Henderson the Rain King: Formalist Criticism

NAME JEREMIAH FOONG KANG YI MATRIX NUM. D20111047679 FACULTY LANGUAGE AND communicating PROGRAM TESL PROGRAM CODE AT 06 SEMESTER 3 SESSION 2012/2013 way LITERARY CRITICISM COURSE CODE BIS 3023 GROUP B assignment CRITICAL ANALYSIS ON HENDERSON THE RAIN KING LECTURER MR. SEVA BALA SUNDARAM A/L A. M MARIAPPAN For this novel, I will be critic eachy analyzing it victimisation two theories, namely the Formalist reflection (which is also known as new Criticism) and Reader-Response Criticism.The reason I choose both these denunciation theories ar because I individualally opine that these two theories can realistically reflect our views on the literature read as readers. By the Formalist Criticism approach, I will firstly provide a plot heavyset of Henderson the pelting powerfulness. Henderson the Rain pansy was written by capital of Minnesota Bellow in the year 1959. In this novel, Saul Bellow name calling his main slip, or also known as the protagonist, Eugene Henderson. Eugen e Henderson is depicted, in this novel, as a troubled, middle-aged sympathetic beings. He is physically attri s railcarcelyed with a cosmic body frame, a bumbling loud voice, and ossesses great physical strength. irrelevant to his struggling life, his family background is one which is rather wealthy. Eugenes start out was a famous author and he left him three one million million million dollars when he passed. He is non at all amazed neither mirthful with the life he has been living all the while and plans to heed his midland voice and go out to search for a better life, which he believes, lies in Africa. Before leaving for Africa though, he tried numerous ship canal to satisfy his weird calls by playing the violin, drinking, and shouting at his wife.He carried on with his plan to Africa with his friend Charlie Albert and his wife. He however set off to exit on his own upon finding a pampered travelling path Charlie practices. Eugene outlayys the Arnewi family line a nd tries to help to settle their drinking problem which was caused by a catch infestation at the bottom of their drinking wellspring. Eugene failed to help when he infernal the frogs together with the well. It just make the situation worse. Eugene went on to meet the Wariri folk music with Romilayu and becomes the Sungo, or rain down king, when he trick ups a heavy matinee idol during the rain service.Later on, the elders sent Dahfu to find a lion which is supposed to be the reincarnation of Dahfus late father. As he fails and is killed, Eugene is supposed to be crowned the King as he is the Rain King, the next King in line. Eugene does not desire to be king, and flees from Africa back to his own topographic rate. Eugene finds that it is sole(prenominal) by dint of love that he had gained all these while when he reflects on his relationship with Smolak the bear in Ontario and his relationship with the orphan boy on the plane back to the join States. The novel consists of twenty-two chapters of roughly have-to doe with length.Throughout the novel, flashbacks atomic number 18 used as a major(ip) element of. In the early stages of the novel, more precisely, in the first three chapters of the novel, Hendersons recall about his motives for departing for Africa. The setting in this novel is considerably uniform, however, throughout the totality of the boloney, settings such as Europe, Connecticut, and New York argon scattered randomly around. It is evident that the subsequent chapters are set in Africa, where most of the plot of the written report develops. Through flashbacks, Eugene re get a lines his place of origin and time periods from his earlier life.Literary as wellls such as foreshadowing and cliffhangers are used to keep the reader flipping through the pages eagerly for more. Generally, throughout the most major parts of the story, the setting is held in Africa, in the mid-1950s. Scenes from Connecticut, New York City, and Europe during the aid World War are sporadic when Hendersons rambling narratives take place. Actions which take place in Africa are mostly held in the Arnewi and Wariri tribes. The African plains show up once in a while when Henderson and Romilayu wander through the African desert. However, a major part of the story takes place in the Wariri tribe.At the denouement of the story, Newfoundland is also include in the setting of the story, where Henderson touches down from the plane. Physical settings aside, symbolical spiritual settings are also widely included in the novel. A touch of pre-human graphic symbol in the landscape and a tinge of childhood memories Henderson had is depicted through the beautiful slight pink in the sky and the sharpness of the rocks meet the Wariri village, respectively. Also, after(prenominal) deplaning from Newfoundland, Henderson is express to be walking on ice. This icy-setting shows that Henderson has clearly made his escape from Africa and has started his lif e anew.Hendersons word choice in the memoir of the novel is of great interest to the readers as he makes reference to the countersign regardless of how informal and colloquial his style is. However informal his style is, though, historical change surfacets and psychological theories are explained in a rather improvised albeit knowledge equal method. The colourful description of his narration is made up of exposit explanations made possible through visuals and audio. The inability of Henderson speaking in the immanent African language makes it complicated as Romilayu and Dahfu are required to try for him directions and advices made on the barren land of Africa.The appearance of African lyric such as grun-tu-molani appeal to our minds and memories dependablely and further enhances the elaboration of the African culture. For this novel, the third person point of view is used. In this case, the third persons point of view is the point of view of Eugene Henderson. A colloquial and more intimate approach is applied in the narration in the story. Examples which show this are As you can see for yourselves, these are all impossible answers (HRK 133) and Ill tell you why (HRK 7).The entirety of this novel is terstwhile(a) as if Henderson reminisces about his journey to Africa, and also the will and events which led up to his finish to go to Africa. Dialogues are noticeable in some parts of the novel, but the essence and the message of the story is generally brought to the readers by Hendersons descriptions and upcountry monologue. The characters who appeared in Henderson the Rain King are as follows. The main character in the story is Eugene Henderson. Even when Henderson is the main character in the story, he is the anti-hero of the novel. Character-wise, he is a bumbling man, al shipway angry and is confused.His physical attributes are big, shocking appearance, and possesses great strength. Hendersons father leaves understructure 3 million dollars. Henders on had married doubly and has five children. He was stubborn and pushed on for competitiveness duty even when he was declared to be too old for it. He got injured by a land mine during the Second World War and received the Purple Heart upon his return. Henderson owns a cop farm but deep down inside, he am spellions to be a doctor. Henderson is constantly plagued by a voice that says I want. He tries various activities and hobbies which he hopes are able of relieving his unknown desire.He tries playing the violin, drinking, and even shouting at his wife. When none of these methods seem to make any issuing on satisfying his weird and unknown desire, he goes on to visualise Africa with Charlie Albert and his wife. He was fifty five. Upon realizing Charlies travelling style which he thinks is too contemporary and boring, Henderson leaves with Romilayu to visit the Arnewi tribe. He attempted to solve the Arnewi tribes difficulty which was the infestation of frogs in their drinking w ell by assail the frogs. Instead, he bombed and wrecked the whole drinking well.Regretful and sad, Henderson left for the Wariri tribe with Romilayu. closely of the plot of the story develops from here. Henderson is crowned Sungo, the Rain King, after being able to lift a heavy idol during a rain ceremony in the Wariri tribe. Henderson was supposed to be the Kings successor after Dahfus passing. However, Henderson did not want to be King and escaped from Africa to experience a complete new life back in the United States. Frances Henderson is Hendersons first wife. Frances is, as described by Henderson, tall, handsome, elegant, and sinewy. Frances was married to Henderson just to please Hendersons father.Henderson once told Frances of his dreams of becoming a doctor. His ambitious dreams was revoked and laughed at by Frances. Lily Simmons Henderson is Hendersons second wife. She is known throughout the story as only Lily. She has a sweet face, fair, and large. Lily is not prone to scolding. Instead, she moralizes. Lily had married twice before she got married to Henderson. She had previously married a man from Baltimore and an ignominious broker from New Jersey who is named Hazard. In the story, Henderson describes Lily as one who is not very clean, a liar, and a con- mechanic.Edward Henderson is Henderson and Frances first son. Edward can be considered as Hendersons pride as Edward is clean-cut and smart. Edward drives around in a shiny sports car. Henderson always believed that Edward would not get a lover. One daytime, Edward brings home a girl from Honduras and proclaimed to Henderson that he loves her. However, Henderson chose not to believe it. Ricey Henderson is Henderson and Frances eldest daughter. She is pretty. Ricey takes a child from the backseat of a car one Christmas and is eventually expelled from boarding school. Alice Henderson is Hendersons youngest daughter with Frances.The twins are Hendersons two children by Frances. Charlie Albert is to Eugene Henderson, a childhood friend. They both attended dancing classes together in the year 1915. Charlie is a year younger than Henderson and also a bit richer than him. Charlie was once a cameraman in the army. Henderson was Charlies best man at his wedding. Charlies wife resented Henderson because Charlie forgot to osculation his wife at the wedding. Henderson get together Charlie and his wifes honeymoon trip to Africa in the first part. beam of light Henderson is Eugene Hendersons older brother. Dick dies in a rather tragic and ridiculous way.He was shooting a broken fountain pen with his shooting iron and got engaged in a chase by the police. He crashed his car in an embankment during the chase and jumps into the river. Dicks cavalry boots got filled with wet when he jumped into the river and Dick drowned. Dick was considered by Eugene as the sanest of us. Klaus Spohr is the artist who paints Lilys portrait. There was once when Klaus and Lily observed Henderson kis s Clara, Klaus wife, passionately. Doctor Spohr is the cousin of Klaus Spohr. He is the dentist who replaces Hendersons bridgework.Romilayu is Hendersons get out and translator in Africa. Romilayu tells Henderson that he is in his late thirties. However, he looks unsmoothed and much older. Currently Christian, he shows signs of tribal living in his preceding(a) as he has tribal scars on both his cheeks and ears. He is a patient companion to Henderson. The Arnewi Tribe are the fist tribe Henderson visits in Africa. They are loving and warmly welcomed Hendersons visit. They were suffering from a drouth and their cattle are dying. They are ruled by Willatale. Iteloo is a prince of the Arnewi tribe. He learned English in Beirut with Dahfu.He loses to Henderson in a grapnel match even when he equalizes him physically. Willatale is Itelos aunt and the fay of Arnewi. She is a Bittah, which means she is the most revered in the tribe and has husbands as well as wives. She has cataract in one eye and wears a lion whittle as a robe. Henderson describes her as a happy woman, stable, and good natured. Mtalba is the queens sister and also is a Bittah woman. She is beautiful and pampered looking with coloured hair but is obese. She proposes to Henderson in their traditional way but rejects him when he blows up their well.The Wariri tribe is the second visited tribe by Henderson in Africa. Henderson becomes the Rain King of the Wariri and a close friend to their King, Dahfu. Dahfu is the kin fog the Wariri tribe. Dahfu study in a medical school but had to return to his dying father in the Wariri tribe. Dahfu impresses Henderson with his charm and philosophy. King Dahfu keeps a lion named Atti and trains him. He dies while trying to capture his father-lion Gmilo. Horko is the uncle of King Dahfu and the man sent to meet Henderson on the day of the rain festival.Horko speaks some English and French because he traveled with Dahfu when he studied abroad. The Bunam is the head priest of the Wariri tribe. The Bunam believes that Henderson can lift the idol during the rain ceremony. Henderson believes that the Bunam communicated to him to encourage him to lift the idol without needing to talk to him. Turombo is the strong Wariri man who lifted Hummat at the rain ceremony. He was misunderstood as one who is shadowed by his past as he did not lift Mummah. It is learned later on in the story that Turombo did not want to lift Mummah because he understands the danger in being a rain king.Queen Yasra is Dahfus mother and also the widow of Gmilo. She believes the words of the Bunam who said that Atti represents power of an evil sorceress. Therefore, she begs Henderson to make Dahfu get rid of Atti. The executioner is admirer to the Bunam in the Wariri tribe. He has a narrow face and leathery appearance. He was dressed in white on the day of the lion run and guards King Dahfus corpse after he passed. Gmilo is Dahfus father and the former king of the Wariri tribe. Another approach to analysing this novel will be the Reader-Response Criticism.The Reader-Response Criticism is based on what the reader feels and perceives about the story after reading the piece of literature. As a reader, I was quite a fazed and taken aback when I read the beginning of this story. I was shocked at how unsettled Henderson was even when his father had left behind him such a large amount of money. I think Hendersons pursuit of happiness and the meaning for life is strong and objective. Henderson is to me a unbendable person and does not get swayed easily by external factors. What makes me feel pitiful towards Henderson is when he was trying to help the Arnewi tribe out by killing the frogs.His intention started out as a good one but ended as an act which displeased the Arnewi tribe. It was lucky for him that Itelo did not kill him after such an act because Itelo is his friend. There is a point in the story which I do not agree with the storyteller himself. He had seen such bitterness in the Wariri tribe since the first day he got there. He did not have any good moments to savour. The only acceptable moments are when King Dahfu shared with him some philosophy and ways of life. This interests Henderson and us, the readers, but other than that, all the other happenings are bitter.Therefore, it is quite at sea that Henderson did not choose to escape in the earlier part of his visit to the Wariri tribe. However, this is only my view and opinion. Generally, this novel has raised my awareness in issues such as the pursuit of meaning in life and the pursuit of happiness. At the end of the story, Henderson realizes that what he has been going after all this while is love. This is a story worth reading and telling as it bends the human mind into different concaves of perception to what is worth going after, what is worth our pursuit, and what is worth holding on to.Bibliography 1) Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow. (2000). Retrieved from http//www. bookrags. com/studyguide-henderson-the-rain-king/ 2) Bellow, S. (1976). Henderson the rain king. NY Penguin Books. 3) Dobie, A. B. (2011). Theory into practice An introduction to literary criticism. Boston, MA Cengage Learning. 4) 50 electropositive One Great Books You Should Have Read And Probably Didnt. Retrieved from http//books. google. com. my/books? id=HPDqaTLKOEECpg=PA194lpg=PA193dq=%22Henderson+the+Rain+King%22as_brr=3ie=ISO-8859-1output=htmlredir_esc=y