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From the Superficial to the Jamesian (Part Two of Five)

© Emily Woodward

While such sympathy and insight may be lacking in the "Goodbye, Columbus" narrator, Roth's later works are considerably more Jamesian in their narrative outlooks. In his 1962 novel, "Letting Go," the narrator uses "Portrait of a Lady" to probe the inner lives of Paul and Libby Herz. By equating their problematic, Jewish-Catholic marriage with that of Isabel and Osmond, he gives the Herzes a psychological dimension that is missing from Brenda's character. Indeed, unlike "Columbus's" Jewish princess, the couple are not perceived in terms of their material trappings. Rather, they are characterized by their initial hopes for self-fulfillment and by their subsequent disillusionment. Ultimately, they are forced to "let go" of their dreams for a happy marriage, in the face of overwhelming social and economic obstacles: both are disowned by their parents and forced to leave school, supporting one another with odd jobs. Through their mutual suffering, Paul and Libby become alerted to the fact that they have been deceiving themselves through their past actions. In this way, each of them approaches a state of melancholic self-awareness, reminiscent of that achieved by Isabel at the conclusion of "Portrait."

Although there are no overt references to James in "American Pastoral," this later Roth novel remsembles "Letting Go" in its Jamesian exploration of a protagonist's inner life. Like Paul and Libby, the Swede is subjected to the psychological scrutiny of another character, Nathan Zuckerman, through whom his story is told. However, in contrast with the narrators in "Letting Go" and "Portrait," Zuckerman appears as self-deceived as the one he is attempting to lay bare. Indeed, he exhibits the same blinding ressentiment towards the Swede that Neil displays towards Brenda. The difference between these two narrators lies in the fact that Neil is ignorant of his ressentiment, whereas Zuckerman is cognizant of his. Nonetheless, he seems unable to prevent it from distorting his perceptions.

To be continued.

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