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

66 TIBOR TÓT! I 'Something to do with the, artifice of the medium.' (A M 20) ;

; : . The novel itself is telling of split identity because it is written in the form of a film script and it is absorbed by the permanent sense of division in the novel as it illustrates Daniel Martin's return from California to • • t 01 -Ti . i ' : : . ljf JJ ivi I 'ii ) CJCiO O V

' * Devon. For the successful film-writer of international reputation return to Devon means that he is to abandon all that only Hollywood can offer in terms of money. Here again the situation suggests that human relationships, forgotten ideals can only be regained if he is able and ready to resume his place in a long forgotten ambition to become a writer of drama, or rather fiction. This process of 'reforgetting' can help him regain freedom over creating his own fictional future. Mistaken decisions determine the directions taken by the book we are reading, Daniel Martin has betrayed Nell before their marriage with her sister Jane and during their marriage he betrayed her with a series of other women. Daniel Martin betrayed his friend and his ideal of friendship, when he had an affair with Jane of which Anthony knew and later as he had written and staged a spiteful play in which he puts the blame on Anthony, jane and Nell. Daniel Martin betrayed his father who was an Anglican clergyman and his creed, because he becomes an atheist. He betrayed his artistic inclinations, his creative urge when he abandoned his dream to write a drama for the profits and fame of commercial film writing. No wonder he is telling Jenny that getting home is impossible. 'If you run away, Jenny, you can't find your way back. That's all I meant. Trying to ... it's only a pipe-dream. Trying to crawl back inside the womb. Turn the clock back.' He turns and smiles across at her. 'Late night maundering.' 'You're so defeatist. All you have to do is put down exactly what you've just said.' That's the last chapter. What I've become.' (D. M. 22) Dan has given up home, Devon, his roots convinced that it belongs to a dimension of his existence that will never reveal itself, once success, new life, career women give a new sense to his life. Anthony's approaching death becomes a kind of call for a new life for Daniel Martin, an undreamed of opportunity to achieve something he himself never really was able to articulate. He is offered the chance that one of his infi-