Henry Miller's philosophy and style in "Tropic of cancer", "Tropic of Capricorn" and "Black Spring"

Henry Miller is an American writer known as a literary innovator for his brilliant writing. His works has been a topical theme for critics for a long time and still his novels remain on the top of the most eccentric and ironic works of the 20 century.
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Henry Miller's philosophy and style in “Tropic of cancer”, “Tropic of Capricorn” and “Black Spring”

Выполнила студентка 4 курса, 4а2 группы

Демина Т. С.

Преподаватель

Балова О. Л.

Омск 2013



Введение

After the World War II the USA became a mass society described by Irving Howe above (Mass Society and Postmodern Fiction) in which advanced technology (cars, airplanes, information and communication technologies) and media (television, radio) have fostered a further development of democracy (control of the government by independent media, access to information) and has enabled a massive dissemination of popular culture such as popular culture including popular music (blues, jazz, rock), literature (comic strips, comic books, pornography, the western, love stories), film, TV serials, soap operas, sitcoms, fashion and others. As can be seen from the above and as Irving Howe defined it as early as in the 1950s, American society, culture and sensibility of the 1950's was considerably different than this shortly after the World War II (Howe, 195..). Not too many American authors, however, were able to reflect this new condition, culture and reality through formal or them1tic means in their works. Many of them were still influenced by and wrote in a tradition of either Naturalist, Modernist or more experimental absurd and existentialist writing influenced by French authors Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus. T As can be seen from the above and as Irving Howe defined it as early as in the 1950s, American society, culture and sensibility of the 1950's was considerably different than this shortly after the World War II (Howe, 195..). Not too many American authors, however, were able to reflect this new condition, culture and reality through formal or them1tic means in their works. Many of them were still influenced by and wrote in a tradition of either Naturalist, Modernist or more experimental absurd and existentialist writing influenced by French authors Jean Paul Sartre and Albert Camus.

A depiction of the chaotic urban setting, disintegration of moral values, absurdity, radical rebellion, nihilism, sexuality, alcoholism, vernacularism, slang and jargon expressing a rebellion against standard norms (Salinger) better than traditional Realistic, Naturalistic or more traditional Modernist novels depicted the spirit of the period, but these formal, thematic or aesthetic innovations still could not grasp a new upcoming postmodern atmosphere and condition of a newly formed society characterized above. Postmodern authors, especially of the 1960's, developed the themes and some of the techniques and visions of the world as used by the above authors (absurdity, chaos, nihilism, thematization of alcoholism and drugs, grotesque).

It seems that it is especially postmodern literature and authors, their formal and aesthetic innovations and the vision of the world could best reflect a new spirit of the period. These authors were inspired by some of the techniques discussed above, but a strong generation of American postmodern authors who used postmodern narrative techniques and style appeared and started to dominate American fiction as late as in the 1960's. Some of the writers who some critics understood as postmodernist appeared earlier and their work both significantly 61inspired their work and expressed a different vision of the world than the above Modernist authors. This vision was much closer to the contemporary atmosphere of the mass and postmodern society discussed above. Henry Miller is one of them.

miller american novels literary



Henry Miller's philosophy and style in “Tropic of cancer”, “Tropic of Capricorn” and “Black Spring”

Henry Miller is an American writer known as a literary innovator for his brilliant writing which according to Ralph B. “Sipper used to be written in such a way that actual and imagined experiences became indistinguishable from each other”. His works has been a topical theme for critics and specialists in literature for a long time and still his novels remain on the top of the most eccentric, audacious, frank and ironic works of the 20^th century. It is a wonderful thing that some of Henry Miller's work at last is coming out in a popular edition in the United States. Henry Miller is a really popular writer, a writer of and for real people, who, in other countries, is read, not just by highbrows, or just by the wider public which reads novels, but by common people, by the people who, in the United States, read comic books. As the Southern mountain woman said of her hero son, dead in Korea, “Mister, he was sure a great reader, always settin' in the corner with a piece of cold bread and one of them funny books.”

Among the reviews of critics and men of letters there could be found quite negative assessments and disavowal of any talent and writing skills of H. Miller, denegation of any philosophy but only the flight of ideas and thoughts lubberly cloistered between the lines. As well as positively oriented reviews full of appreciation and gratitude for daring to reveal every intimate moment followed by philosophic comments of the author himself. For example, George Orwel in his essay written in 1940 affirms: “Tropic of Cancer has been vaguely associated with two other books, Ulysses and Voyage au bout de la nuit, but in neither case is there much resemblance. What Miller has in common with Joyce is a willingness to mention the inane, squalid facts of everyday life. Putting aside differences of technique, the funeral scene in Ulysses, for instance, would fit into Tropic of Cancer; the whole chapter is a sort of confession, an exposй of the frightful inner callousness of the human being. But there the resemblance ends.”

Miller was first recognized after the publication of his novel, Tropic of Cancer, which to date remains Henry Miller's most famous work. Tropic of Cancer was followed by Tropic of Capricorn in terms of fame. Although the books are fiction, they contain autobiographic elements revolving around Miller's life as a struggling writer. The books were originally published by Jack Kahane at Obelisk Press in France in the mid thirties. However, when the books were brought to the United States for publishing, a censorship ban of 30 years was pressed. Miller finally won the case and the two books were published with efforts of Barney Rosset by Grove Press. After the publication of Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn, Miller's other works were also published in the United States. Miller became a hero and his books, best sellers. The publication of his books proved to be a life changing experience and he went from a life of poverty and begging in Paris to living comfortably and respectfully in the United States.

Henry Valentine Miller was born on December 26, 1891 in Yorkville, NYC. His parents were German immigrants. Henry acquired his love of fine clothing from his father who was a tailor. Miller spent a life of scarcity and poverty till his late 30's until the legendary Tropic of Cancer was published. Miller attended City College of New York for a short period of time and decided to quit despite being a bright student because he did not believe in the traditional system of education. He moved to Paris alone in 1930 after marrying twice. After an initial life of neediness and struggle, Miller's days changed for the better after befriending Hugh Guiler and Anais Nin who supported him financially. Miller returned to the United States in 1940 at the age of 48 and continued writing in his bold style, challenging and raising questions about the American morals and values. He lived in Big Sur, where he established an artist's colony and married two more women. He married a total of five times. It was also in Big Sur that he completed another masterwork, Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch. When Miller and his wife could not take anymore the rising fame and unlimited visiting fans, they moved to Pacific Palisades in Southern California where he spent the last twenty years of his life. Henry Miller died on June 7, 1980 due to circulatory problems at the age of 88.

In order to comprehend all the books, which are to be analyzed it is appropriate to cover each of them one by one. The first is a novel which brought H. Miller the fame: “Tropic of cancer”.

This novel has been described as "notorious for its candid sexuality". Miller wrote the book between 1930 and 1934 during his "nomadic life" in Paris. As Miller discloses in the text of the book, he first intended to title it "Crazy Cock". Miller gave the following explanation of why the book's title was Tropic of Cancer: "It was because to me cancer symbolizes the disease of civilization, the endpoint of the wrong path, the necessity to change course radically, to start completely over from scratch. Tropic of Cancer centers on Mille...