Analysis of The History of Rasselas and Prince of Abyssinia - Book Report/Review Example

The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia Samuel Johnson, a famous British writer of the 18th century, provides the reader with one of the brightest examples of travel narrative in his novel “Rasselas” published in 1759. Up to now the novel generates a wide range of reactions: from dissatisfaction to admiration. Some critics might find the book lacking originality and dynamics; some, such as John Wain, might praise it as a “…pithy, economical, fast-moving, written at a very high level of energy, it leaves one feeling challenged, stimulated and generally keyed up for life” (Wain, 1974: 210). However, what makes the work a really outstanding piece of travel literature is that Johnson goes beyond a mere logging of events and dates. Perhaps the earliest example of traveling for the sake of travel and writing about it is Petrarch’s (1304–1374) ascent of Mount Ventoux in 1336. The key feature that distinguishes this piece of writing from a mere record of events is the parallel Petrarch draws between climbing the mountain and his moral development as a person. In fact, it is precisely this allegory that adds literary value to the work. Although Johnson, unlike Petrarch, has not been a participant of the travel, and even the travel itself is absolutely fictitious the book still remains a travel narrative precisely for this reason: it is full of clear and hidden insights, values and deep philosophic meaning. Johnson makes a clear allegorical comparison between Rasselas’ physical travel and his pursuit of happiness. The author describes the story of Prince Rasselas of Abyssinia, the young prince who embarks on the long and difficult road to find …happiness. Being unsatisfied with a cloudless life of having anything at the moment he wants it, Rasselas is inclined to leave Happy Valley, his home. But even before the prince’s leave, Johnson gives us a hint to facilitate further understanding of the novel: Rasselas claims “I fancy that I should be happy if I had something to pursue” (Johnson, 1999: 8). As one well-known critic observes, the verb ‘pursue’ plays critically important role in this phrase: “Johnson defines the verb ‘pursue’ in his dictionary as both ‘to endeavor to attain’ and ‘to chase’ [and] blends these meanings throughout his story, as he sends Rasselas in literal pursuit of happiness from Abyssinia to Egypt and back again” (Baker, 1966: 254). The prince’s physical pursuit of some abstract happiness makes the reader draw strong parallels between Rasselas and those romantic Knights of the Round Table who regularly pursued the Saint Grail without even knowing what it was and refusing to accept that it might not even exist in this physical world. Inspired by the poet Imlac, who tells him the stories about places other than his house in the Happy Valley Rasselas decides to visit those places, while the poet agrees to accompany him on the journey. However, Happy Valley was not the easiest place to escape from, and Rasselas together with Imlac had to dig through the mountain. The prince’s sister Nekayah discovers her brother’s plan and insists that she also leave Happy Valley together with her maid Pekuah. Accompanied by the escort of three persons, Rasselas travels from Suez to Cairo first. During this part of journey the group meets a lot of different people, and the prince finally obtains an opportunity to know more on ways of life other than his. However, it turns out that all those people have entirely different ‘choices of life’ and, like the Rasselas himself, none of them is happy with his choice. Thus, a wise man that seems absolutely happy having much knowledge has his happiness broken to pieces when his young daughter dies. The same situation occurs when the travelers meet people who live the ‘natural’ life: those days it was a popular belief that the true happiness is possible only when a person lives in accord with the Nature. However, Rasselas discovers that these people can also be envious and dissatisfied with life. The second part of Rasselas’ journey (to the Pyramids of Egypt) is marked by loss of Nekayah’s maid, but the group continues their travel. They meet a highly knowledgeable scientist-astronomer, but despite all his knowledge the astronomer also fails to give the answer to Rasselas’ question. The prince gradually starts to believe that “human life is everywhere a state in which much is to be endured, and little to be enjoyed” (Johnson, 1999: 31). Finally, Rasselas and his companions realize that there is no such thing as universal happiness, and each decides what would make him or her happy. The sources of happiness appear to be absolutely different: Nekayah decides that knowledge is precisely what can make her happy, and wishes to learn at a college for women; Rasselas, in his turn, wants to have a small kingdom where he would be able to implement his principles of governance; and finally, Pekuah considers that only the convent could bring her happiness. At the first glance, it may seem that that travel undertaken by Rasselas and his companions was useless. Yet, Johnson’s message is much deeper, and a careful reader may notice one thing about the narration: when the prince and his friends make their way from Abyssinia to Egypt, they overcome a number of obstacles, but never loose optimism. Even repeated failures to find the answers to the major question of their journey does not affect this optimism: the author describes their state as ‘delighted’, ‘pleased’ or ‘gratified’, although the context obviously requires much less optimistic words. Sheridan Baker, a famous critic, considers this discrepancy a fine literary trick Johnson employs to convey the major idea of the novel: despite difficulties of their mission, Rasselas and his companions “seem to have been rather happy during most of their busy education in the world” (Baker, 1966: 260). Baker’s observation helps understand Johnson’s view of happiness. Since Rasselas’ pursuit does not reveal the true happiness, although the prince and his companions have visited many new lands and encountered hundreds of people, Johnson obviously considers that such thing is simply unattainable in this world. However, the travelers feel happy throughout their useless and challenging pursuit, which means the pursuit is happiness in itself, though transient and elusive (White, 1998). Although Johnson speaks of happiness in general, a reader may note this difference between true and earthy happiness. The happiness experienced by the travelers during their pursuit is transient – in ends when the pursuit is over. The essence of this happiness is perfectly mirrored in Nekayah’s words she addresses to Rasselas: “None are happy, but by the anticipation of change: the change itself is nothing; when we have made it, the next wish is to change it again” (Johnson, 1999: 110). With the help of this phrase Johnson tells the reader that true happiness is impossible to achieve in this world, no matter how hard a person tries. None of the people whom Rasselas have encountered during his journey is able to keep it for a long time: happiness of the wise man lasts till the death of his daughter, the adherents of pastoral life feel happy until they meet a person who come off better than they, etc. Therefore, the prince obviously fails to find the true happiness. The true happiness is unattainable due to one simple reason: everything changes in this world, people, things, and traditions, while the true happiness seems to be a state of mind that excludes any possibility of change. In other words, when a person gains the top of a mountain there is only one way open for him – the way down. The transient happiness experienced by Rasselas and his companions only demonstrates readers that neither they nor people they have met during their travel will ever achieve true happiness in this world. Works Cited Baker, Sheridan (1966), “Rasselas: Psychological Irony and Romance” Philological Quarterly 45; pp.249-61. Johnson, Samuel (1999), The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia, In parentheses Publications, Orientalism Series, Cambridge, Ontario Wain, John. Samuel Johnson. New York: Viking Press, 1974 White, Shelby (1998), “The Search for Happiness: Rasselas in Jane Eyre”, online article retrieved November 22, 2007 from http://www.umd.umich.edu/casl/hum/eng/classes/434/charweb/white1.htm Read More