In Defence of Harriet Shelley.docx

In Defence of Harriet Shelley.docx

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InDefenceofHarrietShelley

InDefenceofHarrietShelleybyMarkTwainIIhavecommittedsins,ofcourse;butIhavenotcommittedenoughofthemtoentitlemetothepunishmentofreductiontothebreadandwaterofordinaryliteratureduringsixyearswhenImighthavebeenlivingonthefatdietspreadfortherighteousinProfessorDowden'sLifeofShelley,ifIhadbeenjustlydealtwith.

DuringthesesixyearsIhavebeenlivingalifeofpeacefulignorance.

IwasnotawarethatShelley'sfirstwifewasunfaithfultohim,andthatthatwaswhyhedesertedherandwipedthestainfromhissensitivehonorbyenteringintosoiledrelationswithGodwin'syoungdaughter.ThiswasallnewtomewhenIhearditlately,andwastoldthattheproofsofitwereinthisbook,andthatthisbook'sverdictisacceptedinthegirls'

collegesofAmericaanditsviewtaughtintheirliteraryclasses.

IneachofthesesixyearsmultitudesofyoungpeopleinourcountryhavearrivedattheShelley-readingage.ArethesesixmultitudesunacquaintedwiththislifeofShelley?

Perhapstheyare;indeed,onemayfeelprettysurethatthegreatbulkofthemare.Tothese,then,Iaddressmyself,inthehopethatsomeaccountofthisromantichistoricalfableandthefabulist'smannerofconstructingandadorningitmayinterestthem.

First,astoitsliterarystyle.OurnegroesinAmericahaveseveralwaysofentertainingthemselveswhicharenotfoundamongthewhitesanywhere.Amongtheseinventionsoftheirsisonewhichisparticularlypopularwiththem.Itisacompetitioninelegantdeportment.Theyhireahallandbankthespectators'seatsinrisingtiersalongthetwosides,leavingallthemiddlestretchofthefloorfree.Acakeisprovidedasaprizeforthewinnerinthecompetition,andabenchofexpertsindeportmentisappointedtoawardit.Sometimesthereareasmanyasfiftycontestants,maleandfemale,andfivehundredspectators.

Oneatatimethecontestantsenter,clothedregardlessofexpenseinwhateachconsiderstheperfectionofstyleandtaste,andwalkdownthevacantcentralspaceandbackagainwiththatmultitudeofcriticaleyesonthem.Allthatthecompetitorknowsoffineairsandgraceshethrowsintohiscarriage,allthatheknowsofseductiveexpressionhethrowsintohiscountenance.Hemayuseallthehelpshecandevise:

watch-chaintotwirlwithhisfingers,canetodogracefulthingswith,snowyhandkerchieftoflourishandgetartfuleffectsoutof,shinynewstovepipehattoassistinhiscourtlybows;andthecoloredladymayhaveafantoworkuphereffectswith,andsmileoverandblushbehind,andshemayaddotherhelps,accordingtoherjudgment.Whenthereviewbyindividualdetailisover,agrandreviewofallthecontestantsinprocessionfollows,withalltheairsandgracesandallthebowingsandsmirkingsonexhibitionatonce,andthisenablesthebenchofexpertstomakethenecessarycomparisonsandarriveataverdict.ThesuccessfulcompetitorgetstheprizewhichIhavebeforementioned,andanabundanceofapplauseandenvyalongwithit.Thenegroeshaveanameforthisgravedeportment-tournament;anametakenfromtheprizecontendedfor.

TheycallitaCakewalk.

ThisShelleybiographyisaliterarycake-walk.Theordinaryformsofspeechareabsentfromit.Allthepages,alltheparagraphs,walkbysedately,elegantly,nottosaymincingly,intheirSunday-best,shinyandsleek,perfumed,andwithboutonnieresintheirbutton-holes;itisraretofindevenachancesentencethathasforgottentodress.IfthebookwishestotellusthatMaryGodwin,childofsixteen,hadknownafflictions,thefactsauntersforthinthisnobbyoutfit:

"Marywasherselfnotunlearnedintheloreofpain"--meaningbythatthatshehadnotalwaystraveledonasphalt;or,assomeauthoritieswouldframeit,thatshehad"beenthereherself,"aformwhich,whilepreferabletothebook'sform,isstillnottoberecommended.IfthebookwishestotellusthatHarrietShelleyhiredawet-nurse,thatcommonplacefactgetsturnedintoadancing-master,whodoeshisprofessionalbowbeforeusinpumpsandknee-breeches,withhisfiddleunderonearmandhiscrush-hatundertheother,thus:

"ThebeautyofHarriet'smotherlyrelationtoherbabewasmarredinShelley'seyesbytheintroductionintohishouseofahirelingnursetowhomwasdelegatedthemother'stenderestoffice."ThisisperhapsthestrangestbookthathasseenthelightsinceFrankenstein.Indeed,itisaFrankensteinitself;aFrankensteinwiththeoriginalinfirmitysupplementedbyanewone;aFrankensteinwiththereasoningfacultywanting.Yetitbelievesitcanreason,andisalwaystrying.Itisnotcontenttoleaveamountainoffactstandingintheclearsunshine,wherethesimplestreadercanperceiveitsform,itsdetails,anditsrelationtotherestofthelandscape,butthinksitmusthelphimexamineitandunderstandit;soitsdriftingmindsettlesuponitwiththatintent,butalwayswithoneandthesameresult:

thereisachangeoftemperatureandthemountainishidinafog.Everytimeitsetsupapremiseandstartstoreasonfromit,thereisasurpriseinstoreforthereader.Itisstrangelynearsighted,cross-eyed,andpurblind.Sometimeswhenamastodonwalksacrossthefieldofitsvisionittakesitforarat;atothertimesitdoesnotseeitatall.

Thematerialsofthisbiographicalfablearefacts,rumors,andpoetry.

Theyareconnectedtogetherandharmonizedbythehelpofsuggestion,conjecture,innuendo,perversion,andsemi-suppression.

Thefablehasadistinctobjectinview,butthisobjectisnotacknowledgedinsetwords.PercyByssheShelleyhasdonesomethingwhichinthecaseofothermeniscalledagravecrime;itmustbeshownthatinhiscaseitisnotthat,becausehedoesnotthinkasothermendoaboutthesethings.

Oughtnotthattobeenough,ifthefabulistisserious?

Havingprovedthatacrimeisnotacrime,wasitworthwhiletogoonandfastentheresponsibilityofacrimewhichwasnotacrimeuponsomebodyelse?

Whatistheuseofhuntingdownandholdingtobitteraccountpeoplewhoareresponsibleforotherpeople'sinnocentacts?

Still,thefabulistthinksitagoodideatodothat.InhisviewShelley'sfirstwife,Harriet,freeofalloffenseasfaraswehavehistoricalfactsforguidance,mustbeheldunforgivablyresponsibleforherhusband'sinnocentactindesertingherandtakingupwithanotherwoman.

Anyonewillsuspectthatthistaskhasitsdifficulties.Anyonewilldivinethatniceworkisnecessaryhere,cautiouswork,wilywork,andthatthereisentertainmenttobehadinwatchingthemagiciandoit.

Thereisindeedentertainmentinwatchinghim.Hearrangeshisfacts,hisrumors,andhispoemsonhistableinfullviewofthehouse,andshowsyouthateverythingisthere--nodeception,everythingfairandaboveboard.Andthisisapparentlytrue,yetthereisadefect,forsomeofhisbeststockishidinanappendix-basketbehindthedoor,andyoudonotcomeuponituntiltheexhibitionisoverandtheenchantmentofyourmindaccomplished--asthemagicianthinks.

Thereisaninsistentatmosphereofcandorandfairnessaboutthisbookwhichisengagingatfirst,thenalittleburdensome,thenatriflefatiguing,thenprogressivelysuspicious,annoying,irritating,andoppressive.Ittakesonesomelittletimetofindoutthatphraseswhichseemintendedtoguidethereaderarightaretheretomisleadhim;thatphraseswhichseemintendedtothrowlightaretheretothrowdarkness;thatphraseswhichseemintendedtointerpretafactaretheretomisinterpretit;thatphraseswhichseemintendedtoforestallprejudicearetheretocreateit;thatphraseswhichseemantidotesarepoisonsindisguise.ThenakedfactsarrayedinthebookestablishShelley'sguiltinthatoneepisodewhichdisfigureshisotherwisesuperlativelyloftyandbeautifullife;butthehistorian'scarefulandmethodicalmisinterpretationofthemtransferstheresponsibilitytothewife'sshouldersashepersuadeshimself.ThefewmeagrefactsofHarrietShelley'slife,asfurnishedbythebook,acquitherofoffense;butbycallingintheforbiddenhelpsofrumor,gossip,conjecture,insinuation,andinnuendohedestroyshercharacterandrehabilitatesShelley's--ashebelieves.Andintruthhisunheroicworkhasnotbeenbarrenoftheresultsheaimedat;aswitnesstheassertionmadetomethatgirlsinthecollegesofAmericaaretaughtthatHarrietShelleyputastainuponherhusband'shonor,andthatthatwaswhatstunghimintorepurifyinghimselfbydesertingherandhischildandenteringintoscandalousrelationswithaschool-girlacquaintanceofhis.

Ifthatassertionistrue,theyprobablyuseareductionofthisworkinthosecolleges,maybeonlyasketchoutlinedfromit.Suchathingasthatcouldbeharmfulandmisleading.Theyoughttocastitoutandputthewholebookinitsplace.Itwouldnotdeceive.Itwouldnotdeceivethejanitor.

Allofthisbookisinterestingonaccountofthesorcerer'smethodsandtheattractivenessofsomeofhischaractersandtherepulsivenessoftherest,butnopartofitissomuchsoasarethechapterswhereinhetriestothinkhethinkshesetsforththecauseswhichledtoShelley'sdesertionofhiswifein1814.

HarrietWestbrookwasaschool-girlsixteenyearsold.Shelleywasteemingwithadvancedthought.HebelievedthatChristianitywasadegradingandselfishsuperstition,andhehadadeepandsinceredesiretorescueoneofhissistersfromit.Harrietwasimpressedbyhisvariousphilosophiesandlookeduponhimasanintellectualwonder--whichindeedhewas.Hehadanideathatshecouldgivehimvaluablehelpinhisschemeregardinghissister;thereforeheaskedhe