In order for a Catholic writer to reach a wide audience with his Catholic message, he must rarely mention the faith. There are many for whom the mention of religion sends them out of the room, the very ones who may most need the message most. And for those whom religion is a topic of interest, they only want something light and moving. Thus, The Loved One meets both of these obstacles: it is Catholic without saying it is Catholic and carries messages of deep religious meaning. Evelyn Waugh was invited to Hollywood to negotiate the making of Brideshead Revisited into a movie. The talks failed. While there he was taken to visit Forest Lawn Cemetery, the famous final resting place of the movie industries brightest stars. It told him everything he needed to know about Tinsel Town. It inspired the book. He sets out to make five points: Over excitement (exaggeration), the Anglo American impasse (we have nothing in common), no such thing as an American (we are all foreigners), the European raiders, and memento morte (thought of death.) He warns his readers in the beginning of the book not to read the book. Do not take his advice. Read the book.
In this introduction to Charles Dickens and David Copperfield, Dr. White discusses the beloved author’s great success early in life with his very first novel and how it came about from his job as a journalist. He speaks about Charles Dickens’ special preference for David Copperfield and his belief that it was Dickens’ very best novel, giving anecdotes of people in his life who were singularly touched by the novel and the realness of his characters. Dr. White describes the serial format in which Dickens’ novels appeared and how they affected his writing. Dr. White discusses Dickens’ influence on the great writers of the twentieth century, especially of the Russian school, and his amazing ability to write children and bring the reader into the child’s point of view – an ability that shows, in Dr. White’s opinion, that there was some part of the great author that must have never truly grown up. From here Dr. White segues into a discussion of the importance of fairytales in a child’s formation, for fairytales help children discover the moral order. He characterizes Dickens’ works as fairytales for adults.
Dr. White discusses Charles Dickens’ great gift for characterization, which extended even to very minor characters. He gives specific examples of this from David Copperfield, including the based-on-life character of Miss Moucher. Next, Dr. White discusses some of the author’s literary devices, including his masterful foreshadowing and the device of having a double perspective from the narrator: David experiences things as a child, and the elder David who is narrating looks back on it as an adult, giving an adult’s perspective. Indeed, Dr. White points out, the novel is somewhat autobiographical, and Dickens in examining David Copperfield’s life examines his own. Useful or important passages of the novel are read and explained. Dr. White discusses the overwhelmingly female world that David is born to, giving him no male figure to look up to. This section ends with a look at the scene in which Copperfield discovers that his mother is going to be remarried to Mr. Murdstone.
The story now moves away from Venice, never to return. The characters arrive one by one at Cyprus by sea, having weathered a heavy storm. Nature itself is confused. They assemble here to prepare for battle with the Turks. In Act One, Iago only talks about his plans, but now, in Act Two, away from home, he puts his plans into action. Iago gets Cassio drunk and into a fight, disrupting the wedding night of Othello and Desdemona. Othello breaks up the fight. Cassio is dishonored. To help put him right again with Othello, Iago suggests that he talk with Desdemona to have her plead his case with her husband. He agrees. Iago uses this meeting to plant doubts about Desdemona’s fidelity. Iago has several roles in this play. He is first and foremost, the villain. A purely evil man: evil for the sake of evil. He appears as a fellow well met, but his words hide his real intent. Iago provides the comic relief in the play. He is funny, witty, clever. Audiences for centuries love this character. They recognize him. He reminds us all that we are human. But behind his jokes is a sinister plan of destruction and disorder.
Dr. White discusses sentimentality and its characteristics, explaining that it focuses on emotions and wallows in them for their own sake, and pointing out that true artistry allows one to respond on one’s own, without manipulation. Dickens’ work was touched by sentimentality, he explains, particularly in some of his death scenes. Dr. White discusses some of the episodes of his own life that Dickens put into this work, which was partly autobiographical. David’s influences and hero-figures are examined with their respective influences upon him. Dr. White also gives some time to the character of Mr. Micawber, whom he ranks as one of the three great comic characters of literature. Finally, Dr. White touches upon the effect that Dickens had in changing child labor laws and school conditions, the state of which he dramatized in his novels, thus raising awareness of them.
At the heart of Act Three is Othello doing all of the work to create the illusions of deception. He only needs subtle hints from Iago. Othello does all the rest, driving himself to madness. The audience witnesses the events, but it is the interpretation of these events that causes the trouble. Iago forces Othello to see what Iago wants him to see. This is a warning that throughout life we are constantly viewing the world through interpretation. We must be certain of our guides, our sources. And the only source of order and proper interpretation in life is in the setting of a patriarchy to teach us the truth. Othello is the story of order dissolving into disorder. The proper place for Desdemona is in the home. She is at a battlefield. Disorder. Othello’s suspicion of her infidelity causes him to give up the battle. Why? She has no virtue, hence, nothing to defend. More disorder. At the heart of civilization is the virtuous woman. Through her virtue she can rule over her realm, the home. Her virtue gives men the reason to defend, the home, and if necessary, the country. The realm of the man is outside the home, defending the home.
