“Oh, this journey! It was two hours cut clean out of his life; two hours in which he might have done so much, so much- written the perfect poem, for example.”
In the very first chapter, Denis is introduced as a poet and an author by means of the complaints he makes about the two hours spent in traveling to Crome; a period he could have used to write what he termed “the perfect poem”. At the same time, this introduction engages the reader’s attention and curiosity regarding the object of Denis’ journey, the people he is going to meet, and the nature of their relationship. Furthermore, the passage outlines the landmarks of Denis’ psychological foundation, and more specifically the way in which he deals with existential conflicts such as the fear of death.
“Misery and a nameless nostalgic distress possessed him. He was twenty-three, and oh so agonizingly conscious of the fact.”
This quote expands on the psychological conflicts of Denis, especially his fear of death. He is presented to the reader as a self-conscious and anxious character, who dwells intently upon the question of age. At twenty-three, he seems to perceive himself as incredibly old. This depiction of Denis’ character points to his immense fear of death. He is not afraid of old age and its agonies, for he knows nothing of it, and exhibits no symptom of such distaste. But the constant unease accompanying the thought of age is attributed to the fear of death. Denis is cognizant of the fact that the longer he lives, the closer it brings him to death. Thus, his awareness of his age is inevitably coupled with a painful cognizance of death as an unavoidable end.
‘He had given her the book when it came out, hoping that the poem would tell her what he hadn’t dared to say’
One of the milestones of the novel is Denis’ love for Anne. The young poet offers his ideal girl a volume of verse hoping that the lines would tell her what he could not say in person. This highlights many of the themes developed within the pages of Huxley’s masterpiece; mainly isolation and alienation. Denis isolates himself from the world and from Anne herself. He perceives in his solitude a safer option. In other words, doubt, for him, is better than rejection. He is all fears and apprehensions about Anne’s reaction and decision. Therefore, he chooses the comfort of doubt and uncertainty to the bitterness of a certain rejection.
“In the secret tower of her deafness she sat apart, looking down at the world through sharply piercing eyes. What did she think of men and women and things?”
This passage depicts the way in which Jenny approaches her surroundings and perceives the world. It elaborates the themes of alienation and isolation by positing her as some higher entity totally different from men, women, and things alike. She isolates herself from the world and its occupants because she is alienated from them. She looks upon everyone as some higher entity would have done, and even passes judgment upon them in the form of sketches, which can even be compared to a God complex in a way.
“Denis turned towards her; she really did look wretched. He abandoned himself hopelessly, fatalistically to his destiny. This was what came of action, of doing something decisive. If only he’d just let things drift! If only…”
Aldous Huxley is one of the modern writers who were influenced by the father of existentialist thinking, the Danish Soren Kierkeggard. His first novel reflects the views of this great philosopher in many different ways. One of which is highlighted by this passage, which marks the agony of freedom and the inevitability of suffering. Denis was very anxious and desirous of action. Once his telegram was sent, however, his desires had altered, and regret surfaced as a prominent reaction. This is the chore of Kierkeggard’s views regarding freedom of choice. Denis would have regretted not sending the telegram. At the same time, he still regretted sending it. In short, there is no happy ending, and whatever decisions we make in life, we are always going to experience unease and guilt about them.
