Az Eszterházy Károly Tanárképző Főiskola Tudományos Közleményei. 2002. Vol. 3. Eger Journal of English Studies.(Acta Academiae Paedagogicae Agriensis : Nova series ; Tom. 29)

Tibor Tóth: Fiction as the 'River Between': Daniel Martin

FICTION AS THE 'RIVER BETWEEN': DANIEL MARTIN 65 In Daniel Martin John Fowles's handling of chronology or rather the time dimension is also designed to support the success of the other narrative elements at work. Daniel Martin opens at two widely separate times and settings which actually determine the protagonist's fate, because they can be identified as standing for his relationship towards two opposite interpretations of life and art. As we have already mentioned we meet Daniel who is fifteen years old in Devon in August 1942. Two incidents deconstruct the idyllic possibilities of harvest and the rural setting. It is also important that Daniel Martin is the son of a rural clergyman whose first memories envisaged in the novel are related to horror, rather than idyllic peace and calm. The young boy watches in horror the slaughter of the rabbits by the harvesters and air raids and bombing disturb the harvest. War and bombing are relevant elements of memory, but as there are no victims, it is the sense of panic, which it causes, that becomes a relevant element that can contribute to the general atmosphere of the novel. The events have to be defined as the novel's past, although, as we have stated earlier, awareness of the protagonist's past has to be regained. The present tense of the novel introduces the other face of Daniel Martin. He is a middle-aged film writer of international reputation. Prosperous, envied by many he lives in his luxury apartment building in Hollywood, California. A successful middle-aged man should be attractive for women and the stereotype is complete as when we meet him Daniel Martin is speaking with his mistress, Jenny O'Neill. This beautiful woman is a promising young Scottish actress, of course, but as we learn about their conversation the accepted stereotypes do not match perfectly, as the two are speaking about the necessity of 'going home' and going home is not only interpretable literally. Returning home and being at home do not complement an atmosphere of certainty and balanced existence but suggest a sense of split identity. 'It was on the old Camelot set. It suddenly hit me. How well I matched it. The betrayal of myths. As if I was totally in exile from what I ought to have been.' He added, Done.' 'And what is that?' 'Good question.' 'Try.'