Summary
The novel begins as the narrator struggles to describe the visual artist Charles Strickland. He says that despite Strickland's current status as an artist of legendary renown, in the time that the narrator knew him, he did not perceive the degree of talent and vision in his paintings. He says that he will attempt to give an honest account of Strickland's life that does not adopt the fawning tone of so many other critics who write about Strickland. He says Strickland was an incredibly gifted artist and terrible individual.
The narrator recounts that in his youth he published a book and became part of London's various artist circles. He is eventually introduced to Amy Strickland, the wife of a stock broker who greatly enjoys the company of writers. They become friends and the narrator visits her home often. He is told that her husband, Charles, is a kind but unexceptional man with little interest in books, music, or art. Amy tells the narrator he would likely find Strickland very dull.
Eventually, the narrator meets Strickland at a dinner party and they chat briefly. The narrator thinks he is kind but agrees with Amy's comment, thinking that he is a fairly unremarkable man with an average job and few opinions. Later, when he runs into Amy and her children, the narrator briefly feels a twinge of jealousy about their simple domestic life and seeming contentment. However, as he notes, this impression is quickly shattered by a dramatic turn of events.
One day, the narrator runs into his friend Rose Waterford who informs him that Strickland has run off and abandoned his family. He goes to Amy's house and has tea with her and her brother-in-law, Colonel MacAndrew. MacAndrew is furious while Amy is devastated. They discuss the situation and tell the narrator that Strickland left a shockingly cold note saying he was leaving for Paris and never returning. They assume Strickland left with a woman but are unsure of who she is. The narrator eventually walks out with MacAndrew and the two continue talking on the street.
Shortly after, the narrator is requested at Amy's house for dinner. Amy asks if he would consider going to Paris and seeking out Strickland. She adds that MacAndrew wants to, but she is concerned that he is too angry for the job. He is initially reluctant but then reads the letter Strickland left and sees Amy cry. He is moved by her suffering and disturbed by his cruelty. He departs from her home, agreeing to go find Strickland.
The narrator travels to Paris and goes to the hotel where he believes Strickland is staying. He inquires at the front desk about which room is Strickland's and heads to the sixth floor. Strickland greets him cheerfully and ushers him into a room that is smaller than the narrator anticipated. Strickland invites him out for a drink and the narrator agrees to join, slightly bewildered by the situation.
As they step outside, the narrator also wonders if Strickland is alone. He sees no sign of a woman living with him and begins to wonder if perhaps they quarreled and separated. The narrator also notes that where before Strickland seemed uncomfortable but well-dressed, now he seems bedraggled but quite happy.
Analysis
These opening chapters establish the form of the novel, while depicting the narrator's developing relationship with Strickland. It begins with a critical discussion of his art, noting where other accounts of Strickland's life have failed. The narrator says that many of these other biographies mythologized Strickland, where the reality of his life was more complex. He also writes that he did not immediately take note of Strickland's greatness as an artist, despite having known him for much of his career.
This opening discusses the difficulty of writing about artists, as critics and biographers are forced to engage with the details of their personal lives and draw conclusions about who they were from their work. In failing to see Strickland's talent right away, the narrator highlights how these ideas do not line up so neatly, as his initial perception of his personality was incorrect. He describes their first encounter at a dinner party as entirely unremarkable, saying that Strickland is a man who appears to be a fairly average stockbroker with no interest in the arts. This perception is quickly upended when the narrator learns that Strickland has left his family and, later, finds out that he has decided to pursue painting.
Cruelty appears prominently in this section of the book as Strickland's actions cause a great deal of suffering. When the narrator travels to Paris to find Strickland, he tries to get him to express regret about what he has done. To the narrator's shock and disgust, Strickland appears entirely untroubled by the fact that he has left his wife and children to fend for themselves. He tells the narrator that he wants to dedicate himself wholly to his painting.
At the same time, the narrator also notes how much happier Strickland seems. When the narrator describes Strickland, he notes that he seems more ragged in Paris than he was in London, but also seemed more handsome and alive. In the same way, Strickland appears jovial about his decision to leave his wife. In the same way as he is indifferent to the harm that he has caused, Strickland appears thrilled at the prospect of beginning this newly-focused life. These two elements of his personality, as depicted by the narrator, work to show how his determination makes him singularly focused.
This first part of the book deals with the narrator's shifting perception of Strickland. Following his overview of Strickland's life and work, the narrator charts his evolving understanding of who Strickland really is. While initially he finds him to be dull and quotidian, he soon learns that Strickland is in fact a selfish and cruel man who is focused entirely on his art, with no thought or concern for other people. This revelation sets up the rest of the book, as the narrator is both disgusted by Strickland's behavior but fascinated by his personality.
