metaphor as contagion

8/12/2019 Metaphor as Contagion

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alays $o that 5he then realise$ that because the boo% as bran$ ne) there as probablyno praise for it yet'

5he opene$ the front cover of the boo% an$ rea$ the blurb on the insi$e $ust6Bac%et' The lastline rea$) &JM Coetzees latest or% of fiction offers us a profoun$ an$ $elicate vision ofliterary celebrity) artistry an$ the private life of the *in$' An aca$e*ic boo%) thought

Elizabeth) ,erhaps a boo% about Coetzee hi*self' There ere to *ore things to loo% atThe contents page intereste$ her greatly' The chapters ere calle$ &+essons there ereeight lessons folloe$ by a postscript' The lessons ha$ titles li%e &Dealis*) &The ,roble* ofEvil) an$ &The 8u*anities in Africa' A *oral boo%) Elizabeth thought) A post*o$ern self6consciously literary boo%' 5he turne$ to the first page an$ rea$ &There is first of all the

proble* of the opening) na*ely) ho to get us fro* here e are) hich is) as yet)nohere) to the far ban%' (t is a si*ple bri$ging proble*) a proble* of %noc%ing together a

bri$ge'Elizabeth as captivate$' 5he bought the boo% an$ trie$ to convince herself it as because

of the boo%s author) its intriguing blurb) its uni


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through *e an$ the hole of the orl$ K than ( coul$ $etail the inner or%ings of *yintestines or the coursing of *y bloo$' .Hon 8of*annsthal @/:!G6/08is chosen *etaphor is interesting here) i*plying that shoul$ he have special %nole$ge or%no a special language of his e1perience) he oul$ be able to spea% about it' >r) in fact) ifhe ere so*eone else) a $octor) in this case) thenthe *ysteries of the revelation oul$ beclear to hi*' At the en$ of his letter) Chan$os returns to this point in the passage hich

Coetzee has r) even *ore accurately) rather thanpushing ti*e forar$ to $eath) Chan$os *eans to revert to a place prior to false an$gratuitous language' (talo Calvino) an author hose boo%s are also often preoccupie$ iththe non6place before language rites in his story) &A 5ign in 5pace:(n *y nostalgia) the first sign K re*aine$ beyon$ attac%s of ti*e an$ its changes) the signcreate$ before the beginning of for*s) hich as to contain so*ething that oul$ havesurvive$ all for*s) na*ely the fact of being a sign an$ nothing else' .Calvino @/: #G0(n this case) then) the specialise$ language belongs to those ho have never %non the

present orl$) as it is no covere$ ith &a general thic%ness of signs superi*pose$ an$coagulate$ K the universe scrale$ over on all si$esK There as no longer any ay to

establish a point of reference .Calvino @/: #0' For sentient hu*ans) an i*possible$i*ension'Elizabeth felt she as going *a$' Coul$ it all be si*ply a coinci$ence The +or$ Chan$osletter as $ate$) &This !!n$ of August) the $ate of her on birth$ay' Coetzees +a$yChan$os letter as $ate$ &This @@ 5epte*ber) a $ate) of course) ith spectacularsignificance since !""@) but ith a particular significance to her the $ay she rea$ it in !""#The night before) after finishing the final +esson of the boo% an$ $eci$ing to leave the,ostscript until *orning) Elizabeth ha$ ha$ a $rea*' (t as an apocalyptic terrifying $rea*

fro* hich she ha$ o%en breathless) crystal6clear i*ages still playing in the centre of her*e*ory' The i*ages $i$ not fa$e all $ay' The i*ages ere of Ne Lor% City an$ herself atthe top of a high rise buil$ing) caught in a tre*en$ous cyclone'An$ then she ha$ rea$ the ,ostscript' &This @@ 5epte*ber) A7 @"#' A chill ha$ run $onher spine' (t as the si1teenth of March that $ay'5he ha$ shut the boo%


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*ans triple6i*age$ face loo%ing upar$s at the unseen hea$) his on e1pression caught inbeil$er*ent an$ scorn'Nor*ally) hen she tol$ her $rea*s to her boyfrien$) they ere flat an$ boring stupi$) evento herself' This *orning) he listene$) captive' 5he surprise$ herself ith the passion ithhich she tol$ it' (ll rite it $on) she thought' 4ut hen she $i$) over a perio$ of ee%s) itlost its ay' (t thu$$e$ fro* her li%e a $roppe$ sac%'

The Henus $e Milo originally ha$ ar*s) as everyone %nos in the bac%s of their *in$s' >neof Aphro$ites ar*s reste$ on a her*a) or stone pillar) besi$e her) the other) it is $ebate$hel$ an apple' 8oever) the statue as it is no) stan$ing in the +ouvre *useu* in ,aris) is)as it ere) loc%e$ in stone in the collective i*agination as an ar*less go$$ess' Although atthe ti*e of its fin$ing in @/!" atte*pts ere *a$e to $esign ne ar*s for the statue) 2ing+ouis H((( later $ecree$ that the natural beauty of the inco*plete i*age shoul$ not be$isturbe$' (n Coetzees !""; novel 5lo Man) a*putee ,aul Day*ent i$entifies in the statuea $ifference beteen art an$ hu*anity:

(f it ere $iscovere$ to*orro that the Henus as in fact *o$elle$ on an a*putee)she oul$ be re*ove$ at once to a base*ent store' ?hy ?hy can the frag*entaryi*age of a o*an be a$*ire$ but not the i*age of a frag*entary o*an .Coetzee!"";: ;0

The $ouble6affliction of the Henus *irrors the $ouble6affliction of +or$ Chan$os) an$ inturn the couple$ tor*ent of +or$ an$ +a$y Chan$os' ,erhaps it is a stretch of analogy) but aconnection coul$ be *a$e beteen this statue an$ Coetzees i$eas about riting hich he

presents in his ,ostscript an$ elsehere in Elizabeth Costello i$eas hich) ( oul$ arguehave actually carrie$ through each of his novels so far' The ritten) sitting loc%e$ in its even

blac% lines) gives the i*pression of belonging) of being pri*ary if one e1plores) hoever)

into the region of its *a%ing) the situation) the han$) the pen of its origin) e *ight perhapsgli*pse the sha$o li*bs) the a*putate$ gestures that e1ist beteen the lines'

Coetzees +a$y Chan$os letter) hen rea$ riginalitalics0

>n one level) it coul$ be suppose$ that 8of*annsthal an$ Coetzee are atte*pting a cleverirony in that although both +or$ an$ +a$y Chan$os confess to a $eep struggle ithlanguage) their respective letters are elo


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testa*ent to their obvious ability to $escribe an$ e1press' (t is the %in$ of co*e$y or riterlyhalf6lie that Maurice 4lanchot spea%s of at the beginning of &Fro* 7rea$ to +anguage:&IThe riter spea%s the language of *en at the *o*ent hen there is no longer) for hi*either language or *an .4lanchot @: ##0' This irony) hoever) is self6aare) an$hatever cleverness or hu*our such an o1y*oronic Bo%e coul$ contain is overri$$en by theserious $istress of the couples pleas to 4acon' &5ave *e) $ear 5ir) save *y husban$- ?rite-

+a$y Chan$os rites) an$ later) &7roning) e rite out of our separate fates' 5ave us.Coetzee !""#: !!) !#"0' +a$y Chan$os is not only as%ing for salvation fro* the firstaspect of their affliction) the frag*enting of language) &here or$s give ay beneath yourfeet li%e rotting boar$s .li%e rotting boar$s ( say again) ( cannot help *yselfK0 .Coetzee!""#: !!/0' 5he is also as%ing for salvation fro* the secon$) fro* the revelatory: &?e arenot *a$e for revelation) ( ant to cry out) nor ( nor you) *y ,hilip) revelation that sears theeye li%e staring into the sun' (t is only for &e1tre*e souls to live thus) she rites) an$ onlyin a ti*e &hen giants or perhaps angels stri$e the earth .Coetzee !""#: !!/60'

?hat +or$ an$ +a$y Chan$os are $escribing) it see*s) are the to e1tre*es of the sa*eunbearable silence' >n the one han$) language is &$ecaying an$ &rotting on their tonguesan$ beneath their feet hen they try to spea% of every$ay concepts' >n the other han$ theyare e1periencing &presences of the infinite .Coetzee !""#: !#"0) e1traor$inary an$ rare*o*ents for hich there is no language available at all' (n his essay &+iterature an$ theDight to 7eath) 4lanchot spea%s of to si*ilar e1tre*es) $escribing the* as slopes' Thefirst is *eaningful prose) its goal being to &e1press things in a language that $esignatesthings accor$ing to hat they *ean .4lanchot @;: ##!0' This process) hoever) bringsabout a negation here the &in$eter*inate is &$estroye$ in or$er to be %non) subBugate$co**unicate$ .4lanchot @;: ##"0' The realisation of this negation) it see*s) is hat +or$

Chan$os is battling ith hen he can no longer spea% nor*ally to his $aughter' The secon$slope that 4lanchot $escribes is concerne$ ith &hat things an$ beings oul$ be if thereere no orl$ .4lanchot @;: ###0) or as Michael Marais puts it in an essay on Coetzeean$ 4lanchot) &things prior to their negation by language an$ hu*an syste*s of or$er.Marais !""": @@0' The Chan$oses e1periences of ineffable revelation see* to apply tothis category or slope' There they are in the valley beteen the slopes' As Marais goes on torite: &+iteratures treacherous a*biguity $erives fro* the fact that in riting) the riter iscaught an$ suspen$e$ beteen $ay an$ night) beteen to slopes hich are both necessaryan$ i*possible .Marais !""": !6#0'

(t is significant that the Chan$oses are riting to Francis 4acon) +or$ Herula* an$ Hiscountof 5t Albans) the fa*ous philosopher) states*an an$ a lea$ing thin%er in the ne scientific*etho$ of analogous in$uction or &a*pliative inference' ?here previously scientists an$logicians practise$ in$uction by $raing general conclusions fro* a particular instanceFrancis 4acons *etho$ as to infer by ay of analogy) or%ing fro* si*ilarities ithinthe larger group bac% to the particular an$ correcting errors accor$ing to e1perience later'


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5cientific hypotheses an$ the a$vance*ent of e*piricis* ere greatly i*prove$ by 4aconscontribution'

An analogy) as oppose$ to a *etaphor or si*ile) is not) strictly) a figure of speech' (t isso*ething observe$ rather than interprete$) a $irect relation or si*ilarity beteen toentities rather than a forge$ lin%: the analogy beteen the heart an$ a pu*p' ?here

&scientific analogies such as this see% to *a%e clear an otherise obscure) even *iraculousbo$ily role) *etaphors an$ si*iles see% to proble*atise an$ subvert) to *a%e poetic as itere) the un6*iraculous or ta%en6for6grante$' Jacther) space) silence' +or$ an$ +a$y Chan$oss aphasic $isturbances see* to beconcerne$ ith so*ething alays overri$ing linguistic structure' Their struggle ithlanguage is not so *uch a


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8aving alrea$y rea$ eight revies of the boo%) Elizabeth %ne al*ost e1actly hat toe1pect as she began rea$ing outsi$e in the ne 5epte*ber sunshine' 5he re*e*bere$) iththat su$$en flash one has hen a physical sensation can be so clearly lin%e$ to a *ental one)the pain she ha$ been in hile rea$ing 7isgrace to years ago' 5ince then) having begunta%ing the ,ill) her ti*es of *enstruation ha$ been har$ly noticeable on the physical horizon(n fact) she as blee$ing no) an$ still perfectly co*fortable) *obile) alert' ,erhaps not

running along the beach in a bi%ini) as they $i$ on the sanitary pro$ucts a$vertise*ents) butstill) out here) rela1e$) ithout a sic% bol by her si$e an$ a sic%ly s*ell afting aroun$ aclose roo*'

The forty6five $ollar boo% she hel$ carefully) having re*ove$ the $elicate $ust6Bac%et an$place$ it out of reach of the %itten' 5he turne$ the pages ithout crac%ing the spine) ettingor ben$ing the paper' ?hen she coul$) she use$ both han$s to hol$ it' As a boo%*ar%) sheas using the pa*phlet on changing ones na*e she ha$ or$ere$ fro* the Degistry of4irths) 7eaths an$ Marriages' ?ho can change their na*e ran one of the FreT acceptable' Elizabeth thought *ost reasons for changingones na*e oul$ be personal' >nes na*e is personal' >f course) she ha$ hear$ of those

people) probably A*ericans) ho change$ their na*e every couple of years as though it

ere a hair colour' To the*) perhaps) the change as not so personal) *ore fancy orhi*sy' To her) the reason for the change ent bac% tenty6three years to her birth henher father) perhaps *u$$le$) perhaps sha%ing ith the strain of birth6atching) ha$ entere$Elizabeth 2atherine as his ne $aughters =iven Na*es' They ere the na*es) of course)on hich he an$ his ife ha$ $eci$e$) sitting in the lounge $uring the A$elai$e inter as the

baby fille$ out) gre rotun$' &?oul$nt it be lovely) his ife *ight have sai$) &if she ereto have na*es fro* our *others' Fa*ily na*es' Lour *others *i$$le na*e an$ *y*others *i$$le na*e' Na*es that go bac% into the *in$s of other *others in 8ollan$ an$5cotlan$' Na*es that repeat' An$ so it as $eci$e$' 4ut the spelling of his *other6in6las

*i$$le na*e as not so*ething Elizabeths father ha$ thought to chec%) so 2atherine heput) an$ it staye$'

Elizabeths >*a) her *others *other) ha$ recently passe$' (t see*e$ li%e the best ti*e toset the recor$s right' 5o all these processes for a single letter in the en$: 2 to C' 5he oul$have to call the ban% an$ the people ho issue$ $rivers licenses an$ tell the*: (ve *a$e aslight change to *y *i$$le na*e) ill ( nee$ to have *y i$entification reprinte$ 5he$


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alrea$y practise$ using the EC in a signature) but foun$ any Boin beteen the to initialsa%ar$) an$ in the en$ left the* separate'

5he is aare of the strange coinci$ence of the na*e) the confluence of Elizabeths an$ ECsThey see* to lie in ait for her li%e *ischief6*a%ers' Coetzees other boo% about an ol$o*an) Age of (ron) ha$ Elizabeth Curren $ying of breast cancer' 4reast cancer ran in her)

Elizabeth Catherines) fa*ily 3 in fact her gran$*other) her fathers *other .A$elai$eElizabeth0) ha$ survive$ it ten years ago' A coinci$ence li%e this she bore) as a goo$ rea$er*ust) ith even hu*our) ithout sul%ing' Elizabeth Chan$oss letter she has alrea$ya$$resse$ an$ has $ealt ith .( a* not *a$0 the coinci$ences springing fro* it: the $ate ofher birth$ay) the $rea* about Ne Lor%' An$ Elizabeth Costello herself) hose appearancein this ne boo% has revieers up in ar*s) see*s to be *e$$ling) fro* herever she lives inCarlton) Melbourne .Bust $on the roa$-0) her puppeteering ar*s securely into her life'

5he continues rea$ing fro* here she left off an$ fin$s Elizabeth Costello telling ,aul

Day*ent) the boo%s hero) a story' 5inba$ helps an ol$ *an across a river by carrying hi*on his shoul$ers' ?hen they reach the other si$e) the ol$ *an) instea$ of cli*bing $onstarts cho%ing 5inba$ by tightening his legs aroun$ 5inba$s throat' &No you are *y slaveho *ust $o *y bi$$ing in all things) says the ol$ *an) .says Elizabeth Costello) says J MCoetzee0' 5o*eho the i*age) in its grotes

metaphor as contagion

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