THE NOVELS OF L. H. MYERS
Abstract
This dissertation examines L. H. Myers as a social and philosophical novelist and the central questions his novels raise: What is the good life? What are the bases for a satisfying personal relationship? Each chapter discusses one novel and shows that Myers's basic concerns as novelist and thinker remained unchanged despite constant reassessments. Myers's novels are "unpleasant" novels in the Shavian sense of the word. They are not very gratifying studies of human behavior. As a "connoisseur of character," Myers is most interested in human behavior and the complexity of motives underlying it. His novels--from The Orissers to The Pool of Vishnu--are analyses and evaluations of the principles underlying the behavior of his characters. In the process, Myers asks very uncomfortable questions about some deeply revered concepts, such as humanism and idealism, which are frequently veils covering the evils of materialistic values. Myers is acutely aware of the fragmentation of modern man, torn by the demands of the spirit and the flesh. His protagonists are "seekers" in quest of the "good life." They strive for self-awareness and a moral and spiritual "fastidiousness" which would lead to a reintegration of intellect and intuition; for example, Allen in The Orissers, Paulina and Wentworth in Strange Glory, Amar and Hari in The Root and the Flower, and Jali in The Pool of Vishnu. This study includes an evaluation of Myers's success in embodying ethical and metaphysical concepts in fictional forms.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Literature
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