Use of Nature and Landscape as Symbolic of Irish Spirit - Essay Example

Introduction Irish literature has been the voice of the land since the days of its freedom movement. Nature interconnected with human life has always been a predominating theme in the works of most writers. The reason could be the search for identity and the natural impulse to be distinguished as a separate entity that has its intrinsic value. It was one of the key aspects of the Irish literary movement that emphasised on the revival of the Irish folk culture. But with the advent of industrialisation and with it the process of modernisation changes too occurred in the conceptual beliefs of the writers and with the changing scenario there was a general shift in their choice of theme. McGahern faced quite a bit of criticism for his affinity to the traditional rural culture that comes across vividly in his novels ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ and ‘Amongst Women’ (Garratt). McGahern captures the eternal conflict between urban and rural life. Without making any explicit comments he juxtaposes the two antagonistic concepts that dictate the life of his characters and put them under inherent dilemma about their state of being. The two novels are similar in their themes but different in treatment, narration and philosophy. Use of nature and landscape as symbolic of Irish spirit McGahern has portrayed the reality of Irish culture and heritage. He has shown how people have imbibed the indomitable yet melancholic spirit of the land. The landscape seems to be an extension of every emotion felt by the characters. McGahern has made an artistic representation of the Irish landscape that the thinkers have tended to interpret in its numerous manifestations and drawn parallels with different contexts like social, historical and mythical (Decoding the landscape). The different attributes of nature that characterise the Irish landscape form an integral part of every individual’s life that happens to live by the countryside. McGahern in both of his novels has brought forth the all pervasive presence of nature for example the lake in ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ and the meadow in ‘Amongst Women’. McGahern and the pastoral tradition Just like the enigmatic landscape the pastoral tradition has also been explored in the works of artists and writers. McGahern has been a devout admirer of the pastoral tradition and expresses his fascination for the intense romantic appeal associated with it. It seems as though that McGahern’s ultimate intention in weaving the stories of his two novels was to evoke a sense of nostalgia that is characteristic of pastoral romance (Laurence). The pastoral tradition has probably been developed with the aim to resurrect the ideal though unreal imagination of the past which always seems to be made of happier days. McGahern too wants to revive not only the older tradition of poetic form but he has a deeper and philosophical reason. Like the Romantics who bemoaned the loss of the natural world, the gradual transition of society along with the lifestyle of people from agricultural to the urban, McGahern too rues the gradual disappearance of the aboriginal Irish mode of life (Garratt). Both the novels ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ and ‘Amongst Women’ deal with the dilemma of trying to hold on to a past that is losing its significance in the face of new age technology and also replaced by it really fast. His novels evoke nostalgia Against such a socio-historical setting the glorification of the past is but natural. And the attempt to bring into the lyrical element of the pastoral romance in contrast to the starkness of the mechanised world heightens the discrepancy and drives home McGahern’s point of view. McGahern taps the nostalgia that the pastoral tradition stirs up reminding one of one’s days of innocence and simplicity as a child (Laurence). He attaches the same significance of one’s lost childhood to the loss of a more pristine worldview. How far the old ways of life or the older philosophy have actually been that ideal is a matter of much debate and discussion. But one might be certain that McGahern is from the old school of thought that is pretty evident from his unconditional eulogising of the past. However, in his two novels ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ and ‘Amongst Women’ he has brought in two different aspects of the theme of the pastoral that are contrasted against each other. While the former one is all about the tender and melancholic side of rural Ireland the latter presents the starkness and the inherent sombre aspect of the landscape. McGahern has artistically exploited the full range of the rural background with its imposing landscape and the unrelenting life force of its people. His search for the true Irish fervour pervades throughout his novels sometimes in term of the landscape and sometimes in the portrayal of a character. The landscape representing the psyche and constitution of the characters The concept of the landscape as the symbolical representation of man’s inner psyche or the cartography of the mind has always been the most appropriate instrument for artistic depiction of the story of man and his eternal quest for identity. The journey of self discovery and the attainment of enlightenment have always been amid nature. Down the ages poets and writers have used the imagery of the natural landscape and the rural setting to embody the beauty of life as well as a superior power that is beyond the control of human beings. McGahern has shown how the great meadow asserts its presence in the life of the Moran family (Garratt). He draws the character of Moran unbending and unpredictable in nature with his imposing stature that people could hardly ignore on that of the great meadow that casts a similar spell on the people. Within the house the outside world was shut out. There was only Moran, their beloved father; within his shadow and the walls of his house they felt that they would never die; and each time they came to great Meadow they grew again into the wholeness of being the unique and separate Morans. (Amongst Women, 12) The powerful presence and the significance of both the land and the lord of the land hold equal importance in the lives of the Moran family. Their identities seemed to have merged in such a way that they cannot be held separately. The mention of one evokes the image of the other. McGahern has adopted the tradition of landscape imagery to create a poignant effect within his narrative style in this particular novel. Whereas his description of the lake in ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ is reminiscent of the pastoral tradition where nature upholds the beauty and regeneration and is more of an arcadia (Laurence). The morning was clear. There was no wind on the lake. There was also a great stillness. When the bells rang out for Mass, the strokes trembling on the water, they had the entire world to themselves. (They May Face the Rising Sun, 3) The passage exudes warmth and domesticity that is typical of rural life a complete opposite to that he attempted in the description and symbolisation of the great meadow. In ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ he makes the lake a part of the community that too lives the moment of joy and sorrow like the rest of them. It seems to stand midway between the old and the new life. The old house that has turn into ruins by the lakeside is a witness to the older tradition. But the newly planted telephone pole hiding the view of the lake starkly reminds of the modern world that is gradually but firmly encroaching into the rural territory (Sampson). His focus on rural community life ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ is centred on community life of the rural folks. It captures the essential mood of fellow feeling and friendship. McGahern portrays the character of Jamesie as typically Irish in nature, appearance and that boisterous sense of humour. He represents the inherently good natured country folk. As a contrast to him is the Rutledge couple who had lived their share of city life but are content in living in the countryside. They do not have the spontaneous and easy mirth of Jamesie but they have the sensibility to appreciate the innocence and simplicity of the country bred Jamesie (Sampson). At this point McGahern has brought in a significant issue that might have created a rift between their mutual feelings of affection and respect and at the same time there is an underlying criticism also. The Rutledge couple would never attend the Church as they have no faith in it. Jamesie on the other hand has no qualms about visiting the church or attending the mass ceremony even though he is unsure about his religious orientation. Apparently McGahern seems to point at the casualness with which Jamesie questions the honesty of people who claim to be believers (Sampson). Jamesie’s words have the potential to fuel religious controversy. But McGahern’s presentation of the character of Jamesie and his treatment of the issue from the perspective of a simple man save it from critical dissection. Rather the whole episode points out to the fact that in reality most people are either ignorant or oblivious of their religious conditioning. In ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ McGahern seems to glorify and uphold community life. The novel is more of a documentation of community life, the community activities, their rituals and customs than the story of any particular character. Unlike ‘Amongst Women’ where the protagonist is the patriarch Moran, in ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ there are no central characters; rather every character seems pivotal in creating the complete picture of the Irish community and each character contributes to the understanding of the Irish mentality. Each of their lives is intertwined with one another. In other words they live and love to live their life together. The Rutledge couple described as good listeners are always receiving neighbours as visitors without ever showing disregard. The community that McGahern portrays is far from the ideal. Characters like John Quinn the womaniser and Shah the ruthless businessman are always there as the contrasting figures. But in general one cannot deny that there is an inherent goodness about this rural community that McGahern is trying to portray (Sampson). Therefore in ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ there is hardly any fixed storyline or plot but rather a fistful of incidents that throw light on community feeling. One might say that McGahern has celebrated the collective consciousness in this novel. The significance of using the imagery of the lake seems to be impregnated with new meaning in this context. The life of the people within this community is spontaneous and clear, self fulfilling and regenerating. Community life set against alienation of the self: a contrast between the two novels Set as a contrast to it ‘Amongst Women’ seems to be more about an individual’s rise and fall in life. McGahern has portrayed the character of Moran as the typical Irish patriarch who cannot see, rather refuses to see or appreciate anything other than what he seems to be right. His relationship with his family that includes his children and wife does not seem natural. They hold him with awe and respect. His children seem to be unsure about their feelings for their aging father as he in his prime days of youth had hardly displayed his love for them. His attitude towards his wife Rose is no different. In all of his relationships with his family and friends he had the final say. His friendship with McQuaid ended due to his bloated ego. In this novel McGahern has dealt with a character that fails to reach out to people who love and care for him. It seems as though the basic sensibilities and compassion that are the ingredients to build up a community environment is lost on Moran. In a world where people are always in need of friends Moran broke the very old tie with McQuaid who had been his companion in the days of the movement. However, there seems to be a deeper reason for Moran’s turning sour in his dealing with people. In the course of the story McGahern unfolds the dark episode of Moran’s life when Moran describes his past to his daughters. We didnt shoot at women and children like the Tans but we were a bunch of killers. We got very good but there was hardly a week when one of us wasnt killed. Of the twenty-two men in the original column only seven were alive at the Truce. We were never sure wed be alive from one day to the next...More than half of my own family work in England. What was it all for? The whole thing was a cod (Amongst Women, p.5). The resentment and sense of disillusionment is clear in his utterances (Garratt). Moran has withstood a dangerous past. During the days of the uprising he was in the action squad of the revolutionaries and had killed many from point blank range. For a person who has witnessed and been a part of the political blood bath and had at one time lived under gun point it would not be unnatural to possess extreme cynicism and distrust for fellow beings. From his confessional mode he does not come across to be insensitive as he appears to be. But on the contrary his tough exterior is a defence mechanism to ward of further assaults. This shows that Moran had been so extremely affected by his past that he still could not lead a normal, easy going life in tune with the rural ways. He indeed cuts a pitiable figure living his days as a farmer after putting his life at stake for his land. It goes without saying that Moran had been a man of tremendous potential who was destined for other things that might have rewarded his devotion and struggle. It is evident that McGahern has brought up two different, rather contrasting issues on the same theme that of rural life. If ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ is all about the good old world and the legend of the Good Samaritan then ‘Amongst Women’ is the seamy side of that same world with a wrecked past. It is his past that seems to haunt him constantly, dictates his present and has affected his whole life, his relationships and most importantly his happiness. For Moran everything goes by power equations and that is why he is in awe of his family whom he has dominated at one time. In the novel ‘Amongst Women’ there is the same plot sequence of the return of the daughters to their village as that in ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ where the Rutledges come down to the village giving up a flourishing career in advertisement. Where as for the Rutledge family it was a pleasant discovery and the beginning of a new life in a new setting and among new people, for the Moran daughters it is more of a return to their roots from where they derive their strength and individual identities. To the Moran daughters their father symbolised ultimate strength and magnitude of personality. As they return home and discover their ailing father with half of his stamina and spirit lost they cannot but feel a sense of immense loss. It is as if with his departure they too would lose their source of strength. …they had never really left Great Meadow, in spite of jobs and marriages and children and houses of their own in Dublin and London. Now they could not let him slip away (Amongst Women, p.1). Celebration of nature and rural life The character delineation in ‘Amongst Women’ is far more complex than that in ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ where the emphasis is more on relationships and the Christian concept of being a good neighbour. In the latter one McGahern has painted a picture of the country life endowed with natural beauty and tranquillity that seemed to have percolated in the nature of its people. Here the writer’s purpose is to give a slice of the rural world that is lived in good humour and with optimism where the entire community stands by one another in times of loss and grief. However in ‘Amongst Women’ there too is a sense of re-uniting with the estranged ones. Here also the rural landscape plays the medium of bonding between father and daughters. It is the great meadow that is their common meeting point where each one of them feels that special attachment to it. Conclusion In both the novels McGahern has tried to project different aspects of rural life. In ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ he focuses more on the inter-personal relationship between the people of the rural community thereby highlighting their innocence and simplicity. McGahern has created a sense of the lost world that also represented stability, trust and generosity and overall the Christian virtues. In this world people have no confusions as there is no duality of existence. It is this transparency in the nature of people that McGahern claims to have disappeared in the modern urban world. In ‘That They May Face the Rising Sun’ McGahern is indeed celebrating the old world virtues that still have not lost their relevance but are purposefully overlooked. In his later novel ‘Amongst Women’ he knits the story of the Moran family that too has the rural landscape as the background. Though the story in comparison to his previous novel is starkly real with gloomy, lost characters yet there is the unmistakable spirit of optimism that is embodied in the stability and constancy of the great meadow. Eamon Maher has rightly pointed out that McGahern wants to present the voice of the rural world. In his discussions of McGahern’s works Maher has brought the different dimension of McGahern’s treatment of the theme of rural life in relation to rural landscape under separate points like ‘memory regained’, ‘doomed relationship’ and ‘family tensions’. He has truly pointed out that McGahern’s representation of rural Ireland would for centuries enlighten the world about true Irish spirit. Works Cited ‘Decoding the Landscape’. 3rd rev ed. Edited by Timothy Collins. Galway: UGC Centre for Landscape Studies. 2003 Garratt, R.F. ‘John McGaherns Amongst Women: representation, memory, and trauma’. Irish University Review: a journal of Irish Studies. 2005. Retrieved 12th March 2009 from High Beam Research Laurence, L. The Uses of Nostalgia: Studies in Pastoral Poetry, London Chatto and Windus. 1972 Maher, E. ‘John McGahern: From the Local to the Universal’. Dublin, Liffey Press. 2003 McGahern, J. That They May Face the Rising Sun. London, UK. Faber & Faber. 2003 McGahern, J. Amongst Women. London, UK. Faber & Faber. 2008 Sampson, D. Open to the world: a reading of John McGaherns That They May Face the Rising Sun. Irish University Review: a journal of Irish Studies. 2005. Retrieved 12th March 2009 from High Beam Research Read More