Peter and Hugh in TSAR
Peter Walsh, in Mrs. Dalloway, is one of the first post-War men. He would be, in The Sun Also Rises, “one of them”, alongside Jake and Brett. Peter Walsh is usually, like Jake, fairly judgmental. He also demonstrates a fairly developed since of humor throughout the story.
Hugh Whitbread, in particular, is the target of Peter Walsh, much like Cohn becomes the target of his fellows in The Sun Also Rises, and for essentially similar reasons. Peter criticizes Hugh for “having no heart, no brain, nothing but the manners and breeding of an English gentleman,”. The comment seems similar to what is regularly implied by the various characters in The Sun Also Rises about Cohn; that (in this case) Hugh is a relic of a past age. He does not understand the way in which the modern world works, and attempts to compensate for it by engaging in behaviors the other characters consider slightly or entirely ludicrous. Cohn constantly challenges people to fights for matters of honor, while Hugh puffs himself up about his job at court and brings flowers in contexts where even their recipient considers them unnecessary.
Additionally, Peter is completely willing to disregard social norms as they relate to romantic relationships. He makes it very clear that he is attempting to marry someone he hopes will divorce her previous husband, on the basis of romantic attachment. Here, however, it is noticeable that the basis of his attachment is recognizably romantic, to either a pre-War or post-War audience.
Peter, unlike his fellow radical Sally Seton, also continues his streak of radicalism for an extended period of time. Where Sally ultimately marries and settles down, Peter continues having long adventures across the globe, falling in love with married women and insulting Hugh Whitbread and Clarissa.
I think it's really interesting that the tensions between Jake and Cohn are so similar to the tensions between Peter and Hugh. It seems like Jake and Peter disapprove of the other men because they haven't experienced war and aren't sufficiently manly. However, Jake is often threatened by Cohn's other masculine qualities, like his boxing skills. But both Cohn and Hugh are criticized for having outdated conceptions of chivalry, which have changed since the War.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting. I hadn't noticed the similarities between Peter's thoughts and the "one of us" mentality, but they're definitely there. It's interesting that Hugh and Cohn are so similar, but while Cohn plays a significant role in TSAR's main conflict, Hugh exists seemingly just for comic relief. I think Sally Seton and Brett are similar as well, just because they're both gender role-defying, modern women, although Sally settles down eventually and Brett is 34 and still plugging on. Perhaps part of what makes TSAR so modern is the fact that these are people in their late twenties and thirties who are all still acting as people would earlier expect only young people to act.
ReplyDeleteI do wonder what TSAR characters would think of Richard, who, despite his conventionality, is liked by Peter. I think that, as long as he had fought in the war, Jake and Bill would respect him, possibly even dubbing him "one of them". Similarly, it's interesting to think what TSAR would be like if it were set up like Mrs. Dalloway, with the main characters looking back on their youth (even though they're not technically in their youth), but maybe that would take away from its modern-ness.
This is a good connection between the two books we have read so far. I agree with you about Peter Walsh being "one of them". Because not only was he in the war he also has many tales to regale. He isn't a bad person but at the same time he isn't simple. He enjoys his drink and things like that. I don't think he would be too important of a character but he would be like another Count or just a drinking buddy with Jake.
ReplyDeleteI never thought about this comparison before, but it makes a lot of sense now that you've brought it up. There are a lot of connections between Hugh and Cohn, though I'd argue that Hugh is a little more like "one of them" in that he seems much more humorous than Cohn. I'd also say that Peter Walsh is like Jake in that he seems (at least to me) to still hold feelings for Clarissa, though he actively denies it, and he can't be with Clarissa even if he wants to. Similarly, Jake can't be with Brett even though he wants to, though for different reasons.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't noticed this parallel between The Sun Also Rises and Mrs. Dalloway. I agree that Peter definitely fits in with the "one of us" category and that Hugh stands out with Cohn. It's true that Sally Seton rather lost her rebellious streak, but I wonder if she would have fit in with the "one of us" group prior to getting married. And even after getting married, if she had interacted with the likes of Jake and Brett, she may have maintained that rebellious streak.
ReplyDeleteI like these types of observations, many times I tend to forget to think outside the box and relate what I'm reading to other books I've read, and instead relate them on real life situations. Perhaps I'll try and make observations like this one in the future.
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