The Poetics of Love and Hope in Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet

8/13/2019 The Poetics of Love and Hope in Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet

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The poeticsof love and hope

in

Lawrence Durrells

Alexandria Quartet

Franois Barnaud

Juin 199

fran!ar19"#$%&ail'co&


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Table of Contents

Ta!le of (ontents'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''')

*+T,-D.(T*-+'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''/

0A,T -+2 A+ AL3A+D,*A+ 0-4''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''5

A' A60(T6 -F AL3A+D,*A''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''"

(hapter 12 a place without character7 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''"

(hapter )2 histor8 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''#

(hapter /2 the cit8 of the wounded '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''9

(hapter 2 Alexandrian poetr87 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''1)

B' (A:AF;< T= -LD 0-T -F T= (*T;''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''1)(hapter 12 The >od a!andons Anton8 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''1/

(hapter )2 the other poe&s of (avaf8 in the Quartet ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''1"

0A,T )2 T= 0-T*(6 -F L-:'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''1

A' The infinite potentialities of the love relationships ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''1

B' The Quests ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''')1

(hapter 1' Darle8?s trilo%8 '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''')1

(hapter )' +essi&?s corner ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''')

(hapter /' 0ursewarden?s corner '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''/1

(hapter ' 4ountolives corner ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''/)

(hapter 5' A few other characters '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''/5

0A,T T=,2 T= =,ALD*( Q.6T@-F (LA A+D DA,L;'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

A ' L-: A6 A 4A+6 -F +-CLD>' ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''(hapter 12 6ic love '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

(hapter )2 The %reat reunification ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''1

(hapter /2 Love and death ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''/

B' T= 6(-+D 0A,T -F +A,-.E'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

(hapter 12 +arou< the dar an%el ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

(hapter )2 The island of +arou2 presentation ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''"

(hapter /2 Death and resurrection' '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

( ' T= >,AT *+L*+> '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''5

(hapter 12 The influx of the universe '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''5

(hapter )2 The =eraldic lau%h' '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''51

(hapter /2 ?To see is to i&a%ine'''? ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''5)

0A,T F-.,2 =,ALD*( A,T< 0-T*( A(=*:4+T ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''5(hapter 12 The %od of the place ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''5

(hapter )2 The =eraldic lan%ua%e ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''55

(hapter /2 The =eraldic &etaphor ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''5"

(hapter 2 The Alexandria Quartet as a &etaphor ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''5#

(-+(L.6*-+ ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''59

B*BL*->,A0=; ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''"1

6L(TD C-,6 -F LAC,+( D.,,LL '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''"1

(,*T*(AL C-,6 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''"1

>+,AL 6T.D*6 ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''"1


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INTRODUCTION

As one first runs throu%h it the Alexandria Quartet appears as a !oo deepl8 intoxicated with

poetr8' -!viousl8 it is not onl8 a G&ereH novel &ade of narration< ti&e@stud8< evolution of

characters< settin% of intri%ues< resolution of personal and political pro!le&sI althou%h all

these ele&ents can !e found in it< there o!viousl8 is so&ethin% &ore'

6o&ethin% that cannot !e seen at first si%ht< so&ethin% deeper< so&ethin% written !etween the

lines2 welco&e into Lawrence Durrell?s heraldic universe'

*f there is poetr8 in the !oo< how is it to !e proved< clai&ed< and expressed7 The first idea

was to call the stud8 0oetr8 in the Alexandria Quartet' But there see&ed to !e so&ethin%

wron%< it see&ed stiff< parched< and ''' !orin%' 6uch a theoretical essa8 was not adapted to the!oo'

*n addin% love and hope< life was added< and it see&s that in life onl8 !e%ins real poetr8'

Love and hope are words that sound lie %arlic and hone8< lie s&ile and sunshine< and the8

see& terri!l8 Durrellian''' Lawrence Durrell is< first and a!ove all< a s&ilin% &an' 6o&e have

said that his stud8 of love was a clinical and c8nical one< that it had no real point' That Durrell

deli%hted in carr8in% his reader< without delicac8 or an8 point !e8ond sarcas&< throu%h a

aleidoscope of all the &onstrosities of love'''

That the last volu&e< (lea< was a failure and that it had no real connection with the rest of the

!oo !e8ond an artificial Kustification of the space@ti&e continuu&< the four sided novel< the

vain scientific construction of the !oo'

Chat a &istae Chat a &isunderstandin% and a &isreadin% But wh87 =ow is (lea so deepl8

lined to the other !oos< as it see&s so li%ht< so sunlit< so laden with &essa%es of hope< so

Gun@alexandrianH< so unfashiona!le''''

*t see&s that the readin% of the Alexandria Quartet does not onl8 reMuire an intellectual strain'

-ne has to indul%e into an Gunderstandin%H process< with all the faculties we have''' The &ain

and hi%hl8 striin% Mualit8 of the !oo is a sensual Mualit8< so that one has to indul%e in a

feelin% process'

0oetics of love and poetics of hope' Chat do these words &ean7 Love is the over@trodden pathof the novel< and 8et it is each ti&e different'

*n the Alexandria Quartet love has taen the shape of a net< each volu&e addin% a new fra&e

on another level to the co&plexit8 of what we call love'

*n this net &ost of the characters are taen prisoners< and it see&s difficult to find a wa8 out'

And this is where hope intervenes< !ecause Durrell does not indul%e in the %eneral pessi&is&

of the ti&e' And despite the terri!le claws that see& to shatter the characters into pieces< so&e

of the& still &ana%e to find their wa8 in the la!8rinth' =ow the8 perfor&< this will have to !e

anal8sed'


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But how are these words love and hope lined to poetr87 -f course the novel is steeped in

poetic lan%ua%e' But is that all7 *s it onl8 a &ere wa8 of expressin% oneself< a &ere %a&e or

sno!!er8 on the part of the author7 Chat has poetr8 to do in a novel7 =ow can a whole novel

!e turned into a poe&7 All these Muestions have to !e raised< as the &eans of expression isalwa8s deepl8 lined to the purpose of the author'

Durrell has his own view of love< of love relationships' =is purpose is certainl8 not onl8

realistic' =e does not tr8 to descri!e thin%s as the8 are' =e nows that this is a vainree poet< reputed to !e one

of the &ost i&portant of 4odern >reece' Born in Alexandria in 1"/< he spent &ost of his life

there and died in Athens in 19//' =is poetr8 !ein% steeped in the feelin% of failure and deca8od

a!andons Anton8' *t is interestin% to note that it is throu%h the &eans of a whore< of a popular


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san% that the %reat le%end is called !ac to &e&or8' Anton8 nearl8 !eca&e a >od !ut in the

end =ercules a!andons hi& and leaves the cit8 at ni%ht with %reat &usic'

After the !attle of Actiu&< Anton8 hears the &usic passin% and then he nows that he has no&ore chance to win' =e has failed' This poe& represents failure in divinit8 for &an< even for

Anton8' *t &eans the approach of death< and Alexandria see&s to !e under the si%n of !oth the

ut&ost !rilliance and the ut&ost failure'

But what is the &essa%e conve8ed !8 (avaf8s poe&7 Failure is stran%el8 announced !8

&usic< !8 the Gravishin% &usic of invisi!le choirs


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This passa%e fro& Justine is one of the &an8 exa&ples one could %ive of these echoes' The

son% Ja&ais de la vie is used !8 Durrell as the &odern aspect of Anton8?s &usic' But< and

stran%el8 enou%h< it also happens to !e the na&e of Justines perfu&e'

=ere it is old (ohen on his death@!ed' (ohen has experienced failure in love and is now

facin% death' And suddenl8 this o!scure Alexandrian !eco&es the e&!odi&ent of Anton8'

The sirens echoin% lie planets in pain su%%est< in their terri!le noise< the cos&ic< eternal

Mualit8 of Alexandria' Darle8 is now cau%ht in a we! of echoes'''

But Darle8 is not the onl8 one to hear the sirens< apart fro& (ohen and 4elissa N who &a8 !e

a siren< dancin% on Ja&ais de la vie Kust as Justine wears it'''O *n Balthaar< on two instances

(avaf8s poe& is &entioned' First when +arou is visitin% the %reat feast of 6itna 4aria& to

find the 4a%u!2

''' and still the flood poured on with its own wild &usic Nperhapsthe ver8 &usic that the d8in% Anton8 in (avaf8s 0oe& heardO

until it en%ulfed the darness of the %reat &eidan< spreadin%

around it'NBalthaar< p'1/1O

=ere +arou is on the ed%e of so&ethin%< Kust !efore the wild &eetin% with the 4a%u! ''' !ut

he will fail in %ettin% real infor&ation fro& hi&< and it see&s that the whole (it8 tells hi&

so''' the 4a%u! is a ind of %od < even +arou cannot overpower hi& 2 the 4a%u! will drive

hi& into error' Then we have the old Da (apo< &entionin% the poe& in what see&s to !e a

casual wa8 at the (ervoni !all' But a%ain at this !all the cit8 reveals itself< and a &an is found

dead< illed !8 +arou' And a%ain there is a failure< +arou &isses his tar%et< he is

descendin% step after step the stairs towards hell' 0ursewarden hi&self< &eetin% 4elissa Kust

!efore his suicide< is found hu&&in% to hi&self the tune of ?Ja&ais de la vie' one cannotnow 8et whether 0ursewarden?s death was a success or a failure< !ut it certainl8 was a failure

in the love@affair with his sister< the %reat tra%ed8 of his life' And once a%ain the old tune

appears there as love passin% and vanishin% into the ni%ht'

But the &ost i&portant< the cli&actic appearance of the son% is later in the sa&e novel< durin%

4ountolive?s dreadful ni%ht' There we have co&parativel8 lon% develop&ents on the son%'6 Fraser sa8shinste %ives us clues in the interpretation of this passa%e' Justine is tr8in% to conMuer

+essi&?s in%do&' 6he drives his ,olls in the desert< s8&!ol of the dr8 aridit8 of the &indree fi%ure of

6ofia standin% hi%h a!ove all paradoxes< !e8ond all GaporiesH'

Ce first discover her in the eni%&atic answer she %ives to 0ursewarden?s Muestion2

(o&&ent vous defende vous contre la solitude 7

4onsieur< Ke suis devenue la solitude@&P&e'NJ'< p'1##O

And here she answers Gwith all the candour of experienceH' *sn?t odd to put these two words

to%ether7 4elissa< unlie 0ursewarden< certainl8 never read philosoph8' But she appears to

hi& Nis this the reason for &ain% her >ree 7O as livin% full8 and with %reat ease the

principles he so &uch appreciates in the authors' =er candour has a supernatural Mualit8' *n

%ivin% herself to ever8!od8 she does not o!e8 to a Quest for the &8sterious self lie Justine'

All these pro!le&s are co&pletel8 useless and sterile< seen fro& 4elissas point of view'

Chat she nows is that she needs a coat for the winter< that?s all' 6he is onl8 tr8in% to heal

wounded people'

6he is the one who %ives all his di%nit8 to (ohen< who unexpectedl8 reveals hi&self as a %ood

&an in the end' Cith Darle8 the relationship is under the si%n of (harit8' Darle8 repeats twice

that this inti&ac8 was unexpected and undeserved' 4elissa %ives herself to (apodistria onl8to avoid Darle8 so&e &one8 pro!le&s' 6he %ives herself to 0ursewarden on the eve of his

death2 in this &o&ent he is co&pletel8 revealed to hi&self< and he can acco&plish his desi%n'

6he stran%el8 puts +essi& to his feet a%ain< %ivin% hi& the realities of tenderness< of hu&an

co&passion that he laced' 4elissa has no real path< it is onl8 a slow descent towards deathree island per&its hi& to !e

read8 for the third act''' But Darle8 still re&ains an eni%&a< and we have to ad&it F' arl ?s

state&ent2 Darle8?s appeal is his detach&ent< his al&ost ne%ative Mualit8' =e see&s to !e the

least willed of all characters< and his real self never see&s to !e en%a%ed' =e su!&its to all

these wo&en &ore than conMuers the&2 Justine co&es to %reet hi& in the street< 4elissa

co&es to the flat< and the innocent (lea tells hi&2 let?s %o to !ed to%ether'''

But &a8 !e is it this detach&ent that %ives hi& the full disponi!ilit8 at the co&in% of his hour2

his T*4'

Chapter 2 Nei* cor$er

As we saw in our drawin%< +essi& and Darle8 are ver8 closel8 lined as the8 perfect the

GcoreH in the !uildin% of the intri%ues' But even if the trian%le of the three wo&en is +essi&?s

senti&ental universe< 8et it does not exhaust the whole of his e&otional universe' +essi&?s

stor8 is not a duplicata of Darle8?s< far fro& it I even if there are stron% ele&ents in co&&on'

First< Justine see&s to pla8 for +essi& the part pla8ed !8 (lea for Darle8' *n !oth cores< the

couples have to separate for a while Npass throu%h a certain ind of deathO !efore discoverin%

that the8 are ripe for each other' 4eanwhile +essi& has an affair with 4elissa and then this

ver8 sli%ht !e%innin% of an affair with (lea'

But these two affairs< even if the8 have an i&portance< are not central' Cho is +essi& 7 -ne

of the two sons of Leila =osnaniI a!out the father we now ver8 little' The understandin% of

the fa&il8 is ver8 i&portant if one wishes to understand the character of +essi&' The8 are

(opts< which &eans the oldest population of %8pt< &uch older than the Ara!s' The &otherir%' The !rothers are so close to each other durin% their

childhood that the8 al&ost achieve perfection in their union' But ti&e passes and separates

the& &ore and &ore< each !ein% silentl8 Kealous of the other?s treasure< tr8in% to recapture in

order to achieve unit8 a%ain' +essi& tries to catch the power of +arou throu%h Justine< who

!elon%s to the sa&e t8pe' =ence the terri!le uncontrolla!le wrath of +arou a%ainst his

!rother?s wife< that ends in disaster' This catastrophe cannot !e explained in another wa8' And

+arou tries to catch the power of +essi& throu%h his desperate love for (lea< the splendid

!londe< the creature of the sun'

=ence the a%on8< hence the despair< and this explains the sentence that had re&ained o!scure

till now2

* have co&e to tell 8ou that * love 8ou !ecause * have illed

Justine'NB'< 19"O

(lea &aes hi& repeat twice and she taes it for a deliriu&< as she cannot explain such lo%ic '

+arou hi&self is co&pletel8 unaware of what reall8 happened' =e thins he did it onl8

!ecause Justine Nin fact the ho&osexual ToToO &ade advances to hi&' But he acnowled%es2

G*t happened !efore * could thinH' +arou is pure instinct< even &ore than Justine< and he

stries !efore thinin%' =e was deepl8 afraid that his !rother &i%ht recover the lost unit8 and

therefore co&pletel8 do&inate hi&< in fact GillH hi&' =avin% done this +arou needs to

touch (lea< tr8in% hi&self to co&plete this unit8 instead of his !rother'

+ow we understand !etter that within +essi& the !attle lies !etween Justine and his !rother

+arou' Darle8 thou%ht that the foll8 of +essi&< descri!ed in Justines note !oo< was due to

his Kealous8 re%ardin% the infidelities of Justine' *n fact it was due to a &uch deeper trial2

+essi& was pro%ressivel8 illin% his !rother< not hi&self !ut throu%h the &ost detested

4e&li' Bein% !oth =osnanis< the two !rothers wished to re@esta!lish the predo&inance of

the (opts over the Ara!s and the n%lish' But their &eans are co&pletel8 opposite' And !oth

failed< ne%lectin% in their pride and foll8 the opposite side' >'6 Fraser sa8s that +essi& illin%

+arou is illin% the su!&er%ed part of hi&self' But &a8 !e did he need to ill +arou to

conMuer Justine' 6he is part of the political plot< she is even the central piece as we see in the

wor points of Balthaar 2

''' all &otive is &ixed' ;ou see< fro& the &o&ent * &arried herhinste sees in this scene a transposition of (leas

rape< a wild phantas& of +arou' =e drives deeper and deeper into &adness'

As +essi& cannot har& his !rother hi&self< he uses 4e&li 2

=e new ver8 well how to strie out echoes around his na&e

with the whip@for he was now wieldin% it'N4'< p'))9O

4e&li is the caricature of +arou< and +arou will !e %nawed !etween his teeth''' *n

descri!in% the residence of 4e&li Durrell indul%es in a sli%ht repetition < there are the sa&e

fan li%hts transfor&in% the visitors into harleMuins as in ar&' The place is also surrounded

!8 water' 4e&li?s house is an answer to ar&< a threat' But the threat also han%s over

+essi&?s head< as the su&&er palace is a ?L@shaped !loc of !uildin%?< and the house of

4e&li is a Glon%@el!owed conservator8'''H +essi&?s ar& &a8 well turn on hi& at an8 ti&e'''

*n the description of the death of +arou one sees that onl8 an alliance of powers &ade itpossi!le' The !od8 is full of !ullet@holes< !ecause 4e&li nows how to use ,eason< and

+essi&''' in the !e%innin% of (lea reinvests ar& with the help of Justine' +essi& has

conMuered the real& of water'

And it is no surprise to find +essi& in co&pan8 of 4e&li in the end of (lea' +essi& has

&ana%ed the reunification of the self< thans to Justine and thans to 4elissa' +arou was

alone and could not reunif8 alone' *t is not throu%h violence that +essi& conMuered< !ut

throu%h indness and pit8 that he co&pletel8 discovered with 4elissa' The fi%ht !etween the

two !rothers is &ore than the fi%ht of sun a%ainst &oon' *t is also the fi%ht of life and

fecundit8< a%ainst death and sterilit8< destruction' And eventuall8 the terri!le powers of

destruction that were used throu%h the &eans of 4e&li are conMuered also< and the death

&achine %oes down< exactl8 lie Justine' The final &essa%e of +essi&?s stor8 is a &essa%e of


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hope' +essi& and Justine fl8 to >eneva< a s8&!ol of peace' Destruction has !een annihilated

thans to hu&an indness and hu&an love'

Chapter " Purewar%e$ cor$er

*f we follow the lo%ic of our drawin%< the next %roup is centred upon 0ursewarden' =e

co&pletes the perfect trian%le< also havin% affairs with (lea< 4elissa and Justine' But< even

&ore than +essi& he opens the trian%le' Justine and (lea are of ver8 little i&portance to hi&'

4elissa pla8s a decisive part< !ut the %reat affair of his life is onl8 discovered &uch later' =e

!elon%s to the writers %roup< co&posed of 2 (avaf8< Arnauti< hi&self and Darle8' (avaf8 is

dead< Arnauti is still alive !ut !elon%s to the past< 0ursewarden is the writer in the full

possession of hi&self while Darle8 is still learnin%' *n d8in% 0ursewarden Glets roo&H for

Darle8' =ow do we discover hi& 7 First he see&s to !e the t8pical ironist< a ind of Dorian

>ra8< never i&plied in an8thin% except his art< alwa8s read8 for a %ood lau%h' =e see&s to !ethe anti@ tra%ic character'

But suddenl8< in illin% hi&self he !eco&es the tra%ic character< The Tra%ic =ero' =e had

co&e to the end of a Quest no!od8 had !een aware of' And we have to re@read his life GR

re!oursH' Ce learn a!out his childhood fro& the &outh of his sister Lia< in (lea' And we

understand the clue of their love' =e and his sister lived a perfect union< Gthe8 s8&!olied the

&oon and the sun at their conKunctionH' *n his &8tholo%ical drea&s< awa8 in *reland< durin%

the winter< 0ursewarden &aes the lin !etween &8th and realit8< and the children !eco&e

&8thic children' +o one can separate the&< nothin% prevents the& fro& drea&in%' But in

%rowin% up a new thou%ht appears in 0ursewarden?s &ind'

But when the %uilt entered the old poetic life !e%an to lose its&a%ic @not for &e2 !ut for hi&'N('< p'1"#O

Ce discover that 0ursewarden< who drew so hard attacs upon the n%lish Death< < upon %uilt

and &oralit8< was hi&self stron%l8 prisoner of that %uilt and that he could not escape it' =e

discovers that so violent< so pure a love is unnatural and i&possi!le< he dies lie a ,o&eo' Ce

understand !etter his &otivation durin% the &eetin% with 4elissa2

=e had hit upon the perfect wa8 to cure these twin%es of a

puritan conscience which lured underneath the carefree surface

of an a&oral lifeN4'< p'15/O

0ursewarden wished to shae this puritan %uilt fro& his shoulders and could not &ana%e to do

this' To !u8 the !od8 of a friend?s %irl could !e a %ood wa8 to strie this puritan conscience'

But this su& of &one8 could also !e a last hideous win to this lurin% conscience< the last tr8

to Kustif8 his acts 7

0ursewarden &ade an escape to Alexandria in order to achieve his Quest< to reach the countr8

of *sis and -siris' And he lead an a&oral life in G4ount :ulture =otelH in order to escape a

love he could not !ear' =e is the onl8 one in the novel who ca&e to Alexandria on purposereat Fire of Alexandrias Li!rar8' .pon its ashes

life will !e a!le to flower a%ain< even %reater than !efore' *s 0ursewarden?s Quest a failure 7

=is death loos lie a sacrifice' *n this he is ver8 close to 4elissa' And his stor8 could also !e

co&pared to that of +essi&' -n the s8&!olical level< !oth childhoods are si&ilar' -nl8 hereree actor and does not escape the fate of all Alexandrians2 destitution and the

approach of death throu%h love' As a &e&!er of the (a!al< he hates passionate love and onl8

indul%es in pleasure< livin% the &ind free for other preoccupations' But this ti&e Balthaar

loses all his wisdo& ' This episode leaves &ars on hi&2 the false teeth that he hates so &uchalaad leavin% for the Muest of the =ol8 >rail' And the nose he &aes for his darlin% is a

&a%ic nose< white &a%ic answerin% to !lac &a%ic' 4ade of three distinct parts it is the

t8pical s8&!ol2 the !rain< the heart and the sex find the&selves unified in a wor of art' But

here the wor of art is a livin% one< that will Nis it a Koe 7O perpetuate in their children' *t is no

surprise to find (lea here associated to this tas'

The wor of art needs science as the drawer needs the sur%eon in order to &ae a nose' And

this could also !e an echo of Durrell?s interest in science for the !uildin% of his novel' =ere theco&!ination of (lea and A&aril finds its true expression< which it had not found in a &ere

sexual relationship' And the !orn child is the counterpart of (leas a!orted child' The

presentation of 6e&ira is at the Au!er%e Bleue' But now the place is purified of all the

alar&in% si%ns that crowded around it durin% 4ountolives last &eetin% with Leila'

Durin% the !all< the lovers are found dancin% on the Blue Danu!e< Kust lie 0ursewarden and

Lia in London< under Blaes statue' But here the dance is even &ore successful< as if it were

also purified of all &or!id allusions'

And< last !ut not least< A&aril is the for%er of (leas new hand' =e is !oth the warrior and the

&8thic for%er< who is a!le to &ae the sword that is stron% enou%h to deal with devilish

creatures' (leas hand is not a sword !ut it is the hand of the artist< and it has to deal with allthe o!scure powers that suppl8 art' A&aril < thou%h ver8 discreet< see&s to !elon% to the other

world< !ein% there to help those who tr8 to cross the frontier'

As often in the Quartet< in a flash we catch a %li&pse of a ver8 stran%e si%ht' A&aril< walin%

in the +ational 0ortrait >aller8< shouts at 0ursewarden?s !ust2

6alaud Ch8 did 8ou not tell &e 8ou were a %reat &an passin%

throu%h &8 life N('< p'9O

Chat could !e the interest of such a passa%e 7 *s he onl8 furious to have G&issedH the %reat

&an 7 *f we eep on readin% on a s8&!olic scale< A&aril &a8 !e furious of havin% &issed a


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&an he could have helped< a wounded &an he could have healed' But 0ursewarden was a

terri!le solitar8'

c. Capodistia

(apodistria''' how does he fit in 7

This is the wa8 Darle8 presents hi& in the !e%innin% of Justine< as he presents all the

characters he needs for his stor8' Da (apo is certainl8 on the Dar side of Alexandria< a hu%e

and u%l8 !ird of pre8 swoopin% a!ove all its wo&en' *n this wa8 he is the strict opposite of

A&aril< !ein% the universal wounder as A&aril is the universal healer'

Darle8 sa8s that he is o!scurel8 related with Justine' *n fact he is the &an who raped her as a

child' And when she co&es and ass hi& to rape her a second ti&e< as if to close a door shecannot close herself< he refuses''' =ealin% is not his !usiness< it is not his ?service? in the

Alexandrian hospital'

=e is also lined with Balthaar< as a &e&!er of the (a!!al' =e reappears at the (ervonis

!all< stran%el8 readin% aloud a passa%e of a !oo a!out oriental reli%ions2

The fruit of the tree of %ood and evil is itself !ut fleshI 8es< and

the apple itself is !ut an apple of the dust'NB'< p'1##O

Later (apodistria finds hi&self in a co&pletel8 new situation< as he turns hi&self towards

&a%ic' ,e turns his !ac on the (a!!al that Gsees to drench the world in a!stract %oodnessH2

+ow * reco%nise the path * a& headin% as si&pl8 the counter

poise @ the !otto& end of the see@saw as it were @ which eeps the

li%ht side up in the air''' N('< p'1#1O

-f course this stor8 is &eant to provoe lau%hter< !ut Da (apo is one of the &8thic &a%icians

that han% over Alexandria'

And &a8 !e is it not all vil< as we would conclude if we had to li&it ourselves to a (hristian

point of view' The (hristian concept of Darness pro!a!l8 needs to !e transcended< into

so&ethin% closer to the ;in and ;an% principles' Da (apo new that he was not on the Li%ht

side thou%h he tried with the (a!!al' 6o he choose to founder in the Dar side2 G* have chosenthe dar path towards &8 own Li%ht'H This re%ion is certainl8 ver8 close to that of +arou 2

their u%liness< their whip Na flic< lie a cha&eleon?s ton%ue striin%O &ae the& twin

!rothers' +arou desperatel8 tried to reach Li%ht< Da (apo chose to disappear in Darness'

Both are still alive in the under world< and the part the8 pla8 does not have to !e considered as

pure vil' An8wa8< it is useless to conde&n Nno one in the Quartet even utters the thou%htO as

the8 onl8 o!e8 to their own truth'


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d. Scobie

=enr8 4iller< when he first read The Alexandria Quartet< told his friend Durrell that two

thin%s had struc hi&2 on the first hand< the character of 0ursewarden was not convincin%' -n

the other hand< the i&&ense success of the !oo was 6co!ie' =e is a ho&osexual< and thus is

lined with Balthaar' But he is as foolish as Balthaar is wise'''

And< as >'6 Fraser sa8s< he is the hol8 fool who nows nothin% and ever8thin%< a lin

!etween i&a%es of ineptness< de%radation and an idea of the =ol8' Just as (lea< he represents

holiness and innocence< and the8 !oth stand for spontaneous %oodness' But he is &ore than

that2 he has invented hi&self a &8thic past to counter poise his shattered existence'

:an de >hinste sa8s that 6co!ie is so deepl8 steeped in &8th that he has !eco&e 48th itself'

*n this also< he is close to Balthaar< the &8thic 0an' All the characters have a &8thic side< !ut

6co!ie see&s to !e the radiatin% centre of it< its inexhausti!le source2

Franl8 6co!ie loos an8!od8?s a%e' -lder than the !irth of

tra%ed8< 8oun%er than the Athenian death' 6pawned in the Ar !8

a chance &eetin% and &atin% of the !ear and the ostrich''' NJ'enesis and (lea' Love &ain% &i%ht !e the experience of !oth life and death< in

which !oth &in%le to the ut&ost !efore< &a8 !e< %ivin% access to that nowled%e for!idden to

Ada&' And it is striin% to find !oth &eanin%s in the Bi!le'

Accordin% to the tradition< Ada& and ve new each other after havin% !een expulsed fro&

0aradise< after havin% eaten the fruit' 6o< fro& the ver8 !e%innin%< sex is !oth lined to

pleasure and to pain< to life and to death' And the pleasure enKo8ed in sex &a8 !e a sli%ht

%li&pse of what life could !e in 0aradise< as a door openin% and then swiftl8 closin% a%ain

destitution< here it see&s transfi%ured'

(lea and Darle8 have !eco&e si&ile@%ods< or< at least< full artists @ which &eans de&iur%es'

Cith Durrell< true sex is a &ean of freedo& and not of enslavin%< and there he taes the

direction radicall8 opposed to that of the (hristian tradition' +ow we can re@read the stran%e

4utation of (apodistria at the (ervonis !all' (apodistria< surna&ed Gthe %reat pornH !8


44/62

Darle8< realises that he will never %et throu%h the veil with sex< and certainl8 not with his wa8

of livin% sex2 a sex of darness' 6een fro& this side< sex is nothin% !ut flesh and dust' And Da

(apo< althou%h a %reat wo&anier< is &uch too steeped in these illusions carried !8 the

tradition to reall8 escape the&' =is stor8 is in fact the sa&e as that of 0ursewarden 2 the8 triedto escape sex throu%h the accu&ulation of it' Their answer is Kust as sterile as that of

puritanis&' =ow can it !e lined to creation 7

Chen sex is on the side of Li%ht< it !rin%s full nowled%e and full realisation' *nstead of the

%reat GnoH< it is the %reat G8esH' And this is pro!a!l8 what 0ursewarden &eans when he sa8sod and &an'

The Muestion of the &eans throu%h which the hu&an could !e lined to the divine not !ein%

raised !8 *sla& Nhavin% a >od who does not stoop to the weaness of loveO< Alexandria died

awa8 after the Ara! invasion' =ow is this lined to our su!Kect 7

Throu%h his lins with Taor< +arou enters a di&ension that totall8 escapes to the other

characters of the novel ''' This is the tradition of the desert@fathers' Chen 4ountolive first

&eets +arou< he co&pares hi& with Ga tousled anchorite in a cliff chapelH?' And JL 0inchin

descri!es these &ons thus2

*n their stran%e< wild approach to asceticis& the8 were ain tothe sensuous cit8 fro& which &an8 had co&e


45/62

These &ons< wearin% !lac coats< are descri!ed in Anatole Frances Thais< surroundin%

Alexandria' These extre&e ascets have soon !een re%arded with a suspicious e8e !8 the

(hurchs authorit8' The8 seeed extre&e purification !ut was it not a%ain close to sin 7+arou< as he !eco&es wild with the thou%ht of (lea< sees purit8 in the desert throu%h

desperate preaches' =e !eco&es a wild prophet'

*t is this that &aes hi& strie at what he &istaes for Justine2 she represents lust and

sensualit8< and he a!hors all these thin%s as he is a terri!le puritan' And when he stoops at

(leas feet< it is not a lover !eholdin% a !eloved< !ut a &an stoopin% !efore the statue of the

0erfect :ir%in' =e isses the end of (leas dress< which is also an i&a%e drawn fro& the

>ospel' *n the &iddle of the ni%ht (lea %ets down to +arou< under her %reat !londe head of

hair' *t see&s to !e an apparition< and it is &ore a vision than a real &eetin%'

But the total lac of lin !etween the divine and the hu&an results in a terri!le clash' +arouis una!le to spea< and the onl8 word he will utter on the da8 of his death is her na&e< in a

terri!le thunder 2

6o nude a word< her na&e< as si&ple as G>odH or G&otherH @ 8et

it sounded as if upon the lips of so&e d8in% conMueror< so&e lost

in%''' N4'< p')#9O

And this is wh8 +arou dies of a tra%ic deathI he is an epic hero< illed on the altar of

sacrifice''' This is the &eanin% of the &a%nificent description of +arou on his death !ed'

-ther wise it would !e nothin% !ut decorative< a purel8 exotic ele&ent' And as the priest reads

the scriptures at the feet of +arou< Balthaar utters a stran%e thou%ht2

Cas not the evan%el all that the i&itation of (leas voice &i%ht

have !een 7N4'< p')#O

Ce &ust sa8 a word a!out >od?s relationship with lan%ua%e< and thus with &an' Chat %ospel

is here Balthaar talin% a!out 7 *t is certainl8 6aint John?s %ospel< which !e%ins so2

*n the !e%innin% was the :er!< and the :er! was >od'

+arou< in the thunderin% of her na&e< tries to reach >od< or (lea< directl8< without an8

&ediu&' =is desire for purit8 is such that he stands !are in the e8e of >od< and is !ound to

!urst into fla&e''' =ow could he hope to reach (lea without talin% to her 7 =ow could he

hope to reach >od without the usual &ediu& 2 &en 7

*n the end of (lea< while +arou silentl8 dra%s her down the pool< a si%n suddenl8 appears2

the water is full of phosphorus< and the swi&&ers loo lie an Gearl8 picture of the fall of

Lucifer N('< p')1O< literall8 on fire' And this is an echo of a ver8 earl8 passa%e in Justine< as if

these opened and closed the !oo' And there Justine forces Darle8 to thin of the sad

thirteenth child of :alentinus who fell'''

''' not lie Lucifer !8 re!ellin% a%ainst >od< !ut !8 desirin% too

violentl8 to !e united to hi&''' NJ'< p'/5O


46/62

The thirteenth Nand not thirtieth< a sli%ht &istae on the part of DurrellO child of :alentinus is

Cisdo&< or 6ophia' Thou%h she was the least perfect of all< she wished to !e united to >odod without

nowin% it' As he lacs Justines access to the ca!al and to a &ediu&< he tries to !eco&e >od

hi&self2 hence the terri!le cr8< the reverse of >od?s :er!< and the fall of Lucifer'

+arou could not find the issue !ecause he laced words' =e was inhu&an !ecause he laced

words< the artifice so necessar8 to &an< without which no life is possi!le' =avin% passed

throu%h total Darness< (lea is a!le to reach ,eal Li%ht'

Chapter 2: The ila$% o# Narou9: pree$tatio$

+ow it is ti&e to turn towards the cli&actic scene of (lea< and pro!a!l8 of the whole novel2

(leas drownin% and resurrection< on which :an de >hinste has !ased the whole of his stud8

of the Quartet'

(lea discovers the island of +arou< where he used to %o fishin% with his harpoon@%un' And

the %reat fish he used to fi%ht with< alwa8s &issin% it< was in fact (lea herself' The world of

the island is a .niverse in which (lea and Darle8 steep the&selves< it &a8 !e the =eraldic

.niverse' Let us read the si%ns'

This world lies under water< crowned !8 a ver8 !lue and !ri%ht su&&er@s8' As the8 divereat 48ster8 of

the .niverse' Darle8 si%nificantl8 su%%ests as na&es for the dead sailors that stand !etween

the two worlds the na&es of %reat heroes or philosophers2 0lato< Anaxi&ander< Alexander'''

These &en standin% !etween =istor8 and 48th< the8 are used as the lins !etween the nown

and the .nnown< !etween 48ster8 and ,eason'''

*n this .nderworld< Death stands waitin% for Darle8 and (lea' But death havin% taen a now

fa&iliar shape in the fi%ure of these wrapped !odies< &u&&ies< is no &ore terrif8in%2 it has

!een accepted as part of the .niverse'

*t was not to flout death @ it was rather that the8 had !eco&e

friendl8 and appropriate s8&!ols of the place''' N('< p'199O


47/62

This acceptin% of death re&inds us of the ni%ht under the !o&!in%' And their love@&ain% on

the !each discreetl8 recalls the water and fire s8&!ols2

'''with ones anles in !lue water and the hot !lain% sun onones !ac'''N('< p'19#O

Both ele&ents are present< the8 are part of the natural order< their !odies l8in% Kust !etween

sun and water''' And here a%ain we find silence< the 6ilence that was over the world on the

fifth da8 of (reation< when the fishes and the !irds were the onl8 ani&als 8et created' This

silence is now the silence of total 0urit8' Ce have %one !acwards in ti&e until !efore the

creation of &an and wo&an< !efore the Tree of >ood and vil''' +ow silence reduces thou%ht

to nothin%< and (lea herself !eco&es onl8 a fi%ure2

* see the !ri%ht fi%ure travellin% lie a star across this twili%ht

fir&a&ent< its hair co&!ed up and out in a ripplin% whirl ofcolour N('< p'19O

*n this i&a%e (lea< for the first and onl8 ti&e< is spoen of as it' 6he has reached the perfect

annihilation of the e%o< of personalit8< 0ursewarden was talin% a!out' And their love &ain%

has nothin% to do with GloveH an8 &ore'@ the8 now !reathe in the pulse of the .niverse< it is

purel8 cos&ic' (lea is an under@ water shootin% star< all di&ensions and ele&ents have

&elted' And the colour does not need to !e na&ed an8 &ore2 it is onl8 (olour< s8&!ol of all

colours' one &ore s8&!ol is the herrin% %ull< Kud%in% the pool as a Gpossi!le theatre of

operationH'

This can !e explained !8 the relationship the pool enKo8s with the whole (it8' *f the G(it8can !eco&e a worldH< the island suddenl8 appears as a concentration of the whole of

Alexandria' The s8&!ols of the .nderworld per&eate the vision of the (it8 NGA whole new

%eo%raph8 of Alexandria was !orn'HO< and the island see&s to !e the radiatin% point< lie the

centre of a spider we!' *f there is no escape fro& the Alexandria of (avaf8 in GThe (it8Hhinste ri%htl8 co&pared this

hand to Darle8?s rela8@station he is !uildin% on his little island' But he did not full8 Kustif8 the

co&parison' (leas hand is the painters hand2 it will !e a!le to trans&it her new !lood to the

canvas' But Darle8?s rela8 station is also s8&!olic' *t is &eant to catch the radio@sound waves

that travel< unseen< around the world' *t will allow people to hear and to understand the

invisi!le< it is a ind of translation@&achine fro& the .niverse lan%ua%e into the lan%ua%e of

&an' Thus is the rela8@station lined to his artist hood' The island that was GisolatedH and

sterile to the world is now lined to it' ven if this represents a certain death' G;es !ut it hurts

to realise'H ven for islands'

The second ti&e we hear this sentence< 0ursewarden has Kust finished to tell the stor8 of his

visit to the children ware house with Justine' And a%ain< the voca!ular8 is lined to that of thepool2


51/62

the poet finds hi&self %rowin% %ills and a tail< the !etter to swi&

a%ainst the currents of un@enli%ht&ent' Chat appears to !e

perhaps an act of violence is precisel8 the opposite' =e unites therushin% heedless strea& of hu&anit8 to the still N'''O plenu& fro&

which its own &otive essence is derived'N('< p'1/)O

The echo of Darle8 swi&&in% a%ainst the %rowin% darness is evident' ;et it can also recall

Darle8 !rin%in% (lea !ac to life2 GA%ain and a%ain< slowl8 !ut with %reat violence'''H' Chat

see&s to !e the overthrowin% of the whole process of nature is in fact the life@savin% act< in

which nature is full8 realised'

*t is not an unnatural act !ut onl8 the reunification of what had !een separated2 the return of

the fallen souls to their pri&itive status< accordin% to 0lato''' :iolence is needed !ut it is not

the real violence of destruction< rather that of creation' The pain suffered is the necessar8 painof purification' Ch8 did (hrist have to die and suffer< althou%h he were the son of >od 7 This

is the %reatest &8ster8 of (hristian reli%ion< and it has often !een &isinterpreted' 0ain itself is

not enou%h to reach >od' =ence the tradition of fla%ellation< of &utilation< etc''' =ence< &a8

!e< the failure of +arou' Chat Durrell tries to conve8 is that pain and death have to !e

followed !8 re!irth< unless it is sterile' This is pro!a!l8 what he &eans !8 Grescuin% Jesus

fro& 4osesH' And this is where lau%hter< the heraldic lau%hter intervenes'

Chapter 2: The -eral%ic lau3h

*f there see&s to !e ver8 little noise< ver8 few words around the stor8 of (lea and Darle8od'

Durrell draws hard attacs upon the ro&antic lovers< at war with space and ti&e< who love outof weaness< out of a %reat hun%er for self and identit8' 6uch love was the love of Darle8 for

Justine' And lau%h allows (lea to %et out of this %rip< to see love without tra%ed8 nor fatalit8' 6teiner< is an accu&ulation of

words< an assault on the inner &8ster8 of thin%s' The &ixture that has to !e &ade !etween the

sensual and the spiritual< in order to have a %lo!al apprehension of the world< is &ade in the

text itself< in Durrell?s words' An exa&ple of this is Darle8 after his lecture on (avaf8'

Calin% throu%h the streets he reads in a shop2 olives fro& -rvieto'

-verco&e !8 a sudden lon%in% to !e on the ri%ht side of the

4editerranean


55/62

The ?%od of the place? is the spirit with which Darle8 enters in co&&unication' =e s8&!olises

life< as !ein% the dar !lood that runs throu%h the veins of the world' Darle8 co&pletel8

indul%es in *tal8< he is una!le to disentan%le hi&self fro& it'? :ladi&ir :oloff %ives his own

interpretation of the scene2 realit8 for the artist exists onl8 if it ?tells? so&ethin%' But it onl8tells if it is listened to' =ence the need of people who are receptive< who are listenin% to it'

=ence the neutral Mualit8 of Darle8< who is not steeped in Gread8@to@eatH conceptsod an8 &ore' And in the sa&e wa8< 0ursewarden

thou%ht he did not need the world< its influx an8 &ore' =e stopped !ein% receptive< he did not

!uild a rela8@station lie Darle8'


56/62

Chapter ": The -eral%ic *etaphor

Another exa&ple of Darle8?s readin% capacit8 is the partin% with 4elissa2

the lon% pull of the train into the silver li%ht re&inds &e of the

sudden lon% pull of the verte!rae of her white !ac turnin% in

!ed'NJ'< p'91O

Darle8 is doed< half asleep< as if he was drun' And a sudden illu&ination co&es to his &ind

@ what does it &ean 7 4elissa is no lon%er 4elissa< she has !eco&e a lon% silver fi%ure

Gpourin% awa8 down a tunnel< as if turned to liMuid'H =er !ac@!one has turned into silver

dew< &ornin% rain inelucta!l8 slippin% throu%h the hands''' The two i&a%es are si&ultaneouseor%e 6teiner< in criticiin% the Quartet< utters a stran%e co&&ent 2

as in &edieval illu&inations< the frin%e is often !ri%hter than the

centre'

This striin%l8 echoes 4illers co&&ent on the novel< when he said that 6co!ie was &uch

&ore successful as a character than 0ursewarden' >'6teiner taes it as a ne%ative Mualit8< !ut

how could one explain it 7 The secondar8 characters are often ver8 striin%< unlie the &ain

ones who are &uch &ore neutral and difficult to descri!e' But this is part of the &irror %a&e'

The &inor characters are there to throw li%ht upon the %reat ones< on one particular aspect of

their personalit8' The8 are !ri%ht li&!s of a !od8 that re&ains invisi!le< lie the third ter& of

the &etaphor< lie the a!solute novel< lie the i&a%e of the ?Criter in the novel !urstin% into

&an8 spars< &an8 echoes''' These &inor characters are also spars< and spars are often

!ri%ht'''

And this is wh8 the Alexandria Quartet is nothin% !ut a %reat &etaphor' The four novels are

poles of GoneH &etaphor< the real novel !ein% i&possi!le to write' Lie a statue turnin% upon

its axis< !ein% i&possi!le to catch in onl8 one %li&pse< as there is alwa8s a face that is hidden2

the Dar 6ide of the 4oon' *f one could catch it in one sin%le %li&pse< one would &ana%e to

reach the essence of the statue'

*n a wa8 the relativist novel is also a neo@platonist novel' The essence is the unreacha!le *dea

that can express itself onl8 throu%h i&a%es< exa&ples< each lacin% one of the di&ensions thatthe *dea has' +o sin%le horse will exhaust the idea of =orse' And no novel< even a relativist

one< will exhaust the potentialities of Love< no character the potentialities of the Quest'

This is wh8 the novel is infinite< this is wh8 the wor@points are a!solutel8 necessar8' This is

wh8 it could never !eco&e a ro&an@fleuve' -ne re&e&!ers the existentialists tr8in% to

exhaust one o!Kect throu%h a description of thirt8 pa%es' Durrell does not fall in the trap< and

his answer to the existentialist Muestion is 0-T,;' Throu%h poetr8 and the %a&e of his

&etaphors< he catches %li&pses of a unit8< !ein% well aware that thin%s in the&selves are

i&possi!le to express' =is !oo is not a desperate atte&pt' *t is rather an act of hu&ilit8'

Findin% it i&possi!le to write onl8 one !oo< he wrote four of the&'

*n the science of nu&!ers< GfourH s8&!olises the arth< the position of &an in the .niverse'The nu&!er GfourH has &an8 faces2 four winds< four seasons< four ele&ents< the four sides of

a co&pass< the (ross< the four evan%elists''' and the four di&ensions that are reMuired to create

a volu&e' A volu&e in which the heraldic realit8 is F, to &ove< i&possi!le to catch except

throu%h %li&pses'

+ow we can Muote the last sentence of the Alexandria Quartet2

And * felt as if the universe had %iven &e a nud%e'


58/62

This calls !ac to the &ind that Durrell is a!ove and !efore all a hu&orist< and that the !oo is

a!ove all a %a&e' Throu%h his we! of &etaphors < Durrell has created a .niverse si&ilar to

the %reat one< as a %ood de&iur%e would do'


59/62

CONCLU.ION

*n his note@!oo< 0ursewarden utters the followin% state&ent on 0roust?s A la ,echerche du

Te&ps 0erdu2

Bein% unwillin% to &o!ilie the &eanin% of ti&e he was driven

to fall !ac on &e&or8''' N('< p'1)/O

0roust and Durrell have of ten !een co&pared< as artists who achieved enor&ous wors on the

su!Kect of ti&e< dealin% with poetr8' *t see&s o!vious that the result is ver8 different< !ut thetwo Quests are parallel'''

0roust thou%ht that the pro!le& of ti&e resulted in &e&or8< and that the savin% of &e&or8

would save hi& fro& !ein% ti&e@eaten< ti&e@!roen' The conseMuence is that he tries to

cr8stallise< to !rin% thin%s to eternit8< to stop ti&e and prevent it fro& runnin%'''

-n the contrar8< Durrell?s world is all &ove&ent< all li%ht@ chan%in%' ver8thin% !eco&es

i&palpa!le< havin% alwa8s %one and vanished !efore one could raise the hand and catch it'

,ealit8 is alwa8s fleein%< and it see&s that Durrell has co&pletel8 assi&ilated the fa&ous

aphoris& of =eracliteus2

G-ne never enters twice the sa&e riverH

;et there is a parallel !etween the old narrator of 0roust< fi%htin% to recapture his past< and

Darle8 on his little island in the !e%innin% of Justine'

But Darle8 is not fi%htin% &e&or8' And ti&e< in the end of (lea< has not !een annihilated2 it

has !een full8 accepted and overthrown' And there we touch Durrell?s peculiarit8 and %reat

difference fro& 0roust' -ne &ust find a sta!le world and har&on8< !e8ond the infinite flow of

violent contrasts< and not this side of it' The pro!le& is the sa&e as with sex2 one cannot %et

free of it throu%h the annihilation of it< !ut onl8 throu%h its full livin%' *t is the sa&e with the

&etaphor2 it conve8s a' violence that see&s unnatural and anti@cos&ic' ;et the .niverse is a

world of uni&a%ina!le violence< and the &etaphor is the !est wa8 to conve8 it< to catch andtrans&it it'

The =eraldic &etaphor tries to listen to the .niverse and to catch its &eanin%' But the %reat

paradox of the .niverse is that it speas of !oth contrast< violence and of har&on8' =ar&on8

is the third ter&< the .nspeaa!le< the %reat silence'

-ne of the last i&a%es of the Alexandria Quartet is the spiral' *t can !e found at last three

ti&es in the novel' Ce first have it in the !e%innin% of (lea< while the little Justine is divin%

under the water2

6he retrieved the tan%erine !eautifull8 and spiralled to the

surface with it %ripped in her teeth'N('< p'1O


60/62

This &ove&ent is repeated later in the novel< with (lea this ti&e also Gspirallin% up throu%h

the waterH' But the two instances would re&ain Muite uninterestin% if the word was not found

a%ain in 0ursewarden?s note@!oo2

The sexual and the creative ener%8 %o hand in hand N'''O The8

ride the spiral of ti&e to%ether'N('< p'1)1O

:an de >hinste tells us that the spiral s8&!olies the per&anence of !ein% throu%h the

fluctuations of eternal chan%e' *t e&!odies the return< !e8ond all the te&poral hardships and

tra%edies of fate< to the vertical transcendence' *t is the e&!le& of Father Teilhard de (hardin

Documents

The Poetics of Love and Hope in Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet