The Good Soldier Essay Example for Free

The Good Soldier Essay Impressionism in Literature arrived through art/paintings. In art you reveal the maximum through minimum of strokes. Similarly literary greatness lies in brevity. For example, read this sentence: â€Å"You may cross the moon, beat the stars; but probe you must the mystery of my eve’s smile! † So much has been said to belittle the achievements of the science. It is not to condemn the science, but to make one aware about its limitations and the supremacy of nature. The themes are selectively and beautifully used and deep meaning is conveyed through appropriate expressions. Let us put it this way—impressionism is painting not with the strokes of the brush but with the flow of the pen. You take minimum of words from the vocabulary and give the maximum. This style of writing is for characters, actions and scenes depicted from an objective point of view of reality. It is the test for the skill of the writer. The impressionistic style of writer takes the minimum from the dictionary (vocabulary) and gives the maximum. Experience of the writer in interpreting the various types of situations, complex, vague, transitory, permanent and subjective impressions counts much. He feels from within and the writes about them. For example, a scene can be interpreted through color or short, crisp, to the point sentences. Rapidly changing scenes, quick developments, varying scenes appropriate to the occasion, form part of impressionism. The most unexpected yet true to the subject matter, in relation to time and situation –such is the nature of impressionism. One can not read the works of such authors in a hurry. One needs to carefully examine and enjoy it sentence by sentence, sometimes word by word. Mostly, the first reading will not suffice; a second reading of such books is not an exception, but the rule. The Good Soldier†¦. The narrator in the book, John Dowell is no ordinary man. He has the spontaneous as well as cultivated ability to establish instant rapport with the characters and with the readers. He can neither be hated nor loved by the readers, and he may get as many jeers and cheers depending upon the situation. He knows how to waste, gain and the value time. He arrives and departs and ‘works’ in the book according to a time schedule known to him only. He is not a reader-puller character, but he knows how to win the confidence of the pulled reader. He is generally the know-all, knows the strengths and weaknesses of each character. He is like the stage manager in the drama, produce-director and the script writer all molded into one. He verbally sets the scenes and the time of action with matchless oratorical skill. He introduces in style, the characters and situations and sometimes indicates the morals and the convictions for which they stand and their part in the progress of the story. Once the character is introduced, he provides continuity which holds together short scenes, dialogues, and sudden and abrupt shift in the locale. With a few verbal strokes he completes his job and paves way for the interaction of the actual characters of the story. This is the type of impressionism seen in this book of Maddox, expressed through various characters. The book was first published in 1915. The century-old developments need to be noted. Lot many changes can be seen in the impressionism of the era to which the book belongs, and the impressionism adopted and followed by such writers today. The century old soldier is not the soldier of the day, as for his mental make-up and social disposition. The story has the beginning that makes you curious about what is in store for the reader as the story progresses. The beginning is dramatic. â€Å"This is the saddest story I have ever read. † The plot of the story is weaved around two couples: Edward Ashburnham and his able wife Leonora and the Americans John and Florence Dowell. The two pairs have a ‘wonderful’ level of friendship; they have spent several summers together, before World War I in Germany. Their apparently happy marriages are not that happy. Dents and fissures are seen in their relationships. So, this is the story of age-old marital conflict between the two-Him and Her! John thinks that he is too smart and polished for the talkative Florence, the one without elegance. Edward is a compulsive lady-killer-thanks to his dashing personality and his extreme sentimentalism. He compares Leonora’s charm with the one or more than one he is interested in, and they always score over Leonora. John gets the reporting of the love escapades through Leonora, after the death of the lovers. John feels extremely sorry for his lack of knowledge about human relationships and his carelessness. He turns somewhat cynical as for his lethargy in such a serious and sensitive matter. He is amazed about his carelessness. At this turn of events of the story, the narrator Dowell excels again. He gets a lovely opportunity to talk on the private lives of others. There is no guarantee that whatever he tells is truth and correct. He succeeds in kindling the curiosity of the reader. If one does the quick stock-taking of the story of this book, it is difficult to say whether it is a comedy, tragedy, the comedy of a tragedy or tragedy of a comedy or it is just satire. He condemns and eulogizes the same character, without giving any valid reasons. The private lives of the characters are divulged in regular intervals, but that is done without any offence, any grudge, without the motive of retribution and in a matter of fact of style. .Impressionism is not about creating stereo-type characters, but special, unpredictable ones. It is no ordinary mind-play. Catch and analyze the emotions threadbare. This art is difficult. Maddox has succeeded in creating a painted picture on the curtain of the minds of the reader, without actually painting, without using colors, but with the exquisite strokes of appropriate words and phrases. Notwithstanding the episodes related to sex and adultery, The Good Soldier is a book that preaches morals. The important theme of the book is the difference between reality and appearance. The difference between the actual world and the imaginary, good world! A reference was made earlier that we need to keep an important aspect in mind that it is an antic story—one hundred years old. Lots of differences exist between the values then and now. The society then did not speak about betrayal, adultery and moral confusion with ease. Now these are kindergarten stuffs. The writer of impressionism has got to be a student of psychology with capacity to peep into the minds of the characters. He doesn’t do the description of the reality, but captures the impressions thus derived. The writer is witness to the actions; he does not participate in actions or meditate between the characters. He just tries to get the impressions derived from them, penetrating their minds and piercing the hearts. Such writing is difficult to comprehend and digest. Conclusion: Considering all the above aspects The Good Soldier by Maddox, could be described as ‘impressionable’ and the significance of the novel is that its contents provide both sense of universal and spiritual. Religion and spirituality were the indivisible parts of the life of people in the nineteenth century. The novel fits into the observations of E. M Forster. He â€Å"dismisses the method of examining the novel as a historical development, in preference to an image of all novelists throughout history writing simultaneously, side by side. He first establishes that, if nothing else, a novel is a story that takes place over a period of time. He stresses the importance of character, maintaining that both ‘‘flat’’ and ‘‘round’’ characters may be included in the successful novel. He regards the necessity of plot, which creates the effect of suspense, as a problem by which character is frequently sacrificed in the service of providing an ending to the novel. Fantasy and prophecy, which provide a sense of the ‘‘universal,’’ or spiritual, Forster regards as central aspects of the great novel. † (Aspects†¦. ) It appears this observation by Fosters, is especially addressed to â€Å"The Good Soldier. † References Cited: Article: Aspects of the Summary and Study Guide- Novel www. enotes. com/aspects-novel/ 16k Cached – Retrieved on December 6, 2007.