Character Adjustments; Finch, Cromwell, More, Satan.

                                 
                                           Thomas More                  Thomas Cromwell

                                   

                                   
                                                         Satan's cat - Behemoth

 Atticus Finch was always to good to be true. But is was soothing to think that in the 1930's South or anywhere for that matter, amid racism, lynchings and the corrupt human condition there might be a brave, essentially defenseless individual devoted to law and due process. Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird created such a character and Gregory Peck brought him to life in the subsequent movie. It was impossible not to develop an emotional attachment to this good man's struggle for justice in an ugly social environment. Now Lee's second book Go Set the Watchman is reportedly the "first" and provides us with a debased but more believable protagonist - it is a character adjusted. Atticus Finch belongs to Harper Lee - so we have lost a great fictional hero. But I shall not read the new "first" second book.
     Character adjustments are of course as common as writers. Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall burnishes the character of Thomas Cromwell and blisters that of Thomas More, both personas real. If the Roman Church had anything to do with your education (it provided my early education) then Cromwell was taught as a "doctrinaire hack" to Henry VIII. Cromwell supported the Reformation, the annulment of Henry's marriage to Katherine of Aragon, the split with the Papacy, beheading Thomas More, all paving the way for a besotted Henry's marriage to Ann Boleyn. Later Cromwell at Henry's behest creates the charges leading to Ann's execution. So it was but Mantel also displays Cromwell as an abused youngster who flees to Europe, becomes a soldier, merchant, practices law, speaks French, Italian and passable Latin and returns to England. Cromwell rises to become the fiercely loyal adviser to Cardinal Wolsey and later Henry VIII. In service to Henry's Royal Treasury and the Reformation, Cromwell will close down approximately 800 religious houses/abbeys in just four years. Yes, he was ambitious struggling up through a nearly impenetrable class system. Cromwell was a problem fixer - using intimidation, extortion and torture in pursuit of objectives and in pay back for past wrongs. But Cromwell in Mantel's hands is also restrained and in context even humane. He was an excellent family man. After falling out of favor with Henry over the choice of his fourth wife Ann of Cleves, Cromwell was beheaded in 1540.
     The other character adjusted by Mantel is Thomas More, lawyer, scholar, statesman, social philosopher, Lord Chancellor of England and awarded sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church. As with Atticus Finch a movie created a mesmerizing image of Thomas More. Paul Schofield in A Man for All Seasons (1966)  portrays an elegant Thomas More - a leader of the Roman Church, who understands God's law and that obedience to it is required for salvation. But he is not into heroics. "I am not the stuff of martyrs" he suggests and offers Henry his "silence" on the proposed annulment of the marriage to Katherine. Henry requires  his affirmation. More, underestimating his penchant for martyrdom will not affirm and is beheaded in 1535.
     Hilary Mantel displays Thomas More as a religious zealot. More enjoyed torturing a tad too much. Prison rooms and instruments of torture were kept at his home Chelsea for use in interrogating and saving sinners and heretics. If they could not be saved then he was willing to burn them - including one London seller of banned books. More also had a taste for masochism - his penance might include a "hair shirt" or self flagellation. Allowing for context More's character still seems considerably removed from the gentle Jesus. If  ever moved to do some praying St. Thomas More will not be my first choice as an intermediary with God.  
     Satan, aka Lucifer, Beelzebub, Devil and the "serpent" is fictional to many but as real as darkness to others. He is an arrogant, charismatic angel who organized and led legions of angels in a massive coup attempt against God Almighty. Driven out of heaven Satan and his forces were consigned by God to Hell - from which Satan later escaped. With cunning and deception he then engineers the Fall of Man, expulsion from the Garden of Eden and the introduction of death to the human species. But of course I oversimplify - please see John Milton's Paradise Lost for the complete tale with all the intricate details. But here is a question - is it possible to burnish the character of such a universally acknowledged villain?
     In Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita the "serpent" is named Woland. His left eye is green, insane and on occasion blazes brightly. The right eye is empty, black and dead.  Woland's wardrobe ranges from impeccably tailored black tailcoats, a black half mask and a magnificent black cloak - but he often lounges around at home in a greasy, dirty nightshirt. His visit to Moscow exposes and humiliates fools, incompetents, hypocrites and apparatchiks. Woland's retinue includes Koroviev, a smooth talking advance man - a tall, skinny presence in a checkered suit and perpetually cracked eye wear. The devil's cat - Behemoth, is a large, black tom with the surprising ability to walk on its hind legs. The cat enjoys vodka, cognac and frankfurter snacks. His feline independence exasperates even the Devil. But when asked to tear a head off Behemoth will comply in a most business like fashion. He has also been known to pack - it is unclear where - a Browning semi-automatic pistol. The last member is Azazello,  a short, stocky individual wearing a bowler hat. At Woland's request he will perform the occasional intimidation, abduction or wet job. Azazello is immediately recognizable by the fang protruding from his jaw. Woland and crew dispense a rough justice on the stupid and corrupt yet liberate others from persecution and punishment. Bulgakov does not refurbish Satan's character but he does hold up a mirror to humanity and then renders the devil some due.

Mikhail Bulgakov The Master and Margarita (Pevear and Volokhonsky trans.) 1997.
Harper Lee To Kill a Mockingbird 1960.
Hilary Mantel Wolf Hall 2009.
                           Bring Up the Bodies 2012.
John Milton  Paradise Lost 1667.

Distant Places, Students and Fragments.

                                                                               

                                                                                                                                             

                                                     


     Samarkand, Uzbekistan, 1980s. Near the intersection of the streets Registon ko'chasi and Toshkentskaya is an expansive public square - The Registran. It has been a focal point of the city for 500 years. The square is flanked by the Ensemble, three magnificent Madrasahs. The oldest school Ulugh Beg dates from 1417 CE, the other two, Sher-Dor and Tilya-Kori from 1619 and 1646 CE.*
     An Intourist bus disgorged 25 Hartwick College students many displaying the lethargy of those engaged in sightseeing. Slowly they spread out among other pedestrians over a wide expanse but moving toward the Tilya-Kori Madrasah. Also prowling the sunlit square were members of the Soviet Army, dark paladins in shining boots, brown greatcoats and fur hats. Eventually one soldier cautiously approached a Hartwick student and struggling, indicated he would like to take her picture. Kim, a bright faced young lady and not particularly shy, grabbed his arm and led him to a low concrete structure where they both sat down. Kim then took away his fur hat, put it on and proceeded to muss up his hair. Another soldier rushed over and started snapping their picture. Janet, also determined to improve Soviet American relations, seized another soldier by the arm and marched him to the site - he lost his hat while being vamped. I was now taking pictures - everyone was - except the soldier clicking a camera. He stopped, rushed over grabbing a comrade by the sleeve yanking him upright and then sitting down between Kim and Janet. It was his turn! Lots of laughter - young people meeting - an instant Cold War thaw. I turned slowly and drifted off to examine the beauty of Islamic architecture.
     Kyoto, Japan, 1980s. I was determined to get the entire group into a public bath and massaged at least once. How could anyone visit Japan and not get a massage and haircut? (During this month long trip I would visit three barbershops.) The group consisted of 13 men and 12 women - the latter included the College President's wife Barbara, two professors and one administrator. Unless we were in an upscale hotel finding an acceptable masseuse service for the women would be I thought problematic. Barbara told me not to worry about it. One professor, Jean said she would help and look for such a service.
     My first afternoon in the streets of Kyoto resulted in the identification of an attractive public bath three blocks from our residence, a youth hostel. The following day after selecting four muscular men to accompany me - I am a cautious fellow - we proceeded with a trial run of this establishment. It was an outstanding choice -  reasonably priced and clean enough to host surgery. The shower heads were plentiful, each with a bucket, brush and stool while the soaking pool was hot enough to make lobster blush. In a pre-bath meeting with the group I warned that when Americans emerge from a shower convinced they are "clean" Japanese are preparing to repeatedly scrub and douse themselves with buckets of steaming water. THEN they soak in a pool! I implored them, "When you see skin peeling off your body scrub just once more! Don't embarrass America! And for God's sake don't create ripples in the pool!" The baths went well.
     It is probably impossible for a person waiting for a massage not to engage in some erotic reverie. There are massages with different national identities; Japanese, Swedish, Turkish and generally many different kinds of massage. The three Japanese women that went to work pounding on hundreds of pounds of towel clad American males were happy,skilled and chattered like parakeets. Almost immediately the groans began as the masseuses pushed, pulled, pounded, elbowed, kneed and walked on their clients. The women responded with laughter and then pushed, pulled and twisted harder. At the end of fifty minutes you may feel like a rag doll or a puddle, but you are totally relaxed.
     The following day I led a large group of the men to their bath and massage or as one described it "their mugging". This group included my one black student. I entered the establishment  in front of him and en garde. But the proprietress welcomed me with multiple bows, smiles and warmth. After the formalities my charges were deposited with her and a most capable staff.  Exiting the Bath I was partially satisfied with myself - I turned left and walked a narrow, crowded street. We were unable to find a similar opportunity for the women - a regret.
     Moscow, Russia, 1980s.  A bright wintry day - we walked the snow packed paths winding through Gorky Park.
John a pre-law student, was reading aloud from Martin Cruz-Smith's novel. In the USSR Gorky Park was an illegal book - "forbidden literature". Three other students and I absorbed every spoken word and searched - we passed the Ferris Wheel gently rotating on our right almost in time with scratchy music from the PA system. We sought the exact location where Inspector Akrady Renko first examined three murder victims exhumed from the snow - the face of each obliterated by a single gun shot. Ultimately is was impossible to be sure of the precise spot - but we thought that just maybe . . . !  Two hours later our Intourist guide asked me where I had been.
     "We went to examine the scene of the murders in Gorky Park."
     She seemed to get upset. "WHAT? There was no murder! How can you say that?"
     "They occur in the novel Gorky Park."
     "I know" she replied "but that is a slanderous story - how can you take students on such an outing?"
     "I didn't -  they took me."
     Seemingly exasperated she dramatically whirled around and marched away.

* See Wikipedia; photos Wikimedia