“A Game of Cross-Purposes”: Letters in George Meredith's The Ordeal of Richard Feverel

摘要

George Meredith uses even the most traditional of techniques in an innovative and challenging way. Letters interpolated in the narrative of The Ordeal of Richard Feverel do much more than supply extra information and enhance interiority. Disjunctions between what they are intended to convey, how they are read, and how they are acted upon, demonstrate not so much the circulation of discourse, as its failure. For the most part, therefore, their effect within the narrative is to alienate rather than unify. Meredith would become increasingly preoccupied with the perils that subvert communication. However, while the misreading of letters, particularly by Sir Austin and his son Richard, contributes markedly to the catastrophic conclusion, the refusal to be open to communication proves equally disastrous. The letter with which the narrative ends, written by a sympathetic correspondent (Lady Blandish) to a similarly dependable reader (Austin Wentworth), suggests something more positive. It raises the hope that words can lead to change and growth, if used and interpreted wisely. In this way, the letters in this novel produce a complex discourse in which Meredith involves both his characters and his readers alike.View full textDownload full textRelated var addthis_config = { ui_cobrand: "Taylor & Francis Online", services_compact: "citeulike,netvibes,twitter,technorati,delicious,linkedin,facebook,stumbleupon,digg,google,more", pubid: "ra-4dff56cd6bb1830b" }; Add to shortlist Link Permalink http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0013838X.2010.536682