“Characters in works of literature are at their most vivid
when formed by their physical
and social environment as
much as by personal relationships”
How far do you agree with this statement? In your response
you should comment on and analyze the connections and comparisons between at
least two texts you have studied
Environment, whether physical or social, is an umbrella term
for the combination of external physical conditions and the complex of social
and cultural conditions affecting the nature of an individual. Personal
relationships refer to close connections between people, formed by emotional
bonds and interactions. These two terms arguably bring out evocative and
powerful feelings out of characters in works of literature, such as Emily
Dickinson in Taking Off Emily Dickinson’s
Clothes by Billy Collins and Othello in
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare; and in
this essay I will be assessing which of the two elements has a major impact on
the character’s self-concept.
To start off with, it can be advanced that characters in
works of literature are at their most vivid when formed by their physical and
social environment. Indeed, Othello, who is a Moorish general in the Venetian
military, lives in a white Venetian society where he stands out for he has a
different skin colour. This leading to racial prejudice “The Moor” has enticed
the protagonist of the play to prove his worthiness through his accomplishments
and achievements “Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances/Of hair-breadth
scapes i' the imminent deadly breach [...] of my redemption thence/And portance
in my travels' history”. Othello’s social environment has induced him to his
very vivid self academically speaking. He is a celebrated soldier “Valiant
Othello” and a trusted leader. The theme of race can be said to have had an
enormous impact on Othello’s self-identity, for better and for worse. Indeed,
as in the 16th Century, black men were believed to be beastly,
vicious and evil, Othello contrasted this idea by becoming an honest and kind
man “The Moor […] is of constant, loving, noble nature”. This relates to the temporal
self-appraisal theory, which argues that people have a tendency to maintain a
positive self-evaluation by paying more attention to their positive self.
However, it can also be argued that the theme of race brought the worst out of
Othello, for it is that sentiment of being lowlier than the entire Venetian
Society “Haply for I am black, And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chamberers have…” that led him to murder his own wife. Similarly, in Taking Off Emily Dickinson’s Clothes by
Billy Collins, the character Emily Dickinson comes out alive when looking at
her physical environment, in other words nature “looking out at the orchard
below”. This could perhaps be an allusion to paradise or the Garden of Eden,
thus implying that nature has a liberating effect on her. When encountering it or
witnessing it, she is at her most vivid self in terms of self-identity.
Additionally, the fact that the “upstairs bedroom” is where the whole
undressing is happening suggests that, that is the place where she can be her
true self without constraints.
Furthermore, characters are at their most vivid when formed
by language, form and structure of their physical and social environment.
Indeed, Othello is often referred through animal imagery by his physical and
social environment such as “Barbary Horse”, along with metaphors such as “sooty
bosom” and adjectives “thick lips”. This makes him look and sound like a
savage. Post-colonial critics such as A.C. Bradley, as a result, have had
Othello depicted as exotic and alien with phrases like ‘there is something mysterious
in his descent’ or ‘[Othello] does not belong to our world […] as if from
wonderland’. This has an effect of disappointment on the modern reader, as he
cannot cope with the racial prejudice entailed by Othello’s physical and social
environment. But the Elizabethan audience would enjoy the racially-based
language as it would confirm their belief that race accounts for differences in
human character and that a particular race is superior to others. As for Billy
Collins’ Emily Dickinson, she comes out alive through the shape of the poem.
Indeed, it is in a neat vertically straight form overall, that perhaps might
reflect to Dickinson’s rhythmic style of writing in real life, that came off as
nursery rhymes in poems such as “My Life had stood A Loaded Gun”. Rhythm,
overall, is slow “First […] then”, and this serves to create an
apprehensiveness from the reader. The latter is tingling with emotion.
Fast-paced rhythm is peeped “through clips, clasps” “catches, straps”,
referring the complexity of her mind.
However, physical and social environment have limited
outstretches when tempting characters to be at their most vivid. It has been
suggested that personal relationships have succeeded greatly in this domain.
Indeed, in The Tragedy
of Othello, the Moor of Venice by Shakespeare, Othello is at his most
evocative through partnerships. This includes his romantic relationship with
his beloved Desdemona “My sweet Desdemon". Desdemona is a typical upper
class white woman of the 17th century; she is devoted and loyal to her husband.
What sends his soul scintillating in the play is his doubts about his wife’s
faithfulness “That he hath used thee”. It is no wonder Othello
loses it and decides to kill her “Down, strumpet!” Desdemona’s supposed
infidelity heightens his feelings of inadequacy. His inner good has been
betrayed, and the result of that, as the modern audience will understand, is
that madness gets a hold of him “Arise, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell”.
The Elizabethan audience would have been
repulsed by him, as it would have confirmed what they already thought of men of
colour: unholy murderers of good-natured souls. To some extent, his actions are
understandable to a modern audience, though unforgivable, as we realize that it
is the id of his personality retaliating. As Sigmund Freud, one of the most
prominent psychologists suggested, the id part of our mind acts according to
‘pleasure principle’ and most importantly seeks immediate gratification of any
impulse- which, in this case, is killing Desdemona for her betrayal. Freud
further goes on to say that the id knows no judgment of value, no good and evil
and no morality. Othello experiences a parallel journey, and in the end he is a
clear example of the great impact personal relationships can have on one’s
self-concept. This is enlightened when he takes away his own life after finding
out the truth, that his wife was not disloyal “he stabs himself”. Unable to cope with himself, as James Joyce has
suggested, he loses faith in life. Personal Relationships differ though in
Billy Collins’ Taking Off Emily Dickinson’s
clothes. They are more of an ecstatic
unleash of one’s liberty. In the poem, Emily is at her most vivid when having
sexual intercourse with the poet “could hear her sigh when finally it was
unloosed”. This is brought out through the language and the mood of the poem.
Indeed, Collins’ poem overall has an intimate timbre “it was terribly quiet”,
which is reflective of the aura of the act happening. There is also a very
sensual tone to it “I could plainly hear her inhale when I undid the very top”
without it being vile. It seems the poet is only engaging with the character
this way, because that mirrors her personality’s mystery. The real Emily Dickinson
was known to be private and very reclusive. Therefore, her sexual temperament
is an enigma, hence Collins approaching it respectfully. The tone/timbre of the
poem has an effect of Dickinson’s nudity being comfortable to the ears of the
modern reader. However, the pre-civil war audience, in Emily’s time, would have
found it foul and offensive. Dickinson also is at her most vivid through
Collins’s similes “it was like riding a swan into the night”. Her eroticism is
not only connected to her relationship with Collins, but also anchored to her
self-concept. Through her relationship with Collins, she discharges all of
herself, generating an epiphany-like moment within her: at the end of the poem,
a new characteristic aspect is born inside her. This is further enhanced
through sexual imagery “sailing towards the iceberg of her nakedness”. This
reminds one of exploring and conquering new land, and the modern audience
wonders if Collins is trying to colonize Emily Dickinson. The pre-civil war
audience would have found this language unbearable as they were much more
provincial and conservative in their attitudes towards sexuality. Dickinson is
striking in this poem through Collins’ use of onomatopoeia “clips, clasps”
“tumbled”, which perhaps might refer to the foot-print her personal
relationship with the poet has marked. The impression created is one of lovers,
as the reader thanks Collins for making Dickinson accessible.
To conclude, I beg to differ that characters in works of
literature are at their most vivid when formed by physical and social
environment as much as by personal relationships. The latter definitely has a
considerably bigger influence on luring out characters’ powerful and strong
emotions. When having personal relationships, characters are able to develop a
sense of self. The relational self is the part of an individual’s self-concept.
Just like Othello unconsciously saw himself through Desdemona’s eyes, and did
not realize it until he murdered her “my life upon hers”.
By Grace Mwizero
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