Abstract
The research question of thisextended
essay is - How effectively did Muriel Spark use a newborn baby as a narrator to
describe the First World War in her story “The
First Year of My Life”? In this story Muriel Spark portrays desperate
situation in the world, especially in Britain by the end of World War One. Therefore,in
this research significant importance was given to investigation of historical
facts.
Thisresearchpaper answers several
questions: what was the correlation between the war facts, events, consequences
and the baby; why was a baby chosen as a narrator to describe such a non-baby
theme for the reader; also, investigates whether the plethora of facts given in
the story was reliable or only the writer’s imagination. The investigation
concludes that although story is fictional rather than historical, the
authenticity of the story is doubtless and chronological order is sustained.
Another focus of research is the baby. The
research suggests that the baby girl is the personification of the World War
One experienced world in an allegorical way and has a symbolic meaning.
Furthermore, as protagonist plays central role in the development of ideas in
the story, in this essay the character analysisis presentedby highlighting the
peculiarities of Muriel Spark’s writing style. The use of stylistic devices -
irony, skepticism, distinct sense of humor, was an effective tool of Muriel
Spark to portray harsh realityin baby’s narration. Overall message of this story concluded in
this researchis the effect of World War One on society - how war changes not
only life of people but whole nature of humanity. Word
count: 271
Table of Contents
Introduction
Muriel Spark’s Story “The First Year of My Life” portrays cruel nature of World War One
with an emphasis on the nature of humans seen through a newborn child’s eyes.
When I read the story for the first time the author’s original style and
historical context impressed me greatly. At that period I was studying World
War One in History. The transition from
overloaded facts, statistics of violence and brutality into the same theme of
prose presented in a light, easy-going language, seasoned with humor and irony
fascinated me so much that I decided to make this work of fiction the topic of
my research: “How effectively did Muriel Spark use a newborn baby as a narrator
to describe the First World War in her story “The First Year of My Life”? The
plethora of facts and information provided in the text intrigued and motivated
me to analyze the story deeper and prove authenticity of those facts. Highlighting
the peculiarities of Muriel Spark’s writing style – humor, irony through the analysis
of protagonist’s psycho type was further more interesting for me.
When I was collecting materials for my
research I discovered that the story had almost no feedback-no reviews, no
analysis. However, the paucity of
sources did not discourage me and made my research more challenging and exciting.
World War One was the hardest time the world
has ever experienced as in it were involved not only soldiers but also
civilians at huge scale. During post-war period the world was different from
what it had been before, people could not lead normal pace of life and they
were devoid of tangible feelings because war made the world cruel, demoralized.
This is a brief status quo of the situation during which the events in this
story start to take place. We see the whole
story through the baby’s eyes who enters the world in the beginning of the
story and continuous to “tune in”different conversations all around the world
during her first year of life. The baby - protagonist according to “new school of psychology”(Spark, p.1058)seems to be omniscientand introduces
the people and the situation in the world of that time.
I started to explore World War One period
and its effecton the message which the author wants to send to the readers. Whenever
the story is based on historical context, it naturally leads tomore detailed
explorationof this exact period of history. Historical reality of the events,
facts influences the readers and makes the narration most reliable. This
feeling is reinforced by the choice of a newborn narrator through whose eyes we
see the reality. By the narrator telling the storythe writer wants us to take
the side she wants readers to take.The narrator claims she is pretty sure about
validity of her memories. We see whole story throughout omniscient baby who “tunes
in” different conversations all around the world and this is how we are able to
see the situation in the world during that time.
How far does the story claim to be historical?
To
analyze how effectively author uses newborn baby as a narrator, I should have,
first of all to identify how effectively narrator uses historical context in
her story. Firstly, I decided to find out to what extend story claims to be
historical and if chronological order and validity is followed.
The story begins with these words: “I was born on the first day of the second
month of the last year of the First World War” (Spark, p.1058). First World War began on 28
July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918.What, means that protagonist should
have been born on 1st of February in 1918.This day was Friday so this
fact corresponds to historical chronology very much adequately (Appendix A).
Next historical event outlined in
protagonist words: “I was ten days old
when Russia stopped fights. I tuned into Czar a prisoner, with the rest of his
family, since evidently the country had put him of the throne and there had
been a revolution not long before I was born. Everyone was talking about it. I
tuned into the Czar. “Nothing would ever induce me to sign the treaty of
‘Brest-Litovsk’.He said to his wife.
Anyway nobody has asked him”(Spark, p.1059)
According to protagonist, she was 10 days old when Russia stopped the fight.
According to the narrator Russia should have stopped fight on the 11th
of February in 1918. Negotiations on Russia’s withdrawal from First World
War began after the October’s Revolution and
Russia withdrew from the war after signing “the treaty of Brest–Litovsk” signed
on March 3, 1918 between Russia (the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist
Republic) and Germany (Liulevicius, 2004, p.206). Thus in this case story again accurately
follows historical context.
It is interesting to note that no matter
how deep the knowledge about First World War is, it is simply impossible for
anybody to know what was talking King Nicolas the Second in prison about. The author effectively uses her strategy–
newborn baby’s ability to “tune in” in any kind of conversation in order to
provide the reader with details which would support her assumptions. Moreover,
it is highly possible that Nicolas the Second was discussing this issue in
prison even though “nobody asked him”,
since he was already abdicated while he was in prison (Perry & Konstantin, 1999, p. 153) and it is natural that
nobody would ask him to sign anything because he had no legitimate power
whatsoever. What actually happened on that day which protagonist mentions was
that Russian General Alexei Maximovitch Kaledin, a commander of Russian forces
during World War I and a staunch opponent of the Bolsheviks, committed a
suicide on this day in 1918.(Значение слова
"Каледин Алексей Максимович" в Большой Советской Энциклопедии)Maybe
that was the point of protagonist’s statementthat “Russia stopped fighting”(Spark, p.1059)
exactly on that day.
Story’s historical sequence continues with
words: “At this point I was sleeping
twenty hours a day to get my strength up.And from what I discerned in the other
two hours of the day I knew I was going to need it. The western front on my frequency
was sheer blood, mud, dismembered bodies,blistered crashes,hectic flosses of
the light in the night skies explosions total terror” (Spark, p.1059). Following the outbreak of
World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front. Situation in
west front was extremely harsh and dramatic. First of all it was the epicenter
of war, so emotional stress was extremely high not to mention how much harm
caused newly improved techniques specially designed for war.As described in the
novel of Erich Maria Remarque “All quite
in Western front” situation on the western front was very routine and emotionally
devastating. (Remarque, 1929)So what the
narrator says follows the chronological order of World War One of this time and
is very much close to reality.
The next historical event in the story is
described in very emotional way: “Red
sheets of flame shot across the sky. It was 21 March; the fiftieth day of my
life, and the German spring offensive had started before morning feed.”To
check the validity of this statement we should probably define the term –
“German Spring offensive”. The 1918 Spring Offensive is one of the famous battles
which involved “one of the largest
concentrations of troops and munitions of the entire world” (Jones, 2011, p. 178) and it beganexactly as
narrator says on 21 March 1918. From this we can see how precisely in
chronology narrator’s statements follow each other.
Narrator
states: “The big people around me bared their teeth: that meant smile, it meant
that they were pleased or amused. They spoke of ration cards for meat and sugar
and butter.” (Spark, M., p.1059)This fact actually corresponds to reality.
Rationing on food was introduced into Britain in February 1918 by the minister
of food lord Rhondasetting fixed prices on essential food. (Cawood, 2004, p.71)
In the story we read: “Marshal Foch. He was commander – in-chief of Allied forces.”(Spark,p.1060 )Is this person- Marshal Foch a
real commander? Ferdinand Foch was a French soldier, war hero. He became a
general in 1914 and later, in 1918 was appointed as marshal of France.(Rejai,1996, p.83)Shortly after the start of
the Spring Offensive, Germany's final attempt to win the war, Foch was chosen
as supreme commander of the Allied armies (Haine,p.140),so
we can again very clearly see how much chronological order is followed.
Author continues her chronological order “The vindictive was sunk in Ostend Harbor on
which day I kicked with special vigor in my bath.” This statement refers to
historical event what took place in April 1918 – it was operation Zeebrugge,
aiming “closing of Belgian port of Bruges
from use as a base for German submarines”
(Coulthard, 2011, p.143). So, we see that story follows chronological
order and gives accurate description of the fact.
In story we read: “In France soldiers leapfrogged over the dead on the advance and
littered the fields with limbs and hands drowned in the mud. The strongest men
on all fronts were dad before I was born. Now the sentries used bodies for
barricades and the fighting men were unhealthy from the start.”(Spark,p.1060 )It is very much true that
Germany which is considered as the country that is mainly responsible for the
outbreak of war had more than harsh relationships, moreover, at the outbreak of
the First World War, the German army carried out “Schlieffen Plan” (Thomas, 2010, p.25), designed to quickly
attack France through neutral Belgium. Of course this policy and plan had
severe impact on France especially when western front layonFrance. This
statement also follows the chronological chain just like theprevious ones.
To make the story more reliable and
authentic, while talking about the war author not only mentions military side of
thewar but also talks about some public figures, whose life and creative
activity is closely linked with this period of history: In the fifth month her
life“Pablo Picasso was getting married
and early that month of July the silver Wedding of King George V and Queen
Marry was celebrated in Joyous pomp at St.Paul’s cathedral”(Spark,p.1060).In summer of 1918, Picasso
married Olga Khokhlova in an orthodox church (Daix,1993,
p. 163). They spent their honeymoon in Biarritz (Feliciano,1997, p.62).King George V and Queen Marry married on 6th
July 1893, what makes July 1918 their 25 years of anniversary.(Arricle from Enciklopedia Brittanica).These
significant for the public events ensure the author’s consistency and
reliability of drawing a picture of the war period.
Historical context is continuing with
words:“A certain action by Mr.Asquith
following the armistice on November 11”(Spark,
p.1061)Mr.Asquith was liberal Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in
1908 – 1916. Later he became 1stEarl of Oxford and Asquith,and had been replaced
by Lloyd George.(Encyklopedia Britannica)
Here we see the next,historically most
important event, Armistice of 11th November - the agreement that brought the
war to the end. Newborn tells us about casualties of the First World War: “I weighted twenty pounds. On all the
world’s fighting fronts the men killed in action or dead of wounds numbered
8.538.315 and the warriors wounded and maimed were 21.219.452.”(Spark, p.1061.)Statistics outlined in the
story nearly matchesthe information given in the historical annals.(8 556
315 – dead, 20985152 wounded) (1914-1918 -
Casualty Figures)
Even though the story is fictional and it
seems unlike that newborn baby can remember and even analyze what is told in
this story, based on the investigation, we accept it as a trustworthy, valid
and realistic narration. Through the realistic depiction of the events and
plethora of facts Muriel Spark wanted to give the account ofWell - drawn
picture ofevil consequences of human’s brutality and ruthlessness. However the
cruelty and harshness of the war is balanced by the appearance of lively, tiny
and innocent creature, with optimistic views on the world. We even take for granted the baby-girl’s
observant and intellectual mind and ironical comments, which of course is not
characteristic for babies but is the author’s creative style and imagination.
What are peculiar aspects of Muriel Sparks writing?
Muriel Spark’s “First Year of My Life” is a fictional story as the content of it is
produced by the imagination(Literary Genres),however what differentiates
it from other fictional stories is factual side of thestory that as we have
seen corresponds to reality. What is more, the whole idea of new born being
able to switch in any kind of conversation and character of protagonist being
so unrealistic and imaginary makesme think that author used fictional elements
in order to convey ideas in a more emotional way. In other word author used
fictional elements in order to allegorically provide readers with desirable
message.
In fiction writing characters help writer
to express ideas and to develop the plot. Characters in stories or in novels
usually have some problems to solve: inner conflict, conflict with nature,
conflict with other characters and conflict with society values (Disher, 2001, p.48).However, in this story
character has conflict not with herself or with any other character or any
specific society values, but with the conflict itself- with war’s cruel nature,
and humanity’s consequential dehumanization.
The aim of the story is not to provide
readers withartificially created problems,but to make them see reality through
newborn baby’s point of view. Presumably, the very idea of creating a new-born
as a protagonist might have symbolic meaning. Since the world was like a child
before the First World War – a child without experience of dehumanization, unaware
of all the psychological and material disastrous consequences of war. After
this very period of life new era began for the world and not only in terms of
technological point of view. After the World War I humanity became adult during
short period of time, and this is another symbolism, that one – year-old baby
is already psychologically adult. On the other side, it was the first year of
life not only for story protagonist, but it was the first year
for all human being living during that period, first year for the new world.
Protagonist has adult-like character - she is cunning, sarcastic, provident
etc. We see irony in the passage where protagonist describes herself: “Apart from being born bedridden and
toothless, unable to raise my head on the pillow.”(Spark, M., p.1058) She calls her surrounding females “two legged
mammals” cynically with humor which, in my opinion, definitely is not a baby’s
attribute. Proof of her providence is her words: “future bothered me”. (Spark, p.1059)
Authors
frequently choose irony as one of themain stylistic devices in order to make
their work more attractive. Irony from Socrates times to Romanticism was
considered as essential part for theoretical knowledge: “a knowledge that would simply be given or
viewed, without the knower being implicated in the articulation of that truth. Irony
draws attention to the gap between saying and said, between speaking position
and posited truth”(Colebook, C., 2004, p. 112)
Good example of effective use of irony is
the following passage from the story:“Over
Berlin and Vienna the people were starving freezing, striking, and riots and
yelling in the streets. In London everyone was bustling to work and mottling
that it was high time the whole. Business was over.” (Spark, M., p.1059)Narrator mentions the fact that in London
people considered that “whole business
was over”. In my opinion author mentioned this fact ironically and by
stating the fact that in London people thought ‘whole business’ was over she
might wanted us to see how people were not sharing adequately each other’s
pain. Maybe the war had ended for London, but in Vienna and Berlin there were riots
because of hunger. Author once again, effectively uses new born baby as a
narrator making readers see harsh situation through naïve child’s eyes
highlighting emotional side of the situation. The fact that such kind of ironical
statement and such kind of a sharp issue is narrated by a new born child makes
it less painful and less distressing. Here we can again see the effectiveness
of author’s choice to narrate the whole story by a newborn baby.
Another vivid example of a sharp irony is
the episode about weddings, on the one hand of Picasso and Olga’s and on the
other hand, of George V and Mary’s. It might be a bit unclear why the narrator
tells us about such occasional things when the war destroys everything around. In
my opinion, the reason might be either author’s wish to smoothen depressive
atmosphere caused by harsh sequences of war or just irony thatpeople were still
suffering and in for others life routine still went on: Picasso got married,queen
George V and Queen Mary celebrated their silver wedding even though Britain
still needed torecover from the World War One’sconsequencesand did not have any
affordable resources for celebration. People acted like ‘whole business was over’ however it was over only for certain
people and in certain people’s lives.
Protagonist describes the end of Romanovs’
royal family in a very simple way –with less emotion, there is just an
implication to the irony. In the final stage of World War One theRomanovs did
not have significant role and author is interested in their opinionwhile nobody
else is. Also, when she mentionsthe Romanovs second time,when they are
imprisoned, she wants to highlight that during the war people are becoming
emotionless, heartlessand payless attention to things, maybe that is what
author wanted to say thatnobody actually was concerned about the fateof theRomanovs
-that once important, magnificent royal family of Russia, has now become insignificant.
Narrator talks about Czar and how he had stated: “nothing would ever induce me
to sign the treaty” and later protagonist states “anyway, nobody had asked him”
(Spark, p.1059). I think these words are a bit cynical outlining Czar’s
hapless position.
The protagonist is growing up in front of
us and developing regardless the situation around.With seriousness and
sometimes mockery the child speaks about herself- mostly about her worries and
concernsProtagonist claims that she was not smiling during the first year of
her life. Generally Babies can smile at birth, or even sooner -ultrasounds have
actually spotted upside-down frowns on babies in the last trimester of
pregnancy. (Qatar Tribune, 2012) It is
natural that during World War One hard times and unpleasant environment were
not only for every single human being, but also fornewborns. The child probably
might feel something wrong was going around and did not smile which could be
the explanation and also proof for her claim.
Protagonist says: “many times I was told this later by my family and their friends, but
anyway, I knew it at the time.”(Spark, p.1058)
According to her words she remembers everything what happened during her first
year of life and moreover she says and believes the theory about baby’s being
born omniscient and that they can tune in every kind of conversation they want
and that it’s only after the first year of our lives that those memories are
brainwashed out of us, however she thinks she remembers everything perfectly
well.This is peculiar style of MurielSpark to underline that child which is not
supposed to remember anything, remembers everything - this is effective use of
fictionstyle. Perhaps this is allegory too - world remembers everything about
World War One since no harsh memories can be lost.
Protagonist says that during their first
year of life children are capable of tuning in any kind of conversation they
choose. I don’t think that this is impossible because researches show that
during these periods of life children have even better skills which they need,
in order to adaptto the world, than we do, because this world is new for them
and they need to fit themselves in it at fast rate. However,“Unlike the adult mind, which restricts
itself to a narrow slice of reality, babies can take in a much wider spectrum
of sensation - they are, in an important sense, more aware of the world than we
are.”(Lehrer, p.26)
Conclusion
To sum up, in my investigation I have
followed two main directions and therefore I have drawn my conclusions from two
angles.First I was interested in was historical contexts of the story. As I
have found out, the story almost precisely describes war destructions and other
events. War chronological order is so exact and identical to historical sources
and annals and that we have to appreciate the author’s in-depth knowledge of
war history. This makes the story effective, interesting, reliable and
enjoyable. The story contains non-fictional elements portraying historical
reality but at the same time the way author chooses to describe reality is
fictional. This is what distinguishes this story from other pieces of literature
and makes it so original and exciting.
My second object of investigation was the
effective use of the baby-girl as the protagonist. The writer chooses her to
arise more trust and sympathy in readers, to be aware of that even at this
stage of life the child feels, understands and narrates the truth. I came to
conclusion that protagonist has characteristics of an adult person, having
extra - ordinary abilities-being able to switch in any kind of conversation she
chooses. Also I came to conclusion thatchildren represent the symbols of
innocence, unspoiled nature, watching the world with sincere eyes full of
optimism. Muriel Spark’s child is
outwardly the same as other newborns, but, strangely enough very special human
being - intellectually formed and quite mature to observe and analyze things.
That is why I think that this new-born child is personification of the whole
world in an allegorical way meaning that protagonist represents the world, non
human concept, in a face of child. This one - year - old child is representative
of one- war-experienced society which became as skeptical and ironical as the
Child is in this story itself.
Even though the
story is slightly depressive and the baby did not smile during her first year
of life, eventually she didon her birthday, which also was the end of the war.Muriel Spark ended the story on an optimistic note, sending
positive message about future.
Bibliography
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Feliciano, H., 1997. The Nazi
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11. Jones, H. 2011. Violence Against Prisoners in The First World War. New York:
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17. Remarque, E. M. 1929. All Quiet on the Western Front. translated by Wheen A.W Boston:
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Значение слова "Каледин Алексей Максимович" в
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AppendixA
February,
1918 calendar available through:<http://www.convertunits.com/dates/from/Feb+1,+1918/to/Mar+11,+1931>
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