Patrick White's the Aunt's Story Close Analysis

The Aunt's Story - SAC

Patrick White's controversial novel, The Aunt's Story is the odyssey of spinster, Theodora Goodman and her journey to self discovery. Comprised of three sections, each representing a different part of her journey we, as the reader, follow Theodora Goodman as she travels to France, America and finally to a state of understanding and self discovery. Dense, unconventional and complex as it is, it is no wonder The Aunt's Story has been so widely and so harshly critiqued. The second section “Jardin Exotique”, in which White applies a “stream of consciousness” technique has been a popular source of discord among critics, with many claiming this is to be the “downfall” of the novel. Critic Roger Gooding shares this view, whilst also drawing on it, stating that The Aunt's Story is a “total failure”[1] as a novel.

Gooding acquaints his reader to his criticism with the line “White's novel is a total failure..”[1], this bold and striking effect is ironically reminiscent of the opening line of the very novel he is criticising - “But old Mrs. Goodman did die at last.”(pg 1). Gooding argues that White's novel “fails” in comparison to the “great novels that proceed it (Dickens and Conrad)”[1], bleating that White “fails to engage the reader”[1] due to the fact that his prose is “literary nonsense”[1]. This irrational conclusion has obviously been drawn on the basis of the belief that White's novel is not “conventional”. Whilst this is a sound interpretation – White's novel is far from conventional – to conclude on the basis of this that it is “anarchic drivel”[1] and “fails” as a novel represents just how biased a view Gooding holds. This view is to reject the notion of progress and forward thinking. Change is an inevitable aspect of all forms of art, and indeed of life. To reject a piece of art based on the fact it is “unconventional” would be to reject progression and evolution itself. Picasso was once shunned and laughed at, but now represents one of the greatest forward thinkers in the art world. By pushing the boundaries of the conventional art world and exploring such genres such as Cubism and Impressionism this saw Art itself evolve, expand and grow into what it is today.
White does not “launch assaults” on theme and character, as Gooding argues, but instead seeks to explore and present new ways of interpreting and indeed discovering these well loved, but also well worn techniques of conventional novels.

Contrary to Gooding's belief that White “destroys a hallowed convention of English literature”[1] White instead not only keeps these conventions very much alive, but also draws on them, as mentioned above, adding his own “brand of modernism”[1] to them. This can be seen in the way that characters develop and build and a deeper understanding of themselves. Whilst characters are traditionally revealed by authorial comments, the characters own actions and comments on themselves as well as the comments of others White presents yet another way in which characters are revealed. This is by a journey of self discovery in which the reader shares, thus allowing the character to discover oneself at the same time as the reader. These discoveries can be drawn solely from the experiences of the characters, as opposed to conventional authors who would be more inclined to impose this “discovery” on the reader by way of authorial intrusion to ambiguity and obscurity. This can be seen when the General (a character who features in Jardin Exotique) speaks of his manly sister, Ludmilla, reminding Theodora of the sexual ambivalence cast upon her from others (“Theo should have been a boy, they said” pg 29); “Theodora smiled...because her boots rang hollow on the cold yellow grass, and in her armpit she felt the firmness of the litte rifle” (pg 156). Thelma Herring too expresses in her own review of The Aunt's story that this implies “without any authorial intrusion that Theodora not only identifies herself with Ludmilla but also associates the General with her father”[2] thus self discovery and a deeper understanding is made by the character alone.

Jardin Exotique focuses on Theodora's attempt to overcome hurdles she experienced in part one (Meroë), contributing to her goal of finding a greater understanding and acceptance of herself. She does so by projecting herself into the lives of those around her, and White again, as his authorial presence remained largely absent in Theodora's development on her character so too remains largely absent as she attempts to tackle these issues. Jardin Exotique can become increasingly difficult to follow as the way in which Theodora attempts to overcome many of her issues is to switch from “reality” to fugue with White giving little more than a subtle hint of this approaching change. When Theodora fails to assuage her beloved neice Lou's fear of death Theodora, upon eavesdropping on a conversation between Katia Pavlou and Mrs. Grigg in the Jardin Exotique plunges into a fugal fantasy world where she assumes the role of Katia's Governess. Upon the eruption of a nearby volcano Katia (in this warped reality) asks Theodora, “Miss Theodora, what is it. Is it necessary to die?” (pg 164) Theodora, far from her pitiful attempt to comfort Lou when she voices her fear of death earlier on in the novel; “There is no reason why you shall [die]” (pg 13), takes action in her imagination, bravely and confidently saving the girl Katia from the possible – however slim – chance of death the volcano poses.
Thus Gooding's comment that this novel in terms of character development “is going nowhere”[1] can too be undermined as traditional character development is exercised and flaws are revealed, no matter how unconventional the techniques which reveal them may be.

Gooding describes White's use of traditional forms of “what makes a novel great”[1] such as the plot as “tardy”, which is not an altogether inaccurate analysis. It is without a doubt that the novel lacks action, however the point being missed here is that the novel itself is not centred on the exciting adventures of Theodora, but more on her self-discovery and the wisdom she gains through this.
Through this novel White is demonstrating his attempt to peel away at the facades of reality and offer a raw and bare perspective on the thin line that can be walked between reality and insanity. Within The Aunt's Story White creates, through use of beautiful visual imagery, dry humour and wit a fiction that is fundamentally derived from truth, pushing boundaries in a way only a true genius can.

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[ 1 ]. Ibid, pg1
[ 2 ]. “Odessy of a Spinster: A Study”, Thelma Herring, pg 20