k i n g at t h e
adult
into
world
it
- because
- with
an
they
have
b e en
extremely
cold
eye.
with
stories
forced
(Bikman
1 9 9 4 , 60)
This
which
chapter
focus
either w h ite
on
will
the
or b l a c k .
deal
perceptions
The c h i l d ' s
nine
of
by
a child
or
observation
an
change
a fresh
their
vision
fixed
unlike
value
the
adults
judgements.
adolescent,
can
w a y s : f i r s t o f al l ,
s / h e is n a i v e and r e s p o n s i v e t o t h e e n v i r o n m e n t ;
has
Lessing
of the w o r ld
be d i s t i n g u i s h e d f r o m t h a t o f an a d u l t in t w o
s/he
Doris
who
In t h i s
and s e c o n d l y ,
are
reluctant
way,
the
to
child's
v i e w p o i n t exce eds the bo und ari es of c o n v e n t i o n a l adu lt t h i n k i n g
and t h u s h e l p s t o d r a w t h e a t t e n t i o n t o a n e w c o n s c i o u s n e s s t o
social
problems.
Lessing's
works
surroundings
As
Ruth
through
Whittaker
the
al s o
children's
points
out,
"openness
in
to
Doris
their
w e see t h e d a w n i n g r e a l i s a t i o n o f s t r a n g e n e s s , o f
d i f f e r e n c e s , of u n b r id ge a bl e g u l f s . " ( 1 9 8 8 , 29) W h i t t a k e r adds:
T h e c h i l d ' s p e r c e p t i o n is a u s e f u l d e v i c e f o r t h e
author
because
registering
of
it
new
enables
her
awareness,
to
a
show
the
process
not
17
often
made
available
to
her
adult
characters
w h o are t o o f i x e d in t h e i r v i e w s t o see f r e s h l y .
( 1 9 8 8 , 29)
D o r i s L e s s i n g u s e s f o c a l i s a t i o n t h r o u g h t h e c h i l d o n l y in her
A f r i c a n s tories w h i c h m ainly relate
the
exploitation
of
African
the proble ms of c olo nialism ,
people
and
the
rootlessness
of
E u r o p e a n s in A f r i c a in o r d e r t o c r i t i c i z e t h e p u r i t a n i c a l n o r m s o f
t h e c o l o n i z e r s t o w a r d s t h e c o l o n i z e d . T h u s , in t h e s e s t o r i e s t h e
question of "o t h e r n e s s "
a r i s e s as a r e s u l t o f t h e p o w e r s t r u g g l e
between
the
the
two
races,
white
and t h e
black,
and
between
t h e t w o s e x e s , t h e ma n and t h e w o m a n , d e t e r m i n e d b y t h e w h i t e
man's
preponderance
being " i n t e r n a l "
chapter,
upon
hi s
wife.
The
type
of
focalisation,
and " f r e e " in t h e s t o r i e s t o be d i s c u s s e d in t h i s
c o n trib u te s to the meaning.
M o s t o f t h e n a r r a t i v e s are
i n t e r n a l l y f o c a l i s e d t h r o u g h a w h i t e or b l a c k c h i l d or a d o l e s c e n t
to
tell
their
Tembi",
maturation
relaying
from
their
a black bo y 's
own
eyes.
experience
It
with
is o n l y
"Little
colonizers,
that
has " f r e e f o c a l i s a t i o n " t o c l a r i f y t h e c l a s h b e t w e e n t h e r a c e s and
t h e d i f f e r e n c e o f o p i n i o n b e t w e e n t h e a d u l t s and c h i l d r e n .
The
whether
narrators
of
the
"heterodiegetic"
African
or
stories,
on
"homodiegetic",
the
try
to
other
hand,
reflect
the
A f r i c a n c u l t u r e by u s i n g s p e c i f i c A f r i c a n w o r d s in t h e n a r r a t i v e .
For
instance,
instead
of
"grassland"
the
narrators
employ
the
18
word
The
"veld"
aim
or i n s t e a d
of
this
of
chapter,
"hillock"
hence,
they
is
prefer to
to
discuss
say
the
"kopje".
concerns
d i s p l a y e d in t h e A f r i c a n s t o r i e s in w h i c h a c h i l d or an a d o l e s c e n t
is t h e p r o t a g o n i s t , by e x a m i n i n g t h e r ol e o f t h e n a r r a t o r and t h e
s i g n if ic a n c e of f o c a lis a tio n .
"The
Ol d
Chief
Mshlanga"
is p r o b a b l y t h e
most
discussed
am on g the A f r ic a n stories not only because of its s u b je c t m a t t e r
but
also
because
heterodiegetic"
narrator
is
story).
description
(the
outside
homodiegetic"
own
of the
shift
of
type
of
the
story
narration
narration
s/he
from
where
tells)
(where the f irs t degree
"extradiegetic-
the
to
narrator
first
degree
"extradiegeticrecounts
his/her
The s t o r y s ta r ts w i t h the f o r m e r t y p e of n a r r a t o r ' s
of
the
colonizers'
attitude
towards
their
"other",
m a i n l y t h e n a t i v e s , and t h e a t m o s p h e r e in w h i c h t h e l i t t l e w h i t e
girl,
the
main
focalisation
at
character
the
of
beginning
the
is
story
"free",
is
the
brought
narrator
up.
The
being
not
l i m i t e d t o a n y o f t h e c h a r a c t e r s ' p o i n t o f v i e w in t h e s t o r y .
The " h e t e r o d i e g e t i c "
narrator of the exp o s itio n claims th a t
t h e n a t u r e i n t o w h i c h t h e gi r l w a s b o r n s e e m s u n r e a l and f o r e i g n
d u e t o he r u p b r i n g i n g in an E n g l i s h f a r m w i t h
stories about the
E n g l i s h l a n d s c a p e and w i t h f a i r y t a l e s ; t h e r e f o r e , her " e y e s w e r e
s i g h t l e s s f o r a n y t h i n g b u t a pal e w i l l o w e d r i v e r , a pal e g l e a m i n g
c a s t l e __ " { C A S , V . l , 13)
L i k e w i s e , s he is t a u g h t t o c o n s i d e r t h e
19
other
race,
the
Africans,
as
a distinct
group
of
people
with
w h o m s he s h o u l d h a v e m i n i m u m a m o u n t o f r e l a t i o n s h i p . T h u s f o r
her :
T h e b l a c k p e o p l e on t h e f a r m w e r e as r e m o t e as
the
trees
amorphous
and
and
the
black
mass,
massing
existed
rocks.
like
merely
to
They
mingling
tadpoles,
serve,
to
were
and
thinning
faceless,
say
an
"Yes,
who
Baas",
t a k e t h e i r m o n e y and go. { C A S , V . l , 14)
T h i s d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e n a t i v e s as " f a c e l e s s " and " a n a m o r p h o u s
black mass",
and t h e a c t i v i t i e s o f t h e n a t i v e s c o m p a r e d t o t h a t
o f t a d p o l e s s u g g e s t t h e c o l o n i z e r s ' t r e a t m e n t o f b l a c k p e o p l e as
objects,
not
as
individuals.
The
blacks
do
not
even
have
the
chanc e to say " N o " to th e ir masters.
A f t e r t h i s b r i e f b a c k g r o u n d i n f o r m a t i o n , a s h i f t in n a r r a t i v e
stance
occurs.
homodiegetic"
memories
including
29)
who
in
who
is
a country
Sel ma
have
focalisation,
The
Burkom
failed
have
narrator
an
adult
where
claimed
reciting
she
(1968,
to
becomes
58)
feels
and
distinguish
that
it
an
is
"extradiegetic-
her
own
alien.
Jean
Some
Pickering
between
the
childhood
critics
(1990,
narration
adolescent
gi r l
and
who
" n a r r a t e s " t h e s t o r y . H o w e v e r , t h e d i s c o u r s e o f t h e n a r r a t o r and
20
he r us e o f t h e p a s t t e n s e t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t o r y d i s p l a y t h e f a c t
t h a t he r o b s e r v a t i o n s and r e a c t i o n s are n o t i m m e d i a t e and f r e s h .
T h u s , G e n e t t e ' s d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n " w h o t e l l s " and " w h o s e e s " ,
between
the
adult
as
the
narrator
and
the
child
as
the
focal
cha racte r, reveals the child's naivety th ro u g h the adult n a rra to r's
c o m m e n t a r y in t h i s s t o r y .
The f o c a lis a t io n
s h i f t s t o t h e " i n t e r n a l " w i t h t h e c h a n g e in
n a r r a t i o n ; t h a t is, t h e e v e n t s are t o l d f r o m t h e p o i n t o f v i e w o f a
f o u r t e e n - y e a r - o l d g i r l . T h e r e a s o n f o r s u c h a c h a n g e in n a r r a t i o n
and
focalisation
from
of
may
a "sightless"
dignity"
wandering
doubts.
{CAS,
around
For
be r e l a t e d
to
the de ve lo p m e n t
c h i l d i n t o an a d o l e s c e n t w h o
V.l,
the
instance,
15)
farm
the
in
on
the
he r
words
natives
own.
she
of the
notices
when
Yet,
reads
in
s he
s he
a
gi r l
" a n ai r
starts
has
some
book,
"'Our
d e s t i n a t i o n w a s C h i e f M s h l a n g a ' s c o u n t r y ... it w a s o u r d e s i r e t o
as k hi s p e r m i s s i o n t o p r o s p e c t f o r g o l d in hi s t e r r i t o r y . ' "
V.l,
(CAS,
16) p u z z l e her , s i n c e she has b e en " b r o u g h t up t o c o n s i d e r
all n a t i v e s as t h i n g s t o u s e " ( C A S , V . l , 17) b u t n o t as i n d i v i d u a l s
whose
permission
is t o
be a s k e d .
Thus,
q u e s t i o n t h e n o r m s s he is b r o u g h t up w i t h ,
she
is c h a l l e n g e d
to
namely treating the
A f r i c a n s as her " o t h e r " and i n f e r i o r .
Her t r u s t in t h e n a t i v e s i n c r e a s e s d a y by d a y and s he s t a r t s
c a r r y i n g he r g u n n o t t o p r o t e c t h e r s e l f f r o m t h e s e p e o p l e w h o m
21
s he f e a r e d o n c e , b u t t o s h o o t a n i m a l s . F u r t h e r m o r e , s he r e a l i z e s
t h e f a c t t h a t s he t o o
u n a w a r e of.
here;
belongs to Africa,
which
at f i r s t s he w a s
She n o w f e e l s : " t h i s is m y h e r i t a g e t o o ; I w a s br e d
it is m y c o u n t r y
as w e l l
as t h e b l a c k m a n ' s
country;
and
t h e r e is p l e n t y o f r o o m f o r all o f us, w i t h o u t e l b o w i n g e a c h o t h e r
o f f t h e p a v e m e n t s and r o a d s . " { C A S , V . l , 17) T h e use o f p r e s e n t
tense
here
indicates
the
focalisation
through
the
child,
not
t h r o u g h t h e a d u l t w h o is, at t h e m o m e n t o f n a r r a t i o n , e x t e r i o r t o
the
events
that
appreciation
and
he r
have
of the
taken
place
equality
acceptance
of
of
during
living
Africa
as
her
childhood.
conditions
he r
for
both
"heritage"
Her
races
display
her
d e v e l o p m e n t , and s u p p o r t W h i t t a k e r ' s v i e w t h a t t h e c h i l d ' s f r e s h
view
enables
awareness";
the
author
"to
show
the
registering
of
new
in o t h e r w o r d s , t h e c h i l d t r i e s t o d i s p e n s e w i t h t h e
a d u l t v a l u e s w h i c h c o n s i d e r t h e o t h e r r a c e as s u b o r d i n a t e .
that
A t this
moment,
"to
let
both
black
for
each
other's
tolerance
(CAS,
V.l,
18)
The
difference
between
character
and
through
the
the
story
tolerance
when
since
the
and
gi rl
narrator
white
"seemed"
narrator
reader
not
statement
the
it
is
meet
and
seemed
an
remarks
gently,
quite
indication
of
adolescent
to
the
trust
the
power
the
focal
focalisation
the
impossibility
governing
with
easy."
and t h e
al s o f o r e s h a d o w s
understands
colonizers,
interferes
people
differences:
adult
the
This
the
adult
word
the
warns
child.
the
in
end
of
of
such
Africa,
22
c a n n o t a c c e p t t h e A f r i c a n p e o p l e as t h e i r e q u a l s . R u t h W h i t t a k e r
quotes
the
same
passage to
show
on A f r i c a and her a t t i t u d e t o t h e
the
girl's
natives"
"new
(1988,
d i s c a r d s t h e n a r r a t o r ' s e m p h a s i s on " s e e m e d " .
perspectives
29),
b u t she
S u c h an a n a l y s i s
falls sh o rt of expre ss in g the n a ive ty of the child.
One i n s t a n c e t h a t s h o w s t h e u n l i k e l i h o o d o f t h e b l a c k s and
t h e w h i t e s l i v i n g t o g e t h e r is t h e d i f f e r e n c e f o c a l i s e d t h r o u g h t h e
c h i l d b e t w e e n t h e c u l t i v a t e d f a r m s o f t h e w h i t e s and t h e g r e e n ,
untouched
curiosity
lands
belonging
compels
her
to
to
l ear n
t r a d it io n s of the black people,
African
word
used
by
the
the
natives.
more
When
about
the
she g o e s t o see t h e
narrator
for
"tribe"
-
the
girl's
lifestyle
and
"kraal"
- an
where
Chief
M s h l a n g a l i v e s . On her w a y , she n o t i c e s t h a t t h e l a n d s on w h i c h
African
p e o p l e l i v e are g r e e n and u n t o u c h e d ,
w he re a s the lands
b e l o n g i n g t o t h e c o l o n i z e r s h a v e b e en d e s t r o y e d . T h e t r e e s in t h e
farms
of w h i t e
people,
Moreover, the natives'
for
instance,
have
b e en c u t f o r
h u t s m a k e her p e r c e i v e an ai r o f w a r m t h
w h i c h c a n n o t be f o u n d in her f a r m . She t h i n k s :
all
like
our
farm
mining.
compound,
a
dirty
and
" T h i s w a s n o t at
neglected
place,
a
t e m p o r a r y h o m e f o r m i g r a n t s w h o had no r o o t s in i t . " ( C A S , V . l ,
2 1 ) She n o w r e a l i z e s t h a t E u r o p e a n p e o p l e are m i g r a n t s and are
thus
'rootless'.
Europeans
c an
The
never
child's
awakening
be t o t a l l y
adapted
to
to
r e f l e c t s , as R u t h W h i t t a k e r r e m a r k s , L e s s i n g ' s
the
the
fact
African
i dea t h a t
that
the
society
23
A f r i c a b e l o n g s t o t h e A f r i c a n s , so t h a t t h e r e is
never
a 'happy
ending'
for
the
settlers
in t h e
s e n s e o f u n c o n d i t i o n a l a c c e p t a n c e . A n y conni ng
to terms
or
a
with
their
compromise,
awareness
of
new
or
the
country
indeed,
is p r o v i s i o n a l
occasionally
impossibility
of
an
'settling'.
(1 9 8 8 , 2 8 )
The
adolescent's
journey
in
nature
is
symbolic
of
her
d e v e l o p m e n t as w e l l . T h e j o u r n e y e n d s w i t h her r e a l i z a t i o n o f t h e
great
enmity
when
s he n o t i c e s t h e l o o k on t h e f a c e s o f t h e n a t i v e s t o w a r d s
her .
Thus,
and
on
the
her
unbridgeable
way
back
gap
home
between
s he
feels
the
two
that
she
destroyer:
...
there
was
landscape,
that
walked
intangible
you
a
walk
now
cold,
with
as
hard,
me,
smoke;
he r e
a queer
hostility
sullen
seemed
the
indomitability
as s t r o n g
it
in
as
to
as a d e s t r o y e r __
a wall,
say
I had
to
as
me :
learned
t h a t if on e c a n n o t cal l a c o u n t r y t o heel l i k e a
dog,
neither
can
one
dismiss
the
past
with
a
s m i l e in an e a s y g u s h o f f e e l i n g , s a y i n g : I c o u l d
n o t h e l p i t , I am al s o a v i c t i m . { C A S , V . l , 2 3 )
races
is
a
24
Now
that
she
remarks,
has
the
achieved
adolescent
a "new
central
awareness",
character
as
realizes
Whittaker
that
it
is
i m p o s s i b l e f o r a s e t t l e r n o t t o be a d e s t r o y e r . T h e r e f o r e , s he can
no
longer
consider
understood
"other",
that
just
as
herself
a victim,
the
Africans
the
Europeans
because
treat
who
by
now
the
Europeans
see
the
s he
as
natives
has
their
as
the
"other".
Another
journey
Veld"
in
example
a wild
which
European
boy
Mshlanga",
the
to
the
landscape
maturation
of
is o b s e r v e d
in
"A
experience
of
a
fifteen-year-old
of
"The
recounts
the
in A f r i c a .
Unlike the
narration
"extradiegetic-heterodiegetic"
the role of being e x te ri o r to the na rra ti v e,
child's
there
development
is
story,
no
in
implies
"A
that
remains
explicit
reference
Sunrise
s/he
incomplete.
on
is t a l k i n g
the
to
to
the
Veld"
a child
someone.
Sunrise
on
Ol d
a
the
Chief
narrator maintains
probably because the
Furthermore,
narratee
the
through
in
narrator
the
although
previous
occasionally
For i n s t a n c e ,
the
first
s e n t e n c e o f t h e s t o r y , " E v e r y n i g h t t h a t w i n t e r he s ai d a l o u d i n t o
the dark of the pillo w :
Half past f o u r ! "
(CAS, V .l,
26) in d ic a te s
t h a t t h e n a r r a t o r w i l l t e l l t h e s t o r y t o an " e x t r a d i e g e t i c " n a r r a t e e
w h o at l e a s t k n o w s w h a t " t h a t w i n t e r " r e f e r s t o .
T h e f o c a l i s a t i o n t h r o u g h o u t t h e s t o r y is " i n t e r n a l " , b e c a u s e
t h e o b s e r v a t i o n o f a w h i t e b o y w h i l e h u n t i n g in t h e v e l d is t o l d
25
through
"felt",
boy.
hi s
focus.
"thought",
The
verbs
"saw",
us e d
by
the
narrator,
such
as
point out the focalisation through the
In s o m e p a r t s o f t h e s t o r y w h e r e
"free direct discourse"
-
t h e t y p e o f d i r e c t s p e e c h w h e r e no q u o t a t i o n m a r k s are u s e d - is
employed,
one
happen
belong
to
c an
presume
to
the
that
same
focalisation
agent.
and
Furthermore,
narration
the
use
of
p r e s e n t t e n s e in n a r r a t i n g t h e b o y ' s t h o u g h t s j u s t i f i e s t h i s i dea.
Hi s j o y o u s
exclamation,
for example,
at t h e age o f f i f t e e n
is in
"free direct discourse":
...
there
can't
cannot
is n o t h i n g
do ;
there
make
I can't
become,
nothing
I
world
I
choose.
I
is
no
country
in
the
part
of
myself,
if
I
c o n t a i n t h e w o r l d . I c an m a k e o f i t w h a t I w a n t .
If
I choose,
going
to
I c an
happen:
change
it
everything
depends
on
me ,
that
is
what
I
decide n o w . {CAS, V .l, 30)
The r e p e t i t i o n of the pr on o un
solipsistic, character
"I"
reflects the self-centred,
even
o f t h e y o u n g and e n e r g e t i c a d o l e s c e n t w h o
t h i n k s t h a t t h e w o r l d is in hi s h a n d s and he c an do w h a t e v e r he
wants.
The
displays
"heterodiegetic"
the
sensuality
narrator
of the
in
young
"A
boy
Sunrise
through
on
the
the
Veld"
frequent
26
use
of
auditory,
cold/warm
duality
tactile
and
at
beginning
the
visual
imagery,
of
the
such
story.
when
visual
and
he
goes
out
auditory
hunting,
imagery
the
to
narrator,
describe
once
the
the
Outside
" c o l d " so t h e b o y d o e s n o t w a n t t o l e a v e hi s " w a r m "
on
as
is
bed. Later
more,
landscape
uses
during
s u n r i s e : " H e r u s h e d d o w n t h e v i e i u n d e r a t u m u l t o f c r i m s o n and
g o l d , w h i l e all t h e b i r d s o f t h e w o r l d s a n g a b o u t h i m . " ( C A S , V . l ,
29)
Walking
sound
in t h e
valley
along
the
of a w ou n d e d
buck.
He f i r s t
river,
wants
to
the
boy
hears
ki l l t h e
the
animal to
c e a s e i t s p a i n b u t t h e n d e c i d e s n o t t o i n t e r f e r e . He t h i n k s :
if I had n o t c o m e i t w o u l d
so
why
should
I interfere?
have died like t h i s :
All
over
the
bush
t h i n g s l i k e t h i s h a p p e n ... t h i s is h o w l i f e g o e s
on, by l i v i n g t h i n g s d y i n g in a n g u i s h __
stop
i t.
I can't stop
i t.
I c a n ’t
T h e r e is n o t h i n g
I c an
do . ( C A S , V . l , 3 1 )
The
boy's
development
from
a self-centred
attitude
into
self-
d e n i a l , r e i n f o r c e d t h r o u g h t h e r e p e t i t i o n o f t h e s t a t e m e n t "I c a n ' t
stop
it",
is r e c o u n t e d
in " f r e e
direct
discourse"
to
bridge the
g a p b e t w e e n t h e c h a r a c t e r and r e a d e r . A s R u t h W h i t t a k e r p o i n t s
out, the child's
" m o o d c h a n g e s f r o m one o f w i l d e x h i l a r a t i o n
in
27
hi s
own
strength
unwelcome
suffering."
in
Africa,
"Preface"
"gives
...
to
awareness
(1988,
30)
because
to
of
hi s
own
stoicism,
to
potential
the
to
gradual
cause
much
T h i s c h a n g e o c c u r s as a r e s u l t o f l i v i n g
the
the
you the
impersonal
first
country,
volume
knowledge that
as
Lessing
of
Collected
ma n
is a s m a l l
writes
in
African
the
Stories,
creature,
among
o t h e r c r e a t u r e s , in a l a r g e l a n d s c a p e . " (1 9 9 2 , 8)
Soon a ft e r the death of the buck, the p r o t a g o n is t perceives
b l a c k a nt s e a t i n g t he a ni mal . Thi s scene w h i c h also
a b o u n d s in
v i s u a l i m a g e r y is t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e b o y ' s s e l f - r e a l i z a t i o n w h e n
he a d o p t s a f a t a l i s t i c v i e w o f l i f e and n o t i c e s t h e c r u e l t y on t h e
veld:
one
" .. . the v a s t un alt er ab le cruel veld,
might
stumble
over
a skull
or c r u s h
w h e r e at a n y m o m e n t
the
skeleton
of
some
small c r e a t u r e . " {CAS, V .l, 32)
H o w e v e r , hi s d e v e l o p m e n t is n o t
complete,
home,
as
he has t o
return
a place
of
limitation.
He
k n o w s t h a t he has t o t h i n k a b o u t t h e d e a t h o f t h e a n i m a l o n c e
m o r e in t h e b u s h : " . . . he w a s by no m e a n s f i n i s h e d w i t h i t . It l ay
at t h e b a c k o f hi s m i n d u n c o m f o r t a b l y . " ( C A S , V . l , 3 4 )
In s h o r t , t h e w i l d A f r i c a n l a n d s c a p e s e r v e s t h e d e v e l o p m e n t
o f w h i t e c h i l d r e n , w h i c h c o u l d n o t be a c h i e v e d i f t h e s e c h i l d r e n
had
stayed
Mshlanga",
Mshlanga,
in
if
their
the
farm.
gi r l
s he w o u l d
had
not
For
not
instance,
walked
to
iri
"The
the
have realized the t r u t h
k r a al
that
Ol d
Chief
of
Chief
Africa
is
28
the
country
of
the
black
people
and
cannot
be
shared
by
the
E u r o p e a n s . On t h e o t h e r h a n d , t h e r e a s o n f o r t h e i n c o m p l e t e n e s s
of
the
boy's
return
self-realization
home,
remains
in
epiphany
because,
adult
which
"A
Sunrise
as C h e n n e l l s
space,
the
in
the
sight
points
boy
of
the
on t h e
out,
cannot
maimed
Veld"
is hi s
l on g
as he
"as
comprehend
and
dying
the
buck
has
a f f o r d e d h i m . . . . " ( 1 9 9 0 , 32)
A l o n g w i t h " T h e Ol d C h i e f M s h l a n g a " and " A S u n r i s e on t h e
Veld"
which
Africa,
deal
Lessing
children,
too.
with
the
has w r i t t e n
"Hunger"
experiences
stories
is
"extradiegetic-heterodiegetic"
one
of
white
children
about the initiatio n
of
narrator
these
us e s
of black
stories
variable
in
whose
"internal
f o c a l i s a t i o n ", v e e r i n g t h e f o c u s f r o m o n e c h a r a c t e r t o t h e o t h e r
and
thus
giving
a panoramic
beginning of the story.
view
of
the
environment
at
the
Inside the hut w h e re the main c h a r a c te r
J a b a v u l i v e s , f o r i n s t a n c e , t h e n a r r a t o r r e f e r s t o J a b a v u and hi s
mother's
point of v ie w ,
w h i l e she is t r y i n g t o w a k e he r s o n up
and o u t s i d e t h e f a t h e r and t h e o t h e r s o n Pavu are g o i n g t o w o r k .
The
narrator
describes
Jabavu
as
a lazy
s l e e p s all t h e t i m e and r e j e c t s w o r k i n g .
and
greedy
boy
who
He is al s o c a l l e d b y t h e
n a t i v e s " B i g M o u t h " ( C A S , V . l l , 2 0 9 ) , b e c a u s e he e a t s a l o t . Th e
narrating t h r o u g h o u t the story except for the references to the
p a s t is, as G e n e t t e c a l l s ,
" s i m u l t a n e o u s " : t h a t is t o s a y , all t h e
i n f o r m a t i o n c o n c e r n i n g t h e a c t i o n and t h o u g h t o f t h e c h a r a c t e r s
29
and
the
setting
is
narrated
in t h e
present
tense
to
make
the
r e a d e r f o l l o w t h e s t o r y l i ne s t e p by s t e p w i t h t h e n a r r a t o r as if
the
narrator
is o b s e r v i n g t h e
characters
at t h e
same tim e
with
the readers.
In " H u n g e r " ,
are
"subsequent"
only the narratorial c o m m e n ts ab out the past
- past
tense
narrating
- to
give
some
clues
a b o u t t h e c o l o n i a l l i f e in A f r i c a and t o p r e p a r e t h e r e a d e r f o r t h e
following
the
adventures
white
natives,
people
which
of Jabavu.
earned
in t u r n
money
It is n a r r a t e d
by
selling
that
the
in t h e
grain
past
of
the
l ed t o a y e a r o f h u n g e r , t h e y e a r w h e n
J a b a v u ' s s i s t e r died. The n a r r a t o r q u o t e s t he w o r d s of J a b a v u ' s
father
as w e l l
colonizers:
no
limit
to
the
the
black
man's
"other",
simply
the
" . . . t h e w h i t e ma n u s e s us f o r s e r v a n t s , and t h e r e is
set
to
this
father feels that
for
criticize
time
of
bondage."
(CAS,
V.ll,
222)
The
t h e f u t u r e is v e r y d a r k and n o t at all p r o m i s i n g
Africans,
owing
to
the
white
people's
exploitation
of
b l a c k c h i l d r e n . T h e f a t h e r ' s o p i n i o n , in f a c t , f o r e t e l l s t h e f u t u r e
o f hi s s o n w h o s e a d m i r a t i o n o f w h i t e p e o p l e e v e n t u a l l y d e s t r o y s
hi s w h o l e l i f e ,
The
boy's
as t h e s t o r y e n d s w i t h J a b a v u ' s i m p r i s o n m e n t .
hunger for food
shifts to
a hunger for
material
t h i n g s o w n e d by t h e w h i t e p e o p l e , and t h u s f o r c e s h i m t o m o v e
to t o w n .
The "i n te rn a l f o c a l i s a t i o n "
now becomes fixed only to
J a b a v u 's pe rception to hig hlight the c hild's characte r.
Hi s s o n g
30
on
the
way
1 9 6 8 , 56)
to
the
city
"captures
hi s
e g o c e n t r i c i t y ."
(Burkom
He s i n g s :
Her e is J a b a v u ,
Her e is t h e Bi g M o u t h o f t h e c l e v e r t r u e w o r d s .
I'm coming to the city
To t h e bi g c i t y o f t h e w h i t e m a n .
I w a l k al one, haul haul
I f e a r no r e c r u i t e r ,
I t r u s t no o n e , n o t e v e n m y b r o t h e r .
I am J a b a v u , w h o g o e s a l o n e . ( C A S , V . l l , 2 3 6 )
The
use
of
the
pronoun
"I",
as
in
"A
Sunrise
on
the
Veld",
r e fle c ts th is ti m e the selfishne ss of the black child. F u rt h e rm o re ,
Jabavu's
hunger
for
possessions
owned
by
the
Europeans
e x p r e s s e d in t h e f o r m o f " f r e e d i r e c t d i s c o u r s e " - " I w a n t , I w a n t ,
I want.
bicycle
V.ll,
I want
and
240)
the
excitement
women
- implies
the
and
of the
clothes
town;
and
I want,
"heterodiegetic"
food
...
I want
I want..."
narrator's
a
(CAS,
pretence
of
noninterference.
A s a r e s u l t o f hi s e g o t i s m , J a b a v u r e j e c t s t h e h e l p o f f e r e d
by t h e S o c i a l i s t L e a g u e t h a t w o r k s f o r t h e r i g h t s o f t h e A f r i c a n s ,
j o i n s a g a n g and is f i n a l l y i m p r i s o n e d . T h e l e t t e r s e n t by M r M i z i ,
the
leader
of
the
League,
serves
as
a stimulus
to
Jabavu's
31
a w a k e n i n g : he c h a n g e s l i k e t h e f o c a l c h a r a c t e r o f " A S u n r i s e on
the
Veld"
from
the
personal
to
the
impersonal
state
with
the
r e a l i z a t i o n t h a t w h a t m a t t e r s is " w e " , t h e c o l l e c t i v e t r i b a l l i f e o f
A f r i c a , b u t n o t " I " t he i n d i v i d u a l i s t i c life of t h e c i t y .
H e n c e , as
Lorna Peterson ob ser ve s, the f a c t t h a t Jab avu :
ultimately
sees
the
light
and
finds
the
true
r o a d , t h e r o ad t o an a w a k e n e d ' b l a c k ' A f r i c a , is
a good.
He
has
are c o l o n i a l
will
be
-
Africans.
the
chosen
Africa
an
between
and t h e
socialist
enlightened
Africa
He has r e j e c t e d
community,
the
the
l i es
that
truth
that
belonging
the
self,
"we",
the
the
"I"
to
for
collective.
( 1 9 9 0 , 147)
In
general,
"Hunger"
involves
picaresque
elements:
the
c h i l d s t a r t s as a n a i v e w a n d e r e r g o i n g t o t h e c i t y w i t h t h e h o p e
o f l e a d i n g a c o m f o r t a b l e l i f e j u s t l i ke hi s " o t h e r " , t h e s e t t l e r s ; he
is
deceived
in
socialist stance.
involves
a
black
of
journey;
Hence,
journey,
development
and
this
children
finally
this
child.
differs
in
time
The
the
boy
in
"A
Sunrise
l ed
on
terms
the
to
of
journey
Veld"
the
accept
stories,
self-realization
d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e w h i t e gi r l in " T h e
the
is
l i ke t h e p r e v i o u s t w o
but
a black
and
"Hunger"
displays
of the
setting.
the
the
white
While
the
Ol d C h i e f M s h l a n g a "
and
occurs
after
they
free
32
themselves
nature,
from
the
Jabavu's
boundaries
initiation
of
takes
the
place
farm
by
in
prison
a
s ug ges ts the freedom of the w h it e child w h o
escaping
cell.
into
This
l i v e s in a f a r m ,
in
c o n t r a s t t o t h e r e s t r i c t e d l i f e o f t h e b l a c k c h i l d on hi s o w n l and
due to c o l o n i a l i s m .
"Little
Tembi"
resembles
"Hunger"
in t h e
sense t h a t
both
s t o r i e s are a b o u t t h e f r u s t r a t i o n o f b l a c k b o y s l i v i n g in a c o u n t r y
w h i c h is e x p l o i t e d by t h e E u r o p e a n s .
of
this
story
is
Li ke " H u n g e r " , t h e n a r r a t o r
"extradiegetic-heterodiegetic",
but
unlike
"Hunger"
"fr e e f o c a l i s a t i o n " remains the same t h r o u g h o u t " L i t t l e
Tembi";
in
other
words,
s e t t l e r ' s p o in t of v i e w
the
difference
between
the
adult
and t h a t o f t h e b l a c k b o y , T e m b i ,
is n o t
o b s e r v e d by o n e o f t h e c h a r a c t e r s b u t b y an o u t s i d e r .
In t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n , t h e r e a d e r is g i v e n a v e r y
view
of
much
the
better
Me
Clusters
than
J a n e Me C l u s t e r ,
how
to
the
who
other
be c l e a n e r
is a l s o
Tembi.
and
a very
Since
beginning,
she
healthier
helpful
does
s he l o v e s
b e a r s he r o w n
white
the
farm
W i l l i e Me C l u s t e r ' s
G o o dh earte d One" (CAS, V .l,
s he
treat
not
and
natives
sympathetic
on
owners.
their
For
farm
example,
wife, teaches the natives
is,
therefore,
called
"The
1 0 6 ) by t h e n a t i v e s . A t t h e o n s e t ,
nurse
have
who
saves
children
h i m as her o w n
baby.
of
the
her
life
of
own
However,
little
in
the
after
she
c h i l d r e n , she c a n n o t f i n d t i m e t o s h o w t h e s a m e
33
a f f e c t i o n t o t h e b l a c k b o y and t h i s m a k e s h i m j e a l o u s ,
forcing
h i m t o t r y t o a t t r a c t her a t t e n t i o n by b e c o m i n g a t h i e f . T h e b o y ’ s
disrespectful
act
has s t i l l
another
cause:
being
a native
Tembi
w a s t a u g h t t o c o n s i d e r h i m s e l f as a m e m b e r o f an i n f e r i o r r a c e
on hi s o w n
land.
Even t h e l i b e r a l - m i n d e d J a n e ,
who
once loved
T e m b i as her o w n s o n i m p l i e s t h e i n e q u a l i t y b e t w e e n her c h i l d r e n
and t h e i r " o t h e r " ,
Tembi,
by t e l l i n g h i m t h a t her c h i l d r e n w o u l d
s t a r t g o i n g t o s c h o o l , w h e r e a s T e m b i has t o w o r k in t h e f a r m t o
ea r n m o n e y and be l o y a l t o w h i t e p e o p l e . M o r e o v e r , J a n e s h o w s
he r c o l o n i z e r s p i r i t w h e n she s a y s :
"'Look how
nursing
What thanks
aren't
and h e l p i n g t h e s e n a t i v e s !
grateful
for
anything
I spend my ti m e
w e do f o r t h e m . ' "
do I g e t ?
{CAS,
V.l,
They
122)
B u t o f c o u r s e T e m b i is n o w a w a r e o f t h e a c t u a l m e a n i n g o f t h e
verb " h e l p " being " e x p l o i t a t i o n " of the blacks. As Lessing w r i t e s
in he r A f r i c a n L a u g h t e r :
H a v i n g t a k e n t h e b e s t l and f o r t h e m s e l v e s , and
s e t up an e f f i c i e n t m a c h i n e r y o f d o m i n a t i o n , t h e
British
as
is
...
common
conquered
was
to
to
be
were
were
their
the
abl e t o
among
persuade
conquerors
inferior,
advantage,
grateful
c i v i l i z a t i o n . ( 1 9 9 2 , 4)
that
-
white
that they
recipients
themselves
of
that
the
tutelage
were
a
-
bound
superior
34
T e m b i ' s end is t h e s a m e as J a b a v u ' s :
in p r i s o n
where
conditions
he t o o f i n d s h i m s e l f
are n o t v e r y d i f f e r e n t f r o m
those
in
hi s c h i l d h o o d , b e c a u s e " a s a n a t i v e in t h i s s o c i e t y he is c o n f i n e d
to a ve ry small part of i t
t h e en d o f t h e
story:
" ( Sag e 1 9 8 3 , 2 8 ) J a n e ' s q u e s t i o n at
" W h a t di d he w a n t ,
Willie?
w a s w a n t i n g , at all t h i s t i m e ? " ( C A S , V . l ,
is
still
unaware
Lessing
of
the
harm
she
in her a u t o b i o g r a p h y .
has
W h a t is it he
129) s h o w s t h a t Jane
done
Under M y Skin,
to
Tembi.
gives the
Doris
answer
t o t h i s q u e s t i o n w h i l e e l a b o r a t i n g on t h e w h i t e s e t t l e r s ' a t t i t u d e
t o w a r d s t h e b l a c k s . She c l a i m s t h a t t h e b l a c k p e o p l e j u s t w a n t e d
"a
warm-hearted,
'w hite'
generous,
civilization,
coldness,
remembers
open
instead
stinginess
of
W hittaker's
w h e r e s he c o m p a r e s t h e
the
of
sharing
doors
heart."
remarks
shut
the
in
(1994,
quoted
"openness"
of
earlier
benefits
their
1 13)
in
faces,
One
this
of
al s o
chapter
of the c h ild r e n 's vis io n to
t h e " f i x e d " v i e w s o f t h e a d u l t s . A l t h o u g h J a n e s t a r t s as a l i b e r a l
white
settler,
she
cannot
get
rid
of
her
colonizer
spirit,
her
" f i x e d " v i e w on t r e a t i n g t h e n a t i v e s as i n f e r i o r , w h e r e a s J a b a v u ,
Tembi
and t h e
a d o l e s c e n t gi r l
in " T h e
Ol d C h i e f
a w a r e o f t h e h a r m d o n e by t h e E u r o p e a n s .
Mshlanga"
are
" F r e e f o c a l i s a t i o n " in
"L it t le T e m b i" emphasizes this diffe ren c e of opinion b e tw e e n the
a d u l t , J a n e , and t h e c h i l d , T e m b i .
Unlike the previously discussed stories,
"Old J o h n ' s Place"
d o e s n o t d i s p l a y t h e e x p l o i t a t i o n o f A f r i c a and t h e d e v e l o p m e n t
35
of
a child,
Europeans
Again
but
in
i t is c o n c e r n e d
Africa
the
through
narrator
of
the
story
owners
of
becomes
Ol d
Kate:
doors
to
bored
expressions
clock."
the
(CAS,
"Kate
farm
could
veranda,
of
life
of the
a white
is
child.
"extradiegetic-
" F r e e f o c a l i s a t i o n " at t h e b e g i n n i n g
when
is see n
where
people
suggested
The
the
party
through
through
137)
disoriented
story
see
which
V.l,
the
focalisation
this
"internal"
John's
called
the
of
h e t e r o d i e g e t i c " , an o u t s i d e r .
with
the
a vista
were
"see"
eyes
of
by
of
the
a gi r l
several
open
about
with
sitting
surreptitous
verb
given
glances
indicates
at t h e
the
girl's
f o c a l i s a t i o n o f b o r e d p e o p l e at t h e p a r t y , and t h e e x p r e s s i o n o f
boredom
implies the w asted
and s t e r i l e l i v e s o f t h e m i g r a n t s in
Africa.
T h e f a r m . Ol d J o h n ' s Pl ace, s y m b o l i z e s t h e r o o t l e s s n e s s o f
c o l o n i z e r s , f o r t h e f a r m has b e en o w n e d by so m a n y p e o p l e t h a t
noone
knows
where
its
name
comes
from.
As
James
Gindin
p o i n t s o u t , t h e n e w g e n e r a t i o n in t h i s s t o r y is
an e x a m p l e
security
Europe.
of those
they
have
who
use A f r i c a
b e en
unable
to
to
find
find
a
in
Y e t in t h i s s t o r y t h e o l d e r c o m m u n i t y ,
d o g m a t i c , s u r e o f i t s e l f and i t s m o r a l s t a n d a r d s ,
c an
find
neither
room
nor
sympathy
for
the
36
new,
moremorally
flexible
immigration.
(1 9 6 2 ,
81)
In
"Old
John's
Place",
therefore,
the
conflict
arising
from
the
p r o b l e m o f " o t h e r n e s s " is n o t b e t w e e n t h e t w o r a c e s as i t is t h e
case
in
the
narratives
mentioned
earlier
in
this
chapter
but
b e t w e e n t h e ol d g e n e r a t i o n o f s e t t l e r s and t h e n e w o n e , b e t w e e n
s t e r i l e n o r m s and a m o r e f l e x i b l e l i f e s t y l e .
The
neighbours
in t h e
district
judge
the
newcomers
from
t h e p u r i t a n p o i n t o f v i e w . For i n s t a n c e , in t h e c a s e o f t h e L a c e y s
w ho settle dow n w ith their friend
Mr H a c k e t t , t h e f i r s t s t r i k i n g
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c is t h e i r w e a l t h . T h e o r n a t e l y d e c o r a t e d b e d r o o m o f
Mrs
Lacey
focalised
through
the
gi rl
Kate,
is t o t a l l y
different
f r o m t h e p o o r l y f u r n i s h e d b e d r o o m s in t h e d i s t r i c t . S i m i l a r l y , t h e
rooms
arranged
hygiene,"
for the
(CAS, V.l,
neighbourhood.
Such
admiration
l ead
since
they
themselves.
but
consider
baby con vey
143) w h ic h
"a s e n s e o f d i s c i p l i n e
Ka t e has n e v e r o b s e r v e d in t h e
w e a lt h y living c on dition s increase
to
some
the
Thus, through
and
rumours
Laceys
as
among
'liberated
Kate's dialogue w ith
the
Kate’s
neighbours,
people',
Mrs.
unlike
Lacey, the
reader learns the gossip ab ou t Mr H a c k e tt being the fa t h e r of the
baby.
This
forces
the
Laceys
to
migrate
m a k i n g K a t e , w h o has s y m p a t h i z e d w i t h
to
another
district,
Mrs Lacey, upset.
37
The
employment
character
in
"Old
of
John's
conservative
outlook
represented
by
of
gi r l
as
Place"
gap
between
the
district
as
the
Kate's
personified
through
the
generation
second
a thirteen-year-old
displays
ol d
settlers
parents
and
Ka t e and t h e
is w i l l i n g
the
the
the
Laceys.
to
in
new
vision
observation
and
is
used
reminded
for
the
of
accept
the
purpose
of
focal
generation
K a t e as a m e m b e r o f
the
Laceys'
m o r a l i t y ; t h a t is t o s a y , w e are o n c e m o r e f a c e d
"fresh"
the
fact
with
that
flexible
a child's
the
emphasizing
child's
the
clash
b e t w e e n t h e t w o g e n e r a t i o n s in A f r i c a .
Similarly,
the
"extradiegetic-heterodiegetic"
narrator
of
" T h e N e w M a n " i l l u s t r a t e s t h e l o n e l i n e s s and p o v e r t y o f t h e n e w
n e i g h b o u r , M r R o o y e n w h o has b o u g h t Ri ch M i t c h e l l ' s f a r m .
Th e
n a r r a t o r , in o r d e r t o a v o i d c o m m e n t a r y , r e f e r s t o t h e o p i n i o n s o f
t h e n e i g h b o u r s w h i l e t a l k i n g a b o u t Ri ch M i t c h e l l :
The
on
case
the
Mitchell
farm,
s o i l __
had
been
verandas
was
which
discussed
of
the
not
right to
was
badly
and
adjudicated
district:
sel l t h a t
watered
no.
part
and
Ri ch
of
hi s
poorish
No w o n d e r Ri ch M i t c h e l l w a s r i c h ( t h e y
s a i d ) . . . " {CAS, V .l l, 189)
As
the
parenthetical
information
indicates,
the
statement
38
following
the
colon
belongs
to
the
neighbours'
opinions
about
Ri ch M i t c h e l l , w h o is c r i t i c i z e d f o r s e l l i n g i n f e r t i l e l an d t o a p o o r
man.
The n a rr a to r s ta r ts using "i n te rn a l f o c a l i s a t i o n " t h r o u g h the
d a u g h t e r o f t h e G r a n t s , w h o l i v e ne ar Ri ch M i t c h e l l ' s f a r m w i t h
the s tatem ent:
parents'
V.ll,
talk,
189)
signalled
"That evening,
it
was
evident
listening
things
with
h a l f an ear t o t h e
weren't
too
good."
T h e f o c a l i s a t i o n t h r o u g h t h e a d o l e s c e n t gi r l
by the verb
"listening",
is p u r s u e d
(CAS,
which
is
by her o b s e r v a t i o n
o f M r R o o y e n ' s l i f e and c h a r a c t e r and her f i r s t s e x u a l e x p e r i e n c e
w i t h him.
T h e gi r l d o e s n o t l i ke Mr R o o y e n w h e n she f i r s t m e e t s h i m ,
for
he t r i e s t o
father's
car.
a b u s e her w h i l e
However,
she is s i t t i n g
Mr
Rooyen's
on hi s l ap in her
mysterious
character
c o m p e l s her t o v i s i t hi s p l a c e and l ear n m o r e a b o u t hi s l i f e .
perception
highlights
Mr
Rooyen's
miserable
and
poor
conditions:
She w e n t
into the tin y
Carrón Dover stove,
kitchen.
It had
an i r o n
whe re the fire was out. A
w o o d e n t a b l e had s o m e c o l d m e a t on i t w i t h
piece
of
sourish.
gauze
over
Fl i es b u z z e d .
i t.
The
meat
a
smelled
Up t h e l egs o f t h e t a b l e
Her
living
39
s m a l l b l a c k a n t s t r i c k l e d . T h e r e w a s no s e r v a n t
vis ibl e. {CAS, V . l l , 192)
Such
a description
everywhere
Laceys
in
c an
"Old
conditions
of
of
be
the
kitchen
contrasted
John's
African
Place"
people,
with
with
and
the
it
as
rotten
luxurious
reminds
they
meat
are
one
and
life
of
bound
of
the
to
flies
the
living
live
in
unfa vo ura ble con dition s thanks to the w h ite man's ex p lo ita tio n .
M r R o o y e n ' s m i s e r a b l e l i f e has, h o w e v e r , a n o t h e r c a u s e : he
is
alone,
without
discovers
that
Maureen,
when
he
a wife
has
who
been
he u t t e r s
could
in
l ove
her n a m e
look
after
with
while
a
h i m.
The
woman
satisfying
hi s
gi r l
named
"lonely
h u n g e r " { C A S , V . l l , 1 9 4 ) w i t h t h e gi r l . H e n c e , t h e l o n e l i n e s s and
p o v e r t y o f a E u r o p e a n f a r m e r is f o c a l i s e d t h r o u g h t h e gi r l w h o s e
physical
awakening
and
development
is
al s o
implied
by
the
n a r r a t o r . For i n s t a n c e , she f i n d s t h e b o o k s s he r e a d s c h i l d i s h and
f e e l s " M r R o o y e n ' s a r m s cal l t o her a c r o s s t h r e e m i l e s o f v e l d . "
{CAS, V . l l ,
1 9 3 ) A l t h o u g h she is, at f i r s t , r e l u c t a n t t o s i t on Mr
R o o y e n ' s l ap, s he g e t s p l e a s u r e a f t e r s o m e t i m e and s t a r t s l i k i n g
t h i s m a n . She t h i n k s if s he w e r e M a u r e e n , she w o u l d n e v e r l e a v e
him .
Lessing's
an
insignificant
comment
on t h e
character
l i ke
white
Mr
settlers
Rooyen
can
explain
becomes
how
important
40
when
perceived
by
a
child.
The
writer
in
an
interview
fairly
remote
with
S t e p h e n G r a y c o m m e n t s on t h i s p o i n t :
...
if
you
from
one
peculiar
they
do
put
people
another
anyway,
become
on
- and t h e y
or
they
outsize.
becomes
farms,
known;
have to
w ouldn't
Because
it's
al l ,
be a b i t
be
there
everything
as
it
-
they
were,
on
stage. And fa ir ly ord inary people, even, be com e
a m a z i n g , p a r t i c u l a r l y t o a c h i l d __ ( 1 9 9 4 , 1 14)
Thus,
the
mysterious
life
of
Mr
Rooyen,
who
is
an
object
of
c u r i o s i t y t o e v e r y o n e in t h e d i s t r i c t , b e c o m e s k n o w n t h r o u g h t h e
g i r l ' s c o n t a c t w i t h h i m.
Another
"Getting
destroy
off
the
gi r l
as t h e
the
Altitude"
life
of
the
onlooker
of the
which
neighbours
epitomizes
colonizers.
This
how
story
appears
Africa
deals
in
c an
with
the
p r o b l e m o f " o t h e r n e s s " as w e l l , b u t t h i s t i m e i t is in t e r m s o f t h e
opposition
this
be tw een the t w o
narrative
Mshlanga":
remembers
Blatters.
of
hi s
belong
the
he r
sexes.
to the
same
N a r r a t i o n and f o c a l i s a t i o n
agent
as in
"extradiegetic-homodiegetic"
childhood
experience
with
"The
adult
her
Mrs
Slatter's
submission
to
he r
Chief
narrator
neighbours,
T h e a d o l e s c e n t gi r l f o c u s e s on M r S l a t t e r ' s
wife,
Ol d
in
the
oppression
husband,
and
her
41
disappointed
Andrews,
male
l ove
which
affair
brings
dominance,
sympathizes
adult
and
character,
the
with
the
the
forward
as
again,
farm
assistant,
frustration.
adolescent
hi s w i f e .
child
once
with
gi r l
Hence,
respectively
emphasizes
Having
dislikes
the
the
Mr
distinction
the
George
narrator
child's
observed
Slatter
and
between
the
and
the
focal
maturation
even
t h o u g h t h e s t o r y s e e m s t o d w e l l on t h e S l a t t e r s .
T h e s e t t i n g o f t h e s t o r y is C e n t r a l A f r i c a w h i c h has b e c o m e
the
symbol
presenting
prepared
of
the
the
disorientation
ill-treatment
a dismal
life
for
of
of the
the
the
colonizers
blacks.
white
The
settlers
apart
same
as
place
well.
As
from
has
the
n a r r a t o r e x p r e s s e s i t, t h e p e o p l e in t h e d i s t r i c t ne e d t o " g e t o f f
the a l t i t u d e " to rest: "Ou r part of Central A f r i c a w as high, nearly
f o u r t h o u s a n d f e e t , and w e all k n e w t h a t w h e n a p e r s o n g o t r u n ­
down
they
level."
needed
{CAS,
V.ll,
a rest
128)
from
The
the
altitude
Slatters,
for
in t h e
instance,
ai r
at
get o ff
seathe
a l t i t u d e at t h e end o f t h e s t o r y .
T h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e n a r r a t i v e is a c t u a l l y t h e end w h e r e t h e
gi r l b e c o m e s a w a r e o f M r s S l a t t e r ' s u n h a p p i n e s s :
That
night
saw
Mrs
midnight,
of
the
Slatter
not
dance,
come
seeing
years
into
the
later,
when
bedroom
me b e c a u s e t h e
circle
I
at
of
42
lamplight
was
focused
low,
with
a
cold
and
terrible face I never w o u ld
have believed could
be
so
hers
after
knowing
her
l on g
during
the
d a y - t i m e s and t h e v i s i t s __ { C A S , V . l l , 1 2 0 )
He r e , t h e
words
"years
later"
and
"after knowing
her so l o n g "
c r e a t e a s u s p e n s e , f o r t h e r e a d e r is n o t y e t i n t r o d u c e d t o
Mrs
Slatter.
Then,
the
narrator
recalls
her
own
disappointment
at
the
d a n c e , w h i c h m a k e s her u n d e r s t a n d M r s S l a t t e r b e t t e r :
Yet I
then
had been c r y i n g j u s t b e f o r e , and I w i s h e d
I could
go
away
into
the
dark
and
stay
t h e r e f o r ever. Y et M o l l y S l a t t e r ' s t e r r i b l e f ace
was
he r
f a m i l i a r t o me , as if i t w e r e her o w n f a c e ,
real
meant
one.
I seemed
that
comfortable
the
to
years
and
know
I
warm
i t.
had
in
spite
And
that
known
her
of
her
all
t r o u b l e s had b e en s a y i n g s o m e t h i n g el se t o me
about
her .
But
only
now
I
was
prepared
to
l i s t e n . (CAS, V . l l , 1 20)
Until
the
last
sentence
in
r e m e m b r a n c e t h a t is r e i n f o r c e d
this
quotation,
it
is
the
adult
w i t h t h e p a s t p e r f e c t t e n s e and
43
the
comment
"I
about
Mrs
truth
seemed
to
Slatter
know
later
it",
on.
s u g g e s t s t h e sense of i m m e d i a c y ,
because
However,
s he
the
and t h e v e r b
realizes
the
word
"now"
"listen"
implies
t h e e x i s t e n c e o f t h e a d o l e s c e n t f o c a l c h a r a c t e r w h o s e r ol e is t o
listen
and
observe.
notice
the
blindness
Her e ,
the
of the
adult
child
narrator
towards
helps
the
the
reader
miserable
life
of
Mrs Slatter.
A t t h i s p o i n t t h e n a r r a t o r r e t u r n s t o her c h i l d h o o d and t r i e s
to
bring
First,
together
s he
focuses
the
pieces
on
Mr
of
the
Slatter's
puzzle
about
dominating
Mrs
Slatter.
character.
She
remembers:
Most
people
were
frightened
of
Mr
Slatter.
T h e r e w e r e f o u r S l a t t e r b o y s , and w h e n t h e ol d
man
was
in a t e m p e r and w a v i n g
the
whip
he
a l w a y s had w i t h h i m, t h e y ran o f f i n t o t h e b u s h
and s t a y e d t h e r e u n t i l he had c o o l e d d o w n .
the
natives
on t h e i r
farm
were
afraid
of
Al l
hi m.
(CA S, V . l l , 1 22)
Mr S l a t t e r ' s w h i p w h i c h f r i g h t e n s t h e n a t i v e s
as t h e s y m b o l
of w h it e
male p o w e r
m a y be i n t e r p r e t e d
predominant
in A f r i c a .
Mrs
S l a t t e r n e v e r r e s i s t s her h u s b a n d ' s d e m a n d s .
Having discovered
hi s w i f e ' s l o v e a f f a i r w i t h G e o r g e , M r S l a t t e r
t h r e a t e n s her and
44
in
return
Slatter,
times
the
her
with
woman
cannot
husband
Emmy
and
Pritt,
react,
her
though
"other"
a neighbour.
s he
has
knows
that
Mr
betrayed
her
many
The a d o l e s c e n t
who
hears
t h e c o n f e s s i o n s o f t h e f r u s t r a t e d w o m a n is v e r y m u c h i m p r e s s e d ,
probably
female
because
she
realizes
that
she
m e m b e r of a male d o m i n a t e d
is
al s o
society.
bound
to
be
Consequently,
a
in
t h e s e l a s t t h r e e s t o r i e s , " O l d J o h n ' s P l a c e " , " T h e N e w M a n " and
"Getting
o ff the A l t i t u d e " ,
the focal characte rs,
all b e i n g w h i t e
a d o l e s c e n t g i r l s , s e e m t o s t a n d on t h e p e r i p h e r y o f t h e n a r r a t i v e
with
minimum
amount
of
involvement,
but
through
their
perception they complete their development.
Li ke t h e p r e v i o u s s t o r y , " T h e S t o r y o f T w o D o g s " is t o l d by
an
"extradiegetic-homodiegetic"
narrator.
challenges the c o n c ept of 'e d u c a t io n '
about
and
the
Bi l l .
narrator's
childhood
The
narrator
adult
The
narrative
beneath the surface story
experience
criticizes
her
with
he r
parents
dogs,
Jock
in t h e
first
s e n t e n c e o f t h e s t o r y : " G e t t i n g a n e w d o g t u r n e d o u t t o be m o r e
difficult
than
we
thought,
and
nature of our f a m i l y . " {CAS, V .l l,
a new
dog
as a f r i e n d
to
Jock
for
reasons
rooted
deep
1 6 6 ) T h e m o t h e r is l o o k i n g f o r
so t h a t
t h o s e d i r t y k a f f i r d o g s in t h e c o m p o u n d "
he w i l l
not
(CAS, V . l l ,
play
narrator questions the
Africans
at t h e o n s e t
colonizer's
attitude
"with
166) w h ic h
is t h e r e a s o n " r o o t e d d e e p in t h e n a t u r e o f [ t h e ] f a m i l y " .
the
in t h e
Hence,
of despising
the
and r e j e c t s h a v i n g a p u p p y l i k e J o c k w h o
45
is ' n o b l e '
and
'w e ll-b re d ', the c h a racte ristics
most approved
by
the conservative adult settlers.
T h e " i n t e r n a l f o c a l i s a t i o n " t h r o u g h t h e gi r l b e g i n s w i t h
observation
of the
isolated
and
from
whom
she g e t s t h e p u p p y Bi l l :
brick
and i r o n
house surrounded
everyw here from thick bush."
suggests
the
sense
of
displeased
life
"They now
by g r a n i t e
{CAS, V . l l ,
immediacy
of
he r
relatives
l i v e d in a s m a l l
kopjes th a t
erupted
168) The w o r d
and
her
points
out
"now"
the
girl's
f o c a l i s a t i o n . T h e d w e l l i n g o f t h e r e l a t i v e s w h i c h is m a d e o f b r i c k
and
iron
prison
and
cel l
surrounded
and
once
by
"granite"
more
hi l l s
underlines
reminds
the
one
of
the
of
the
by
the
s ee s
the
alienation
E u r o p e a n p e o p l e in A f r i c a t h r o u g h t h e v i e w p o i n t o f a c h i l d .
As
narrator
puppy,
in
for
"A
Sunrise
describing
reflects
the
on
the
the
Veld"
the
landscape,
child's
imagery
where
openness
to
the
all
used
gi r l
kinds
of
sense
p e r c e p t i o n : " T h e m o o n , l a r g e and r e m o t e and s o f t , s t o o d up o v e r
the tre es, the e m p t y w h i t e sand, the house w h i c h
had u n h a p p y
h u m a n b e i n g s in i t , and a ma d l i t t l e d o g y a p p i n g and b e a t i n g i t s
course
of
unhappiness
can
of
the
be c o n t r a s t e d
which
suit
drunken
will
the
attract
expected
joyous
relatives
with
the
delirium."
stemming
the joy
girl's
(CAS,
from
V.ll,
their
169)
isolated
and c r a z i n e s s o f t h e
attention,
characteristics,
for this
such
as
puppy
being
The
life
puppy
Bill
does
not
'noble'
and
46
'well-bred'.
wild
As
and had
she
"bad
learns
blood".
from
the
relatives,
(Cy45, V . l l ,
170)
Bill's
father
was
At this
point,
with
the a d u lt's reference to the future events, the foc a lis ation shifts
t o t h e n a r r a t i n g s e l f t o u n d e r l i n e t h e b l i n d n e s s o f t h e g i r l : "I di d
not
understand
it
until
years
later
when
Bill
the
puppy
'went
w i l d ' and I s a w h i m t h a t d a y on t h e a n t - h e a p h o w l i n g hi s p a i n o f
longing
to
an
interpretation
listening
empty
of
the
world"
uncultivated
listening
dog's
signals
and
world."
barking
the
unexploited
(CAS,
as
"longing
Africans'
country.
V.ll,
As
171)
to
an
yearning
a
result,
Th e
empty
for
the
an
dogs'
s t o r y , in a w a y , b e c o m e s s y m b o l i c o f w h i t e - b l a c k c o n t r o v e r s y .
The
narrator
criticizes
children
cities
who
education
of the
for their
white
is
against
as one
of
farmers
"had
s c h o o l i n g ____"
the
the
norms
means
V.ll,
colonialism
of c i v i l i z a t i o n . The
no c h o i c e
(CAS,
of
but to
166)
The
go t o t h e
same
r ul e
a p p l i e s t o t h e a n i m a l s o f t h e f a r m e r s as w e l l , so t h e g i r l ' s f a t h e r
d e m a n d s t he t r a i n i n g of the dogs. The n a r r a t o r ' s b r o t h e r d e c i d e s
to
train
them
"paradise"
in
the
(CAS,
Great
V.ll, 178),
VI ei
which
wild
is
referred
n a t u r e as
to
as
the
opposed
to
the
a l i e n a t e d i r o n and b r i c k l i f e o f t h e r e l a t i v e s . O n c e m o r e n a t u r e is
us e d
for
Mshlanga"
the
purpose of education
as
and " A S u n r i s e on t h e V e l d " .
in" T h e
However,
Ol d
Chief
unlike these
s t o r i e s in " T h e S t o r y o f T w o D o g s " Bi l l , t h e d e l i r i o u s d o g w h i c h
stands
for
the
natives
with
its
black
color
and
indiscipline.
47
r e f u s e s t o o b e y t h e r u l e s and p r e v e n t s J o c k t o be t r a i n e d ; on t h e
c o n t r a r y , t h e y p r e f e r t o l ea r n " t h e j o y s o f f r e e d o m . "
(C/IS, V . ll,
179)
resembling
the
Bill's wild
character finally
imprisonment
of
Jabavu
in
l e a d s t o hi s d e a t h ,
"Hunger"
and
Tembi
in
"Little
Tembi".
Although
the
dogs
cannot
be t r a i n e d
in t h e
VIei,
the
a c h i e v e s he r s e l f - r e a l i z a t i o n d u r i n g t h e t r a i n i n g s e s s i o n s .
gi r l
Hence,
as in " G e t t i n g o f f t h e A l t i t u d e " , t h e f o c a l i s a t i o n t h r o u g h t h e gi r l
d r a w s t h e a t t e n t i o n t o a m a l e d o m i n a t e d w o r l d w h e r e d e s p i t e her
e f f o r t s t o a c t l i ke her b r o t h e r m o s t o f t h e t i m e ,
s he c a n see t h e
d if f e r e n c e b e tw e e n the t w o sexes:
We set
forth
each m o r n i n g ,
first,
my brother,
e a r n e s t w i t h r e s p o n s i b i l i t y , hi s r i f l e s w i n g i n g in
hi s h a n d , at hi s he el s t h e t w o d o g s . B e h i n d t h i s
time-honoured
useful
part
business,
unit,
to
myself,
play
the
in t h e
but necessary to
gi r l ,
serious
provide
with
no
masculine
admiration.
T h i s w a s a v e r y ol d r ol e f o r me i n d e e d : t o w a l k
away
girl,
never
that
under
on one s i de o f t h e s c e n e ,
hungry to
be p a r t o f
would
above
had
be,
been
her
r i bs
put
to
was
i t,
a small
but
knowing
all
because
pump
away
not
only
fierce
the
all
she
heart
her
critical
life
and
48
intransigent,
but
on e
which
longed
so
bitterly
to melt into loving acceptance. (CAS, V .ll, 176)
The rifle
c a r r i e d by her b r o t h e r s y m b o l i z e s ma l e p o w e r as it is
c o n s i d e r e d t o be ' m a s c u l i n e b u s i n e s s ' ,
to
be
like
the
"other",
he r
brother,
and t h o u g h t h e gi r l t r i e s
fierce
and
masculine,
she
l e a r n s in t i m e t h a t she w o u l d n e v e r be so - she c o u l d o n l y be a
follower.
Still,
generation,
wants
she
Jock
adjectives
however,
to
is
as
the
different
be
a
"critical"
from
"delicate"
and
representative
of
the
new
her
mother
who
167).
Th e
reflect
the
dog
'feminine'
(C>4S,
"intransigent"
V.ll,
which
n a r r a t o r ' s c h a r a c t e r g i v e t h e t o n e o f t h e s t o r y i n a s m u c h as i t is
a criticism
for
of the
instance,
puritanical
wants
values
a well-trained
gi r l c h o o s e s a d e l i r i o u s p u p p y .
t o be a b o u t t w o
colonialism
of
and
colonizers.
The
noble
whereas
dog,
mother,
the
In s h o r t , t h i s s t o r y , w h i c h s e e m s
d o g s , t u r n s o u t t o be a b o u t
the c on cern s of
and o n c e m o r e d i s p l a y s t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n t h e
c h i l d ' s v i s i o n and t h a t o f t h e a d u l t t h r o u g h i t s n a r r a t i o n .
Similar
discloses
the
to
"The
Story
difference
children
through
its
growing
up o f a w h i t e
of
"internal
child
of
Two
opinion
Dogs",
between
focalisation".
In
"The
the
this
and a b l a c k o n e in t h e
m i n e are t o l d by an " e x t r a d i e g e t i c - h e t e r o d i e g e t i c "
at t h e
beginning,
gives some in fo rm a tio n
about
Antheap"
adults
story,
same
and
the
gold
narrator who,
Mr M a c k in t o s h ,
49
t h e m i n e o w n e r , and M r C l a r k e , w h o w o r k s f o r h i m .
Mr
Mackintosh
and
the
Clarkes,
as
all
conservative
c o l o n i a l s , b e l i e v e t h a t t h e o t h e r r a c e , t h e A f r i c a n s , s h o u l d n o t be
treated
well.
treatment
The
cal l
Mackintosh
the
natives
mine
who
"'the
are
pit
" ' T h e Gol d S t o m a c h . ' "
of
well-aware
death'"
{CAS, V.l,
of
and
they
358)
such
i ll-
cal l
Mr
Mr C la rk e 's
s o n . T o m m y , u n l i k e hi s p a r e n t s , r e a l i z e s t h a t D i r k t h e h a l f - c a s t e
-
Mr
Mackintosh's
himself.
Following
character
s on
hi s
observing
the
from
a
native
-
is
awakening.
Tommy
difference
between
no
different
becomes
the
the
silent
t h e c o l o n i z e r s and i t s " o t h e r " , t h e a t t r a c t i v e c o m p o u n d
soon
as t h e
Clarkes
settle
in t h e
mine.
Tommy
first
from
focal
world
of
life.
As
hears
the
sound of the m in e -s ta m p s w h ic h "th u d d e d gold, gold, gold, gold,
g o l d g o l d , on and on, n e v e r c h a n g i n g , n e v e r s t o p p i n g . So he di d
not
hear
"gold"
them."
{CAS,
V.l,
361)
The
repetition
of
the
word
r e f l e c t s t h e m o n o t o n o u s l i f e o f t h e c o l o n i z e r s in a d d i t i o n
t o t h e i r i n t e r e s t in m a t e r i a l p r o f i t .
m a c hine ry breaks d o w n ,
One d a y ,
however,
he u n d e r s t a n d s real s i l e n c e ,
when the
and l e a r n s
" t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n s i l e n c e and s o u n d , and hi s ear s a c q u i r e d
a n e w s e n s i t i v i t y , like a c o n s c i e n c e . " {CAS, V . l , 3 6 1 )
T h e n he s t a r t s c o n t r a s t i n g t h e s t r a n g e s i l e n t and d u l l l i f e in
the mine w i t h the vig o ro u s atm osph ere of the c o m p o u n d :
50
In
the
compound
drinking
across
and d a n c i n g ,
beating
against
the
the
gulf
the drums
slow
thud
they
were
made
a quick
the
stamps,
of
and t h e d a n c e r s a r o u n d t h e f i r e s y e l l e d __
That
w a s a d i f f e r e n t w o r l d , t o w h i c h he b e l o n g e d as
m u c h as t o t h i s o n e , w h e r e p e o p l e s a i d :
your
pudding;
or:
It's
time
for
Finish
be d ;
and
out
the
very
li tt l e else." (C/iS, V.l, 36 2)
The
adjectives
between
the
"quick"
cheerful
and
"slow"
natives
and
point
the
opposition
conservative,
serious
s e t t l e r s , w h i c h is al so i m p l i e d w i t h t h e use o f an i m p e r a t i v e and
an
unemotional,
Tommy,
on e
trite
of
the
adult
discourse
second
in
the
generation
last
of
sentence.
Europeans,
s y m p a t h i z e s w i t h n a t i v e l i f e and l i ke t h e f o c a l c h a r a c t e r o f " T h e
Ol d C h i e f M s h l a n g a "
he f e e l s h i m s e l f b e l o n g i n g t o b o t h
worlds,
b o t h A f r i c a and E u r o p e .
Tommy
al s o
watches
the
people
working
at
Mr
M a c k i n t o s h ' s p i t f r o m a hi l l and s i m i l a r t o t h e d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h e
n a t i v e s in " T h e Ol d C h i e f M s h l a n g a " w h e r e t h e y are r e s e m b l e d t o
t a d p o l e s . T o m m y t h i n k s t h a t t h e s e p e o p l e l o o k l i ke a n t s , as t h e y
work
Li ke
in g r o u p s
all
the
without
child
focal
being
abl e t o
characters
show
their
mentioned
in
individuality.
this
chapter.
T o m m y g radu ally become s aware of the harm done to the nativ es
51
by
the
migrants,
and
as
a
result
he
sympathizes
with
Di r k .
Th o u g h t h e y quarrel fro m ti m e to time, th e y k n o w t h a t the cause
for
their
With
dislike
such
an
is t h e
outside
awareness.
world,
Tommy
the
world
goes
to
of the
school
and
adults.
starts
t e a c h i n g D i r k h o w t o r ead and w r i t e , s i n c e D i r k , b e i n g a n a t i v e ,
is n o t a l l o w e d t o go t o s c h o o l . T h i s
h a p p e n s t o be s t i l l a n o t h e r
i n e q u a l i t y p e r c e i v e d by t h e w h i t e c h i l d .
The d i s p a r i t y
the figures
between
the t w o
c a r v e d by T o m m y .
r a c e s is b e s t
revealed
T h e s t a t u e he m a k e s d e p i c t s Di r k
as a s l a v e and s t r e s s e s t h e g a p b e t w e e n t h e t w o r a c e s :
D i r k ' s l ong, p o w e r f u l b o dy came w r i t h i n g o u t of
the
wood
he a d
was
l i ke
something
clenched
back,
birth,
eyes n a r r o w e d
Mr
Mackintosh's
struggling
in t h e
free.
agony
The
of
the
and d e s p e r a t e , t h e m o u t h
mouth
-
tightened
in
o b s t i n a t e p u r p o se . The s h o u l d e r s w e r e free, b u t
the
hands
themselves
were
out
held;
they
of the dense
could
wood,
not
pul l
they
were
i m p r i s o n e d . Hi s b o d y w a s f r e e t o t h e k n e e s , b u t
below
them
the
by
human
limbs
were
the natural shapes of the w o o d
uncreated,
swelled to the
p e r f e c t muscled knees. (C/IS, V .l , 4 0 4 )
52
The
incomplete
Dirk's
unending
figure,
described
struggle
reminds
Mr
Mackintosh
wanted
to
take
perhaps
as
an
for
of
freedom.
hi s
axe
and
" {CAS, V .l, 4 0 4 )
in t h i s
it
implies
Tommy's
carving
Since
exploitation
cut
quotation,
to
of the
natives,
pieces.
Or
burn
"he
it,
Her e , M r M a c k i n t o s h ' s f e e l i n g s are
i n t e r n a l l y f o c a l i s e d w i t h t h e p h r a s e " w h e n he l o o k e d at i t " { C A S ,
V . l , 4 0 4 ) so as t o f a m i l i a r i z e t h e r e a d e r w i t h t h e a d u l t ' s p o i n t o f
v i e w as w e l l .
The s t o r y com es to a r e s ol ut io n w i t h Dirk being a l l o w e d to
study
at t h e
university,
which
is an u n a c c e p t a b l e
i dea f o r
the
c o l o n i z e r s w h o t h i n k t h a t o n l y t h e w h i t e c h i l d r e n need e d u c a t i o n .
Tommy
p l a y s a c r u c i a l r o l e in D i r k ' s e d u c a t i o n ,
s i n c e he f o r c e s
Mr M a c k i n t o s h t o s e n d D i r k t o t h e u n i v e r s i t y . A s L o r n a Sa g e al s o
r e m a r k s , t h e e n d i n g o f t h e s t o r y is r a t h e r i r o n i c . Sa g e w r i t e s :
a
white
education
boy
to
surreptitiously
a coloured
exchange
roles,
'm odern'
primitive
boy s tud ying
with
law
the
companion,
European
sculptor,
and
passes
and
on
and
hi s
they
becoming
the
government,
a
coloured
in t r a i n i n g
f o r t h e b a t t l e f o r p o w e r . (1 9 8 3 , 2 9 )
The
narrator's
final
judgement:
"The
victory
was
entirely
t h e i r s , b u t n o w t h e y had t o b e g i n a g a i n , in t h e l on g and d i f f i c u l t
53
S t r u g g l e t o u n d e r s t a n d w h a t t h e y had w o n and h o w t h e y w o u l d
use i t "
(CAS, V.l,
413)
ac tu ally signals the be ginning of a ne w
s t r u g g l e w h i c h T o m m y and D i c k w i l l be c o n f r o n t e d w i t h in o r d e r
to
overcome
the
troubles
caused
by t h e
Europeans.
In a w a y ,
t h i s s t o r y s u m s up t h e p r o b l e m s o f c o l o n i a l i s m d i s c u s s e d in t h i s
chapter
by
bringing
himself
and
a black
the
focalisation
child
and
through
a white
by c o n t r a s t i n g
child
their view
of
on
life
w i t h t h a t of t h e a d u l t s , n a m e l y Mr M a c k i n t o s h .
T h e u n d e r l y i n g m e s s a g e o f all t h e s t o r i e s s c r u t i n i z e d in t h i s
c h a p t e r is, as D o r i s L e s s i n g s u m s up in t h e " P r e f a c e " t o t h e f i r s t
v o l u m e o f her C o l l e c t e d A f r i c a n S t o r i e s , " w h i t e - d o m i n a t e d A f r i c a
cannot
last
very
through
the
fresh
the
criticism
Africa
is
narration
"Getting
are a b o u t
long."
perception
directed
at
foregrounded
and
(1992,
focalisation.
childhood
the
Except
and
This
a child
colonialism
through
off the A ltitu d e "
the
of
1 1)
i dea
is
or a d o l e s c e n t .
and
use
"The
the
of
Ol d
of the
Hence,
exploitation
various
Chief
"The Story of T w o
memories
elaborated
types
of
of
Mshlanga",
Dogs"
narrators,
the
which
stories
a n a l y z e d in t h i s c h a p t e r h a v e " h e t e r o d i e g e t i c " n a r r a t o r s , in o t h e r
words
outsiders,
who
give a be tt e r
reader than the " h o m o d ie g e t ic "
sense of o b j e c t i v i t y
to
the
one. T h e s e t h r e e s t o r i e s , on t h e
o th e r hand, in v o lv e the l at te r ty p e of na rra to rs but m a in ta i n th e ir
o b j e c t i v i t y by t e l l i n g e v e n t s w h i c h h a v e h a p p e n e d in t h e p a s t .
54
The
focalisation
since the
narrator
maturation
of
these
prefers to
through
narratives
disclose
his/her own
is
the
eyes.
mainly
child's
"internal",
experience
of
In s o m e s t o r i e s t h e f o c a l
c h a r a c t e r s deal m a i n l y w i t h t h e m s e l v e s , s u c h as t h e w h i t e gi r l in
" T h e Ol d C h i e f M s h l a n g a " , and t h e b l a c k b o y in " H u n g e r " ,
to underline the
focal
characters,
New
Man"
segregation
trying
op pr es si on of A f r i c a n people, the " o t h e r " . Other
l i ke t h e
illustrate
of their
girls
their
in " O l d
John's
Place"
awakening
by
focusing
neighbours.
In a d d i t i o n ,
as in
and
"The
on
"Getting
the
off
the A l t i t u d e " , the th e m e of
r o o t l e s s n e s s is a c c o m p a n i e d w i t h a
girl's
suppression.
does
perception
not
because
involve
the
of
female
focalisation
problem
of
the
through
"other",
a child
he r e,
"free fo ca lisation ".
In s o m e n a r r a t i v e s ,
the
shift
other
hand,
the
The
of f o c a l i s a t i o n
only
story
which
is " L i t t l e
Tembi",
is s t r e s s e d
through
l i ke " T h e A n t h e a p " ,
from
the
adult
to
on
the
c h i l d d i s c l o s e s t h e gap b e t w e e n t h e f i r s t g e n e r a t i o n o f c o l o n i z e r s
and t h e s e c o n d - t h e f i r s t b e i n g p u r i t a n in t h e i r i d e o l o g y w h e r e a s
the second being more adapted to the A f r i c a n s o c i e ty .
55
CHAPTER TW O
N A R R A T I V E S T H R O U G H AN A D U L T ' S PERSPECTIVE
W e l i v e in a s e r i e s o f p r i s o n s c a l l e d r a c e , c l a s s ,
m a l e and f e m a l e . ( B i g s b y 1 9 9 4 , 7 8 )
[Lessing's]
adult characters
... are t o o f i x e d
in
t h e i r v i e w s t o see f r e s h l y . ( W h i t t a k e r 1 9 8 8 , 2 9 )
The
stories
in t h i s
chapter,
which
may
be
classified
into
t w o c a t e g o r i e s as s t o r i e s w h i c h are s e t in A f r i c a and t h o s e w i t h
England
as
However,
other
the
these
in t e r m s
African
setting,
two
deal
categories
of th eir s ettin g,
stories
with
of
the
adults'
stories
do
complement
characterization
are a b o u t t h e w h i t e
settler's
n a t i v e s an d t h e i s o l a t i o n o f t h e c o l o n i z e r ,
experience.
each
and t h e m e :
exploitation
the
of the
especially t h a t of the
w h i t e w o m a n in a f o r e i g n c o n t i n e n t and t h e l a t t e r t y p e o f s t o r i e s
s e t in E n g l a n d - t h e
of th e
woman
"other"
of A fr ic a - display the i l l - t r e a t m e n t
by he r h u s b a n d t o g e t h e r w i t h
he r l o n e l i n e s s
an d
d i l e m m a . T h e c o n t e n t o f b o t h t y p e s o f s t o r i e s is r e l a t e d t o t h e i r
form,
namely the
stories
analyzed
Marrying
involved
Man"
narrative techniques
in t h i s
- have
used
chapter - except
"extradiegetic"
in t h e m .
"The
narrators
Story
who
All
of the
of
a Non-
are
either
in t h e s t o r y t h e y t e l l , t h a t is t h e y are " h o m o d i e g e t i c " ,
or p r e f e r t o r e m a i n o u t s i d e t h e d i e g e s i s , in Ot h e r w o r d s , t h e y are
56
" h e t e r o d i e g e t i c " . The kind of f o c a l i s a t i o n th e s e n a r r a to r s c h o os e
whether "free",
"internal"
characterization.
Thus,
or " e x t e r n a l " ,
the
stories
unfolds the theme
will
be
handled
and
in
the
c l a s s i f i e d o r d e r b y s c r u t i n i z i n g t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n f o r m and
c o n t e n t and b y d r a w i n g a t t e n t i o n t o t h e d i f f e r e n c e o f t h e a d u l t ' s
point
of
view
from
that
of
the
child
analyzed
in t h e
African
stories
previous
chapter.
The
adult
protagonists
a change during the course of the s to r y be com in g very
the
rules
George
of
first
colonialism,
Chester
Home for the
generation
in
and
"'Leopard'
Highland
Cattle"
as
liberal
settlers,
those
minded
be
undergo
the
start
can
as
like
who
the
grouped
much
those
of
defending
who
George"
individuals
have
and
and
applying
"gone
native".
Marina
are e x a m p l e s
but
Gi l e s
of the firs t
in
"A
group,
w h i l e J o h n n y B l a k e w o r t h y in " T h e S t o r y o f a N o n - M a r r y i n g M a n "
represents
the
second.
Along
m i n o r c h a r a c t e r s w h o are
with
these
types
there
are
also
illu s t r a t iv e of the colo nial spiri t, such
as M a r i n a ' s n e i g h b o u r s in " A H o m e f o r t h e H i g h l a n d C a t t l e " . A s
in
the
stories
where
previous
arises
the
chapter,
mainly
woman
the
from
settler's
problem
white/black
alienation
of
the
"other"
struggle.
in
these
In s o m e
cases
is i n t e n s i f i e d
due
to
her
h u s b a n d ' s n e g l e c t , t h e w h i t e ma n is n o t o n l y t h e o p p o s i t e o f t h e
African
b u t he is s h o w n t o be t h e o p p o s i t e o f t h e w o m a n ,
too.
For i n s t a n c e , b o t h o f t h e f e m a l e c h a r a c t e r s in " D e W e t s C o m e t o
57
K l o o f G r a n g e " e x p e r i e n c e i s o l a t i o n as a r e s u l t o f t h e i r h u s b a n d s '
indifference.
"'Leopard'
generation
who
settler,
likes th e
natives
is,
nature
fact,
by
which
is
the
George Chester,
wild
in
characterized
extended
George"
not
the
"analepsis"
of
of
a
second
reveals h o w the w h i t e
Africa
very
story
and
gets
different
colonial
ideology.
- telling
past
on
from
The
events
well
those
whole
with
man
with
the
who
are
story
respect
is
to
an
the
p r e s e n t m o m e n t . The " e x t r a d i e g e t i c - h e t e r o d i e g e t i c " n a r r a t o r f i r s t
gives brief i n f o r m a t i o n ab out George w h o s e pa rties have be com e
f a m o u s in t h e n e i g h b o r h o o d .
G e o r g e , w e r e a d , is k n o w n t o be a
v e r y b r a v e p e r s o n w h o c an " c l i m b a k o p j e a l o n e , w i t h a w o u n d e d
leopard
waiting
t r e e __ " ( C A S ,
for
V.l,
him
172)
in
the
tumbled
chaos
of
A fte r arousing the reader's
boulder
and
i n t e r e s t in
this eccentric character whose "passion for hunting leopards was
more
than
a
hobby"
( C/ 45,
V.l,
172),
the
narrator
suddenly
r e t u r n s t o G e o r g e ' s p a s t t o g i v e m o r e c l u e s a b o u t hi s c h a r a c t e r
and t o c l a r i f y w h y he is c a l l e d " L e o p a r d " G e o r g e .
The f o c a l i s a t i o n
t h r o u g h o u t the story
is in g e n e r a l
"free",
w i t h the n a rra to r ob s e rv in g G eorge's life w i t h o u t being lim ite d to
w h a t he t h i n k s or f e e l s . G e o r g e l i v e s in E n g l a n d d u r i n g t h e F i r s t
World
War
birthplace.
and
then
returns
to
Southern
Rhodesia,
S i n c e he r e j e c t s t o be k n o w n as hi s f a t h e r ' s s o n ,
hi s
he
58
d e c i d e s t o s e t t l e d o w n in a n e w p a r t o f t h e c o u n t r y w h i c h is s t i l l
u n c u l t i v a t e d and n o t e x p l o i t e d by w h i t e s e t t l e m e n t . T h e n a r r a t o r
also
expresses
migrants
who
hi s
difference
come to
Africa
George decides
to
buy the
thousand
of
virgin
acres
from
the
conservative
European
in p u r s u i t o f n i c e l o o k i n g
farm
bush,
"Four W inds"
lying
which
irregularly
over
places.
was
"five
the
lower
sl op es of a range of kopjes t h a t crossed high over a plain w h e r e
t h e r e w e r e s t i l l f e w f a r m s . " [ C A S , V . l 1 7 4 - 5 ) On e m a y n o t e t h a t ,
h e r e , t h e us e o f t h e a d j e c t i v e
connotes
the
surrounding
European
uncultivated
with
has
"virgin"
aspect
is s i g n i f i c a n t ,
of
the
farm
no h o u s e s or r i v e r a r o u n d .
found
"Four
Winds"
a
b e c a u s e it
on
a
Although
desirable
rocky
no o t h e r
farm,
George
pr e fe r s th is u n t o u c h e d place a w a y f r o m o th e r w h i t e s e t t le r s w h o
" t a k e n o t o n l y w h a t is t h e r e ,
their
own,
from
other
b u t al s o i m p o s e on it a p a t t e r n o f
countries."
[CAS,
one d ay , w h i l e w a t c h i n g t h e l a n d s c a p e ,
the
cruel
"vast
protean
life"
[CAS,
him to th is part of the c o u n tr y .
V.l,
V.l,
175)
Years
G e o r g e a d m i t s t h a t i t is
194)
that
has
brought
He f e e l s h i m s e l f t o be a p a r t o f
this wild nature:
It w a s
as i f ,
while
he l o o k e d ,
he w a s
flowing
s o f t l y o u t w a r d s , d i f f u s e d i n t o t h e b u s h and t h e
moonlight.
understand
He
knew
fear;
he
later
no
terror;
contained
he
could
that
not
cruelty
59
within
himself,
shut
safe
in s o m e
deep
place.
(CAS, V.l, 194)
This
is,
indeed,
George's
one
feelings
of
are
the
r ar e
instances
internally
in t h e
focalised
to
story
make
where
this
aloof
f ig u re a bit more u n d e r s ta n d a b le .
The
wild
George's
farm
distant
loneliness.
Yet,
from
the
the
others
contributes
narrator
thinks
that
the
to
word
" l o n e l i n e s s " does not fit Ge org e's c ha racte r; hence, s/he prefers
to
us e
the
phrase
because
it
is
marriage
an d
"determined
George's
living
own
an
self-isolation"
choice
isolated
life,
(CAS,
to
be
alone
far
away
V.l,
by
180),
rejecting
from
neighbors.
G e o r g e is s h o w n t o h a v e s e g r e g a t e d h i m s e l f in s u c h a w a y t h a t
even
the
"heterodiegetic"
narrator
seems
reluctant
to
intrude
i n t o hi s f e e l i n g s by s a y i n g t h a t it w a s " n o t e a s y t o a s k o f s u c h a
man,
living
anything
at
in s u c h
all."
(CAS,
narrator
preserves
problem
through
feel
ought
he
a way,
V.l,
his/her
"external
to
what
marry."
it
is he m i s s e s ,
181)
On
reservation
about
f o c a l i s a t i o n ":
(CAS,
another
183)
he
misses
instance,
George's
"Perhaps
V.l,
if
he
Here,
the
marriage
really
the
did
word
" p e r h a p s " s i g n a l s t h e n a r r a t o r ' s p r e t e n s i o n t o k n o w l es s t h a n t h e
character
mysterious
so t h a t
this
trait.
In her
second
generation
analysis,
Ruth
settler
Whittaker
will
retain
hi s
comments
on
th is passage saying t h a t the auth or refuses to have the privilege
60
of absolute
more
knowledge,
realistic
than
for
if
" t h e u n k n o w a b i l i t y o f a c h a r a c t e r is
we
wholly
understood
all
George's
i n n e r m o s t t h o u g h t s and i m p u l s e s . " ( 1 9 8 8 , 3 2 )
Unlike
natives
the
other
working
settlers,
on hi s f a r m .
George
gets
He e m p l o y s
on
well
with
hi s f a t h e r ' s
ol d S m o k e , and l e a v e s t h e c o n t r o l o f t h e f a r m
the
bossboy,
to him. H o w e v e r ,
as t h e s t o r y u n f o l d s , G e o r g e ' s c h a r a c t e r g r a d u a l l y c h a n g e s f r o m
a liberated
man w h o
appreciates the natives
and A f r i c a
into
an
e x p l o i t e r and an o p p o r t u n i s t w h o t r i e s t o u t i l i z e t h e A f r i c a n s and
t h e l a n d f o r hi s o w n p u r p o s e s . F i r s t o f al l , t h o u g h u n c o n s c i o u s l y ,
he
cultivates
the
farm
just
like
the
rest
of
the
white
men.
S e c o n d l y , as ol d S m o k e r e m a r k s , he s p o i l s y o u n g n a t i v e w o m e n actually
Smoke's
daughter
and
wife
-
by
flirting
with
and
e x p lo it in g th e m , similar to w h a t m o s t of the other w h i t e s ettle rs
do.
The old A f r i c a n k n o w s v e r y w e l l t h a t on ce t h e n a t i v e w o m e n
are
used
pleased
man
to
with
will
getting
their
not
their
way
marry
of
them,
master's
living
any
they
will
money,
more
they
and
evidently
will
since
not
be
a decent
become
street
women.
When
with
ol d
George,
Smoke's
the
bossboy
young
loses
b e g i n s t o see h i m as " a n o b j e c t ,
do
with
him."
{CAS,
V.l,
196)
wife
disappears
hi s r e s p e c t
a thing,
In t h e
for
which
end,
ol d
after
hi s
sleeping
master
and
had n o t h i n g t o
Smoke
resigns.
61
leaving
George
in
George
to
the
take
a
position
control
with
of
no
the
authority.
farm,
like
This
hi s
forces
neighbours.
M o r e o v e r , w h i l e l o o k i n g f o r t h e l o s t w o m a n , he c h a n g e s hi s i dea
a b o u t t h e A f r i c a n l a n d s c a p e w h i c h p r e v i o u s l y s e e m e d t o be v e r y
familiar
to
him.
For
the
first
time,
the
narrator
observes
a
c e r t a i n k i n d o f t e r r o r in G e o r g e w h o w a t c h e s t h e b o u l d e r s w h e r e
the
young
woman
leopard w hic h
might
be
lost.
Following
has k i l l e d t h e w o m a n ,
d i s a p p o i n t e d o w i n g t o hi s
hi s
hunt
of
the
he b e c o m e s f r u s t r a t e d
and
r e a l i z a t i o n o f t h e A f r i c a n l a n d s c a p e as
" s i m p l y a home fo r l e o p a r d s " {CAS, V .l, 2 0 1 ) , not a place fo r the
Europeans.
hunting
As
Anthony
stands
for
Chennells
"the
mutual
remarks,
hostility
George's
between
act
of
settler
and
attitude,
the
w i l d e r n e s s . " (1 9 9 0 , 3 0 )
Having
narrator
called
displayed
returns
"Leopard"
marriage to
change
However,
the
"who
an d c o u l d
the
change
beginning
in
of the
and p r o c e e d s w i t h
Mrs W h a t e l y ,
George's
person
to
the
from
narrator's
which
an
George's
story
on e f i n a l e v e n t ,
m a y at f i r s t
isolated
comment
where
person
that
hi s
to
to
a
wife
remain the
is
t h a t o f hi s
be i n t e r p r e t e d
had t h e i n t e l l i g e n c e t o u n d e r s t a n d
n o t do if s he w i s h e d
George
social
is t h e
what
as
one.
sort
of
she c o u l d
mistress
of
Four
W in d s " {CAS, V.l, 201) invalidates George's becom ing a sociable
p e r s o n . Hi s c h o i c e o f a w i f e is s i m p l y a n o t h e r s i g n
which shows
" a n e w c o n f o r m i t y " ( C h e n n e l l s 1 9 9 0 , 2 9 ) t o s o c i a l n o r m s , f o r as
62
a s i n g l e m a n he has c a u s e d r u m o u r s a m o n g t h e m i g r a n t s and has
given
harm
to
African
women.
Unlike
the
development
of
the
c h i l d r e n f r o m i n n o c e n c e i n t o m a t u r i t y , e x p l a i n e d in t h e p r e c e d i n g
chapter,
George's
conformist.
"external
This
change
is f r o m
transformation
focalisation"
a liberated
is n a r r a t e d
without
giving
individual
through
recourse
into
"free"
to
the
a
and
main
c h a r a c t e r ' s o w n t h i n k i n g to p r e v e n t the r e ad e r' s a p p r e c i a t i o n of
this m ysterious character.
"A
Home
distinction
and
the
Highland
Cattle"
between
the
first
second
deals
narrative
who
for
with
is
the
told
appears
exploitation
by
at t h e
and
an
of
elaborates
upon
generation
black
of
people,
settlers
too.
"extradiegetic-heterodiegetic"
beginning
of the
story
in t h e
the
The
narrator
form
of
"I",
c o m m e n t s on c o l o n i a l i s m and c r i t i c i z e s t h e s e t t l e r s b u t d o e s n o t
participate
in
the
inadequacy
of
first
this
story
for
the
narrator
action.
and
Genette's
third
understanding
refers
to
argument
person
the
his/her
narration
role
own
of
the
concerning
is s i g n i f i c a n t
narrator.
presence,
s/he
the
in
Although
can
by
no
m e a n s be c a l l e d " f i r s t - p e r s o n " s i m p l y by t h e f a c t t h a t s / h e d o e s
n o t g e t i n v o l v e d in t h e s t o r y .
person"
Genette's
clarifies
the
either
because
coinage
of
of
S / h e c a n n o t be r e f e r r e d as " t h i r d -
his/her
physical
appearance.
"extradiegetic-heterodiegetic"
Thus,
narrator
t h i s s i t u a t i o n . The n a r r a t o r uses " f r e e f o c a l i s a t i o n "
narratorial
commentary.
S/he f i r s t
explains
the
reasons
for
for
63
colonialism
and
explains
the
difference
between
the
two
g e n e r a tio n s of settle rs:
These days w he n
much
in
search
servants.
people em ig rate,
of
sunshine
or
it is n o t so
food,
or
even
It is f a i r l y s a f e t o s a y t h a t t h e f a m i l y
... has in i t s m i n d a v i s i o n o f a n i c e h o u s e , or a
flat,
with
maybe a bit of garden.
I don't
know
h o w t h i n g s w e r e a h u n d r e d or f i f t y y e a r s a g o . It
seems,
from
adventurers
new
books,
went
country,
that
sailing
the
off
colonizers
to
a new
opportunities
Now
and
life,
all
a
they
w a n t is a r o o f o v e r t h e i r h e a d s . (C/4S, V . l , 2 4 1 )
The
narrator's
present
lack
tense
to
of
knowledge
suggest
about
immediacy
the
and
past,
words
the
like
us e
of
"seem"
s u g g e s t t h a t s / h e is m o s t p r o b a b l y o n e o f t h e s e c o n d g e n e r a t i o n
o f s e t t l e r s . T h e d e s i r e f o r a n i c e h o u s e and a g a r d e n is l a t e r t o l d
t o be t h e r e a s o n f o r t h e y o u n g c o u p l e , M a r i n a and P h i l i p G i l e s , t o
migrate
Africa.
The
migration,
because
there
world
s/he
people
to
and
come
to
wonders:
believe
narrator
criticizes
such
is an a c c o m m o d a t i o n
"how
that
is i t t h a t
this
same
cause
problem
otherwise
roof,
a
that
of
in t h e
reasonable
practically
v a n i s h i n g c o m m o d i t y , is f r e e l y o b t a i n a b l e j u s t by p a c k i n g up and
go ing to a n o t h e r c o u n t r y ? " (CAS, V.l, 24 1)
64
Through
"free
focalisation"
the
narrator
describes
the
A f r i c a n c i t y w i t h i t s s l u m ar ea and b l a m e s t h e c o l o n i z e r s w h o are
p r o u d o f h a v i n g a c c o m p l i s h e d g r e a t t h i n g s in s i x t y y e a r s ' t i m e :
...
the
narrow
coloured
lives
and c r o o k e d
people
among
eke
out
streets
their
decaying
where the
short
brick
and
swarming
tin.
Fi v e
m i n u t e s ' w a l k t o o n e s i d e , and t h e s t r e e t p e t e r s
o u t in l o n g , s o i l e d g r a s s , a b o v e w h i c h a p o w e r
c h i m n e y p o u r s b l a c k s m o k e __
other
way
is t h e
business
Ten m i n u t e s t h e
centre,
the dazzling
w h i t e b l o c k s o f c o n c r e t e , m o d e r n b u i l d i n g s l i ke
modern
buildings the
imported
cars
clothes,
from
counters
the
America,
full
of
world
over.
glass
the
are t h e
windows
neon
pamphlets
Her e
full
lights,
advertising
of
the
flights
H o m e . . . . {CAS, V .l, 2 4 3 )
This
description
living
conditions
not
of
only
the
discloses
natives
and
the
contrast
between
the
Europeans
but
it
the
al s o
t r a c e s t h e i n f l u e n c e o f t h e c o l o n i z e r s in A f r i c a . T h e b l a c k / w h i t e
opposition
modify
is, in t h i s d e s c r i p t i o n ,
smoke
and
buildings:
carried to anoth er p la tfo rm
smoke
is
seen
in
the
slum
to
ar ea
w h e r e t h e A f r i c a n s l i v e , w h e r e a s w h i t e b u i l d i n g s in t h e b u s i n e s s
65
c e n t e r are t h e s i g n s o f e x p l o i t a t i o n .
In t h i s s e n s e , t h e s e t t i n g is
a m e a n s o f a c c e n t u a t i n g t h e o p p o s i t i o n b e t w e e n t h e s e t t l e r s and
their "o th e r ", the Africans.
Following
the
story through
introduction
"free
of
the
main
characters
of
the
f o c a l i s a t i o n ", t h e n a r r a t o r s t a r t s t o e m p l o y
"internal
focalisation"
through
between
the
and
colonials
Marina
the
blacks.
to
display
She
the
first
contrast
observes
the
p o o r l i v i n g c o n d i t i o n s o f t h e s e r v a n t s in t h e v i s t a w h e r e s h e and
he r h u s b a n d h a v e r e n t e d a f l a t . T h e r o o m w h i c h has u n p l a s t e r e d
walls, tin
roof,
with
"pictures
the
illustrated
cement floor w ith
of
magazines,
unclothed."
and
{CAS, V.l,
has
the
no bed t o l ie on is d e c o r a t e d
English
of
248)
affected
royal
various
family,
female
film
These pictures,
the
life
style
torn
of
out
of
stars,
mostly
in a w a y ,
display
how
colonialism
the
Africans
as
well.
F u r t h e r m o r e , M a r i n a n o t i c e s t h a t her s e r v a n t C h a r l i e w e a r s
an A m e r i c a n s t y l e s h i r t , c o m b s hi s h a i r l i k e t h e E u r o p e a n s and as
soon
as
garters,
he
a
r i se
in
hi s
wage,
he
buys
a n o t h e r clue of a d a p t a t i o n to colo ni al
Marina thinks
values"
gets
tha t these
(CAS, V.l, 2 6 1 ),
pe opl e need
crimson
satin
standards.
Thus,
"an e d u c a t io n
in c i v i l i z e d
w h i c h i m p l i e s he r i d e a l i s t i c p o s i t i o n as
a c o l o n i z e r w h o is in f a v o r o f e d u c a t i n g t h e n a t i v e s in t e r m s o f
European norms.
In he r a t t i t u d e t o w a r d s
her o w n
servant
and a l s o t o w a r d s
66
the o th er natives, Marina s h o w s a great d iffe r e n c e fro m the rest
of the
migrants
in t h e v i s t a .
settlers'
neglect
living
Africa
"'M y
in
front
of
their
as
door
The f i r s t t h i n g
environment,
temporary.
handle
Hearing
has b e e n
s he n o t i c e s
because
what
stuck
for
they
is t h e
consider
Mrs
Black
weeks,
but
says,
I'm
not
g o i n g t o m e n d i t . If I s t a r t d o i n g t h e p l a c e up, i t m e a n s I ' m he r e
for
ever,'"
(CAS,
V.l,
252)
s he
realizes
that
these
people
p h y s i c a l l y e x i s t b u t do n o t a c t u a l l y ' l i v e ' in A f r i c a . M o r e o v e r , her
neighbour
against
into
considers
them.
Marina
consideration,
towards
the
Charlie
servants
does
not
becoming
and
thinking
as
take
on
of
thieves
he r
the
the
and
warns
neighbours'
contrary
warnings
more
unbridgeable
her
sensitive
gap
between
the t w o races.
W h i l e M a r i n a and P h i l i p e a t t h e i r m e a l s , C h a r l i e s e r v e s t h e m
and
finds
then
he e a t s
degrading.
only
a pot
of
She,
therefore,
mealie
thinks
porridge,
there
which
is
Marina
"something
a b s u r d in a s y s t e m w h i c h a l l o w e d a h e a l t h y y o u n g m a n t o s p e n d
hi s l i f e in he r k i t c h e n , so t h a t s he m i g h t do n o t h i n g . "
260)
(CAS, V.l,
U n l i k e t h e o t h e r w o m e n in t h e v i s t a , s he r e j e c t s l e a d i n g an
i dl e l i f e - g o s s i p i n g and d r i n k i n g t e a all d a y l o n g - and q u e s t i o n s
t h e p r e s e n c e o f a s e r v a n t in her k i t c h e n . Her f i n a l h e l p t o C h a r l i e
is t o a r r a n g e hi s m a r r i a g e w i t h t h e y o u n g s e r v a n t T h e r e s a .
She
g i v e s he r l a n d l a d y ' s p i c t u r e o f t h e H i g h l a n d c a t t l e t o C h a r l i e so
t h a t he w i l l t a k e it as " l o b o l a " - d o w r y - t o T h e r e s a ' s f a t h e r .
67
W h e n M a r i n a g et s bored of l i v i n g t o g e t h e r w i t h p e o pl e like
Mrs
Po n d
values,
an d
Mrs
she s t a r t s
an d s e r v a n t s .
to
buy
major
who
dreaming
of
exemplify
buying
the
typical
a house,
cause
in t h e i r
of
country
migration
eventually,
to
creates
such
dreams
Africa.
children
cannot afford
ar e,
Hence,
a dilemma
colonizer
having
She k n o w s t h a t f o r E u r o p e a n s w h o
a house
continent,
Skinner
in f a c t ,
living
in M a r i n a :
the
in
this
on t h e
one
h a n d , s he t r i e s t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e a d v a n t a g e s o f c o l o n i a l i s m and
decides
that
natives
of
if
no
Africa
one
had
would
colonized
have
this
continent
remained
then
the
undeveloped
and
u n c i v i l i z e d ; y e t , s he al s o r e a l i z e s t h e f a c t t h a t t h e p h r a s e " w h i t e
civilization"
"colour
so u nd s like " w h i t e
bar".
Consequently,
man's
Marina
burden",
finds
"way
that
g e n e r a t e " i n he r a f e e l i n g o f f a t i g u e d d i s t a s t e . "
of life"
these
or
phrases
{CAS, V .l,
270)
T h e n a r r a t o r ' s us e o f " i n t e r n a l f o c a l i s a t i o n " , h e r e , is an a t t e m p t
to
depict
Marina
sympathetically
through
he r
own
perspective,
b e c a u s e s he is, e v e n t u a l l y , a v i c t i m o f her o w n s o c i e t y as w e l l .
S t i l l a n o t h e r r e a s o n f o r M a r i n a ' s b o r e d o m in t h i s c o u n t r y is
he r h u s b a n d ,
P h i l i p , w h o has d e v o t e d h i m s e l f t o hi s w o r k in t h e
G o v e r n m e n t t r y i n g t o t e a c h t h e n a t i v e s h o w t o use t h e i r s o i l in a
better
way.
"acclimatized",
Marina
for
perceives
" One
does
not
that
speak
Philip
of
the
has
become
'Government'
w i t h t h a t p a r t i c u l a r m i x t u r e o f a f f e c t i o n and e x a s p e r a t i o n u n l e s s
68
one
feels
at
home."
(CAS,
V.l,
259)
She
is a w a r e
of th e
fact
t h a t t h o u g h h e r h u s b a n d has a d a p t e d h i m s e l f t o l i v i n g in A f r i c a ,
s he d o e s n o t s t i l l f e e l h e r s e l f t o be a p a r t o f t h e c o u n t r y .
increasing
loneliness compels
conditions
house,
of
which
Marina's
this
at
change
her t o a d j u s t h e r s e l f t o t h e
colonized
the
of
continent
beginning
mind,
Her
s he
Anthony
by
had
owning
detested.
Chennells
a
living
suburban
Referring
remarks
that
to
s he
has a d o p t e d " t h e s e t t l e r c a p i t a l i s t d i s c o u r s e . " (1 9 9 0 , 3 0 )
Moreover,
it
is o b s e r v e d
that
he r
liberal
attitude
towards
the natives gradually tra n s fo rm s into the c o n v e n tio n a l e x p lo ite r 's
attitude together
with
her a d a p t a t i o n .
One o u t s t a n d i n g
incident
w h i c h r e v e a l s t h i s a p p a r e n t c h a n g e in her a t t i t u d e is t h a t as she
is b u s y c h o o s i n g t h e i de al t a b l e f o r her n e w h o u s e , s he d o e s n o t
e v e n n o t i c e C h a r l i e and T h e r e s a b e i n g t a k e n t o p r i s o n b e c a u s e o f
the
p i c t u r e s he has g i v e n t o t h e m .
has
pointed
Tembi",
out,
gives
Marina,
more
like t h e
harm
to
Therefore,
as S e l m a B u r k o m
liberal-minded
Charlie
than
Jane
s he
in
"Little
does
good,
b e c a u s e , u n l i k e t h e c h i l d r e n or a d o l e s c e n t s , t h e s e a d u l t s c a n n o t
" s t e a d i l y see t h e b l a c k s t h e y b e f r i e n d as h u m a n b e i n g s . "
(1 9 6 8 ,
57)
Along
white
too.
with
woman,
While
the
the
walking
"internal
story
in
focalisation" through
presents
the
street
the
black
Marina
man's
is
Marina,
the
perspective,
observed
by
the
69
n a t i v e s w i t h s u s p i c i o n , b e c a u s e she is t h e i r " o t h e r " , an o u t s i d e r .
For e x a m p l e , a l t h o u g h C h a r l i e is t r e a t e d k i n d h e a r t e d l y b y M a r i n a ,
he c a n n e v e r d e c i d e w h e t h e r
M a r i n a is r e a l l y d i f f e r e n t f r o m t h e
o t h e r s e t t l e r s or n o t : he c o n s i d e r s
" al l w h i t e p e o p l e as a s o r t o f
homogeneous
...
blacks,
him
all
and
Marina
asks
mass,
concerned
hi s
blames
why
the
{CAS,
working
not
people
spread
275)
the
r ul e
live
who
over the
l i f e as d i f f i c u l t
V.l,
under
he d o e s
white
layer
in m a k i n g
k i n d __ "
about
him
a white
He
of
with
impede
as p o s s i b l e
later
complains
Europeans,
hi s
wife
them
and
to
mass
when
with
for
to
s he
children.
live
of
He
their
f a m i l i e s , w h i c h in t h e end c a u s e s C h a r l i e t o h a v e t w o w i v e s , o n e
in t h e
city
the
other
in t h e
kraal.
Hence,
it
is
"the
European
exile" w h ic h "causes the A fr ic a n s ' dis p la c e m e n t, fo r c in g the m to
leave
their
tribal
lands,
and
to
live
apart
from
their
families."
( W h i t t a k e r 1 9 8 8 , 28)
The
suggested
importance
by
the
of
title,
cattle
is
for
stressed
the
natives,
throughout
the
which
story,
is
too.
F i r s t l y , M a r i n a f i n d s a p i c t u r e o f H i g h l a n d c a t t l e in t h e h o u s e s he
rents.
She
hates
it,
but
s he
cannot
throw
it
away,
as
it
has
i m p o r t a n c e f o r he r l a n d l a d y . L a t e r o n , she l e a r n s f r o m P h i l i p t h a t
cattle
have
a religious
significance
for
writes
in hi s l e t t e r t o M a r i n a , t h e b l a c k s
the
natives.
"w on't
As
Philip
ki l l a b e a s t t i l l
t h e y are f o r c e d __ " ( C A S , V . l , 2 7 1 ) She a l s o n o t i c e s t h a t C h a r l i e
l i k e s t h e p i c t u r e w h i c h s he d e t e s t s , b e c a u s e he w o r s h i p s c a t t l e .
70
T h e y a l s o g i v e c a t t l e as d o w r y w h e n g e t t i n g
married.
father
and
draws
the
attention
of
Marina,
Philip
Theresa's
Charlie to
the
past w h e n A fric a was not colonized, the tim e w he n "ev e ry action
had i t s r i t u a l , i t s m e a n i n g " :
he w a s
asking
behaviour
them to co n tra s t their graceless
with
the
dignity
of
hi s
own
m a r r i a g e s , s y m b o l i z e d by t h e c a t t l e , w h i c h w e r e
n o t t o be t h o u g h t o f in t e r m s o f m o n e y __ T h e y
m e a n t so m u c h : a s i g n o f g o o d f e e l i n g , a t o k e n
o f u n i o n b e t w e e n t h e c l a n s , an e a r n e s t t h a t t h e
woman
would
acknowledgement
be
looked
that
she
was
after,
an
someone
very
p r e c i o u s , w h o s e d e p a r t u r e w o u l d i m p o v e r i s h her
family
- the
cattle
were
all
these
things,
and
m a ny more. (CAS, V .l, 2 9 3)
T h e ol d m a n f i n d s C h a r l i e ' s b e h a v i o u r g r a c e l e s s ,
only
a f f o r d t o g i v e a p i c t u r e as " l o b o l a " .
The
natives,
white
and
because w h ite
them
s i n c e he c o u l d
to
the
people
religious
people,
use c a t t l e
c an
such
as m e a t ,
be
criticized
and
as
cultural
Philip,
not
for
the
erosion
poverty
they
are t h e o n e s
as m y s t i c a l
idols.
who
of
cause,
teach
Therefore,
a l t h o u g h on t h e s u r f a c e " A H o m e f o r t h e H i g h l a n d C a t t l e " s e e m s
71
t o be a b o u t a l i b e r a l c o u p l e w h o s h o w g r e a t d i f f e r e n c e f r o m t h e
colonizers
by helping the
poor A frica n
nation,
the
story
in f a c t
d i s p l a y s t h e h a r m t h e Gi l e s g i v e t o t h e s e p e o p l e ; in o t h e r w o r d s ,
Marina
and
Phi li p,
like
"Leopard"
George,
turn
out
to
be
the
m e a n s o f e x p l o i t a t i o n as w e l l .
The
Marina
isolation
Gi l e s in " A
of
the
woman
in
exile
Home for the Highland
focalised
Cattle"
through
is h i g h l i g h t e d
in " D e W e t s C o m e t o K l o o f G r a n g e " t h r o u g h t h e e y e s o f C a r o l i n e
Gal e , t h e
wife
of a far m er w h o
is o n l y
interested
" n o t h i n g e x i s t e d f o r h i m o u t s i d e hi s f a r m . "
in f a r m w o r k :
(CAS, V.l,
78) Jean
P i c k e r i n g j u x t a p o s e s t h e i s o l a t i o n o f a f e m a l e c o l o n i z e r and t h e
l i b e r t y o f a m a l e in hi s f a r m . She a r g u e s t h a t in L e s s i n g ' s s t o r i e s
"the
farm
that
means freedom
for a w hite
man - f r e e d o m
from
t h e l i f e o f a c l e r k , o f an e m p l o y e e , f r e e d o m f r o m t h e r e s t r i c t i o n s
of suburban
E n g l a n d or f r o m t h e p o v e r t y o f t h e w o r k i n g c l a s s -
m e a n s p r i s o n f o r hi s w i f e __ " ( 1 9 9 0 ,
23) As the
"extradiegetic-
h e t e r o d i e g e t i c " n a r r a t o r s t a t e s , t h e o n l y c o n s o l a t i o n f o r M r s Gal e
is t h e r e m e m b r a n c e o f he r c h i l d h o o d in E n g l a n d and r e a d i n g t h e
l e t t e r s s e n t b y he r b e s t f r i e n d B e t t y . A l t h o u g h s he has n o t h i n g in
common
with
B e t t y at p r e s e n t ,
the narrator still th in ks
"It was
n e c e s s a r y t o he r t o h a v e B e t t y r e m a i n , in i m a g i n a t i o n at l e a s t , as
a c o u n t e r - w e i g h t t o her l o n e l i n e s s . " ( C A S , V . l , 8 2 )
J u s t at t h e t i m e w h e n
M r s Gal e s t a r t s g e t t i n g
accustomed
72
t o b e i n g a l o n e , s he l e a r n s t h a t M r G a l e ' s n e w A f r i k a n e r a s s i s t a n t
Mr
De W e t
will
come
with
hi s w i f e .
This
news
makes
Mr
Gal e
h a p p y , b e c a u s e he r e m e m b e r s hi s w i f e ' s c o m p l a i n t t h a t he b u r i e s
he r
(CAS,
alive.
loneliness
V.l,
with
77)
another
However,
woman
the
notion
disturbs
of
sharing
Mrs
her
Gal e .
S he,
t h e r e f o r e , g o e s o u t f o r a w a l k in t h e v e l d t o w a r d s t h e Ol d Fa r m
a f t e r he r h u s b a n d
goes to
bed.
In f a c t ,
s he v e r y o f t e n
escapes
f r o m t h e s u f f o c a t i n g a t m o s p h e r e o f t h e h o u s e t o n a t u r e in o r d e r
to
forget
he r
whenever
s he
marital
walks
problems
alone
s he
and
feels
isolation
"herself
in
Africa,
grow
for
lightheaded
and i n s u b s t a n t i a l __ " ( C A S , V . l , 8 0 ) M o r e o v e r , t h e h i l l s M r s Gal e
watches
were
share
what
he r
s he
loneliness:
was;
they
"They
had
were
made
he r ,
he r
mountains;
had
they
crystallized
her
l o n e l i n e s s i n t o a s t r e n g t h , had s u s t a i n e d her and f e d h e r . " (C/ 45,
V.l, 84)
The
reminds
new
couple
observed
' h e r o f her o w n
through
marriage,
the
eyes
of
Mrs
Gal e
b e c a u s e l i k e he r " o t h e r " ,
Mr
Ga l e , M r De W e t t r e a t s hi s w i f e as a s e r v a n t w h o is e x p e c t e d t o
cook
well,
talking.
As
Afrikaner's
similar
bring
the
wife
shock
up
men
children
talk
becomes
and
and
about
bored,
boredom
not
crops,
but
when
interfere
cattle
Mrs
s he
when
and
men
are
weather,
the
Gal e
who
was
newly
has
had
a
married,
e m p a t h i z e s w i t h t h e y o u n g w o m a n and t r i e s t o c o n s o l e he r .
The
t h e m e o f t h i s s t o r y , in a w a y , r e s e m b l e s t h a t o f " G e t t i n g o f f t h e
73
Altitude"
both
mentioned
stories
however,
are a b o u t t h e
in t e r m s
loneliness
is
dominance
in t h e
of
previous
suppression
their
observed
by
is a c t u a l i s e d
chapter
of
focalisation:
a gi r l
as
women.
Mrs
realization
of
her
sense
They
whereas
whose
a result
in t h e
that
differ,
Slatter's
about
perception,
male
Mrs
De
W e t ' s i s o l a t i o n is p e r c e i v e d and a p p r e c i a t e d by an a d u l t w h o has
experienced
similar
problems.
The
use
of
different
focal
characters show s the contrast between the child's w illingness to
react
against
established
norms
and
the
adult's
reluctance
to
t r a n s f o r m hi s or he r s t a t e .
M r s De W e t s o o n s t a r t s s e e i n g M r s Gal e as a c o n f i d a n t e t o
whom
she
can
discloses the
escape
confess
her
problems
with
s e c r e t t h a t s he l i k e s w a l k i n g
from
her
husband's
lon el in es s w i t h the river.
he r
husband.
She
a l o n e in t h e v e l d t o
preponderance
and
shares
her
M r s De W e t ' s c o n f e s s i o n
reminds
Mrs
Mr
Wet
Gal e o f he r o w n c o m p a n i o n , t h e m o u n t a i n s .
The
beating
final
scene
where
hi s p r e g n a n t w i f e
Mrs
Gal e
witnesses
b e c a u s e o f her s u d d e n
De
disappearance
fro m the house infu riate s the focal characte r.
Her s u g g e s t i o n t o
he r h u s b a n d
kind,
like
the
about employing
Afrikaner
De
Wet
people of th e ir
reflects,
as
Lessing
not
savages
claims
in
an
in t e r v ie w w i t h Michael Thorpe, the c o n tra s t be tw een the " c o ld " ,
"upper-
class"
attitude
of
the
English
and
the
"simple"
and
74
"direct"
warns
with
life of the A fr ik a n e r s .
he r
her
husband,
husband's
s he
also
choice
(1994,
knows
of
100)
that
Although
s he
assistants,
cannot
since
this
M r s Gal e
interfere
would
be
c o n s i d e r e d as f e m a l e i n t r u s i o n i n t o m e n ' s t a s k s .
T h e e x p e r i e n c e o f L u c y in " L u c y G r a n g e "
o f C a r o l i n e Gal e and M r s De W e t .
is s i m i l a r t o t h a t
L u c y ' s p r o b l e m a t i c an d b o r i n g
l i f e is, h o w e v e r , o b s e r v e d m a i n l y t h r o u g h " f r e e f o c a l i s a t i o n ". Her
h u s b a n d w a n t s hi s w i f e t o be h a p p y all t h e t i m e so as t o " r e l i e v e
hi s m i n d
of fa rm
w o r r i e s __ " ( C A S ,
V.ll,
99)
For i n s t a n c e ,
s he
has no c h a n c e o f c r y i n g and c o m p l a i n i n g a b o u t t h e c h i l d r e n , s h e
has t o c o o k , t a k e c a r e o f t h e c h i l d r e n and l o o k n i c e all t h e t i m e .
The
"extradiegetic-heterodiegetic"
explains
that
the
woman
had
no
narrator
life
of
b e c a u s e it w a s all " h e r h u s b a n d ' s l i f e " :
a
sick
animal
on
her
dressing-table
of
her
"Lucy
own
on
Grange"
the
farm,
"a b o t t l e o f m e d i c i n e f o r
among
the
bottles
of
E l i za b e th A r d e n . " (CAS, V . l l , 98)
L u c y ' s l o n e l i n e s s is i n t e n s i f i e d w i t h t h e b o r i n g c o n v e r s a t i o n
o f o t h e r f a r m e r s ' w i v e s a b o u t t r i v i a l m a t t e r s , s u c h as " t h e p r i c e
o f b u t t e r and s e r v a n t s '
a p r o n s __ " ( C A S , V . l l ,
L u c y ' s i n t e r e s t in r e a d i n g and a r t s and t h e f a c t
98)
Furthermore,
t h a t she "i s v e r y
a t t r a c t i v e t o m e n " ( C A S , V . l l , 9 8 ) l ea d s t o a f u r t h e r g a p b e t w e e n
L u c y and t h e o t h e r w o m e n in t h e d i s t r i c t w h o s e p r i m a r y c o n c e r n
is t o
attract
the
attention
of
their
husbands.
This
submissive
75
w o m a n is i m a g i n e d by t h e n a r r a t o r as c r i t i c i z i n g he r n e i g h b o u r s '
c l o t h i n g and b e h a v i o u r w h i c h d i s c l o s e t h e i r f e m i n i n i t y :
On e c a n i m a g i n e he r ... s t a n d i n g on t h e v e r a n d a
and s m i l i n g
bitterly
after the s a tis fa c to ry
solid
w o m e n w it h their s tra ig h t 'ta ilo re d ' dresses,
...
b u tto n e d loosely across th eir w ell-u sed breasts,
with
in
t h e i r u n t i d y hair p e rme d e v e r y si x m o n t h s
town,
with
their
femininity
which
was
a s s e r t e d o n c e and f o r all b y a c l u m s y s c r a w l o f
r ed a c r o s s t h e m o u t h . ( C A S , V . l l , 9 8 - 9 9 )
The
phrase
narrator's
"one
us e
c an
of
imagine",
"external
in
this
quotation,
focalisation",
on e
n a r r a t o r s a y s l ess t h a n t h e c h a r a c t e r k n o w s .
imagines
that
Lucy
would
refuse
to
be
reflects
the
which
the
in
T h e n a r r a t o r al s o
like
he r
neighbors.
T h e us e o f t h i s t y p e o f f o c a l i s a t i o n , t h e r e f o r e , as in t h e c a s e o f
"'Leopard'
George",
character,
for
stresses
what
the
the
unpredictability
narrator
thinks
focalisation
shifts
cannot
of
go
the
beyond
assum ption.
Nevertheless,
appearance
of
a
the
man
hates
who
Although
Lucy
this
loneliness
as s h e c h a t s
talks
ol d
with
about
and
h i m.
ugly
to
"free"
museums
man,
s he
with
in
the
London.
forgets
her
She a l s o s h a r e s hi s i de a t h a t
76
" ' i n a c o u n t r y l i k e t h i s w e all l ea r n t o a c c e p t t h e s e c o n d - r a t e . ' "
(CAS,
V.ll,
101-102)
remembrance
of
hi s
A fte r making
words
about
l ove w i t h
the
accepting
ugly man,
"the
second
her
rate"
s h o w s t h a t s he p u t s t h e m a n in t h e s a m e c a t e g o r y as w e l l . T h e i r
de spise of A fr i c a , indeed, re flects their colo nial origin. As ad ults
w i t h f i x e d v a l u e s and p r e j u d i c e s t h e y are r e l u c t a n t t o a l t e r t h e i r
v i e w s and c o n f o r m t o t h e A f r i c a n s o c i e t y .
The only na rra ti ve w he re the main c h a ra c te r, the v a g a b o n d
migrant Johnny Blakeworthy,
a Non-Marrying
Man".
story-within-story
The
b e c o m e s a n a t i v e is " T h e S t o r y o f
story
technique.
is
The
interesting
in t e r m s
of
"extradiegetic-hom odiegetic"
narrator who
c l a i m s h e r s e l f t o be t h e w r i t e r o f t h e s t o r y
he r
with
narrative
Blakeworthy.
The
guests
as
such
difference
maize-meal,
from
the
he r
childhood
child's
this
the
food
vagrant,
other
of
when
family
the
she
is
used
but
the
settlers:
to
first
unlike
meets
having
child
Johnny
natives,
w h o p r e f e r m e a t and v e g e t a b l e s .
its
starts
Johnny
unexpected
focuses
on
Blakeworthy
the
other
hi s
eats
settlers
He is, t h e r e f o r e , c o n s i d e r e d by
the f a m i l y to have ada pt ed h i m s e l f to A f r i c a n life. B l a k e w o r t h y ' s
b e h a v i o u r a r o u s e s t h e c h i l d ' s c u r i o s i t y , as he
does no t c o n f o r m
to the norms of the w h ite society .
W h e n t h e gi r l g r o w s up, s he f i r s t h e a r s a b o u t B l a k e w o r t h y
at
a party
where
women
gossip
about
me n
and
marriage.
Th e
77
second
time
she
has
information
about
this
man
is
when
s he
r e a d s a s t o r y by A l a n M c G i n n e r y - a n e w w r i t e r - in a n e w s p a p e r .
T h u s , t h e " e x t r a d i e g e t i c " n a r r a t o r is n o w p u t i n t o t h e p o s i t i o n o f
the
reader.
On
homodiegetic"
hi s
way
to
Nairobi
husbands
seem
to
be
the
same
a letter of a p p re c iation .
person,
d r i n k a l o t and do n o t c a r e a b o u t t h e i r w i v e s .
newspaper
reminds
Blakeworthy
writes
to
"intradiegetic-
n a rra to r of M c G i n n e r y ' s s to r y meets th re e w o m e n
w h o ar e all l e f t by t h e i r h u s b a n d s w i t h
The
the
who
the
had
McGinnery
"extradiegetic"
sent
to
her
l ea r n
family
more
because
all
T h i s s t o r y in t h e
narrator
a letter
about
they
the
of
as w e l l ,
Johnny
so
husbands.
s he
The
w r i t e r s e n d s t h e n a r r a t o r a l e t t e r i n f o r m i n g he r o f t h e real p e o p l e
who
have
inspired
real
wife
who
before
h i m.
had
McGinnery
married.
The
second
supposed
discovered
woman
that
the
s he
truth
in t h e
story
married
that
is hi s
Blakeworthy
they
were
not
T h e c h a r a c t e r s o f t h e s t o r y are real b u t t h e w r i t e r has
c h a n g e d t h e s e t t i n g o f t h e s t o r y f r o m a B oer f a r m i n t o a m o d e r n
one to a t t r a c t the readers' a t t e n t i o n .
After
narrator
reading
takes
up
he r
and g i v e s i n f o r m a t i o n
Though,
the
role
writer's
of
letter,
telling
the
"extradiegetic"
Blakeworthy's
story
again
a b o u t hi s l a s t y e a r s in an A f r i c a n v i l l a g e .
as t h e n a r r a t o r ' s A f r i c a n
friend
discloses,
the villagers
f i r s t o b j e c t t o a w h i t e m a n ' s s t a y , t h e y a l l o w h i m t o l i v e in t h e
kraal
on
condition
that
he
gets
married.
The
narrator's
78
r e m e m b r a n c e of a c h ild h o o d friend - Alicia B l a k e w o r t h y - w h o s e
step-father
is
assimilation
the
to
hero
Africa.
of
the
Being
story,
a
elucidates
misfit,
Alicia
Blakeworthy's
claims
that
hi s
p h i l o s o p h y o f l i v i n g is t o s p e n d l i t t l e m o n e y so t h a t t h e r e w o u l d
be no n e e d t o
once
a day
because
of
ea r n
and he w o u l d
and
only
mealie
hi s
loathing
be f r e e .
meal,
and
hi s
wife's
for
This
has
is w h y
left
he e a t s
A lic ia ’s mother
greed
of
buying
new
things.
In " T h e
Story
of a N o n - M a r r y in g
Man"
the
"extradiegetic"
n a r r a t o r u s e s v a r i o u s s o u r c e s , s u c h as A l a n M c G i n n e r y ' s s t o r y in
a
newspaper
and
Blakeworthy's
Alicia's
character
information,
without
and
thoughts.
Therefore,
the
"diegetic"
and " i n t r a d i e g e t i c "
describes
the
main
the
character
to
referring
focalisation
levels,
from
the
to
is
explore
hi s
own
feelings
"external"
because
outside.
Johnny
both
in
the narrator
This ty p e
of
focalisation
is s i g n i f i c a n t in t h i s s t o r y t o s u g g e s t B l a k e w o r t h y ' s
alienation:
as
an
outcast,
he
does
not
belong
to
the
settler
s o c i e t y and t h e r e f o r e n e e d s t o be o b s e r v e d f r o m t h e o u t s i d e .
It
analyzed
can,
in
therefore,
this
be
chapter
asserted
dwell
on
that,
the
themes
African
similar
to
stories
those
i n c l u d e d in t h e p r e v i o u s c h a p t e r , b a s i c a l l y t h e o p p r e s s i o n o f t h e
b l a c k b y t h e w h i t e and t h e a l i e n a t i o n o f t h e E u r o p e a n , e s p e c i a l l y
that
of
the
woman,
with
a marked
difference
in t e r m s
of
the
79
characters'
reveal
the
viewpoint.
fresh
While
vision
of
in t h e
the
former
chapter
or
adolescent,
child
the
the
stories
in
this
c h a p t e r s t o r i e s a b o u t a d u l t s w h o c a n n o t b r e a k up t h e t a b o o s are
handled.
change
The
European
their
long
women
in
Africa,
established
role
for
of
example,
cannot
submissive
wives.
M o r e o v e r , a l t h o u g h G e o r g e and M a r i n a in " ' L e o p a r d ' G e o r g e " an d
"A
Home
than
for
the
Highland
the
first
generation,
ideology.
The
only
himself to African
Cattle"
they,
instance,
appear to
too,
where
are
a
be m o r e
defeated
European
c u l t u r e is t h e c a s e o f J o h n n y
liberated
by
colonial
totally
adapts
B l a k e w o r t h y in
"Th e S t o r y of a N o n - M a r r y in g M a n ".
The p r o t a g o n is t s
set
in
such
England,
as
the
dominance,
of the second ty pe of stories,
are
all
woman
in
women,
"A
exemplified
leading
Room"
by
the
or
either
trying
to
protagonists
which
are
a secluded
life,
overcome
male
of
"He"
and
" B e t w e e n M e n " . In t h e s e n a r r a t i v e s , t h e " o t h e r " is a w o m a n or a
man
Thus,
seen
through
the type
the
eyes
of
of fo c a lis a tio n
another
woman
is s i g n i f i c a n t
or
for the
vice
versa.
meaning
of
these stories.
The
first
story
to
be
dealt
with
in
this
group,
W o m a n and Her C a t " , e x h i b i t s s o m e t r a i t s s i m i l a r t o
of
a
Non-Marrying
Man"
in
"extradiegetic-heterodiegetic"
terms
of
narrator
its
of
subject
this
story
"An
Ol d
"The Story
matter.
relays
The
the
80
l i f e o f a h a l f - g i p s y o u t c a s t , H e t t y P e n n y f a t h e r , w h o is m a r r i e d t o
a building worker.
A s is s u g g e s t e d by he r f i r s t n a m e , h e r l i f e is
' p e t t y ' a n d f u l l o f m i s e r y . T h e f o c a l i s a t i o n is " f r e e " t o d e s i g n a t e
the w o m a n ' s alienation from the society .
Until
Council
he r
flat
he r c h i l d r e n
husband's
in L o n d o n .
and
death,
Hetty
She is, t h e n ,
neighbours
has
a
treated
happy
as t h e
b e c a u s e o f he r g i p s y
life
in
"other"
a
by
spirit - being
f o n d o f t h e c r o w d and t h e l o c o m o t i v e s - w h i c h is d i f f e r e n t f r o m
the accepted
husband,
sta ndards of the W estern
s he
starts
working
respectable job"
(CS, V . l l ,
as a r a g - t r a d e r ,
begging
result,
society.
first
as
a
Having
l o s t her
saleswoman,
"a
1 6 1 ) f o r t h e n e i g h b o u r s and l a t e r on
and
selling
second-hand
he r c h i l d r e n r e j e c t her , f i n d i n g
clothes.
As
a
H e t t y ' s b e h a v i o u r and j ob
indecent.
The
street,
kitten,
becomes
Tibby,
he r
which
only
this
friend.
misfit
Her
woman
song
to
finds
the
in
cat,
the
"'You
n a s t y ol d b e a s t , f i l t h y ol d c a t , n o b o d y w a n t s y o u __ ' " { CS, V . l l ,
162)
shows
that
he r
cat
is
rejected
just
like
herself.
The
n e i g h b o u r s s t a r t t h i n k i n g t h a t H e t t y has b e c o m e s a v a g e
because
s he
the
cooks
Hetty's
the
pigeon
"savage"
who
has
"gone
The
words
Tibby
character
native"
"savage"
brings
reminds
in " T h e
and
and
shares
it
with
one of J o h n n y
Story
"native"
of
Blakeworthy
a Non-Marrying
can
be
cat.
Man".
considered
as
81
s y n o n y m o u s , f o r t h e n a t i v e s o f A f r i c a are t h o u g h t t o be s a v a g e s
b y t h e c o l o n i z e r s , and H e t t y in " A n Ol d W o m a n and Her C a t "
is
f o u n d t o be " s a v a g e " by her s o c i e t y , d u e t o her f o r e i g n o r i g i n .
When
attitudes
to
Hetty
is
towards
another
disturbed
he r ,
by
the
her u n c e a s i n g
in L o n d o n ' s
slum
ar ea
neighbours'
wandering
begins.
excluding
from
Finally,
one
room
s he e s c a p e s
f r o m t h e g o v e r n m e n t o f f i c i a l s w h o t r y t o t a k e he r t o a H o m e , " a n
institution
in w h i c h
t h e ol d w e r e t r e a t e d
like n a u g h t y
and d i m -
w i t t e d c h i l d r e n u n t i l t h e y had t h e g o o d f o r t u n e t o d i e " (CS, V . l l ,
166),
before
rebuilt.
becomes
settling
down
Since
s he
has t o
ill,
being
unable
in a d e s e r t e d
live
to
unnoticed
heat the
house
in t h i s
room.
waiting
ol d
In t h e
to
house,
end,
be
s he
Hetty
d i e s in a v e r y p o o r c o n d i t i o n and T i b b y is k i l l e d b y t h e o f f i c i a l s .
It m a y be c l a i m e d t h a t H e t t y P e n n e f a t h e r ' s i s o l a t e d m i s e r a b l e l i f e
observed
mainly
exploitation
through
"free
of the Africans
focalisation",
by t h e W e s t e r n
displays
man
that
in t h e
the
African
s t o r i e s is r e p l a c e d w i t h t h e i l l - t r e a t m e n t o f a h a l f - g i p s y , a n o t h e r
outsider,
in t h e s t o r i e s w h i c h h a v e E n g l a n d - in t h i s c a s e L o n d o n
- as t h e i r s e t t i n g .
"To
wom an's
Room
Nineteen",
disappointed
heterodiegetic"
the
story
marriage,
narrator.
The
is
concerning
told
external
by
teller
an
a middle-aged
"extradiegetic-
appears
b e g i n n i n g o f t h e s t o r y in t h e f o r m o f " I " t o p u t f o r w a r d
at
the
his/her
82
judgem ent
story,
a married
I suppose,
marriage
physical
was
the
couple,
grounded
in
Rawlingses:
of the
intelligence."
narrator
"heterodiegetic"
characters,
the
"This
is
a
a b o u t a f a i l u r e in i n t e l l i g e n c e : t h e R a w l i n g s e s '
appearance
suggests
the
about
commenting
indicated
narrator's
on t h e
(CS,
V.l,
with
pretense
marriage
305)
"I
to
of the
The
suppose"
be o n e
of
Rawlingses
w h i c h is b a s e d on i n t e l l i g e n c e .
Following the first sentence, the
narrator
tells
Matthew
married
an d
how
gives
Susan
and
information
flirted
about
these
and
finally
characters,
got
their
m a r r i e d l i f e and c h i l d r e n . T h e e m p h a s i s t h e n a r r a t o r p u t s on t h e
s t a t e m e n t " t h e y di d f a l l in l o v e " (CS, V . l , 3 0 5 ) s h o w s h o w m u c h
s / h e k n o w s t o d e c i d e t h a t t h e y w e r e r e a l l y in l o v e .
The
sensible
with
V.l, 306)
the
narrator
an
first
portrays
"infallible
this
sense
for
couple
as
balanced
choosing the
right."
A lthough the Rawlingses' relationship seems
narrator
pauses
with
"And
yet..."
(CS,
V.l,
306)
and
(CS,
perfect,
to
imply
t h a t t h e y had a s e n s e o f m o n o t o n y f r o m t i m e t o t i m e . M o r e o v e r ,
S u s a n ' s b e c o m i n g a h o u s e w i f e w h e n s he b e a r s he r f i r s t c h i l d is
an
unexpected
getting
sacrifice
on
the
part
of
the
woman,
for
when
m a r r i e d t h e c o u p l e had r e f u s e d t o m o v e t o e a c h o t h e r ' s
flats
because they
(CS,
V.l,
306)
In
considered
general,
it
"a s u b m i s s i o n
Lessing
in
"To
of
personality."
Room
Nineteen"
" p r e s e n t s a c r i t i q u e o f m a r r i a g e and f a m i l y as t h e e n e m y o f f r e e
w o m e n . " (Rowe 1 9 9 4 , 30)
83
The
narrator's
questioning
and r e p l a c i n g t h e m
with
o m n i s c i e n t being w h o
a
human
trying
when
Matthew
with
a
girl,
M atthew 's
finds
to
these
formulate
first
unsuitable,
( CS, V . l ,
seem
desire
to
one
to
what
s/he
has
uttered
and
first
uses
saying
thinks.
tells
the
Susan
verb
For
an
instance,
that
he
for Susan's behaviour,
"forgiveness
slept
"confess"
for
but then
is h a r d l y t h e
word.
N o r had he c o n f e s s e d - w h a t s o r t o f w o r d
3 0 8 ) The n a r r a t o r ' s chan ge of w o r d s
show
narrate
s/he
night
and " f o r g i v e "
U n d e r s t a n d i n g , y e s __
is t h a t ? "
words
b e tte r ones tu r n s the n a rra to r f r o m
narrator
action
the
knows everything from the beginning into
comes
the
of
his/her
the
story
incompetence.
with
the
However,
best
words
m a y at
it
is t h e
that
would
e x p l a i n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n t h e h u s b a n d and w i f e .
T h e i dea
tha t "the whole thing was not im po rta nt"
(CS, V . l , 3 0 8 ) r e f l e c t s
the
narrator.
Rawlingses'
opinion,
not that
of the
v o i c e s t h e i d e a s o f t h e c o u p l e by u s i n g
as i f i t w e r e t o l d f r o m t h e i r o w n
The
narrator
"free direct discourse",
mouth,
as i f t h e s e c h a r a c t e r s
as su m ed the role of the na rra to r:
Of c o u r s e
I'm
not going to
be f a i t h f u l
to you,
no o n e c an be f a i t h f u l t o on e o t h e r p e r s o n f o r a
w h o le l ife tim e . (And there was the w o rd f a i t h f u l
- s t u p i d , all t h e s e w o r d s , s t u p i d , b e l o n g i n g t o a
s a v a g e ol d w o r l d . ) (CS, V . l , 3 0 8 )
84
The
parenthetical
view
echoes
Rawlingses'
l o y a l t y , the man t r y i n g to j u s t i f y
condemnation
hi s on e n i g h t a f f a i r ,
of
while the
w o m a n strivin g to solve this problem.
As a re s ul t of th is d i s t r e s s i n g a ff ai r, the n a r r a to r re s o rt s to
S u s a n ' s f o c a l i s a t i o n in o r d e r t o r e f l e c t t h e c h a n g e in he r a t t i t u d e
towards
question
he r m a r r i a g e ,
the
her h u s b a n d
prominence
of
Myra
and c h i l d r e n .
Jenkins,
the
Susan trie s to
gi r l
with
whom
M a t t h e w had a l i a i s o n :
B u t i f s he i s n ' t i m p o r t a n t , p r e s u m a b l y it w a s n ' t
i m p o r t a n t e i t h e r w h e n M a t t h e w and I f i r s t w e n t
to
bed
with
absurd - for
me
was
to
The
narrator's
use
For
have
him
The
come
not
to
whole
home
have
thing
is
and t o l d
told
me
For me t o c a r e , or f o r t h a t m a t t e r
care,
Jenkins?
o t h e r __
him to
absurd.
was absurd.
not
each
is
absurd
...
and
who
is
Myra
W h y , no o n e at al l . ( C 5 , V . l , 3 0 9 )
of
"free
direct
discourse"
in
displaying
S us an 's dilem m a allow s the reader to enter into the c h a r a c t e r 's
c o n s c i o u s n e s s and t h u s s y m p a t h i z e w i t h her s i t u a t i o n .
At
this
point
the
narrator's
tone
becomes
sarcastic.
85
pretending
to
vindicate
the
whole
event
but
in
fact
blaming
M a t t h e w f o r hi s u n f a i t h f u l a c t :
...
it w a s
inevitable that the handsome,
attractive,
manly
man,
Matthew
s h o u l d be at t i m e s t e m p t e d
by t h e a t t r a c t i v e
attend
because
sometimes
Rawlings,
( oh, w h a t a w o r d ! )
g i r l s at p a r t i e s s he c o u l d
of
he
blond,
the
would
four
children;
succumb
m o r e r e p u l s i v e , if p o s s i b l e ) __
(a
not
and
that
word
even
(CS, V . l , 3 0 9 )
T h e n a r r a t o r ' s use o f t h e e x c l a m a t i o n " o h , w h a t a w o r d ! " f o r t h e
" t e m p t a t i o n " o f M a t t h e w and h i s / h e r f i n d i n g t h e v e r b " s u c c u m b "
r e p u l s i v e s h o w t h a t s / h e is on S u s a n ' s s i d e .
Being
emotionally
disturbed,
Susan
starts
missing
her
i n d e p e n d e n t d a y s w h e n s he w a s s i n g l e and d i d n o t h a v e t o c a r r y
t h e b u r d e n o f c h i l d r e n . H o w e v e r , he r s e n s e o f f r e e d o m w h e n t h e
c h i l d r e n are at s c h o o l d o e s n o t l a s t l o n g , s i n c e s he r e a l i z e s t h a t
s h e has f o r g o t t e n
house,
outdoor
an
t o be a l o n e and is a f r a i d o f g o i n g o u t o f t h e
enclosed
confusion.
abandonment
"irritation,
in
place
Sitting
he r ,
and
restlessness,
which
in
would
the
makes
emptiness"
protect
garden
he r
causes
create
{CS,
he r
a
an
313)
from
sense
enemy,
which
the
of
an
is
" w a i t i n g t o i n v a d e h e r . " {CS, V . l , 3 1 3 ) In her l o n e l y m o m e n t s at
86
home
s he
maid,
or t h e
mind
cannot
with
school
trivial
isolation.
This
becoming
sort
house;
think
about
clothes
matters
of
therefore,
a
of the
in
indicates
order
that
prisoner
what
herself
of
children
to
s he
get
has
trapped
she has t o
but
Mrs
just
ri d
to
of
Parkes,
the
occupy
her
the
sense
of
lost
he r
individuality,
within
the
walls
do is t o
learn to
never
understand
of
the
be h e r s e l f
again.
Matthew,
unfortunately,
c an
Susan's
p r o b l e m o f h a v i n g l o s t he r i d e n t i t y and i n d e p e n d e n c e , s a y i n g t h a t
he is n o t f r e e e i t h e r .
He has t o go t o w o r k and r e t u r n h o m e at a
c e r t a i n t i m e . T h e q u e s t i o n he a s k s ’" S u s a n , w h a t s o r t o f f r e e d o m
c an y o u p o s s i b l y w a n t - s h o r t o f b e i n g d e a d !
Am
I free?'"
(CS,
V . l , 3 1 6 ) is, in a w a y , f o r e s h a d o w i n g S u s a n ' s e n d .
S u s a n , t h e n , t a k e s a w a l k i n g t o u r in W a l e s , in o r d e r t o g e t
away from
She
he r p r o b l e m s .
becomes
even
H o w e v e r , t h i s t o u r d o e s n o t h e l p her .
more
reluctant
to
pursue
he r
role
as
h o u s e w i f e and m o t h e r . By t h a t t i m e , he r h u s b a n d has w i t h d r a w n
h i m s e l f f r o m all h o u s e h o l d t a s k s , and s he b l a m e s h e r s e l f f o r t h e
disintegration
being
a
of
married
independent
are
observes
herself
Matthew:
"She
their
marriage.
woman
and
accentuated
Soon
her
with
as
"a
stranger",
felt
as
if
Susan
Susan's
endeavour
"internal
another
had
be e n
conflict
to
be
about
totally
f o c a l i s a t i o n ".
entity,
spirited
lying
She
beside
away.
She
87
d i s l i k e d v e r y m u c h t h i s w o m a n w h o lay here, col d and i n d i f f e r e n t
b e s i d e a s u f f e r i n g m a n , b u t s he c o u l d n o t c h a n g e h e r . "
( CS, V . l ,
324)
T h o u g h S u s a n p r e p a r e s a r o o m f o r h e r s e l f in t h e h o u s e s he
still
has
to
cope
with
the
household
duties
which
all
take
the
f o r m o f a d e m o n . She b e g i n s t o see t h e h a l l u c i n a t i o n o f a m i d d l e aged
red-complexioned
ma n
both
in
the
garden
and
at
home,
t r y i n g t o p o s s e s s her . To g e t a w a y f r o m t h i s d e m o n , s he d e c i d e s
t o h a v e a r o o m o u t s i d e t h e h o u s e ; t h e r e f o r e , s he r e n t s R o o m
in F r e d ' s
Hotel
and s t a r t s
passing
her d a y s
in t h a t
room
19
doing
n o t h i n g , f o r g e t t i n g her w i f e and m o t h e r i d e n t i t y , no l o n g e r b e i n g
Susan
Rawlings
but a Mrs Jones,
the pseudo
na me she i n v e n t s
w h e n h i r i n g t h e r o o m . T h e n a r r a t o r c l a i m s t h a t " s h e had no p a s t
and no f u t u r e " {CS, V . l , 3 2 7 ) , f o r s he f o r g e t s he r s e l f and s t a r t s
o b s e r v i n g t h e p e o p l e in t h e s t r e e t and t h e s k y as if s h e p e r c e i v e d
them
the
for the firs t time.
daytime
being
who
makes
Staying
Susan
answered
alone
in t h e
h a p p i e r at h o m e ,
so r e a d i l y
and
hotel
but
improbably
room
during
"Susan,
or t h e
to
the
name
of
S u s a n , w a s n o t t h e r e : she w a s in F r e d ' s H o t e l ... w a i t i n g f o r t h e
e a s i n g h o u r s o f s o l i t u d e t o b e g i n . " (CS, V . l , 3 2 8 )
The m o m e n t
S u s a n l e a r n s t h a t he r h u s b a n d
has f o u n d
out
t h e h o t e l s he has b e e n g o i n g t o , s he t h i n k s t h a t he r e x p e r i e n c e
in t h a t r o o m w o u l d no l o n g e r be t h e s a m e o w i n g t o t h e p r e s s u r e
88
of being w a t c h e d ; th e r e f o r e ,
her h u s b a n d ' s a c t l e a d s he r t o see
t h e s a m e d e m o n in t h e h o t e l r o o m . B e s i d e s , t h i s r o o m w h i c h has
so f a r
served
her
solitude
now
becomes
another
limitation
for
h e r . N o t b e i n g ab l e t o f i n d p e a c e in R o o m 1 9 , s he r e t u r n s h o m e
and
observes
cooking
and
that
everything
Sophie,
the
at
home
babysitter,
is in o r d e r :
is d e a l i n g
the
with
maid
one
is
of the
twins.
In t h e e n d , as S u s a n c a n n o t s o l v e t h e p r o b l e m o f f i n d i n g a
Michael
Plant,
her i m a g i n a t i v e
lover,
she d e c i d e s
that
the
best
s he c a n do is t o c o m m i t s u i c i d e and g e t t o t a l l y f r e e , b e c a u s e she
has b y t h e n
r e a l i z e d t h a t t h e r e is no p l a c e f o r he r t o be t o t a l l y
independent.
Unlike the fresh vision of the child, the adult once
m o r e d i s c l o s e s he r r e l u c t a n c e t o s t a r t a n e w l i f e . W h e n s he t u r n s
on t h e
gas t o
buy
"her freedom"
(CS, V . l ,
335)
from
everyone
w h o has r e s t r i c t e d he r , s he f e e l s t h a t t h e d e m o n in R o o m 1 9 has
left.
F i n a l l y , m a r r i a g e b a s e d on i n t e l l i g e n c e b r i n g s a b o u t S u s a n ' s
end. Th us ,
portrayal
" T o R o o m N i n e t e e n " , as B u r k o m c l a i m s , " i s L e s s i n g ' s
of
the
total
failure
in
right
personal
relationships.
I n s t e a d o f t h e i n t i m a c y e n g e n d e r e d b y e m o t i o n , t h e r e is i s o l a t i o n
bred by i n t e l li g e n c e w i t h o u t f e e l i n g . " ( 1 9 6 8 , 61)
The
following
two
stories
"A
Room"
and
"How
I Finally
Lost M y H e a rt " both have " e x t r a d i e g e t i c - h o m o d i e g e t i c " n a r ra to rs
- women
writers
telling
their
own
stories.
Through
"internal
89
f o c a l i s a t i o n ",
these
female
characters
perceive
not
only
t h e m s e l v e s b u t a l s o t h e o u t s i d e w o r l d w i t h p a r t i c u l a r i n t e r e s t in
' a n o t h e r w o m a n ' in t h i s e x t e r n a l w o r l d . In a d d i t i o n , t h e o b s e r v e d
w o m e n in b o t h s t o r i e s d i s p l a y c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s w h i c h h a p p e n t o be
s trik in g ly c o n tra r y to those of the protag on ists.
"A
Room"
newly-rented
is
flat
about
in
a
woman
London.
Just
narrator's
like
Susan
loneliness
Rawlings
in
in
a
"To
R o o m N i n e t e e n " w h o e s c a p e s f r o m her h o u s e t o a h o t e l r o o m in
o r d e r t o f i n d he r i d e n t i t y , t h e p r o t a g o n i s t o f t h i s s t o r y p r e f e r s t o
l i v e in a r o o m , b e c a u s e s he t h i n k s t h a t it is t h e o n l y p l a c e w h e r e
s he f e e l s s h e l i v e s
(CS,
than
As Jean
the
outside.
V.l,
257),
probably
Pickering
al s o
because
points
out,
i t is s a f e r
"Lessing
o f t e n u s e s t h e h o u s e s t o r e p r e s e n t t h e i n t e r i o r l i f e " ( 1 9 9 0 , 9) o f
characters.
The lon ely w o m a n
in " A
Room"
f i r s t f o c u s e s on t h e
m a t e r i a l w o r l d d r a w i n g a p i c t u r e o f her p o o r l y d e c o r a t e d f l a t " o f
four
small
boxlike
rooms."
(CS,
V.l,
257)
Then
s he
perceives
he r n e i g h b o u r , t h e S w e d i s h w o m a n w h o c an be c o n s i d e r e d as t h e
"other",
her o p p o s i t e ;
neighbour
has
neighbour's
w h i l e t h e n a r r a t o r is a l o n e l y w o m a n ,
a husband
life
is
and
orderly
a happy
whereas
marriage.
the
Moreover,
narrator
leads
her
the
an
u n o r g a n i z e d l i f e w i t h no p l a n n e d a c t i v i t y .
H a v i n g t a l k e d a b o u t t h e p h y s i c a l w o r l d , t h e n a r r a t o r w h o is
also
the
focal
character
turns
to
herself,
her
afternoon
sleeps
90
and
for
s he
c o n s i d e r s t h e d r e a m as "a l o n g j o u r n e y i n t o t h e u n k n o w n . "
( CS,
V.l,
dreams
259)
dreams
which
In t h i s
which
are
the
sources
of
s t o r y s he p r e f e r s t o
is d i f f e r e n t
from
the
he r
writing,
write
others,
down
because
p r o v i d e d her w i t h any i n s p i r a t i o n to c r e a t e a s t o r y .
o n e o f her
it
has
not
A t this point
a q u e s t i o n c o m e s t o t h e m i n d o f t h e r e a d e r : w h y t h e n d o e s s he
write
a b o u t t h i s d r e a m ? T h e a n s w e r t o t h i s q u e r y c an be f o u n d
at t h e e n d w h e r e t h e n a r r a t o r i m p l i e s t h a t t h e red a r m y b l a n k e t
which
appears
in t h i s
dream
reminds
her
of
her
chilhood
days
during the war.
The
last
paragraph
shows
the
woman's
unsuccessful
en dea vour to have a m eaningful explanation for th is dream:
I
have
tried
to
dream
myself
back
into
that
o t h e r r o o m w h i c h is u n d e r t h i s r o o m , or b e s i d e
it,
or
in i t ,
or e x i s t i n g
in s o m e o n e ' s
memory.
W h i c h w a r w a s i t? ... A n d I w o u l d l i k e t o k n o w
more
about
the
frightened
little
child.
He
(or
s he) m u s t h a v e be e n v e r y s m a l l f o r t h e r o o m t o
l o o k so bi g. So f a r I h a v e f a i l e d . P e r h a p s i t w a s
the
quarrel
outside
in t h e
street
that
...
that
w h a t ? A n d w h y ? (CS, V . l , 2 6 1 )
T h e n a r r a t o r ' s d e s i r e t o l i v e in s o m e o n e ' s m e m o r y m a n i f e s t s her
91
act
of
writing
about
a dream
which
has
no
use
Whether
i m p o r t a n t or n o t s he w a n t s t o w r i t e
order to
live,
loneliness
in
observations
of this
and
because the only
this
with
story.
"why"
room
is
way
through
- shows
the
ending
failure
he r
with
i deas
is t h e i m p l i e d
"wh"
questions
to
work.
about anything
sharing
with
writer's
he r
s he c a n d i s p e n s e
a possible reader w h o
The ab ru p t
for
formulate
in
her
and
narratee
- "what"
the
dream
into a story.
"How
w om an's
affairs,
I Finally
effort
is
to
Lost
get
narrated
My
ri d o f
and
Heart",
an
he r b r o k e n
focalised
by
ironic
heart
the
story
due to
main
about
a
he r
love
character.
She
a d d r e s s e s t h e " d e a r r e a d e r " (CS, V . l , 2 3 1 ) as t h e n a r r a t e e w h e n
telling
first
about
her
own
self
and
then
about
what
s he
perceives.
At
that
the
s he
listing
beginning
will
them
talk
of
the
story
about
her
"serious"
in t e r m s
of
letters
A,
the
B,
C.
female
(C5,
narrator
V.l,
claims
228)
She d o e s
not
loves,
mention
t h e i r n a m e s so as t o s u g g e s t t h a t all her a f f a i r s h a v e e n d e d w i t h
frustration
{ CS,
V.l,
leaving
229)
her
with
a "bruised,
h e a r t at t h e e n d .
sullen
and
suspicious"
He r e , by s a y i n g s he w i l l
name
he r f i r s t l o v e r - w h o is n e i t h e r her f a t h e r n o r he r h u s b a n d - as A,
s he a s s e r t s t h a t s he is r e a c t i n g a g a i n s t t h e F r e u d i a n s w h o t h i n k
the
father
is
the
first
lover
of
a
woman,
and
criticizes
the
92
conventional
belief
which
considers
only
the
husbands
as
serious.
A f t e r A and B t h e n a r r a t o r w a n t s t o be w i t h
have
he r
previous
frustration,
the
love
wounds
healed.
narrator
extracts
her
c a r r i e s i t in he r h a n d :
bleeding
As
repulsive
Sukenick
C in o r d e r t o
Afraid
heart
of
from
a
he r
possible
body
and
" T h e r e w a s m y h e a r t , a l a r g e red p u l s i n g
object,
argues,
stuck to
"when
my f i n g e r s ."
emotion
has
(CS,
rooted
in
V.l,
232)
the
self,
L e s s in g 's heroines t r y to expel the organ t r a d i t i o n a l l y re s pon s ible
f o r i t . " (1 9 8 6 ,
1 0 9 ) H e n c e , by p l a y i n g w i t h t h e " h e a r t as c l i c h e d
site of th e e m o t i o n s "
(Atack
1982,
1 57), the narrator turns the
abstract heartbreak experience into a physical
o n e and c h a n g e s
t h e w h o l e r o m a n c e i n t o an a b s u r d i t y .
T h e p r o t a g o n i s t t h e n w r a p s her h e a r t w i t h t i n f o i l t o p r o t e c t
it
from
too
much
ai r
after
40
years
of
life
in
he r
body.
F u r t h e r m o r e , s he no l o n g e r has a l o v e r t o c a r e f o r he r h e a r t and
s he is a s h a m e d o f c a r r y i n g it in he r h a n d . She t h i n k s :
The
tin
foil
was
effective,
and
indeed
rather
s t r i k i n g . It is q u i t e p l i a b l e and n o w i t s e e m e d as
if th e re
palm,
were
like
substance.
a stylized
a
globe,
I almost
felt
heart
in
balanced
glittering,
I needed
on
my
silvery
a sceptre
in
93
t h e o t h e r h a n d t o b a l a n c e i t __
{CS, V . l ,
232)
Here, th e e x a g g e ra t e d i m p o r t a n c e a t t a c h e d to the heart w i t h
silvery
and
globe-like
appearance
is
in
fact
used
for
its
ironic
pu rp o ses to er adica te once more the cliché c o n s id e r a t io n of the
h e a r t as e v e r y c r e a t u r e ' s l i f e s o u r c e .
When
the
narrator
is
" h e a r t b e a t by h e a r t b e a t "
to
the
outside
sound
understands
that
what
happens
contribute
of the
what
to
the
he r
and
perceives
events
pigeons
and
pavement.
She
is
s he
of the
not
exactly
recounts
This pe rcep tion
meaning
memories
s he s h i f t s he r a t t e n t i o n
h e e l s on t h e
she
event.
recalling
woman
because the
the actual
nothing
a
wom an's
narrating
of
233)
observing
in r e a l i t y ,
more time than
to
(CS, V . l ,
world,
hearing the
annoyed
which
story
take
seems
reflects
the
f r a g m e n t e d v i s i o n o f t h e n a r r a t o r w h o c a n n o t d e c i d e w h a t t o do
n e x t w i t h he r h e a r t in o n e h a n d .
Finally,
world.
s he
goes
out
to
face
the
chaos
of
as t h e
"other"
of the na rra tor.
w o m a n , t a l k i n g to som eo n e w h o does not e xis t,
people
experiences
lover
outside
T h e w o m a n s he sees on t h e s u b w a y t o t h e R o u n d
c a n be c o n s i d e r e d
the
the
or
around.
Li k e
the
in he r r e l a t i o n s h i p s
husband.
Margaret
narrator,
of
Atack
love,
has
s he
drawn
She is a m a d
u n c o n s c i o u s of
has
being
Pond
had
unhappy
betrayed
by
her
attention
to
the
94
c o n t r a s t b e t w e e n t h e t w o w o m e n ; on t h e on e h a n d , t h e r e is t h e
narrator
"whose concentration
observation,
has
brought
hand, there exists
of
her
on her o w n f e e l i n g s ,
to
this
state"
and
whose self­
on
the
other
" t h e o t h e r q u i t e ' u n c o n s c i o u s ' o f h e r s e l f and
he r s u r r o u n d i n g s __ " ( 1 9 8 2 ,
157)
Hence,
the
narrator
likens
he r o p p o s i t e ' s m i s e r a b l e s t a t e t o an a c t r e s s ' s r o l e in a t r a g e d y :
A
passionless
passion
unhappiness embodied,
essence
of
Tragedy.
There was
like
an
Love,
some
actress
or
learned
were
were
seeing
looking
at t h e
tragedy
no e m o t i o n
doing
lines
we
we
private
Infidelity,
her
-
in i t .
Accusation,
when
and
is
she
not
-
She w a s
or
has
rather.
Betrayed
only
bothering
just
to
do
m o r e t h a n g e t t h e m r i g h t . {CS, V . l , 2 3 7 )
The
paradoxical
phrase
"passionless
passion"
c an
be r e l a t e d
to
t h e n a r r a t o r ' s c o n f l i c t i n g a t t i t u d e as w e l l . D e s p i t e he r f r u s t r a t e d
l o v e a f f a i r s , s he s t i l l l o o k s f o r a n e w on e u n t i l s he r e a l i z e s t h a t
t h i s e x p e r i e n c e w o u l d h a v e no h e a l i n g e f f e c t .
Ultimately,
the
give
he r e x t r a c t e d
free
of
he r s t o n e
relu ctance to
ending
heart to
heart,
change
is
the
which
ironic.
woman
c an
her s i t u a t i o n
The
to
narrator
make
herself
be c o n t r a s t e d
in " T o
Room
decides
with
to
totally
Susan's
Nineteen".
The
95
narrator’s
act,
then,
c an
be
evaluated
as
unique
among
the
f e m a l e p r o t a g o n i s t s o f L e s s i n g ' s s t o r i e s in t h e s e n s e t h a t s he is
strong
enough
to
dispense
with
her
should
a l s o c o n s i d e r t h e f a c t t h a t she p a s s e s on he r s o u r c e
d is a p p o in tm e n t to another woman.
train
approves
relieve the
of
mad
he r
act
woman
as
frustration.
on e
of
Even t h o u g h e v e r y o n e in t h e
they
from
However,
consider
he r s o r r o w ,
this
they
heart
cannot
would
estimate
the tr u e m e an in g u n d e r l y in g the nat ure of th is organ. As a sou rce
o f f r u s t r a t i o n , t h e n a r r a t o r ' s h e a r t w i l l n o t be abl e t o s o o t h e t h e
mad w o m a n .
The
stories
between
two
"He"
and
characters
"Between
dominates
w o m e n ' s o b s e rv a tio n of th eir " o t h e r "
however,
the
opposites
of
women
Men",
the
narration,
again.
are
where
dialogue
are
about
In t h e s e n a r r a t i v e s ,
men,
not
other
women,
w h i c h is t h e c a s e in t h e p r e v i o u s t w o s t o r i e s , n a m e l y " A R o o m "
and
"How
I Finally Lost My H e a rt" .
heterodiegetic"
primarily
more
brief
what
merely
to
the
us e
characters
to
m an's oppression.
the
in o t h e r
the
about
of
focalisation
words,
character
indicate
information
through
the
"external";
than
dialogue
narrators,
"external
disclose
the
knows,
who
the
N a r r a t e d by " e x t r a d i e g e t i c -
s/he
is s p e a k i n g
focalisation",
own
these
narrator
characters
their
of
ideas
stories
does
not
say
in
the
interferes
and
and
the
to
give
events.
narrator
about
is
some
Hence,
allows
marriage
and
96
"He" starts w ith a mystery.
the
characters
narrator
the
as
in t h e
comments
setting.
traditional
extensively
discourse,
as
narrative
on
The a b ru p t be gi nn in g
me a s t a r t , M a r y . . . ' "
the
T h e r e a d e r is n o t i n t r o d u c e d t o
the
form
where
the
characters,
events
and
with
"'Goodness!
You gave
(CS, V . l , 8 0 ) , is r a t h e r s t r a n g e in t e r m s o f
who
utters
that
sentence
and
what
it
really
m e a n s are v a g u e . M a r y , in t h e f o l l o w i n g p a r a g r a p h , t u r n s o u t t o
be M a r y
Brooke talkin g
to
and
lover,
reprimands
hi s
contrary
order.
to
how
the
he
man's
her f r i e n d
lover,
Annie
her
for
is o b s e s s e d
Blake a b o u t
a "he"
being
Annie,
with
dirty.
cleanliness
and
W h e n s he e n t e r s t h e k i t c h e n and s ee s " a n u n w a s h e d d i s h
in t h e s i n k [ a n d ]
a cloth over a chair"
the
a
place
is
conversation
in
mess.
is a c o n f i n e d
Again,
the
(CS, V . l , 8 0 ) , s he t h i n k s
place
chosen
place, th is ti m e a k i tc h e n
for
the
where the
w o m a n is s u p p o s e d t o p a s s m o s t o f he r t i m e .
Since the
unveil every
narrator
leaves the
ground
to
the
characters
to
d e t a i l a b o u t t h e m s e l v e s , t h e r e a d e r has t o t r a c e t h e
h i n t s in o r d e r t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e i r r e l a t i o n s h i p . T h e c o n v e r s a t i o n
b e t w e e n A n n i e and M a r y on m e n ' s e g o t i s m and s u b o r d i n a t i o n o f
t h e f e m a l e r e v e a l s t h e f a c t t h a t t h e y h a v e b e e n t r e a t e d as s l a v e s
by t h e i r h u s b a n d s w h o h a v e n o w a b a n d o n e d t h e m . A n n i e ' s l i s t of
w h a t s h e d i d w h e n she w a s t h e e x - w i f e o f " h e " , w h o is l a t e r t o l d
t o be Rob B l a k e , d i s p l a y s her s u p p r e s s i o n at h o m e :
97
" ' I ' d be up s u m m e r and w i n t e r at f o u r , c l e a n i n g
those
Lynd
found
offices
till
till
ten,
dinnertime.
then
Then
if
hi s d i n n e r n o t r e a d y ,
and c a r r y on - w e l l .
cleaning
he g o t
for
Mrs
home
and
he'd start to shout
I'd say,
if y o u
can't
wait
f i v e m i n u t e s , g e t h o m e and c o o k i t y o u r s e l f . I ' d
s a y . I b r i n g in as m u c h m o n e y as y o u d o , d o n ' t
I? B u t he n e v e r l i f t e d a f i n g e r .
B o n e l az y .
Men
ar e all t h e s a m e . ' " (CS, V . l , 8 0 - 1 )
Mary
with
the
supports
Annie's
he r c o m p l a i n t
cleaning
when
about
unemployed
even
put
the
of
her h u s b a n d :
and t h e c o o k i n g ,
he w a s
w ouldn't
generalization
every
"'I'd
and w o r k i n g
I'd
bring
kettle
on
being
have the
lazy
kids
and
all d a y - s o m e t i m e s
in all t h e
for
man
me.
money
...
Women's
and he
work,
he
s a i d . ' " ( CS, V . l , 8 1 )
Very
much
like
the
women
in
"De
Wets
Come
to
Kloof
G r a n g e " , t h e s e f e m a l e c h a r a c t e r s are a w a r e o f t h e i r i l l - t r e a t m e n t
by t h e i r h u s b a n d s , b u t t h e y are n o t c o u r a g e o u s e n o u g h t o b r e a k
free
give
and
live
Annie
admitting
on t h e i r
her
the
c o n v e n i e n c e __ "
life,
the
endless
own.
alimony,
fact
that
(CS,
V.l,
work,
When
she
she
85)
work
Rob,
wants
is
She
work"
for
to
instance,
be
with
"nothing
to
remembers
(CS,
V.l,
him
him
"her
85),
comes
again,
but
long
but
to
a
ha r d
she s t i l l
98
f e e l s an a f f e c t i o n t o w a r d s h i m b e c a u s e she k n o w s
there
would
be
no
meaning
in
her
life
at
all."
" w i t h o u t him
(CS,
V.l,
86)
S i m i l a r t o S u s a n ' s d i l e m m a in " T o R o o m N i n e t e e n " , A n n i e c an be
happy
neither
Annie's
on
conflict
her o w n
does
not
nor w i t h
he r h u s b a n d .
l ead
to
he r
Nevertheless,
Susan's
end,
which
is
c o m m ittin g suicide.
In " B e t w e e n
Men",
Maureen Jeffries,
a p a i n t e r and t h e e x ­
m is tr e s s of Profe sso r Bayley, sends a message to the p r o f e s s o r ' s
e x - w i f e , P e g g y B a y l e y s a y i n g " C o m e and m e e t t h e n e w m e ! " {CS,
V.l,
293)
Maureen's
p u r p o s e is j u s t t o
have a ch a t w i t h
Peggy
and a s k f o r a j o b , s i n c e s he has l o s t her f a m e as a p a i n t e r a f t e r
an a f f a i r w i t h J a c k B o l e s , a f i l m d i r e c t o r .
Li k e A n n i e and M a r y in " H e " , M a u r e e n and P e g g y h a v e b e e n
d o m i n a t e d by t h e i r m a l e p a r t n e r s .
Peggy th i n k s
sex w h e n o n e 's s e tt le d w i t h a m a n . "
addition,
complains
about
Jack,
"one loses o n e 's
{CS, V . l , 2 9 8 ) M a u r e e n , in
because
"she
had
expressed
o p i n i o n s n o t her o w n t o p l e a s e h i m: he w a s a m a n w h o d i s l i k e d
women
disagreeing
P699 Y/
he
housework,
with
patronized
him."
her
by
{CS,
V.l,
making
294-5)
her
cook
w h i l e he w o u l d t a l k a b o u t hi s o w n
As
s he
and
work
do
tells
the
and w o u l d
n o t a l l o w he r t o deal w i t h her p a i n t i n g s .
While
conversing
Maureen
and
Peggy
drink
brandy
and
99
become
having
drunk.
lost
Both
being
th e ir job,
they
abandoned
decide to
by
stay
their
partners
together
and
and
open
a
d r e s s s h o p b u t t h i s t i m e t h e y a g r e e n o t t o g i v e up w o r k i n g o n c e
t h e y f i n d a n e w l o v e r . T h i s m a y at f i r s t m e a n
with
their
rejection
of the
role of
wife
that these wom en
and
mother
- both
had
a b o r t i o n s and m i s c a r r i a g e s - are u n l i k e A n n i e and M a r y in " H e " .
However,
drunk
when
women,
one
one
remembers
doubts
that
the
whether
decision
these
is
taken
seemingly
by
liberated
w o m e n w i l l be abl e t o a c c o m p l i s h t h e i r a i m s .
"A
Woman
on
a Roof"
reverses
f r o m w o m e n ' s e y e s in " H e "
the
consideration
and " B e t w e e n M e n " ;
of
men
in t h i s s t o r y a
g r o u p o f m e n w o r k i n g on t h e r o o f o f a b u i l d i n g f o c a l i s e a w o m a n
sunbathing
on
bikini,
male
the
another
roof.
observers
Seeing
treat
the
her
as
woman
with
a
object
sex
the
a t t e n t i o n n e e d s t o be a r o u s e d t h r o u g h w h i s t l i n g :
Next
morning,
went
to
down,
little
look.
arms
red
n i g h t __
as s o o n
She
spread
pants.
She
Stanley
l et
as t h e y
was
out,
already
naked
had
out
came
up,
there,
except
turned
they
for
brown
a whistle.
face
the
in t h e
She
lifted
he r h e a d , s t a r t l e d , as i f s h e ' d b e e n a s l e e p , and
looked
he r
straight
eyes,
s he
over
at t h e m .
blinked
and
The
stared,
sun
was
then
in
s he
red
whose
100
dropped
her
indifference,
ol d
Harry,
he a d
they
again.
all
At
three,
l et o u t w h i s t l e s
this
gesture
of
Stanley,
Tom
and
and y e l l s .
(CS,
V.l,
220)
Thus, alth oug h the w om a n remains in d if fe re n t to the w h is t lin g of
t h e m e n , s he b e c o m e s a p l a y t h i n g , a s o u r c e o f e n t e r t a i n m e n t f o r
them.
Disregarding
working
on t h e
the
extremely
roof ju st to w a tc h
hot
weather,
they
continue
he r f r o m t i m e t o t i m e ,
has b y t h e n b e c o m e "a r o u t i n e t r i p t o see t h e w o m a n . "
as it
(C5, V.l,
222)
The
"extradiegetic-heterodiegetic"
narrator
resorts
to
m ultiple "internal focalisation" - various characters observing the
same
event
viewpoints
and
and
characters
between
focalisation
as
the
the
ma l e
to
demonstrate
workers.
same
would
Regarding
discard
the
different
the
narration
the
narrator's
o b j e c t i v i t y w h e n re fe rr in g to v a r io us v i e w p o i n t s . The o l d e s t man,
Harry,
for
observed
instance,
woman
disapproves
as a p r o s t i t u t e .
Stanley's
When
treatment
of
the
he r e m i n d s S t a n l e y t h a t
he is m a r r i e d and s h o u l d t h i n k o f hi s w i f e ,
w h a t he w o u l d do i f
o t h e r s t r e a t e d hi s w i f e in t h e s a m e m a n n e r , S t a n l e y d i r e c t l y s a y s
t h a t he w o u l d
Margaret
between
n e v e r a l l o w hi s w i f e t o s u n b a t h in t h i s w a y .
Atack
argues,
"the tw o
Stanley's
reaction
shows
the
As
conflict
c o d e s o f w o m a n as p r i v a t e p o s s e s s i o n o f t h e
101
man,
and
woman
as o b j e c t
of
display
for
any
m a n __ "
(1982,
1 4 4 ) T h e y o u n g e s t w o r k e r , T o m , on t h e o t h e r h a n d , f a l l s in l o v e
w i t h t h e o b s e r v e d w o m a n and f e e l s t h a t " s h e w a s m o r e hi s w h e n
t h e o t h e r men c o u l d n ' t
behaviour
leads
him
see h e r . "
to
lie
(CS,
to
the
V.l,
other
224)
Hi s p o s s e s s i v e
two
workmen.
Just
b e c a u s e he w a n t s t o k e e p w h a t he has see n o n l y t o h i m s e l f .
The t r e a t m e n t
"An
Unposted
Love
homodiegetic"
Carrington,
meeting
Letter"
narrator
who
him
of the w o m a n
is
and
of
writing
hi s
wife
as a s ex o b j e c t is i m p l i e d
as
this
story
a letter
at
well.
a
The
is
to
party
an
he r
"extradiegeticactress,
Victoria
married
lover
night.
Hence,
one
in
after
the
n a r r a t e e is t h e a c t r e s s ' s l o v e r a b o u t w h o m s he s a y s o n l y a f e w
things.
Li k e all o f t h e w o m e n p r o t a g o n i s t s o f t h e s t o r i e s w h o s e
setting
is E n g l a n d ,
the
actress
feels lonely
and s he w r i t e s
this
l e t t e r j u s t t o s h a r e her l o n e l i n e s s .
In he r
actress's
unposted
loneliness;
letter
she d i s c l o s e s
the
reason
as a f a m o u s and d i s t i n g u i s h e d
for
every
person,
s he
is o b s e r v e d by t h e p u b l i c all t h e t i m e and t h e r e f o r e s he has t o be
very
cautious
gatherings.
about
She
he r
claims,
a p p e a r as a " p e r s o n "
appearance
for
instance,
in p u b l i c
and
that
occasions,
behaviours
when
in
s he
s he has t o
social
has
to
"disguise
t h e e s s e n t i a l p l a i n n e s s and a n o n y m i t y o f m y f e a t u r e s by h o l d i n g
to g eth er the 'beauty'
I am k n o w n f o r , c r e a t i n g i t o u t o f m y o w n
102
and o t h e r
people's
memories."
{CS,
V.ll,
102)
As
befitting
to
he r c a r e e r , s he has t o h i d e u n d e r t h e m a s k o f b e a u t y so t h a t t h e
o p p o s i t e s e x w o u l d a p p r e c i a t e her .
Victoria
when
she
focuses
visits
I r ma
on t h e
expressionless
Painter,
another
face
actress,
of
in
an
he r
actress
dressing
r o o m a f t e r a p l a y . A n a c t r e s s ' s f a c e , as she w r i t e s t o he r l o v e r ,
"is
so
worn
down
to
its
essentials
because
of
its
permanent
r e a d i n e s s t o t a k e o t h e r g u i s e s , b e c o m e o t h e r p e o p l e , it is a l m o s t
l i k e s o m e t h i n g h u n g up on t h e w a l l o f a d r e s s i n g - r o o m
ready to
take
used
down
much
and
that
use."
their
(CS,
V.ll,
personality
un ders too d from their faces.
this fact,
has
had
101)
Their
and
faces
individuality
lovers
who
cannot
so
be
People, h o w e v e r , bei ng u n a w a r e of
are a t t r a c t e d t o a c t o r s and a c t r e s s e s .
many
are
have
liked
knowing
it w a s
not
me ,
it w a s
only
consume
slowly
for
the
scrubbed
he r
what
face
Hence,
beautiful
was
I must
face,
given
use
Victoria
to
for
"(not
me t o
work)."
( CS, V . l l , 1 0 2 )
T h e a c t r e s s at t h e b e g i n n i n g o f her l e t t e r has c l a i m e d t h a t
s he
has
had
many
husbands,
for,
as
she
later
explains,
she
n e e d s a m a n t o s e t in her " t h e f o r c e s in m o t i o n "
(CS, V . l l ,
106)
so t h a t s h e w i l l p e r f o r m w e l l on s t a g e and s h a r e he r l o n e l i n e s s .
In
a way
Victoria's
this
letter
feelings
to
is
written
her
lover,
to
"translate"
and
to
do
(CS,
this
V.ll,
she
107)
uses
an
103
e x t r e m e l y r o m a n t i c d i s c o u r s e , s u c h as " O h m y d e a r o n e ... I am
a tent
under
(CS,
like a b i rd "
making
which
fun
However,
of
s he
you
V.ll,
l i e,
108),
romance
decides
to
in
I am t h e s k y a c r o s s
which
conflicts
"How
I
leave
the
with
Finally
ma n
to
which
the
Lost
hi s
you
fly
wom an's
My
wife,
Heart".
which
is
p r o b a b l y t h e r e a s o n w h y she d o e s n o t s e n d t h i s l o v e l e t t e r t o t h e
addressee.
"Dialogue"
whose
the
is t h e o n l y s t o r y t o be a n a l y z e d in t h i s c h a p t e r
"extradiegetic-heterodiegetic"
isolation
of
an
invalid.
Bi l l .
narrator
seems
Nonetheless,
like
to
the
recount
previous
s t o r i e s , t h e f e m a l e c h a r a c t e r o f t h i s s t o r y is in p a i n f i g h t i n g w i t h
he r f r i e n d ' s o b s t i n a t e b e h a v i o u r ;
and
a woman,
the
former
i t is a s t r u g g l e b e t w e e n a m a n
representing
the
mind
and t h e
latter
t h e e m o t i o n s . The " i n t e r n a l f o c a l i s a t i o n " t h r o u g h t h e w o m a n w h o
c o m e s t o v i s i t her " o t h e r " . Bi l l , u n c o v e r s t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n
the
focal
character's
pleasant
life
and
Bill's
sterile
and
s e g r e g a t e d l i f e in a f l a t .
Before
entering
the
building
in w h i c h
Bill
lives,
c h a r a c t e r o b s e r v e s t h e s t r e e t : she sees a w o m a n
the
focal
talking to the
g r e e n g r o c e r a b o u t r h e u m a t i s m ; s he h e a r s t h e m u s i c c o m i n g f r o m
t h e m u s i c s h o p ; and n o t i c e s p e o p l e g e t t i n g o f f t h e b u s . T h e b u s y
atmosphere
sensual
of the street gives
characteristics
conflict
pleasure to the
with
Bill's
woman,
sterile
and
and
its
inactive
104
life.
Also,
while
looking
sees t h e w o r d
"love"
s he
that
is
aware
at
the
books
outside
a bookshop
s he
and f e e l s d e l i g h t e d t o u c h i n g t h i s w o r d ,
s he
will
not
be
ab l e
to
find
love
in
as
her
r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h t h i s ma n .
When
hold
"the
s he e n t e r s t h e
colours
of
building,
growth
firm
s he k n o w s
in her
that
heart"
s he
(CS,
has t o
V.ll,
52),
s i n c e e m o t i o n s h a v e t o be s u p p r e s s e d in B i l l ' s f l a t . T h e b u i l d i n g
w i t h i t s " f o u r i d e n t i c a l b l a c k d o o r s , in t h e s a m e p o s i t i o n s e x a c t l y
as t h e f o u r d o o r s on t h e n i n e o t h e r f l o o r s " (CS, V . l l , 5 0 ) r e f l e c t s
an i m p e r s o n a l a t m o s p h e r e w h i c h is s u i t e d t o B i l l ' s c h a r a c t e r . Hi s
flat,
a
stifling
place
as
opposed
to
the
spacious
outside,
is
f u r n i s h e d in t h e s a m e m o n o t o n o u s w a y : t h e s m a l l d a r k r o o m has
a bed,
52)
"permanently
drawn
midnight
s o m e b o o k s and a bed l a m p ;
blue
curtains,"
( CS,
and t h e o t h e r l i g h t e d
V.ll,
and a i r y
r o o m has a b l a c k c a r p e t and a red s e t t e e . One w a l l o f t h e s e c o n d
room w ith
a view
of London d e lig hts the ob se rver,
b e c a u s e she
feels relieved of the heavy atm osphere of the fla t w h ic h involv es
no f e e l i n g s .
inert
in t h e
However,
dark
Bi l l ,
room,
unlike
since
he,
her ,
an
prefers sitting
inactive
person
cold
tied
and
to
a
w he elc ha ir, can not stand w a tc h in g the busy street.
The
dialogue
title
of
between
the
the
story
is
friends
s u g g e s t s t h a t he s h o u l d m a r r y ,
ironic,
on
there
Bill's
being
just
a short
isolation:
the
woman
b u t Bill r e p l i e s t h a t he d o e s n o t
105
"'w ant
people's
to
become
a
w arm th.'"
little
animal
(CS, V . l l ,
54)
living
in
the
fur
of
other
She w i t n e s s e s t h e e x p r e s s i o n
o f t o r m e n t on B i l l ' s f a c e and s t a r t s q u e s t i o n i n g her e x i s t e n c e in
tha t room:
" w h y had she c o m e h e r e , w h y di d s he a l w a y s c o m e ?
W h y had s he d e l i b e r a t e l y l e f t b e h i n d t h e h a p p i n e s s ... s he f e l t in
t h e s t r e e t s ? " (CS, V . l l , 5 3 - 4 ) In f a c t , t h e w o m a n
is p a r t i a l l y
split;
she
all o f t h e c o n t r a r i t i e s
has
not
within
totally
reconciled
her . W h i l e t h e t a l e
s e t s up an o p p o s i t i o n b e t w e e n hi s a s s e r t i o n and
he r
submission
of
self,
affirms
the
latter
and
d e n i e s t h e f o r m e r , t h e w o m a n is a t t r a c t e d t o t h e
p o s tu r e of heroic i n t e g r i t y . (Burkom 1 9 6 8 , 66)
Her
attraction
to
him
is
the
only
cause
for
her
stay
in
that
out
and
c l a u s t r o p h o b i c a t m o s p h e r e , t r y i n g t o s h a r e hi s l o n e l i n e s s .
Finally,
cannot
at
previously.
failing
first
to
give
recognize
The sky seems
warmth
the
to
street,
"savage"
Bi l l ,
which
s he
gets
s he
and " b i t t e r "
has
enjoyed
(CS, V . l l ,
61),
t h e w o m a n and ma n she had see n b e f o r e g i v e a s e n s e o f d i s g u s t
t o he r . A s a r e s u l t o f B i l l ' s i n f l u e n c e on her , s he f e e l s " d e a d and
e m p t y , a c a r d b o a r d f i g u r e in a f l a t p a i n t e d s e t o f s t r e e t s . "
(CS,
V . l l , 6 1 ) H o w e v e r , f e e l i n g t h e w a r m t h o f a l e a f in he r p a l m g i v e s
he r t h e
delight
of
life
again
saving
he r
"from
deadness".
( CS,
106
V . l l , 62)
Hence,
"Dialogue",
l i ke t h e
other stories
which
are s e t
in
E n g l a n d , r e v e a l s t h e s t r u g g l e o f a f e m a l e c h a r a c t e r w i t h he r m a l e
friend
and
how
s he
has
to
suppress
her
emotions
in
order
to
c o p e w i t h hi s i n a c t i v e and i s o l a t e d l i f e s t y l e p e r s o n a l i t y . T h e s t o r y
is
also
a
dialogue
between
the
inside
and
the
outside:
the
a t m o s p h e r e at h o m e , a m o n g t h e w a l l s , is s m o t h e r i n g and s t e r i l e ,
like
Bi l l ,
whereas
the
external
world
is
exhilarating,
like
the
in
the
woman.
The
contrastive
elements
in
terms
of
the
setting
s t o r i e s a n a l y z e d in t h i s c h a p t e r f o r m a b i n a r y o p p o s i t i o n :
with
its
vastness
and
wildness
c an
be
opposed
Africa
to
the
c l a u s t r o p h o b i c c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f a h o u s e , a r o o m or e v e n a c i t y ,
where
buildings
appearance
create,
urban s he ll" .
for the
with
(1988,
white
man,
their
what
594)
"heavy
Lessing
and
calls
in
tall
and
"Going
ponderous"
Home",
T h e w i l d e r n e s s is a t t r a c t i v e n o t o n l y
s u c h as " L e o p a r d "
George,
but also f o r the
f e m a l e l i k e M r s Gal e in " D e W e t s C o m e t o K l o o f G r a n g e " ,
the sm othering
"an
while
and l i m i t i n g a s p e c t o f a h o u s e c an be d e a d l y as
in t h e c a s e o f S u s a n in " T o R o o m N i n e t e e n " .
S e c o n d l y , o p p o s i t i o n s c an be f o u n d in t e r m s o f t h e m e s : t h e
conflict
is
either
between
the
two
races
or
the
sexes.
Claire
107
S p r a g u e , in he r i n t r o d u c t i o n t o R e r e a d i n g D o r i s L e s s i n g s u m s up
t h e q u e s t i o n o f " o t h e r n e s s " in D o r i s L e s s i n g ' s w o r k b y d r a w i n g a
p a r a l l e l b e t w e e n t h e a u t h o r ' s l i f e and her f i c t i o n :
English,
thrice
ruled
white,
female,
alienated
a
in
country
population
by
Lessing
colonial
and
its
grew
up at
Africa.
The
English
overwhelmingly
conquest
and
in
the
least
black
process
du plic ate d the po w er patterns th a t placed w o m e n
in l i m i t e d , s u b o r d i n a t e r o l e s .
( 1 9 8 7 , 1- 2)
T h e k i n d o f s u p p r e s s i o n in t h e f o r m o f e x p l o i t i n g t h e n a t i v e s or
d o m i n a t i n g a w o m a n , w h i c h is e x p e r i e n c e d by t h e a u t h o r h e r s e l f
d u r i n g he r s t a y in A f r i c a ,
is h a n d l e d in her w o r k s t o
reveal the
a d u l t ' s u n w i l l i n g n e s s to t r a n s f o r m the racial p r ej ud ic e s
oppression.
inevitable
The
result
individualistic
frustration
of
loneliness
society;
consideration
of
or
of the female
of
the
in
-
the
protagonists
of
former
"He"
in
are
a
ma l e
Africa,
examples
of
seen
as
country
dominance;
Room"
the
is
foreign
as an o b j e c t t o
L u c y G r a n g e and t h e n a r r a t o r o f " A
women
woman
and m a l e
or
and
the
an
the
be w a t c h e d .
While
represent the lonely
latter
in
submissive
London
-
the
women,
and
" T h e W o m a n on a R o o f " i l l u s t r a t e s h o w m a l e o n l o o k e r s t r e a t t h e
f e m a l e as an o b j e c t o f d i s p l a y .
108
The
the
themes
light
of the
of
these
narrative
to l d by " h e t e r o d i e g e t i c "
of
an
outsider,
stories
can
strategies
be b e t t e r
employed
appreeiated
in t h e m .
in
Stories
n a r r a t o r s d w e l l e i t h e r on t h e p e r c e p t i o n
whether
"free"
or
"external",
or
on
that
of
a
c h a r a c t e r k n o w n as " i n t e r n a l " . In t h e c a s e o f " f r e e f o c a l i s a t i o n " ,
since the
with
a
n a rr a to r does not have to l im it the scope of the t e x t
single
readers
character's
through
narratorial
"heterodiegetic"
Woman
and
protagonist.
hand,
the
point
narrator's
Her
Cat"
has
view,
of
"free
foregrounds
to
s/he
commentary.
use
In s t o r i e s w i t h
narrator
of
For
c an
direct
instance,
focalisation"
the
alienation
the
the
in
of
"A
the
" e x t e r n a l f o c a l i s a t i o n " , on t h e o t h e r
say
l ess
than
what
the
characters
k n o w , hence leaving the ground to their con ve rsa tio n , to disclose
t h e i r c o n c e r n , as in " B e t w e e n M e n " . In t h i s c a s e , t h e r e a d e r has
to
evaluate
from
the
the
characters
narrator.
Finally,
narrating act th roug h
without
though
receiving
the
much
narrator
"internal foca lisation ",
information
limits
his/her
t h e r e a d e r has t h e
c h a n c e t o s y m p a t h i z e w i t h t h e f o c a l c h a r a c t e r s (all b e i n g w o m e n
in t h i s c h a p t e r ) , s u c h as S u s a n in " T o R o o m N i n e t e e n " .
Stories,
which
are
like " A R o o m "
told
by
and " H o w
"homodiegetic"
I Finally Lost My H e a rt",
narrators
(all
being
women
a g a i n ) , h a v e " i n t e r n a l f o c a l i s a t i o n " . T h e s e n a r r a t i v e s a p p e a r as a
c o n f e s s i o n w i t h t h e n a r r a t o r ' s e f f o r t t o c r e a t e her o w n s t o r y so
t h a t s he m i g h t s h a r e he r d i s a p p o i n t m e n t in l i f e w i t h t h e r e a d e r .
109
C H A P T E R THREE
N A R R A T I V E S T H R O U G H THE "OTHER EYE"
...
the
reaction
valuable
biased
of
simply
by
someone
because
allegiance
to
from
it
is
outside
fresh
a particular
and
is
not
education.
( L e s s i n g 1 9 7 3 , 18)
We're living
wars
going
they're
in c a t a s t r o p h e __
on
at
not the
this
very
bi g w a r s ,
T h e r e are t h i r t y
moment.
we
Because
seem to
pretend
t h a t t h e y ' r e not i m p o r t a n t . W e ' r e po i s o n i n g our
seas,
and
dying
in v a r i o u s
state
our
water
supply
parts
of c ata s tro phe .
...
of the
We're
our
world.
not very
trees
are
This
is a
bright
as
a n i m a l s y e t , are w e ? ( A l d i s s 1 9 9 4 , 1 7 1 )
The
discussed
stories
in t h e
structure,
"Report
analyzed
previous
in
two
characterization
on
the
this
and
Threatened
chapter
chapters
it
may
c a t e g o r i z e t h e s e n a r r a t i v e s as " s k e t c h e s "
despite
Lessing's dislike of
in t e r m s
narration.
City"
differ
from
of
Except
be
their
the
plot
story
appropriate
rather than
to
"stories",
" c o m p a r t m e n t a l i s a t i o n ", w h i c h
e x p r e s s e s in t h e " P r e f a c e " t o
those
The G o l d e n N o t e b o o k (1 9 7 3 ,
s he
10).
110
C .J . D r i v e r also r e m a r k s t h a t Lessi ng a v o i d s m a k i n g a d i s t i n c t i o n
between
"short
story"
and
"sketch",
hating
all
kinds
of
" c l a s s i f i c a t i o n , g e n r e - h u n t i n g and c o m p a r t m e n t a l i s a t i o n ." ( 1 9 7 4 ,
18)
Yet,
"story"
there
and
is j u s t i f i a b l e
"sketch"
in
reason fo r d i f f e r e n t i a t i n g
this
study,
since
unlike
between
the
stories
d i s c u s s e d in t h e f i r s t t w o c h a p t e r s and o n e s t o r y in t h i s c h a p t e r ,
the
sketches
characters.
lack
These
an
organized
sketches
with
plot
abrupt
and
well-developed
beginnings,
in
fact,
c o n s i s t o f r e f e r e n c e s t o s o m e s e e m i n g l y t r i v i a l e v e n t s in v a r i o u s
settings.
be
For a b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e s e s k e t c h e s ,
useful
to
"functions",
summarize
the
Roland
smallest
units
Barthes's
of
it m i g h t
classification
narrative,
and
of
Jonathan
C u l l e r ' s i d e a s on " r e f e r e n t i a l f u n c t i o n s " .
Barthes
Analysis
states
of
composed
in
hi s
Narratives"
of
two
that
"Introduction
to
the
the
of
a
"functions":
content
"cardinal
Structural
narrative
functions"
is
which
c o m p r i s e t h e n u c l e u s o f t h e n a r r a t i v e , d e t e r m i n i n g t h e m a i n l i ne
of
action,
importance
and
"catalyser
functions"
have
a
lesser
in t h e c o u r s e o f t h e n a r r a t i v e and are u s e d t o
in' t h e n a r r a t i v e s p a c e " . ( 1 9 7 7 , 93)
"realistic"
which
or
"referential
"'fill
" C a t a l y s e r s " are n a m e d as
functions"
by
Jonathan
Culler
in
S t r u c t u r a l i s t Poetics. Culler claims t h a t the d e s c rip tio n of trivial
details
have
the
ai m
of
creating
the
illusion
of
p r o d u c in g the sense of " t h e m a t i c e m p t in e s s " ( 1 9 7 5 ,
reality
and
1 9 4 ) in t h e
I ll
reader.
One
Culler adds,
addressee
other
aspect
of
these
"referential
to est a bl is h the link b e t w e e n
or
the
reader.
Culler
the
thinks
functions"
narrator
that
is,
and t h e
the
realistic
d e s c r i p t i o n o f a s e t t i n g or c h a r a c t e r is t o p l a c e t h e n a r r a t o r on
the
same
level
with
the
reader,
"as
if the
narrator
enjoyed
s p e c i a l k n o w l e d g e b u t w e r e an o b s e r v e r l i k e t h e r e a d e r . "
no
(1975,
1 9 4 ) S i n c e t h e e v e n t s in t h e s k e t c h e s t o be a n a l y z e d in t h i s p a r t
ar e
and
"catalysers"
Culler
will
perceived
provide
by an a l i e n ,
a
basis
for
the theories
the
of
discussion
Barthes
of
these
sketches.
One
on e s t o r y
have
common
which
characteristic
will
of
be s c r u t i n i z e d
"extradiegetic-hom odiegetic"
these
in t h i s
seven
sketches
chapter
narrators
who
and
is t h a t t h e y
also
act
as
" e x t e r n a l f o c a l i s e r s " , o b s e r v i n g and d e s c r i b i n g e i t h e r a l a n d s c a p e
or g a r d e n
outsider,
Since the
agent,
or c i t y
life;
in o t h e r
words,
the
narrator,
who
is a t t r i b u t e d t h e r ol e o f p e r c e i v i n g t h e e x t e r n a l
"narrator"
and t h e
these terms will
"focaliser"
is an
world.
h a p p e n t o be t h e s a m e
be us e d in c o m b i n e d f o r m
as " n a r r a t o r -
f o c a l i s e r " in t h i s c h a p t e r .
The
role of the
narrator
as an o b s e r v e r c a n
be r e l a t e d
to
D o r i s L e s s i n g ' s e v i d e n t c o n c e r n and c u r i o s i t y a b o u t w h a t f u t u r e
c i v i l i z a t i o n s w ill t h i n k of ours. Such a concern,
Lessing ob serve s
in P r i s o n s We C h o o s e t o L i v e i n s i d e , a c o l l e c t i o n o f f i v e l e c t u r e s .
112
"is
not
the
an i dl e i n t e r e s t ,
power
of
that
ourselves." (1987,
enable
us
to
Accordingly,
duty
'other
eye',
which
a tte m p t to
we
c an
strengthen
use
to
judge
1 5) She a d d s t h a t it is t h e n o v e l i s t ' s t a s k " t o
see
ourselves
as J o c e l y n
by d r a w i n g
but a deliberate
as
others
see
Harris expresses,
us."
Lessing
a tt e n tio n to some of the vital
(1 9 8 7 ,
17)
performs this
concerns of the
m o d e r n w o r l d , s u c h as " t h e s h a d o w o f w a r and t h e B o m b , u r b a n
d i s a s t e r and e n v i r o n m e n t a l r u i n " (1 9 9 1 , 3 2 ) , t h r o u g h an e x t e r n a l
b e i n g ' s p e r c e p t i o n in t h e s e n a r r a t i v e s . A s L e s s i n g e x p l a i n s in her
article
"A
present
Small
terrorism
Personal
all
over
Voice",
the
madman may th r o w a sw itc h ,
she
world,
is
that
worried
"at
about
any
moment,
a
and f l e s h and s oi l and l e a v e s m a y
b e g i n t o d a n c e t o g e t h e r in a f l a m e o f d e s t r u c t i o n . "
Therefore,
the
in he r l a t e r w o r k s she d i s c u s s e s
(1 9 7 5 ,
present violence
18)
by
m a k i n g use o f t h e " o t h e r e y e " .
T h e f i r s t s k e t c h t o be c o n s i d e r e d in t h i s c h a p t e r ,
Between Their Feet",
9)
to
writes
volume
in
"stories".
the
The
two
of
which
a p p e a r s as t h e
Collected A frican
"Preface"
to
this
narrator-focaliser
the
story"
Stories
book,
of
"title
is,
among
sketch
" T h e Sun
as
he r
(1979,
Lessing
favorite
describes
the
b e e t l e s ' o b s t i n a t e and i n c e s s a n t a c t i v i t y o f r o l l i n g d u n g - b a l l s , in
w h i c h t h e y l ay t h e i r e g g s , f r o m a hi l l ; in o t h e r w o r d s , i t i n v o l v e s
" c a t a ly s e r s " , trivial
"cardinal
functions",
actions w hich
main
l i ne
are s u p p o s e d
of
action,
to
which
b a c k up t h e
this
sketch
113
l a c k s . T h o u g h t h e w h o l e s k e t c h d w e l l s on t h i s p a r t i c u l a r a s p e c t
of na tural
of
phenomena, the settin g
African
and
European
with
its c o n t r a s t iv e
characteristics
- the
first
elements
being
wild
w h i l e the l a t t e r " c i v i l i z e d " fr o m the W e s te r n p o i n t of v i e w - adds
a deeper meaning to the narrative.
"The
Su n
Between
their
Feet"
opens
external
narrator's
objective
description
station"
and
Mission"
as
African
nor
describes:
"the
a
European.
"The
Roman
Catholic
middle
of
Anthony
a
Native
Chennells
nature/civilisation
setting
out
Thus, the
in t h i s
this
to
the
Reserve."
quell
the
was
station
V.ll,
"can
nature
of
point,
neither
went
being
160)
be
an
s/he
to the
in
the
However,
as
r ead
within
the
of C h r i s t i a n i t y
Africa."
of
is o p p o s e d t o t h e u n u s e d
the w ilderness of the A fric an
a
raiding
incident
in
wild
(1990,
nature
30)
backs
this
information
history,
with
behind.
At
landscape reminds the
the
Mashona
r a n s a c k i n g t h e c a t t l e and w o m e n o f t h e M a t e b e l e .
narrator
"the
information
as t h e c i v i l i s a t i o n
heathen
be
a dead-end,
(CAS,
the
setting,
to
expository
Mission
oppositions:
the
seems
back of the
which
argues.
of
with
M i s s i o n and t h e b u s y a t m o s p h e r e o f t h e t r a i n s t a t i o n
sketch
narrator
Avoiding
road f r o m
Mission,
s/he
suddenly
a footnote
tribe
However, the
saying:
"Since
w r i t i n g t h i s I h a v e u n d e r s t o o d t h a t t h i s v e r s i o n o f h i s t o r y is n o t
n e c e s s a r i ly the tru e one.
(C/IS,
V.ll,
160)
This
Some M a sho n a a u t h o r i t i e s d i s p u t e i t. "
note
poses the
question
about
fictional
114
truth:
that
is
to
say,
why
does
r e c o u n t i n g t h e f a c t s in f i c t i o n ?
rather
than
intended
to
fiction?
create
The
in t h e
a
narrator
feel
the
urge
of
Is t h i s s k e t c h a t r u e o b s e r v a t i o n
narrator's
reader the
footnote
sense
of
is,
therefore,
reading
facts
in
order to make the sketch more realistic.
Before
focaliser
presents
atmosphere
rocks,
describing
of
a view
the
boulders
the
reserve
and
of
beetles'
activity,
the
silent
which
hot,
is
lightning-struck
and
"hard
the
between
rain,
very
heat-conserving
important
and
surrounded
trees
o b s erv e r of " b la c k s k e le t o n s " . {CAS, V .ll,
down
the
rocks"
elements
stiff
by
that
161)
looking
dark
grey
remind
the
The sun c o m i n g
{CAS,
of
narrator-
V.ll,
African
161)
landscape
p e r c e i v e d by t h e " o t h e r e y e " , s o o n t u r n o u t t o be t h e c h a r a c t e r s
in t h i s
sketch
that
determine
the
life
of
the
beetles,
because
t h e s e i n s e c t s n e ed t h e s u n t o d r y t h e i r d u n g - b a l l s and w h e n r ai n
pours t h e y have to s t a r t again. As Nicole Ward J o u v e
this obstinate
suggests,
a c t o f t h e b e e t l e s - t h a t o f r o l l i n g t h e bal l d o w n
t h e hi l l and t h e n c o m i n g up and d o i n g t h e s a m e a c t i v i t y - c a n be
i n t e r p r e t e d as " t h e v e r y i m a g e o f o n g o i n g l i f e . " (1 9 8 2 , 1 0 1 )
The n a r r a to r 's
the
activity
his/her
of
the
perception
reference to a source book w h ic h
beetles
with
is
facts,
still
another
because
as
effort
describes
to
a foreigner,
back
s/he
up
is
w a t c h i n g t h e a c t o f t h e b e e t l e s f o r t h e f i r s t t i m e and d o e s n o t
115
k n o w h o w t o i n t e r p r e t i t. T h e s e i n s e c t s , c o n s i d e r e d as s a c r e d by
the
Egyptians,
which
they
hold
lay
"the
their
{CAS, V .ll, 164)
symbol
eggs,
of
the
"between
sun",
their
the
busy
dung-ball
stupid
N o t e v e r y t h i n g t h a t is s ai d in t h e
in
feet."
source book,
h o w e v e r , s u it s the actual m o v e m e n t of the se sacred in s e c ts . The
book,
for
from
instance,
gentle
claims
slopes,
but
that
the
the
beetles
focaliser
rol l
down
the
balls
perceives
their
incessant
m o v e m e n t of rolling d o w n the du ng -b al ls fr o m steep hills. " A g a i n
I l i f t e d t h e m , d u n g and b e e t l e s " ,
the
precipice,
to
a clear place w h e re th e y
dozen suita ble gentle slopes,
back to the
mountain's
momentary
underlines
{CAS,
with
not
had t h e
"away from
choice
of
a
b u t t h e y r o l l e d t h e i r bal l p a t i e n t l y
foot."
interference
movement
says the n a rra to r,
V.ll,
the
only
the
164)
course
futility
The n a r r a t o r ' s
of
of
the
beetle's
human
being's
a t t e m p t t o r e g u l a t e n a t u r a l p h e n o m e n a , b u t al s o h i s / h e r f a i l u r e t o
understan d the ir causes.
The
involves
sketch
no
phenomena.
as t h e
plot
made
but
is
As c h a ra c te rs ,
up
of
insects.
structure
In f a c t ,
a
a
description
it has t h e e l e m e n t s
therefore,
of
it
natural
of nature,
such
p l a y a r o l e in p o i n t i n g o u t t h e
th r o u g h the incessant a c t i v i t y of the "s a c r e d "
although this sketch
and c e n t r a l
exists
"catalysers";
merely
s u n , r a i n and b e e t l e s t h a t
c o n t i n u i t y o f life
there
is
characters,
conflict
between
s e t in A f r i c a
lacks a plot
it s t i l l g i v e s t h e m e s s a g e t h a t
nature
and
civilization
and
116
b e t w e e n n a t u r e and ma n .
Like
starts
"The
with
Sun
Between
a sudden
Their
reference
to
Feet",
"The
"another
garden"
2 4 1 ) w i t h o u t any ref er e nc e to the f i r s t one.
c om pos e d of " c a t a ly s e r s "
plot.
After
speculating
Other
Garden"
( CS,
V.ll,
T h i s s k e t c h is al s o
w h i c h do n o t l ead t o a w e l l - o r g a n i s e d
w h y this garden
is h i d d e n ,
the
narrator-
f o c a l i s e r s t a r t s d e s c r i b i n g t h e f i r s t o n e , m a i n l y t h e p a r k w h i c h is
full
of
different
kinds
of
animals
and
plants
from
all
over
the
w orld.
This park re minds the fo ca lise r of the re la ti o n s h ip b e t w e e n
n a t u r e and h u m a n b e i n g s , and h o w t h e y t r y t o m a n i p u l a t e n a t u r e
by
making
their
remembers
a
own
girl's
small
garden.
unsuccessful!
The
narrator,
attempt
to
create
g a r d e n in a p l a c e w h e r e t h e r e m a i n s o f a b o m b e d
on t h e g r o u n d .
to
make
he r
pebbles,
away."
instance,
he r
own
building
stay
W h a t e v e r s he p l a n t s d i e s , t h u s f o r c i n g t h e c h i l d
garden
beads"
( CS,
for
out
which
V.ll,
242)
of
"shells,
"would
The
not
narrator
bits
di e
of
of
or
glass
and
china,
out
and
vanish
dry
the
sketch,
implicitly,
d r a w s t h e r e a d e r ' s a t t e n t i o n t o t h e s t e r i l i t y o f m o d e r n age.
The
narrator-focaliser
outsider getting
realizes
the
of
pleasure fr o m
hidden
garden
"The
Other
wandering
in a J a n u a r y
Garden",
in t h e
night
simply
peaceful
and
an
place,
dreams
how
117
t h e s a m e p l a c e w i l l a p p e a r in s p r i n g w h e n t h e v a r i e t y o f f l o w e r s
"will
be
stand
ha ng in g th e ir noses over th e m ,
{ CS,
scented,
V.ll,
243)
butterfly-filled,
The
use
of
bee-visited,
future
and
people
as d r u n k as t h e
tense
in t h i s
will
insects."
quotation
is a
means to displa y the fresh perc eption of the focaliser.
The pleasure the na rr a to r gets th r o u g h
w a t c h i n g the birds
and p l a n t s in t h e g a r d e n f i n a l i z e s w i t h h i s / h e r r e a l i z a t i o n o f h o w
the
park changes
as s o o n
as h u m a n
beings
leave
nature
on
its
o w n : " t h e p l a c e d r a w s i t s e l f in b e h i n d y o u , is g a t h e r e d i n t o i t s e l f
l i k e w a t e r s e t t l i n g a f t e r a s t o n e has d i s t u r b e d i t . " {CS, V . l l , 2 4 5 )
The
park,
after
its
in o t h e r
creators
narrator thinks,
"Turn
your
words,
go
turns to
back
contradict
back,"
says
to
the
with
the
its original
crowded
the
silent
streets
which,
park's tranquil
narrator,
"turn
condition,
the
atmosphere.
a corner
- it
is all
g o n e . " ( CS, V . l l , 2 4 6 )
Li k e t h e
has
previous
a sudden
woman
two
beginning
on St M a r k ' s
sketches,
with
the
Bri dge.
"Lions,
narrator
Leaves,
Roses..."
encountering
The telle r envies th is
a ma d
woman
who
t h i n k s t h a t " t h e s u n a l w a y s f o l l o w s " (CS, V . l l , 1 7 7 ) he r , b e c a u s e
s/he
tries
hard
clouded year."
to
empty
the
"to
catch
(CS, V . l l ,
mind
from
a fragment
177)
all
of
late
summer
in
this
S / h e al s o k n o w s t h a t o n e n e e d s
troubles
and
walk
with
all
senses
a w a k e in o r d e r t o g e t p l e a s u r e f r o m t h e m a n - m a d e n a t u r e in t h e
118
city.
H e n c e , t h e n a r r a t o r - f o c a l i s e r ' s ai m in t h i s s k e t c h is t o f i n d
nature's own
wisdom
while walking
a l o n e in t h e p a r k , t r y i n g t o
g e t l o s t in t r a n q u i l l i t y a w a y f r o m t h e c r o w d e d s t r e e t s .
For i n s t a n c e , t h e f o c a l i s e r f i n d s w i s d o m in t h e l i o n ' s g r e e n
eyes:
"eyes
unblinking,
with
no
need
to
swat
away
w o r d s , f e e l i n g s , f o r he w a s e v e r y t h i n g he s a w . "
The
observation
contemplate
of
the
plants
and
animals
on t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n
living beings.
S/he,
(CS, V . l l ,
compels
human
thoughts,
178)
him/her
to
b e i n g s and o t h e r
for ins ta nc e, th in k s of exp la in in g the c y c lic
m o v e m e n t in n a t u r e t o a c r e a t u r e f r o m M a r s , w h i c h is an a t t e m p t
on
the
part
of
the
narrator-focaliser
through the
"other eye".
of
"sap
trees
as
runs,
to
perceive
the
place
Thus, the narrator explains the nature
limbs
branch
...
they
are
fastened
to
e a r t h , t h e y c a n ' t m o v e ... and b e s i d e s , in e v e r y s p r i n g t h e y s u c k
in
leaves
again."
from
( CS, V . l l ,
autumn,
and
"preposterous"
the
the
laws
difference
of
s oi l
and
then
every
autumn
spit
them
out
1 79) The t r e e s ' s h e d d i n g of t h e i r l eaves e v e r y
becoming
green
t o an a l i e n ,
nature.
between
What
human
again
every
spring
might
as t h e n a r r a t o r is u n a b l e t o
s/he
c an
point
beings
and
Leaves,
Roses..."
out
trees
as
is
seem
explain
the
merely
main
the
form er's thinking capacity.
The n a rr a to r of "Lio ns,
of
not
knowing,
not
being
bird,
leaf,
rose"
admits
(CS,
" t h e pain
V.ll,
178)
119
because s/he k n o w s the diffe re n c e b e tw een
the
avenue"
(CS,
V.ll,
180)
and t h e
" t h e s l o w b r e a t h in
stimulating
atmosphere
of
the park, de spite its man-made asp ec t w i t h its " t a m e d " roses. A t
this
moment,
the
perception
of natural
b e a u t y in a s i l e n t
mood
e x u l t s t h e f o c a l i s e r , t h u s m a k i n g h i m / h e r r e a l i z e "a h i n t o f w h a t
the
l i on
s/he
knows
has f e l t
always,
by n a t u r e __ " (CS, V . l l ,
"a w h i r l i n g
white
or t i n t e d ,
180)
brownish
Now
that
or r a i n b o w ,
c l o u d o f t h o u g h t " (CS, V . l l , 1 8 1 ) s / h e k n o w s t h a t n o t h i n g w i l l be
abl e t o d e s t r o y t h i s f e e l i n g .
A f t e r t h e n a r r a t o r - f o c a l i s e r ' s r e a l i z a t i o n t h a t m a n is a p a r t
of
nature
- "Leaves,
words,
people,
t o w a r d s a u t u m n and t h e s o l s t i c e . "
shadows,
(CS, V . l l ,
whirled
182) -
together
the sketch
e n d s w i t h a g l i m p s e o f t h e s a m e ma d w o m a n g l e e f u l l y l o o k i n g at
a policeman.
T h u s , t h e s k e t c h s t a r t i n g and e n d i n g w i t h t h e s a m e
image of the w o m a n rein fo rces the cyclical aspec t of nature.
Another
Park",
sketch
whose
endeavour to
set
in
a garden
narrator-focaliser
create
his/her
own
is
"A
briefly
garden
Year
in
Regent's
mentions
his/her
and t h e n
recounts
the
o b s e r v a t i o n o f t h e p a r k at v a r i o u s t i m e s o f t h e y e a r . T h i s s k e t c h
w h i c h is "a l e i s u r e l y , d e t a i l e d s t u d y o f n a t u r e in t h e m i d d l e o f a
city"
(Driver
1974,
well.
The
narrator's
and
for
example,
result
garden,
18)
discusses
garden
in
environmental
boy's
finding
pollution
attempts
trash,
such
to
di g
as
as
the
cans.
120
bottles
and
broken
glass
on
the
top
layer
of
the
"potential
g a r d e n " . (CS, V . l l , 1 1 0)
L a t e r , w h i l e w a l k i n g in t h e p a r k , t h e f o c a l i s e r n o t i c e s t h a t
h u m a n b e i n g s d i s t u r b t h e a n i m a l s in t h e p a r k .
ducks, for instance,
very
few
people
T h e g e e s e and t h e
c o u l d o n l y c o m e t o t h e l and w h e n t h e r e are
around:
"While
people
still
slept,
or
were
c r a w l i n g o u t o f be d , t h e r e w a s t h e l i v e l i e s t o f i n t i m a t e o c c a s i o n s
in t h e
park,
which
themselves."
(CS,
park,
however,
which
reminds
stage
manager,
the
birds
and
V.ll,
116)
With
the
arrival
l ea v e
the
ground
the
the
animals
narrator
director,
of
and
animals
the
had
activity
assistants
more
of
to
in
leave
or
l es s
people
the
to
the
visitors,
a theatre:
off
the
to
the
stage
as
s o o n as t h e p u b l i c s t a r t t o c o m e in t o w a t c h t h e p e r f o r m a n c e .
The n a r r a t o r ' s e x c i t e m e n t ab ou t w h a t s/he w a t c h e s
park
l eads
human
him/her to challenge the
intervention
into
nature.
b i r d s are c o m i n g t o t e r m s w i t h
ways
we
don't
yet
speculates
that
these
they
not
were
aware
see?"
of the
"Perhaps,"
of the
s/he
us, o u r n o i s e ,
(CS,
animals
response
V.ll,
might
121)
even
fact that
animals
thinks
The
narrator
human
in
al so
beings
are l i t t e r i n g
to
"some
and o u r m e s s ,
like
people
in t h e
if
their
place of existe nce.
T h e w h o l e s k e t c h is n o t o n l y a d e t a i l e d o b s e r v a t i o n o f t h e
121
animals
keen
and f l o w e r s
perception
of
purposes:
the
ol d
while the
kids
play.
"characters",
themselves
any
kind
in t h e p a r k in d i f f e r e n t s e a s o n s b u t a l s o a
people
people
just
of
sit
to
and
the
place
watch
the
None of these v i s i t o r s
for the sketch
form
coming
the
is c o m p o s e d
c an
of
body of the narrative
action
in
which
for
environment,
be o b s e r v e d
"catalysers"
w ithout
characters
various
might
as
which
leading
take
into
parts.
A l t h o u g h t h e n a r r a t o r - f o c a l i s e r s e e m s t o pa s s h i s / h e r w h o l e l i f e
in R e g e n t ' s
Par k, in t h e m i d d l e o f L o n d o n , t r y i n g t o d i s c a r d t h e
p r o b l e m s o f s u r v i v i n g in a c r o w d e d
m e tro p o lis , s/he still retains
an
by
objective
point
of
view
simply
indexing
what
s/he
s ees
w i t h o u t including h im s e lf/h e rs e lf into the narrative.
The
following
three
sketches,
"Pleasures
of
the
Park",
" P r i n c i p l e s " and " I n D e f e n c e o f t h e U n d e r g r o u n d " h a v e a p p e a r e d
in
Lessing's
last
collection
of
stories
and
sketches
entitled
L o n d o n O b s e r v e d . A s M i c h a e l U p c h u r c h r e m a r k s in hi s i n t e r v i e w
with
Lessing,
the
title
of
the
collection
sketches "use a stra ig h tfo rw a rd ,
indicates
that
these
l-am -a- cam era approach to give
a l u c i d d e p i c t i o n o f t i m e and p l a c e . " ( 1 9 9 4 , 2 2 1 )
"Pleasures
of
the
d e e r and t h e g o a t s ,
of
a zoo.
At
the
Park",
whose
major
characters
recounts the na rra to r-fo c a lis e r's
beginning
of
the
sketch
there
is
are
the
perception
a chain
of
o b s e r v a t i o n s : a s e n i l e ma n w a t c h i n g t h e b i r d s in t h e p a r k is t h e n
122
observed
to
list
by o th e r people.
what
looking
s/he
at t h e
watches,
instance,
veers
cage of goats
about their parents'
for
The n a r r a t o r - f o c a l i s e r ,
camera
and d e e r ,
while
to
some
they
are
prejudices against these animals.
happens
c o n n o t a t i o n s as
the
whose task
to
be
damned
because
of
its
is
children
learning
The goa t,
historical
L u c i f e r , and w i t c h e s ' f r i e n d . H o w e v e r , e v e r y o n e
is f o n d o f t h e d e e r .
T h e p l o t o f t h i s n a r r a t i v e is al s o m a d e up o f
"catalysers",
t r i v i a l e v e n t s t h a t w o u l d n o r m a l l y f i l l in g a p s in a n a r r a t i v e , b u t
due to
lack of
a well-developed
plot these
functions
determine
t h e m e a n i n g o f t h e s k e t c h . T h e c a g e o f d e e r and g o a t s b e c o m e s
t h e s e t t i n g f o r t h e r e s t o f t h e s k e t c h , w i t h t h e s e a n i m a l s as t h e
characters.
animals,
O f f i c i a l s of t he zoo, w h o d e t e r m i n e t he f a t e of t h e
are t h e
for example,
unnoticed
players
of the
action.
The
narrator,
w a t c h e s t h e d e e r p o p u l a t i o n i n c r e a s e and d e c r e a s e
from tim e to time, w ith
Fat e c o m i n g " i n t h e s h a p e o f a v a n " and
t a k i n g " s p e c i a l f r i e n d s " {LO, 4 5 ) a w a y .
The
mating
of
the
deer
and
their
parent-offspring
r e l a t i o n s h i p r e m i n d o n e o f a s i m i l a r i t y b e t w e e n t h e s e a n i m a l s and
human
beings.
example,
thus
When
a
buck
tries
to
approach
he is h u s t l e d a w a y f o r b e i n g i n f e r i o r ,
comments;
humans do."
"Sometimes
(LO, 4 5 )
animals
emanate
a female,
for
and t h e n a r r a t o r
depression
as
Likewise, the older f a w n becomes jealous
123
as a r e s u l t o f i t s m o t h e r ' s b e a r i n g a n e w b a b y .
The s k e t c h ends w i t h the n a r r a t o r - f o c a l i s e r ' s final a n e c d o te
c o n c e r n i n g t h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n w i l d a n i m a l s , and h u m a n s and
d o g s : w h i l e t h e f o r m e r are c a g e d , t h e l a t t e r are w a n d e r i n g f r e e l y
outside.
H o w e v e r , t h e d o g s c a n n o t l ead t h e
had l ed, f o r t h e y
are l e a s h e d .
t h a t t h e y are n o t
"a h u m a n a p p e n d a g e "
obey their owners
when
The ab ru p t ending
with
the
pond
wishful
called
thinking
on t h e
Their in s tin c t seems to tell th e m
(LO, 4 9 ) ,
but still th e y
while playing w ith
their friends.
the observation
despite their ow ners'
life th e ir a n ce sto rs
of t w o
summoning
part of the
dogs
denotes
narrator that
playing
in
a ki nd o f a
human
beings
w i l l n o t in t h e end c o n t r o l n a t u r e .
The c a u t i o u s l y o p t i m i s t i c note referred to above may have
b e e n t h e b a s i s o f t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e s e s k e t c h e s , w h i c h are
set
in a g a r d e n
myth.
at t h e
city
center,
as a l l u s i v e
of the
Christian
T h e g a r d e n , w h i c h is l i k e a p a r a d i s e c r e a t e d in t h e m i d s t
o f a c i t y c e n t e r , m a y s t a n d f o r t h e G a r d e n o f Eden and o n c e t h e
n a r r a t o r is o u t s i d e t h i s p a r a d i s e , s / h e c an see t h e f a l l e n s t a t e o f
h u m a n b e i n g s l i v i n g in t u r m o i l .
"P rin c ip le s ", unlike the previous sketches w here the s ettin g
is
a park
London.
or
landscape,
Though
the
is s e t
in
a traffic
narrator-focaliser takes
jam
in
Hampstead,
part
in t h i s
sketch
124
as
one
of
the
nevertheless
actual
remains
people
an
in
outsider
a
by
crowded
simply
street,
s/he
observing
what
h a p p e n s b e t w e e n t h e ol d o v e r w e i g h t m a l e d r i v e r o f a red v a n and
t h e f e m a l e d r i v e r of a blue E scor t c o m i n g nose to nose w i t h each
other.
Hence,
in t h i s
sketch
the
conflict
between
the t w o
sexes
a p p e a r s in t h e f o r m o f b o t h d r i v e r s ' o b s t i n a c y n o t t o g i v e w a y t o
th e ot h er . The dr ive r of the van does not reverse to give w a y to
t h e w o m a n d r i v e r j u s t b e c a u s e s he is i n f e r i o r in t e r m s o f g e n d e r
roles.
The
focaliser,
woman,
has
commonsense
with
an
blocked
the
a strong
and
her
as t h e
other
character,
rights"
unreasonable
"unreasonable"
As soon
on
bully
suggests
the
as
observed
resisting
(¿0,
of
hand,
a
63),
narrator decides to
the
"to
the
death
because
s he
is
man."
narrator's
by
(LO,
support
reverse,
60)
of
"faced
The
the
word
woman.
s / h e s ee s t h e
b y a T o y o t a w h o s e f e m a l e d r i v e r is in t r o u b l e
for
with
road
the
male l o r r y d r i v e r , t he s e c o n d i n s t a n c e of t h e o p p o s i t i o n b e t w e e n
the
sexes.
The
state
of
people
shouting
and
hooting
at
each
o t h e r b e c a u s e o f t h e s e t w o i n c i d e n t s , c an a l s o be i n t e r p r e t e d as
a r e f l e c t i o n o f t h e c h a o t i c l i f e in t h e m e t r o p o l i s .
Living
similar way
sketch,
in
a crowded
city
is
depicted
in
in " I n D e f e n c e o f t h e U n d e r g r o u n d "
more
or
as w e l l .
l es s
a
In t h i s
t h e n a r r a t o r - f o c a l i s e r is n o t in t r a f f i c j a m b u t t r a v e l l i n g
125
by m e t r o and c o n t r a s t i n g t h e c h a o t i c p r e s e n t s t a t e o f L o n d o n t o
its past s i m p l i c i t y . Th oug h the n a rra to r- fo c a lis e r claims t h a t s/he
has l i v e d in t h i s c i t y f o r f o r t y y e a r s , s / h e w o u l d s t i l l be t r e a t e d
as
a
foreigner
external
fact,
by
the
characteristic
knows
about
elderly
of
the
the
past
people,
focaliser.
is
what
which
What
elders
points
the
tell
out
the
focaliser,
or
what
in
s/he
learns f r o m p o s tc a rd s .
The s k e t c h s ta r ts w i t h
in
the
cosmopolitan
center:
an a n e c d o t e c o n c e r n i n g t h e t u r m o i l
the
observer
overhears
an
Indian
c o n v e r s i n g w i t h a y o u n g ma n a b o u t t h e c r i m e s in E n g l a n d b e f o r e
getting
on
the
train.
Also,
waiting
for
the
train
on
a
high
p la tfo rm above depressing buildings invigorates the focaliser, for
"you
arrive
feel
thrust
unmediated
narrator, then,
there
up
had
only
into
by
the
sky.
buildings.
The
sun,
the
wind,
the
rain,
Exhilarating."
(LO,
82)
The
starts his/her journey from a poor d is t r ic t where
b e en
fields,
streams
and
birds
before
the
First
W o r l d W a r . T h e r e u s e d t o be s m a l l b u i l d i n g s and s h o p s " o f a k i n d
l ong s i n ce e x t i n c t , w h e r e each c u s t o m e r w a s ser ved i n d i v i d u a l l y "
(LO, 8 1 ) , u n l i k e t o d a y ' s l ar g e s u p e r m a r k e t s . T h e c o n t r a s t o f t h e
past
and
present
appears
in
the
form
of
human
beings'
d e s t r u c t i o n o f n a t u r e and ol d b u i l d i n g s , s u c h as t h e mi l l on Mi l l
L a ne, f o r t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f s t e r e o t y p i c a l m o d e r n b u i l d i n g s .
the narrator claims,
i t is t h e m i d d l e c l a s s p e o p l e ,
As
not the lower
class, w h o look back to the ir past w i t h no stalgia ; th e y co n sid er
126
t h e g o o d ol d d a y s as a p a r a d i s e , w h i l e ' " n o w i t is j u s t h o r r i d , f u l l
of horrid p e o p l e . ' " (¿0, 83)
Besides
London,
the
destructive
decent
(¿0,
instance,
the
difference
between
narrator
al s o
contemplates
attitudes.
Even
those
the
"need
universities
82),
train;
noticing
and
the
feel
show
disrespect
narrator-focaliser
young
people take
who
for
on
are
towards
much
two
such
in
destruction"
people.
attitudes
at t h e
of
people's
well-educated
other
room
faces
young
systematic
observes
up t o o
the
in
For
the
door of the
t r a i n , s t a n d i n g on t h e w a y o f o t h e r p a s s e n g e r s . T h e y f i n a l l y g e t
o f f " i n d a n g e r o u s k a n g a r o o l e a p s , s h o u t i n g a b u s e . " (LO, 8 8 )
Despite
the
unpleasant
scenes
of
the
metropolis,
the
n a rr a to r a d m i ts t h a t s/he likes London, p r o b a b l y because of "i ts
variety,
its
populations
transitoriness."
the
same
train
(LO,
89)
from
everywhere
The f o c a l i s e r ,
a Japanese
gi r l ,
a
in
the
for example,
black
man,
an
world,
its
notices
on
Indian
and
s e v e r a l A m e r i c a n s , i t is a c h a n c e f o r t h e f o c a l i s e r t o p e r c e i v e t h e
dinamism
o f m o d e r n l i f e by w a t c h i n g t h e p e o p l e g e t t i n g on and
o f f t h e t r a i n and b y t r a v e l l i n g t h r o u g h d i f f e r e n t d i s t r i c t s .
T h u s , all s k e t c h e s so f a r a n a l y z e d in t h i s c h a p t e r c o n s i s t of
"catalysers"
which
because there
do n o t c o m p l e m e n t t h e
are no c a r d i n a l
events
main
apart fro m
l i ne o f a c t i o n ,
the
seemingly
127
trivial
ones
observed
by
the
narrative to
be d i s c u s s e d
"Report
the
Threatened
plot
involving
on
organised
functions,
the
reason
why
sketches
in t w o
ways.
another
planet
observe
focalisers
chaotic
Rowe
watching
city
life
points
narrators"
in
out,
(1 9 9 4 ,
is,
external
narrators.
unlike the sketches,
City".
Although
both
"cardinal"
it is her e is t h a t
Firstly,
this
a group
world,
of
previous
sketches.
use
80)
of
"galactic
an
"catalyser"
aliens
in
the
has
it is s i m i l a r t o t h e
plants
and
story
and
like
animals
final
a story titled
this
just
the
The
coming
the
a
As
external
park
or
Margaret
administrators
from
as
the
Moan
central
is a w a y o f d i s t a n c i n g t h e n a r r a t i v e f r o m
t h e i n d i v i d u a l so t h a t s / h e w o u l d e v a l u a t e h i s / h e r s i t u a t i o n m o r e
objectively.
L e s s i n g h e r s e l f s t r e s s e s t h e n e ed " t o see o u r s e l v e s
as, p e r h a p s , a v i s i t o r f r o m a n o t h e r p l a n e t m i g h t see u s "
57),
because,
as
s he
explains
in
an
interview
with
(1 9 8 7 ,
Josephine
H e n d i n , t h i s w o u l d m a k e " t h e r e a d e r s l o o k at a h u m a n s i t u a t i o n
m o r e s h a r p l y . " ( 1 9 9 4 , 4 4 ) S e c o n d l y , l i ke t h e s k e t c h e s , t h e r e are
no
central,
about
well-developed
"them",
the
human
characters
beings,
in
is t o l d
this
story:
the
by c o l l e c t i v e
text
"we"
to
i m p l y t h e l o s s o f i n d i v i d u a l i t y in m o d e r n s o c i e t i e s .
The aim of t he c r e a t u r e s '
s p e c i e s on t h i s
soon
they
planet
understand
journey to
earth
is t o
against a possible d e s tru c tio n .
that
the
inhabitants
of
this
warn
the
However,
planet
are
a c t u a l l y a w a r e o f a f u t u r e d a n g e r and t h a t t h e y had e x p e r i e n c e d
128
a s i m i l a r o n e s i x t y - f i v e y e a r s ago b u t t h e m a i n p r o b l e m w i t h t h i s
species, human beings,
is t h a t t h e y " l a c k t h e w i l l t o l i v e . "
(CS,
V . l l , 1 8 5 ) In o t h e r w o r d s , t h e y are i n d i f f e r e n t t o a n y k i n d o f f e a r
or d e a t h .
The y o u n g
female's
song
heard
by t h e
aliens
unveils
th e ir nu m bn es s t o w a r d s danger:
We k n o w t he earth w e live upon
Is d u e t o f a l l .
We k n o w the ground we w a l k upon
M u s t shake.
W e k n o w , and s o . . .
W e e a t and d r i n k and l o v e .
Keep h i g h .
Keep l o v e .
For w e m u s t di e. (CS, V . l l , 1 9 2 )
This
song
with
the
collective
pronoun
"we"
represents
the
i n d i v i d u a l s ' " c a r p e d i e m " m e n t a l i t y , d i s r e g a r d i n g all p r o s p e c t s o f
catastrophy.
The
societies
whole
and
story
their
is,
in f a c t ,
governments
an i r o n i c
which
criticism
try
to
of
modern
deceive
their
c i t i z e n s . T h e a l i e n s p e r c e i v e on t h e i r l a n d i n g t o e a r t h t h a t
each
g r o u p o f t h i s s p e c i e s has a w a r - m a k i n g f u n c t i o n w h i c h p r e t e n d s
to
be
a defender
of
peace.
The
weapons
developed
by
these
129
functions
are
kept
secret
from
the
inhabitants
of
each
g e o g r a p h i c a l ar ea and al s o f r o m t h e e n e m y .
T h e a l i e n s ' p u r p o s e o f w a r n i n g t h e s e p e o p l e e n d s in f a i l u r e ,
because besides th e ir u n w illin g n e s s to alter the ir s it u a t io n , th e y
ki l l
themselves
by
driving
dangerously
and
using
drugs.
The
c r e a t u r e s f r o m a n o t h e r p l a n e t al so n o t i c e d i s a s t r o u s n e w s a b o u t
people being
ki ll ed
Furthermore,
the
aliens
reject
all
inhabitants
in v a r i o u s
mark
kinds
places,
that
of
such
both
new
as a b a s e b a l l
the
young
ideas
and
whose
game.
the
source
ol d
is
u n k n o w n , since people w h o t h i n k c o n t r a r y to the c u r r e n t p o i n t of
view
are
considered
as
opinionated
by
the
public.
Therefore,
they
n o t e t h a t in t h e i r f u t u r e c o n t a c t w i t h t h i s s p e c i e s , " i n f i n i t e
c a r e m u s t be t a k e n t o p r e p a r e p l e n i p o t e n t i a r i e s w h o r e s e m b l e in
every
respect the
most
orthodox
and
harmless
members
of the
people
against
s o c i e t y . " (CS , V . l l , 1 9 9 )
Thus,
danger,
finding
these
it
impossible
"galactic
to
warn
administrators"
these
l ea v e
humans
on
their
o w n and r e t u r n t o t h e i r p l a n e t . A s a r e s u l t , t h e b i t t e r c r i t i c i s m o f
our
customs
and
governmental
makes the reader evaluate
relations
from
the
aliens'
focus
t h e p r o b l e m s o f t h e m o d e r n w o r l d in
a m o r e o b j e c t i v e w a y . T h e s t o r y a c t s as an o m e n f o r t h e f u t u r e
catastrophy
written
as
that
a
awaits
report
human
from
the
beings.
mouth
The
of
form
of
the
extraterrestial
story
beings
130
gives
a sense
of
objectivity
to
the
reader.
i n s e r t e d i n t o t h e n a r r a t i v e , s u c h as
Mission",
"The
Nature
of
the
Thus,
the
headings
" S u m m a r y of O b je c tiv e th is
Problem",
"The
Landing",
"First
A t t e m p t at a W a r n i n g " and " D e p a r t u r e f r o m t h e P l a n e t " m a k e t h e
reader reconsider his/her ow n state th r o u g h the perusal of f ic t io n
w h i c h a p p e a r s as a f a c t u a l r e p o r t .
In c o n c l u s i o n ,
the
sketches
with
their
catalogue
of
either
n a t u r a l b e a u t i e s ( s u c h as t h e d e s c r i p t i o n o f a p a r k in " T h e O t h e r
Garden")
Defence
or
claustrophobic
of
depiction
the
of
city
life
Underground")
human
beings'
and
(as
in
the
the
final
indifference to
case
story
any
kind
of
"In
with
its
of danger,
d i f f e r f r o m t h e n a r r a t i v e s o f t h e p r e v i o u s t w o c h a p t e r s in f o r m .
While
all
focaliser
share
the
who
is
same
al s o
characteristic
the
narrator,
of
the
having
an
sketches
external
lack
main
c h a r a c t e r s and w e l l - d e v e l o p e d p l o t s t r u c t u r e s w i t h a n y " c a r d i n a l
functions".
charaters
(1 9 9 4 ,
do
81)
Between
dichotom y
However,
not
The
their
as
Rowe
"preclude
central
Feet",
between
a
view
and
ma n
asserts,
central
of
those
and
the
the
absence
view
African
that
are
nature.
from
of
emerging."
sketch,
set
in
The
central
"The
a park
main
Sun
is t h e
i dea
of
" P r i n c i p l e s " , on t h e o t h e r h a n d , is t h e c o n f l i c t b e t w e e n m a n and
woman,
while
Underground",
some
sketches,
like
"In
discuss the problems of living
Defence
of
the
in a c i t y t o g e t h e r
w i t h a n o s ta l g i a for the past peaceful life. Hence, the role of the
131
narrator-focaliser
concerns
and
urban
of the
in
these
modern
narratives
world,
violence through
the
such
is
to
evaluate
as e n v i r o n m e n t a l
"other
eye"
so as t o
t h e s e p r o b l e m s t h r o u g h an o b j e c t i v e p e r s p e c t i v e .
some
pollution
represent
132
CONCLUSION
C h risto p h e r Bigsby,
in an
interview
w ith the w rite r,
quite
j u s t i f i a b l y r e m a r k s t h a t t h e m a i n t h e m e in L e s s i n g ' s w o r k is " t h e
n e e d t o e s c a p e t h e d e f i n i t i o n t h a t has b e en o f f e r e d t o [ h e r ] as a
m e m b e r o f a p a r t i c u l a r g r o u p , a r ac e or a c o u n t r y , in s o m e s e n s e
as
a sex
collected
"
in
(1994,
four
78)
Doris
volumes
as
Lessing's
stories
and
C ollecte d
A frica n
sketches
S torie s
and
C o l l e c t e d S t o r i e s t o g e t h e r w i t h her l a t e s t b o o k L o n d o n O b s e r v e d
do ,
in
fact,
reflect
the
writer's
concern
with
oppression
-
w h e t h e r t h i s be in t h e f o r m o f e x p l o i t a t i o n o f t h e b l a c k s or ma l e
d o m i n a n c e on t h e f e m a l e - e n v i r o n m e n t a l p o l l u t i o n and t e r r o r i s m .
Chapter
I,
which
includes
African
stories
concerning
a
c h i l d ' s d e v e l o p m e n t , has f o c u s e d on t h e q u e s t i o n o f " o t h e r n e s s "
in t e r m s o f t h e c o n f l i c t b e t w e e n t h e c o l o n i z e r and t h e c o l o n i z e d ,
t h e f o r m e r b e i n g w h i t e w h i l e t h e l a t t e r is b l a c k . In t h e s e s t o r i e s ,
namely,
"The
Ol d
Chief
"Old J o h n ' s Place",
"The
S to ry of T w o
vision
towards
the
child
the
two
what
Mshlanga",
"The New Man",
Dogs"
and
Sunrise
"The A nth eap ",
stories
between
analyzed
in
on
the
Veld",
"Getting off the A ltitu d e ",
s / h e sees is f o r e g r o u n d e d
s ee s no d i f f e r e n c e
other
"A
the t w o
this
the child's
to
indicate
races.
chapter,
fresh
that
Moreover,
"Hunger"
and
133
"Little
Tembi",
experiences,
which
recount
the
black
adolescents'
r e v e a l t h e i l l - t r e a t m e n t o f t h e n a t i v e s by t h e w h i t e
settlers.
Chapter
experience
in
reluctance
to
II, w h i c h
Africa
accept
deals w i t h
or
stories concerning
London,
change
has
as
underlined
opposed
to
an a d u l t ' s
the
adult's
the
child's
w i l l i n g n e s s t o b r e a k up t h e n o r m s o f s o c i e t y as d i s c u s s e d in t h e
first chapter.
"A
Home
In t h e A f r i c a n s t o r i e s l i ke " ' L e o p a r d '
for
the
Highland
Cattle",
it
is
George"
observed
and
that
the
a p p a r e n t c o n f l i c t b e t w e e n ' t h e w h i t e ' and ' t h e b l a c k ' , w h i c h t h e
adolescent
tries
to
resolve,
becomes
an
accepted
fact
by
the
a d u l t s . S t o r i e s d w e l l i n g on t h e s u p p r e s s i o n o f t h e f e m a l e by t h e
m a l e , s u c h as " T o R o o m N i n e t e e n " , " B e t w e e n M e n " and " H e " , on
the o th e r hand, s h o w t h a t the fem ale p r o t a g o n i s t does not have
the
urge
to
alter
dominance.
The
relieved
her
of
f r o m he r b o d y is
her
only
state
despite
narrative
frustrated
l ove
story,
abhorrence
whose
female
affairs
by
of
male
protagonist
extracting
her
gets
heart
" H o w I Finaly Lost My H e a rt ".
The th i r d c ha p te r, fi n a l ly ,
one
her
"Report
on
the
has c o v e r e d s e v e n s k e t c h e s and
Threatened
City",
which
focus
on
c o n c e r n s l i k e e n v i r o n m e n t a l r u i n , t h e c o n f l i c t b e t w e e n n a t u r e and
civilization
and
issues
on u r b a n
violence
and t e r r o r i s m
through
an a l i e n ' s p e r s p e c t i v e in o r d e r t o p r e s e n t t h e s e c o n c e r n s f r o m an
134
o b j e c t i v e s t a n c e . T h e g a r d e n s or p a r k s d e s c r i b e d by t h e n a r r a t o r s
in
the
sketches,
Regent's
Park",
Park", form
story,
including
"Lions,
Leaves,
through
Other
Garden",
Roses..."
a c o n tra s t w ith the
human beings'
presented
"The
"A
Year
In
and " P l e a s u r e s o f t h e
c la u s t r o p h o b ic c it y life.
In t h e
i n d i f f e r e n c e t o w a r d s all k i n d s o f d a n g e r is
the
objective
perspective
of
creatures
from
a n o th e r pla net to a cc e n tu a te the p a th e tic s itu a tio n of the human
beings.
Lessing's
search
for
new
themes
c an
he r e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n w i t h d i f f e r e n t s t y l e s .
Personal
Voice"
s he has w r i t t e n
al s o
be o b s e r v e d
In her e s s a y " A S m a l l
t h a t s he p r e f e r s t h e
novels
t h e n i n e t e e n t h - c e n t u r y , t h a t is t h e w o r k s o f t h e r e a l i s t s .
14)
Her
earlier
referential,
emphasis
discussed
in t h e
first
two
the
have
inequality
of
the
well-organized
two
plot
races
structures
or
chapters
sexes.
and
of
(1 9 7 5 ,
are
r e f l e c t i n g t he r e a l i s t i c c o n c e r n s of t he t i m e w i t h
on
narratives
stories
in
an
These
developed
c h a r a c t e r s . In her l a t e r n a r r a t i v e s , s u c h as t h e s k e t c h e s a n a l y z e d
in C h a p t e r
he r s t y l e :
III,
however,
on e
notices
that
Lessing
has
changed
t h e s k e t c h e s w h i c h are s i m p l y a b o u t t h e o b s e r v a t i o n s
o f an o u t s i d e r , h a v e no s t o r y l i ne and c h a r a c t e r s . S u c h a c h a n g e
may
be
considered
referential
societies
style
which
no
to
be
reflective
longer
suits
are c h a r a c t e r i s e d
T h u s , s he w r i t e s :
of
the
by t h e
Lessing's
confusion
uncertainty
belief
of
that
modern
of values.
" W o r d s no l o n g e r h a v e c e r t a i n m e a n i n g s . T h e y
135
have
become
so
inadequate
to
express
the
uncertainty
and
i n s e c u r i t y o f t w e n t i e t h - c e n t u r y . " ( 1 9 7 5 , 14)
Critics
underlined
who
the
have w r i t t e n
relationship
about
Lessing's
between
content
stories
and
have not
form
in
her
w o r k s . In t h i s t h e s i s , L e s s i n g ' s s t o r i e s and s k e t c h e s are a n a l y z e d
with
reference
French
to
the
Structuralists,
narrative
Roland
strategies
Barthes
developed
and
Ge r a r d
by
the
Genette,
to
d i s p l a y h o w n a r r a t i v e t e c h n i q u e s help reveal t h e t h e m e o f t h e s e
texts.
The
between
tells"
distinction
"narrator"
and
grouping
brought
and
"focalisation",
"who
sees",
and
the
narrator
as
of
forward
their
by
that
is
rejection
"first-person"
these
theorists
between
of
and
the
"who
classical
"third-person"
b e c a u s e o f i t s i n a d e q u a c y , h a v e had an o u t s t a n d i n g i n f l u e n c e on
fiction
analysis.
dealing
adult
with
The
a child's
and t h e
third
three
chapters
experience,
with
the
of
the
perception
this
thesis
second
of
with
- the
that
an o u t s i d e r
first
of
-
an
thus
a t t e m p t t o e m p h a s i z e t h e r ol e o f t h e n a r r a t o r and t h e i m p o r t a n c e
o f f o c a l i s a t i o n in r e a c h i n g a b e t t e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e t h e m e s
of Doris Le ssing's narratives.
Genette's
groups,
( o ne
"extradiegetic"
of
the
categorization
related
to
of
the
the
narrator
degree
of
into
two
narrating
distinct
act
as
and " i n t r a d i e g e t i c " , t h e o t h e r t o t h e i n v o l v e m e n t
narrator
in
the
story
as
"homodiegetic"
and
136
"heterodiegetic"),
example,
some
helps to de fi ne the p r o b l e m a t i c na rr a to rs .
narrators
do
not
participate
in
the
action
For
but
r e f e r t o t h e m s e l v e s as " I " in c e r t a i n p a r t s o f t h e n a r r a t i v e , s u c h
as t h e
narrators
of
"To
Room
Nineteen"
and
"A
Home
for
the
H i g h l a n d C a t t l e " . In t h e s e s t o r i e s t h e c l a s s i c a l d i s t i n c t i o n o f t h e
n a r r a t i v e s t a n c e as " t h i r d - p e r s o n "
be
inadequate
term,
in
defining
"heterodiegetic"
the
and " f i r s t - p e r s o n "
r ol e
narrator,
of
the
clarifies
happens to
narrator.
this
Genette's
complication,
as
t h i s c o i n a g e s u g g e s t s t h e e x t e r n a l i t y o f t h e n a r r a t o r , at t h e s a m e
time
allowing
his/her
personal
appearance
when
the
narrator
p r e f e r s t o c o m m e n t in t h e f o r m o f " I " .
The
"homodiegetic"
narrators,
unlike
the
"heterodiegetic"
o n e s , on t h e o t h e r h a n d , d i s c l o s e t h e i r o w n e x p e r i e n c e s f r o m
subjective
position,
For
example.
r ead
about
"A
in
themselves.
Al l
"homodiegetic
M
Genette's
Room"
lives
the
observations
because
of
the
of
of
their
and
"An
two
narrators
to
a
or
distinction
in
between
women
as
Chapter
III
describe
city
"who
in t h e
Love
Unposted
lonely
sketches
garden
involvement
we
narrated
by
also
their
and
story.
Letter"
atmosphere.
tells"
a
"who
have
subjective
Moreover,
sees"
in
"hom odiegetic"
r e t r o s p e c t i v e n a r r a t i v e s , s u c h as " T h e Ol d C h i e f
Mshlanga"
"The
and
Story
of T w o
Dogs",
helps to
clarify
the
c o n f u s i o n as t o w h e t h e r i t is t h e c h i l d w h o n a r r a t e s t h e s t o r y or
not.
In
these
texts,
the
adult
as
the
narrator
comments
and
137
evaluates
his/her
childhood
experiences
by
using
"internal
focal s a tio n " th roug h the child. Therefore,
referring to the child
as
stories
the
narrator
discarding
the
in
some
adult's
of
Lessing's
r ol e in h i g h l i g h t i n g
the
would
mean
innocence
of the
child.
The
only
story
" intradiegetic"
which
narrator
is
has
both
"The
an
Story
"extradiegetic"
of
and
a Non-Marrying
an
Man"
s c r u t i n i z e d in C h a p t e r II, as it has a s e c o n d s t o r y e m b e d d e d i n t o
the main t e x t .
T h i s s t o r y - w i t h i n - s t o r y t e c h n i q u e is an e f f o r t
the part of the " e x t r a d ie g e t ic "
about
the
mysterious
main
on
na rr ator to give more i n f o r m a t i o n
character,
Johnny
Blakeworthy,
by
q u o t i n g a w r i t e r ' s s t o r y in a n e w s p a p e r .
The
important
stories
type
in
of
determining
discussed
George",
focalisation
"Lucy
in
the
this
Grange"
us e d
theme
research,
and
"A
in
Lessing's
as
well.
"Little
Woman
Only
Tembi",
and
her
stories
are
four
the
of
"'Leopard'
Cat",
mainly
e m p l o y " f r e e f o c a l i s a t i o n " e i t h e r t o v i e w t h e h e r o e s and h e r o i n e s
o f t h e s e n a r r a t i v e s m o r e o b j e c t i v e l y or t o s u g g e s t t h e a l i e n a t i o n
of the main cha ra cte r.
In m o s t
so
as
to
instance,
of
give
except
her s t o r i e s
recourse
to
Lessi ng
the
"Little Tembi",
us e s
i de as
"internal
of
the stories
her
focalisation"
characters.
in C h a p t e r
For
I, w h i c h
138
deal
with
a black
or w h i t e
child's
or
adolescent's
initiation
in
A f r i c a , are i n t e r n a l l y f o c a l i s e d t h r o u g h t h e c h i l d . T h i s a l l o w s t h e
reader
to
follow
realization.
the
Those
child's
narratives
development
which
from
are a l s o
ignorance
internally
to
focalised
in C h a p t e r II d i s p l a y t h e w o m a n ' s l o n e l i n e s s and her f r u s t r a t i o n
in
Africa
or
England
through
her
own
eyes
to
make
the
p r o t a g o n i s t ' s s i t u a t i o n m o r e e m p h a t i c . In " H o w I F i n a l l y L o s t M y
H e a r t " and " T o R o o m N i n e t e e n " , f o r e x a m p l e , t h e d i s a p p o i n t m e n t
of
both
women
see n t h r o u g h
their own
perspectives
underlines
the male/fem ale c o n flic t.
T h r e e s t o r i e s in C h a p t e r II, h o w e v e r ,
Marrying
Man",
"external
focalisation".
protagonist's
In
the
Men"
This
stories
is e x p r e s s e d
the
and
type
alienation from
latter
partners
"Between
of
hi s o w n
women's
dramatically,
"The S to ry of a Non-
"He"
are
told
focalisation
society
through
suggests
the
in t h e f i r s t s t o r y .
suppression
because the
by
the
narrator
male
leaves
the ground to the characters to explain their ow n situa tion w it h
little
commentary
appearance.
in
these
In o t h e r w o r d s ,
texts,
focalisation".
about
the
meaning.
about
unlike
the
characters'
narratorial interruption
is v e r y l i t t l e
those
Therefore,
characters
the
the
and
setting
which
reader
events
or
are
has t o
in
order
told
through
gather
to
all t h e
appreciate
"free
clues
the
139
Les si ng uses " e x t e r n a l f o c a l i s a t i o n "
in he r s k e t c h e s and in
" R e p o r t on t h e T h r e a t e n e d C i t y " d e a l t w i t h in t h e f i n a l c h a p t e r t o
s u p p o r t he r i dea t h a t w e need t o see o u r s e l v e s as o t h e r p e o p l e
or b e i n g s w o u l d
see us so t h a t w e m i g h t c o n s i d e r o u r s i t u a t i o n
more o b je c tiv e ly .
In c o n c l u s i o n ,
it m a y ,
strategies,
mainly
the
focalisation
- "telling"
once more,
distinction
be s t a t e d t h a t n a r r a t i v e
between
narration
and
and " s e e i n g " - do f o r e g r o u n d t h e t h e m e s
o f L e s s i n g ' s s t o r i e s and s k e t c h e s .
140
NOTES
1 . T h e t y p e o f p o i n t o f v i e w B o o t h d i s c u s s e s is a l s o k n o w n
as " l i m i t e d
"The
o m n i s c i e n t p o in t of v i e w " ,
Story
of
an
Hour"
where
as us e d in K a t e C h o p i n ' s
the
narrator
enters
into
Mrs
Mallard's consciousness.
2.
An examp le
for
"first-person
retrospective"
narrative
is
J a m e s J o y c e ' s " A r a b y " w h e r e t h e n a r r a t o r ' s c o m m e n t s a b o u t hi s
immature experiences, finding them foolish, show the difference
between
the
adult
as
the
narrator
and
the
child
as
the
focal
by
D.H.
character.
3.
This
type
of
focalisation
is
exemplified
Law rence's "The Rocking-Horse W inner".
4.
Ernest
Hemingway's
"Hills
Li ke
Story
of
White
Elephants"
has
"external focalisation".
5.
Kate
Chopin's
"The
an
Hour"
is
internally
fo ca lised t h r o u g h Mrs Mallard.
6.
This
is t h e c a s e in E r n e s t
Hemingway's
"A
Clear Well-
Lighted Place".
7. T h e n a r r a t o r o f J a m e s J o y c e ' s " A r a b y " is " e x t r a d i e g e t i c hom odiegetic".
8. S c h e h e r a z a d e ' s s t o r i e s in A T h o u s a n d a n d One N i g h t s is
an e x a m p l e o f t h i s t y p e o f n a r r a t i o n .
9.
narrator.
Emily
Bronte's
W uthe ring
H e igh ts
has
this
type
of
141
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