Tess Query

Mayor on TV

Introduction

?Subject: ?Tess-O-O-O

Date: January 5, 2004 9:09:23 AM PST

I'm trying to identify the commentator who stresses the final sentence of chapter XXVIII in TESS where Tess tries to permit herself to accept Angel, but says, in her distress, "O my heart--O, O, O."

I was sure that John Goode quoted this passage as part of his discussion of how Tess' voice is reduced to silence. But it's not in Goode--nor in Hillis Miller (my next best guess). Does anyone remember the discussion I'm groping for?

Many thanks,

John P. Farrell,

University of Texas

Apologies for re opening a discussion topic but while recovering from an illness I became absorbed in reflective echoes of this production which I found haunting and thought provoking.

I was prepared to dislike the production, having worked on the novel recently in some detail, but I did have a positive view of many aspects.  What I liked was the atmospheric darkness which seemed to match the gloom of Michael Henchard's philosophy of life. It was good to re -read the US contributions on the TTHA discussion site, having seen the work.

I did think though, that it was a narrative rather than a poetic interpretation. Recognising that film has its own artistic shape and form, I still felt that the metaphors in the language could have been visually expressed. Most were ignored. One small example was the arrival of the seed drill; an important episode, which was pointless, visually inaccurate, and missing the wonderful combination of folk lore and technology as Farfrae is singing a folk song inside the machine. Another was the significant visit of Elizabeth Jane to her mother's grave, with its mournful association of past and present through archaeology, and the power of elemental descriptions. The mood was lost - an opportunity on film to create a visual metaphor.

Although there was a strong focus on Elizabeth Jane it was a narrow one.This was indicated both in her physical depiction and in her personality. She remained a plainly dressed and rather quakerish figure rather than one who flowered in her improved social circumstances. Where was the parting that arched like a white rainbow from ear to ear? And the encampment of curls all in front of that line?

More significantly, she did not seem to be occupied with 'an inner chamber of ideas when she walked abroad', and there was no indication of what Hardy calls 'this discerning silent witch.'

EJ's appearance in the dancing scene, and the depiction of Farfrae in his kilt reminded me of a the discussion of three artists’ interpretations of Hardy's work in the Review vol. V.

The film seemed to me to be a great deal more related to the mood of the novel than the print depicting the country dance on p.124. There are two significant problems.

Firstly the definition interferes with the reader's own vision inspired by the language. Secondly, in the depiction of Farfrae and Elizabeth at the dance it is difficult to relate the clothes being worn by Farfrae with the little detail that 'the pattern of the shining nails in the soles of his boots became familiar to the eyes of every bystander.' The bystanders do not look in any way connected to the two dancers - given the effects of the light and shade.

The illustration suggests a gap between the dancers and the onlookers which is not present in Hardy's text. The dance itself is a quaint country dance which is not the implication in the illustration.

I did find this topic in the Review Vol. V challenging and one which caused me to think about the difficulties raised by illustration as definition/interpretation rather than visually imaging what the words

depict.

This is of course a huge topic.

My copy of Review V is marked with scribbles and comments which I never had the time to put together as something formal, but it was a volume that gave me much food for thought on the nature of music, dance, and the focus on classical sources for Hardy's inspiration rather than those of a broader cultural context.

I continue to find the contributions to the discussions a wonderful trigger for deeper exploration of Hardy and am impressed with the breadth as well as the depth of the subjects offered for debate. Thanks for the inspiration.

Ann Whitlock

Dear Ann.

I enjoyed your thoughtful comments on *The Mayor of Casterbridge*

production shown recently on TV in the UK. Anyone interested in looking at

the discussion that followed its airing in the USA last year can retrieve

it in the new Forum Searchable Archives. First go to the link on the TTHA

Front Page:

<http://www.yale.edu/hardysoc/Welcome/welcomet.htm>http://www.yale.edu/hardysoc/

E-mail csoconnor@comcast.net

csoconnor@comcast.net