The Man of Feeling

In her introduction to the Broadview edition, Harkin describes Mackenzie’s novel as the record of Harley as he “laments, but usually can do little to prevent or redress the wrongs he observes” (13). She also characterizes the sentimental novel as a genre which condemns “verbal language as an inadequate means of communicating the emotions of the feeling heart” and that “this mistrust of language motivates the recourse to the more immediate means of expression provided by tears, blushes, sighs, gestures, and even physiognomy” (11).  I find this ponderous…and it puts me in mind of one of my (too too numerous) lingual misinterpretations. During the same 17 years or so I pondered who exactly would put one, let alone multiple, nails in coffee, I also managed to avoid ever reading the expression “to right a wrong.” Since it is only fictional heroes who seem to do this, would it not make most sense to write wrongs? – Therein lies the real vindication. Things just aren’t real until they’re written. Well then, Harkin’s description immediately made me think how sad it is that sentimental fiction denies the righting, and shuns the writing of wrongs. Kind of an interesting metatextual exercise to have a literary genre characterized by its mistrust of language, especially compared to the other epistolary works, Pamela primarily, which we have read previously. And whereas the nameless Fantomina only existed in letters, and Pamela’s writings were inseparable from her person, Harley’s words seem just as ineffective as the rest of him.

            Furthermore, what a paradox to set “immediate means of expression” such as emotional outbursts and facial expressions against writing as more earnest and effective representations of the heart and yet make the former completely ineffective while the latter is the necessary medium through which anyone learns of this sentiment and is also the only action of real consequence which a sentimental man can manage. I like to think that Mackenzie is poking fun at this convention when he has the initial narrator retrieve Harley’s writing’s from his companion who has been using them to stuff his gun. Hmmm, now that’s a way to make literature forceful and effective and that was enough to make up for all of the crying and wimpy desertion of Ms. Walton. The idiot.

December 11, 2007. Uncategorized.