Walter Scott: The Geography Of Imagination In Waverley

 

 

A week spent in Edinburgh pouring over material relating to Scott’s narrative themes and styles has yielded information which I’m hoping to put to good use in my thesis. Right now, I’ve decided to blog about the feature repeatedly discussed by academics- setting. Scott fans clamoured after the majestic and evocative Highland settings conjured by his lavish prose. The descriptions were considered radical at the time- it gave the reader a sense of actually being present at the very scene. Yet there was a psychological element to this treatment of scenery that goes quite unnoticed earlier in the novels, yet becomes more evident as the novel progresses. Waverley is the perfect example of this. Not only does the narrative of the setting serve a visual purpose; it also charts the mental progress and development of the main character Edward Waverley as he grapples with his true identity (Millgate, 38). His time spent at Waverley Honour, Tully Veolan and Glennaquoich are imminently important in his psychological development as a man and discovering his true identity.

The environment of Waverley Honour is fraught with traditional pride and in the case of its young heir apparent, fond indulgence. Sir Everard Waverley and his sister Lady Rachel’s infatuation with their ancestors and the medieval chivalric past is directly inherited by their young nephew, whose education they are responsible for. He is permitted to indulge himself in reading of any kind, completely devoid of restriction. For Edward Waverley, this allows him licence to immerse himself in novels of medieval romance, where the code of chivalry, romantic daring and reckless adventure dominates the narrative- in short, his education is based entirely on his own interests, “so long as it afforded him amusement” (Scott, 14). This mode of education is implied by the author from the beginning to leave the hero of the narrative vulnerable and naive and devoid of “better discipline” which would have equipped him with the ability to make rational choices not based on an “inflamed” imagination (Scott, 14). His wild, roaming imagination is perfectly characterized by his isolated surroundings at Waverley Honour, his “favourite haunt[s]” being the “extensive…forest grounds” or “cliffy and wooded pass” which make up the “savage character” (Scott, 19) of his uncle’s estate. This bold description of an untamed wilderness perfectly characterizes Edward’s yet-untamed imagination. It is the first of several geographical locations that characterize his personal development, but one of the most important, as it is pivotal in embedding an excessive romantic nature into his character which will later lead him into danger on his travels in Scotland.

Glennaquioch displays Waverly’s heightened romantic imaginings at its most wildly impetuous. Probably the most poignant scene is that in the glen, where Waverley listens to Flora’s recitation. There is a method to Flora’s choice of location, which she herself frankly admits, “a Highland song would suffer…were I to produce it without its wild and appropriate accompaniments” (Scott, 118). She purposefully chooses a glen with an appearance of a “sylvan amphitheatre” with a “romantic waterfall…that corresponds with beauty” (Scott, 117). “Mossy banks of turf” complete this scene of “romantic wildness” (Scott, 117). Flora is already aware of Waverley’s romantic disposition; she calculates the impact this will have on him. She is proved correct. Waverley in enamoured with the surroundings-and with her. However, there is a very real danger. Flora is not deceptive in the malicious sense, but rather self-deceptive. The scene in the glen is her effectively acting out her own fantasy of patriotism which she wills with all her heart to come to fruition (Millgate, 49). She is determined to lead a life of romantic extremes, with a brilliantly executed performance from start to finish. Therefore, the faith Waverley places in both her and her brother is effectively a blind faith that falls away towards the novel’s conclusion when he gains a sense of reality. He cannot be as extreme as them- he is an antiquarian, not a martyr of the romantic.

The location of Tully Veolan, the Bradwardine residence, is complex as it encompasses every stage of Waverley’s romantic leanings and eventual disillusionment with its excess. When Waverley initially arrives in Tully Veolan to visit Baron Bradwardine, he immediately assesses it by a gothic and sensationalist standard. He critically deems the turret to be more a “pepper-box” than a “Gothic tower”, and concludes it a “monastic illusion” that suits his “fancy” (Scott, 39). In this chapter we can see how everything that surrounds Waverley passes through the romantic filter of his naive vision, showing a lack of practicality and acceptance of the ordinary. His next visit to Tully Veolan is under very different circumstances-he is there with a warrant for treason hanging around his neck. Kept in an enclosed, dark area, he does not immediately realise he is in Tully Veolan. He is in almost complete darkness, due to his surroundings and also as a consequence of his fever, so he cannot decipher where he is. Kept in his “cage” of a bed (Scott, 359) which is sealed with planks at the side to prevent vision, Waverley’s circumstances are very different to the lively social atmosphere of his former visit. In such circumstances, it is rather a culture shock to learn that his name, that he wore like a badge of honour, is of no use to him (Millgate, 44). Still, his psyche wildly grasps at anything gothic he can glean from his situation. His nurse is a “Highland sibyl”, the young lady (who is actually Rose Bradwardine) who visits him an “angel…guarding…the couch of his sickness” (Scott, 360). It would appear even the charges of treason have not yet given him enough practical perspective. However, his third visit to Tully Veolan finally opens his eyes and give him incentive to act with the practical precision that those around him require. Due to the recent conflict, Tully Veolan is in ruins and Waverley is horrified to find the picturesque place he so loved falling away to nothing. However, it is the unwavering kindness which Baron Bradwardine shows him upon this third visit that steels him with righteous determination to put events to rights (Millgate, 46). This newfound sense of moral purpose signifies the conclusion of Waverley’s personal progression- Tully Veolan is a symbol of him coming full circle from naive inexperience to mature understanding.

Such is Waverley’s education, an education mapped by each place he has resided. Each place had its own trials and lessons which Waverley endures and matures psychologically as a result. Thus the novel concludes with a certainty of who he is and where his place in the world ought to be.

 

Works Cited

Scott, Walter. Waverley Or Tis Sixty Years Since. Oxford: University Press, 2015.

Millgate, Jane. Walter Scott The Making Of A Novelist. Edinburgh: University Press, 1984.

Walter Scott Image. Google Images. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Scott&gt;

Waterfall Image. Google Images. <http://http://www.wildswimming.co.uk/map/grey-mares-tail-burn-galloway-forest-park/&gt;

Editing Wikipedia: A Wider Consideration

On the 3^rd February, our class hosted a Wikipedia editing session. We were each to choose a page of significant interest to us, research missing information and add anything we thought interesting and relevant to the subject of the page. After some deliberation, I chose to edit the page that explained the concept of the Byronic Hero. The Byronic hero was, as the name stated, a character in fiction that displayed traits similar to that of the poet Lord George Gordon Byron or the main characters in his poetry and novels. The Byronic hero was a dark, brooding male character, with an air of carrying the burden of a painful past- a past which was always the main revelation of the novel in question. While the Wikipedia page gave ample information regarding the character’s origins and place in literature, I found there were certain aspects that were overlooked. For example, the possibility of a Byronic heroine was not addressed, when the character exists in one of Byron’s most famous works. In the interests of gender balance, I believed it was only fair to afford it a mention, at least! Likewise, the serious “fandom” surrounding Byron was not mentioned-strange, given that it played an integral part in keeping the interest in his work alive. In relation to technical issue of citation, one or two books were not cited- otherwise, there was very little I could find fault with citation-wise, surprisingly. So it appeared that my task would mostly be giving more depth by adding the new information I had researched on the topic.

One of my main sources of help was Fiona McCarthy’s Byron: Life And Legend. It had information aplenty regarding the fanatical admiration of Byron and his work that thrived long after the poet’s death. I was particularly interested in this focus on the social and cultural impact of the Byronic character, and believed it ought to be added to the synopsis on Wikipedia. Similarly, Charles J. Clancy’s article examining the potential for a Byronic heroine in Don Juan was also very interesting. To take a character that had long been an established male figure and researching the possibility of a female character assuming the role broadens the perspective on the concept, and would be valuable to anybody researching the topic. Clancy makes apt connections between the character of Aurora Raby and the elements of the Byronic character.

Commencing operation Wikipedia edit! After a change of location, the editing began. We were also to regularly tweet during the session using #EditWikiLit. I should mention here that I only recently joined Twitter, so I initially found the prospect of airing my opinions publicly a tad nerve-racking. That said, the blogging has eased it somewhat. I began with the “Byronic Heroine”. As the page began with the characteristics of the Byronic figure, it seemed the more practical beginning. I also corrected a quote about the comparison with Werther by adding the text that made the correlation into the “Works Cited”. I then moved on to the section concerned with fans of the Byronic image-both the “fandom” and the Byronic heroine passages were given their own section heading and not added to sections that already existed. There was a literature passage present on the page which I could add the information I had researched in relation to Charles Dickens and the Byronic figure. As Charles Dickens’ writings had never really been associated with the idea, I thought it might be a useful addition to the list of literature comparisons present.

 

The task was challenging; you were constantly watching the clock, and the referencing took a while! Nevertheless, I enjoyed it very much. It was related to a literature concept I have a great deal of interest in, and I enjoyed researching what information would be useful to the page. Also, to the kindly person who passed those biscuits around-thanks a million. You know who you are!

 

Works Cited

Clancy, Charles J. “Aurora Raby In Don Juan: A Byronic Heroine”. Keats-Shelley Journal Vol. 28. New York: Keats-Shelley Association Of America, 1979.

Harvey, William W. “Charles Dickens And The Byronic Tradition”. Nineteenth-Century Fiction Vol. 24  No.3. California: University Press, 1969.

McCarthy, Fiona. Byron: Life And Legend. London: John Murray, 2002.

Thorslev, Peter L. “The Byronic Hero And Heroic Tradition”. The Byronic Hero. Minnesota: University Press, 1962.

 

The Historical Novel-Trending 200 Years And Counting

It’s fair to say that book genre is as broad now as it has ever been. Subject matter is free and unencumbered and, since the commercialization of mass publication, is within the grasp of popular trends. As the staggering statistics for fiction such as Harry Potter will readily testify, the success of particular books in the genre’s brand can kick the door open for others to prevail upon the interest. If there is a market for fantasy fiction, writers will certainly try to tap into this market and achieve the same success as predecessors. Of course, this genre popularity swings in roundabouts. The Gothic genre amassed the most fervent of followers with books such as The Monk, The Mysteries Of Udolpho, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre. However, it foundered during the Belle Epoque when Modernism swooped in to take its place. Interesting there is a book trend, that has maintained its staying power- not simply for five or ten years, but a shocking two hundred. The form is more distorted nowadays from its original blueprint in the early nineteenth century, but is still recognised within the collective aesthetic of the genre. The genre in question is that of the historical novel.

In spite of the stacks of modern offerings, I thought it best to go back to the beginning of this 200 year old trend. And of course, that would lead me directly to Walter Scott and his acclaimed Waverley novels. Scott set the blueprint for what other would seek to emulate in the years to come. What interest me are the set of rules he seeks to adhere to-they are specified in the introduction to his first novel Waverley Or Tis Sixty Years Since. Scott’s novels appeared in a market divided in loyalties between the heady sensationalism of the Gothic and the lively popularity of the novel of manners. Those familiar with Austen and Radcliffe will attest to that. Scott is determined to address any misconception about his novel or pre-disposed assumption; whether it is set in the past or the modern day, it will not fall under the category of either. The bildungsroman approach to the character of Edward Waverley would indeed carry an element of Austen, but it is blatantly coloured by very real historical events, Waverley’s political loyalties and the vivid geography of the setting.

Of course, nowadays the spectrum of angles in which an author can approach historical fiction has widened considerably. Tudor settings are quite common for romantic novels and have garnered popularity, as the success of The White Queen and The Other Boleyn Girl will testify. The regency period has also been very prominent; Georgette Heyer’s methods in her successful Regency Romance series particularly mirrored Scott’s adapt attention to detail. Her critics railed against what they deemed unnecessary specifics (Robinson, 326). However, this shows a passion for something other than a coherent romantic narrative; it shows a desire for historical accuracy. This practice appears to have been continued on into the work of Hilary Mantel, acclaimed author of the bestselling Wolf Hall series. Mantel has been hailed for her meticulous caution on “keeping the balance between facts and emotion” (Tayler, The Guardian) and avoiding falling into a pattern of representation of Tudor characters that has become stereotypical. One can imagine the obstacles of creating a fresh perspective on a subject that has been relentlessly interpreted over and over again. Mantel’s use of Cromwell, universally hated in his time for the dissolution of the monasteries,  as the main character and point of sympathy was quite daring.

 

Probably every key event in 20^th century history has been subjected to the historical novel treatment -such has been the success of the form, it has stretched almost to the present day. Michael Morpugo’s War Horse was particularly unique. He himself admitted that the prospect of tackling the subject of the great suffering of Wold War One through the eyes of one of the cavalry horses caused him a great deal of initial hesitation (Morpugo, The Guardian). Making it a children’s novel added to the challenge. He was successful nonetheless; the emotive storyline coupled with the author’s careful research of the events (Morpugo, The Daily Mail) has made in one of the most well-known narratives of the modern day.

From this perspective, historical fiction has had to modernize both its approach over the course of the past 200 years. What has seemed to survive is the desire to create an air of authenticity regarding in relation to background.  As an avid reader of the genre, it is really fascinating to see how it has grown and maintained itself as a writing form from the late eighteenth century.

 

Works Cited

Scott Walter. Waverley. Oxford: University Press, 2015.

Morpugo Michael. “Once Upon A Life” <http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jul/11&gt;

Morpugo Michael. “How My War Horse Won Its Spurs With Steven Spielberg”. The Daily Mail, 2011. <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1358428&gt;

Tayler Christopher. “Wolf Hall: Review”. The Guardian, 2010 <http://http://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/may/02/wolf-hall-hilary-mantel&gt;

Robinson Lillian. “On Reading Trash”. Mary Fahnestock-Thomas (ed). Georgette Heyer: A Critical Retrospective. Alabama: Prinnyworld Press, 2001.

Image Of Waverley Original Print. Google Images <http://http://pietistschoolman.com/2015/06/17/the-virtues-of-historical-fiction&gt;

Image Of Wolf Hall Book Cover. Google Images. <http://www.amazon.com/WolfHall-Hilary-Mantel/dp/0312429983&gt;

Image Of White Queen Book Cover. Google Images <http://http://www.philippagregory.com/books/the-white-queen&gt;

Image Of Regency Buck Cover.Google Images <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regency_Buck#/media/File:RegencyBuck.jpg&gt;

Image Of War Horse Play. Google Images <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/drama/3668613&gt;