"It is a grotesque misapprehension which sees in art no more than a craft comprehensible perfectly only to the craftsman: art is a manifestation of emotion, and emotion speaks a language that all may understand."
In the early excerpt from the book, the narrator explains the belief that visual art is not solely for the artist, but instead expresses emotions in a way that is readily accessible to everyone. Additionally, he also suggests that art actually takes these emotions and communicates them to the viewer in a more direct way than written or spoken language. This quote occurs during the narrator's initial introduction of Strickland and is part of his attempt to describe what made Strickland a great artist. He later revisits this same idea when describing the intense emotional impact one of Strickland's portraits had on him.
“What followed showed that Mrs. Strickland was a woman of character. Whatever anguish she suffered she concealed. She saw shrewdly that the world is quickly bored by the recital of misfortune, and willingly avoids the sight of distress. Whenever she went out—and compassion for her misadventure made her friends eager to entertain her—she bore a demeanour that was perfect. She was brave, but not too obviously; cheerful, but not brazenly; and she seemed more anxious to listen to the troubles of others than to discuss her own. Whenever she spoke of her husband it was with pity. Her attitude towards him at first perplexed me.”
In the aftermath of Strickland's departure, his wife, Amy, is forced to adjust to life without him. Much to the narrator's surprise, Amy chooses to handle the matter with great delicacy, never complaining or showing overt anguish. The narrator is impressed with her resolve but questions its source. In detailing the careful construction of her manners, he seems to imply there is a certain disingenuous quality to it. He notes the social utility of her attitude, but questions its honesty, as she seems to perfectly measure her demeanor.
“He recognises in himself an artistic satisfaction in the contemplation of evil which a little startles him; but sincerity forces him to confess that the disapproval he feels for certain actions is not nearly so strong as his curiosity in their reasons. The character of a scoundrel, logical and complete, has a fascination for his creator which is an outrage to law and order... The writer is more concerned to know than to judge.”
In this passage, the narrator describes his complex fascination with Strickland. Throughout the novel he remarks on his guilt about continuing to be interested in Strickland as a subject, even as he finds his cruel and morally repugnant behavior unforgivable. Here, he questions that impulse and expands it to say that it might be something writers deal with more broadly, as there is "artistic satisfaction" in considering an "evil" individual or "scoundrel." Acknowledging this difficult issue shows that the narrator both continues to feel some shame for his interest, but is unable to drop Strickland as a subject, as his interest in the "reasons" for his callousness drives him to write.
“I had a fleeting glimpse of a pursuit of the ineffable. I looked at the man before me in his shabby clothes, with his great nose and shining eyes, his red beard and untidy hair; and I had a strange sensation that it was only an envelope, and I was in the presence of a disembodied spirit.”
In this moment, the narrator describes his perception of Strickland as otherworldly. His characterization of Strickland's body as "an envelope" covered in "shabby clothes" implies that it is merely a vessel for his ambitions. This is echoed throughout the book, as he does not care for his appearance and suffers a serious bout of ill health, all the while showing little concern. This description fits with the idea that Strickland is constantly being pulled towards his larger artistic goals, outside the realm of more everyday concerns.
“The facts are much duller.”
This brief quote occurs when the narrator is discussing how the episodes of Strickland's life do not add up to a very satisfactory narrative. This is one of a series of remarks that he makes about the difficulty of writing about Strickland and how he is frustrated by the "dullness" of the "facts" of his biography. This quote indicates how life often lacks the drama of fiction. In other places, he comments on this issue in reference to the fact that Strickland's story does not cohere neatly to a typical narrative arc.
"Strickland was an odious man, but I still think he was a great one."
In the same vein as the previous quote, the narrator here attempts to be even-handed in his depiction of Strickland, acknowledging the greatness of his work, while not excusing his deplorable cruelty. The use of the word "odious" effectively frames Strickland as nasty and selfish. This double-sided description ultimately has less to do with Strickland himself, as he was singularly focused on his art, and more to do with the internal conflict the narrator has about being so fascinated by Strickland.
“I wondered if Abraham really had made a hash of life. Is to do what you most want, to live under the conditions that please you, in peace with yourself, to make a hash of life; and is it success to be an eminent surgeon with ten thousand a year and a beautiful wife? I suppose it depends on what meaning you attach to life, the claim which you acknowledge to society, and the claim of the individual. But again I held my tongue, for who am I to argue with a knight?”
In this section of the book, the narrator is recalling an acquaintance of his who abandoned his life in London to move to Alexandria. In order to do so, he had to give up his promising medical career in England and take on a more modest post at the consul in Alexandria. The narrator later encounters a man who rose to prominence as a physician in Abraham's absence. He says it was foolish for him to do so, as it was a waste of his impressive abilities. However, here, the narrator notes that Abraham was able to live a life that he found meaningful and happy, and questions whether a life is valueless even if it does not conform to societal metrics of success like money or prestige.
“I shall not tell what Dr. Coutras related to me in his words, but in my own, for I cannot hope to give at second hand any impression of his vivacious delivery. He had a deep, resonant voice, fitted to his massive frame, and a keen sense of the dramatic. To listen to him was, as the phrase goes, as good as a play; and much better than most.”
In this quote, the narrator again notes the difficulty he is faced with in retelling this story. In this particular instance, he describes the way in which Dr. Coutras' voice gave his stories an extra layer of authority and drama. This effect is something he says he cannot reproduce on the page. In this quote, he indicates where his rendition of the story falls short of its source material.
“All that was healthy and natural, all that clung to happy relationships and the simple joys of simple men, shrunk from them in dismay; and yet a fearful attraction was in them, and, like the fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil they were terrible with the possibilities of the Unknown.
At last I turned away. I felt that Strickland had kept his secret to the grave.”
In this passage, the narrator describes one of Strickland's final paintings, an impressionistic piece depicting fruits. He says it is painted with powerful, striking colors but is somewhat disturbing in its intensity. The way the painting is depicted in the quote gives it an unsettling quality. The narrator seems to think that the beauty of Strickland's paintings reject human happiness and instead approach "the Unknown." As the narrator feels the need to turn away from the piece, his final line suggests that he cannot stand its disconcerting appearance.
“I had been thinking of it, too. It seemed to me that here Strickland had finally put the whole expression of himself. Working silently, knowing that it was his last chance, I fancied that here he must have said all that he knew of life and all that he divined. And I fancied that perhaps here he had at last found peace. The demon which possessed him was exorcised at last, and with the completion of the work, for which all his life had been a painful preparation, rest descended on his remote and tortured soul. He was willing to die, for he had fulfilled his purpose.”
In this passage, the narrator discusses his view of Strickland's final work. At the end of his life, Strickland paints the inside of his home with human forms and trees. After Strickland's death, it is destroyed when Ata burns it at Strickland's instruction. Dr. Coutras describes the painting in a vivid, lyrical style, saying that it reminds him of the Garden of Eden. The narrator writes that the painting was representative of Strickland's final efforts as an artist, marking the completion of his life. The narrator believes that Strickland's complete devotion to painting made this work, likely his masterpiece, a fitting end.
