Consider the notion of
drifting in Maupassant's
Afloat. You might think of narrative structure, geographical/imagined space, the journey, relationship to self, etc. Please point to specific passages as you elaborate your reflections.
This will be the basis of your reflection question, to be prepared (to be presented and/or submitted) for class Monday.
As the title suggests, drifting is a crucial element in the text. In the literal sense, Maupassant often finds himself navigating through treacherous waters, where the surroundings are enveloped within the unknown (“And indeed we’re being hammered by the waves which are thundering and breaking over with unbelievable violence…”) (96). He takes pleasure in his solitude at sea (“I can enjoy the thrill of being alone…”) (9), which suggests that he feels disconnected from his home – he expresses revulsion when describing those who “talk about intelligence with a pride that makes your heart bleed” (22). In this way, Maupassant is adrift/distant/isolated from those around him. He attributes this separation to his “second sight”; he cannot experience satisfaction because he must observe everything that goes on around him (45). Defining himself as an observer, he cannot relate well to the people whom he observes – thus, he allows himself to “drift” off to sea, away from his troubling position at home.
ReplyDeleteMaupassant’s narrative reflects this element of drifting as well. There is no continuity in his travels – he goes from one place to another, absorbing the sights and providing input. For example, when he has docked, he reminds himself of an old couple who, much like him, isolated themselves in nature. They were very happy, and he was amazed that such bliss could be found amongst hermits. However, returning to the house, he finds that the women had committed suicide because of her husband’s infidelity (86-93). Aside from showing Maupassant’s tendency to “drift” in his ideas, this situation demonstrates how unpredictable life can be – another idea that closely ties in with the volatility of being adrift.
As the chapters in the text are organized by location and time, narrative content comes and goes according to Maupassant's thoughts; his ideas are free-flowing and adrift in his mind just as his body is afloat at sea. In any given moment, Maupassant may be writing about the sea and its weather, but almost immediately afterwards - and without warning - he shifts topics, such as to Baizane's escape (27) or to war, which he considers "monstrous and unnatural" (27). Maupassant can be very vocal about his ideas (such as the barbarity of war) when he wants to be, but his lack of narrative organization de-emphasizes these thoughts. They become one of his many thoughts, joining a crowd rather than standing out individually.
ReplyDeleteMaupassant mentions his dislike for structured society (people and culture) multiple times in the text, a theme that resonates the text itself. Just as he himself leaves civilization for the "free" ocean, his text departs from standard conventions of writing, as if to seek a more "pure" and "natural" state of writing. Maupassant calls the arts "vapid imitation" (25) and "banal reproduction" (25), regarding them as useless and constantly bound by the limits of human inanity. Perhaps by distancing his writing from this detested art, Maupassant hopes to rise beyond arts' common limitations and produce written thoughts that are truly "meaningful."
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ReplyDeleteWith the mention of “drifting”, the first thing that comes to my mind is Odysseus in the Odyssey being ravaged by the winds and the ocean to end up drifting along on a piece of his ship until the aid of Ino and Athena finally reprieved him of his journey. The structure of Maupassant's text seem to follow this example very well. Drifting does not seem to be of one's volition, but it is forced upon someone through some way. Also, when one drifts along, one does not choose where to go, but is totally at the mercy of the winds or whatever force that pushes one along, and one can finally stop drifting with the aid of an outsider.
ReplyDeleteDrifting seems to come mostly in the form of though in the text. Maupassant himself seems to have realized that he was drifting along, and just writing down whatever thought had consumed him, as he says “I'd been writing down, for myself, my daydreams, or rather, I'd taken advantage of being afloat and alone to catch a few stray thoughts that flit through your head like birds”(103). For Maupassant, drifting is very important as it allows him to get away from the world that he so despises and without the inhibitions of other people, can deeply think about other people in a more philosophical level. (And he realizes his existential existence!).
The drifting of his thoughts are seen clearly throughout the text. As Maupassant goes on his journey, he starts to write. One would think that the text would be about his physical boat ride, but it is actually centered around his thoughts. Anyway, Maupassant shows this drifting behavior as he just jumps from one topic to another, not without a reason though. Like real drifting, it is influenced by some outside force that would change the course of direction. For example, on page 27, Maupassant sees a rock, then goes on to talk about why it was easy for Bazaine to escape. He also sees an island, then talks about Paginini's grave. These are just two examples of what is seen throughout the novel.
And like drifting, Maupassant's thoughts stop just freely floating around only with the interruption of an outsider. “While this dream was floating airily behind my closed eyes and my mind grew calmer, I heard my two sailors getting up, lighting their lamp, and silently starting work on some long job”(54). It was here that Maupassant awoke from his reverie of thought (and this pattern repeats itself).
Maupassant does not just drift along the sea with his accompanying sailors, but he also writes with an “adrift sense”, as he carries away his readers without any clear sense of direction of where he is heading. Maupassant’s uncertainty of direction is portrayed through his thoughts which structure the narrative as a wave of ideas, thoughts, and perceptions. For example in the chapter “Cannes, April 7,9PM”’ Maupassant continually drifts away from one subject to the next, letting his thoughts carry him from topic to topic, like princes, dukes, musicians, painters, writers: poets and novelists, death, and more. It is very unsettling; unsettling to the reader, and a reflection of Maupassant, who, metaphorically is like a ship unable to be moored and unstable.
ReplyDeleteMaupassant reveals his unsettling and unstable life when he sees the two lovers at the beach. He is struck with sadness, regret, and the desire to be loved. Alone, Maupassant floats by the idea of being loved and admits that he is unsteady, and thus weak, “But I soon became ashamed of my weakness…”(40.) Maupassant’s unsteady life is characteristic of an unsteady boat drifting along the waves of an open sea.
‘Drifting’ seems to be the underlying motif in ‘Afloat’. It serves as the ideal term to describe the overall structure of the text – philosophical musings tied in with physical descriptions, recollections and stories.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I am circumspect when applying the term ‘Drifting’ to the nature of the geographic journey. It seems Maupassant is being pushed from place to place by his own misanthropy rather than ‘drifting’. He is very decided on his itinerary and route and in this sense the term ‘drifting’ is rather misleading. Evidence of this misanthropic nature is displayed in the second paragraph of page 24, where Maupassant wonders how and why humans are so content in their static, “close minded” and “sluggish” state.
Complimenting the notion of ‘drifting’ is the notion of ‘the wind’. It is continually described akin to man. The introduction proclaims wind to be the “leading character”, with all the complexities and unpredictability of man. Again, on page 10, Maupassant equates wind to man and writes “What a Very Important Person the wind is for the sailor!” He speaks of the wind with reverence and has a submission to the will of the wind, “drifting here and there…following the whims of the wind, going wherever it chooses. To look after me and show me the way” (Maupassant, 9). This again raises questions about the validity of the term ‘drifting’: is Maupassant rigidly dictating the course of this journey or is it truly intrepid; directionless and without purpose and ‘guided’ by the wind?
In afloat, being ‘adrift’ is strongly attached to a sense of leaving the whole or body - not only in the physical sense, but also in leaving a collective consciousness behind. This is exemplified on pages 63-64 in which Maupassant speaks of the force that binds men and women together when gathered in large numbers to attend theatrical performances: “he’d ceased to be a man and become part of a general crowd. His individual will had become a general will”. He speaks of this force with distaste, hence his desire to ‘drift’ away from the gravitational pull of the mindless collective thought embodied in peoples.
I believe "drifting" is fundamental to the text in more than just a greater theme - Maupassant directly weaves his own journey adrift at sea into the syntax and tone of his sentences.
ReplyDeleteTo be adrift is to be at the mercy of a sea that may be rough or gentle, and the words Maupassant uses are similarly subjected to the thoughts and emotions of the writer.
When Maupassant is calm and relaxed, his words drift about gently in lulling description, such as where he remarks of how glorious his idealized life would be. The sentences and their ideas are short and simple as he remarks on each aspect: “I’d live there in a vast square building, rather like an immense box, gleaming in the sun.” “There are hardly openings in the outer walls.” (53).
When he is angered or provoked, we see the exact opposite. In his passionate address on war, he releases a storm of words, chained almost violently together in one enormous grotesque description that defies standard writing conventions (32).
Maupassant himself even uses the word "float" in association with words as he describes how they "float to the surface of our history" upon describing the history of kings (80).
When I look up the word “drift,” I found the explanation “to move, change, or do something without any plan or purpose.” I think the most important characteristic of drifting is no purpose and no plan.
ReplyDeleteSuddenly the form of this novel becomes evident in its meaning. When one writes diary, one can’t have a plan or purpose of the content. Diary means documentation of everyday life and when tomorrow is yet to come, one never knows what will constitute his entry.
Therefore, as the beginning of Afloat, Maupassant says “the diary has no interesting story to tell, no tales of derring-do”(2). As the sailing goes, Maupassant scribbles down daily encounters but none of them is really as intriguing as dramas or plays. However, the essence of drifting lies in surprises and naturalness. One may never know what will next day’s enlightenment be.
On the ocean, life becomes primitive as Maupassant says “in fact what I saw was water, sun, cloud, and rocks and that’s all”(2). When drifting, even though one has prepared all commodities one needs, he can’t get whatever he wants as easily as on land. However, the primitive may means the core of life. “The sun is now radiant, flooding over the land and making the walls of the house sparkle…” One becomes more sensitive to the small things in life.
Finally, I want to mention the feeling of “powerless” when drifting. “We love him and fear him, we know his nasty tricks and fits of anger…” In page 10 I see the description of wind and found the tininess and powerless of human on the ocean. When one drifts, one loses the control of his life because weather is not in ones hands to control. Paradoxically, Maupassant describes the joy of being alone on the ocean, “The train may be dashing along the coast but I am in my floating home…going whatever it chooses” (9). Shouldn’t drifting be totally powerless? Maybe not. It is a choice of not controlling life anymore.
The notion of drifting is used in both a physical sense and a metaphorical one. In the novel, Maupassant takes on a journey on his boat with his friend. During the trip, he “drifts” from one place to the other. He is faced with unpredictable weather conditions. One second he is enjoying the irresistible solitude that the boat seems to bring, and the next second, he is struggling in a thunderstorm that is “devouring and capsizing” (97) the boat, before going back to “flat calm” again. This runs parallel to the mental state of the author himself. Throughout the novel, Maupassant provides the reader multiple moments of clearness and reason, for example depicting life in Cannes (14). These moments are immediately cancelled by moments of madness and fear, as he leaves his readers in ambiguity, disoriented, and worried. Maupassant is fascinated by the element of suspense and uses the night and the river to demonstrate it. These settings create an uncomfortable atmosphere in which no one can see things or know the sources of different noises. There are multiple instances where the reader is surprised, as if “transversing a cemetery”. In a sense, Maupassant uses the “drifting” of the boat as a metaphor of what he, himself, is going through during this long expedition.
ReplyDeleteTo drift is defined by Merriam Webster as “to become driven or carried along”. In Afloat, Maupassant enjoys drifting along the sea. While drifting on the sea, Maupassant exclaims “A whole fortnight without having to talk. What bliss!” (9). Hence, Maupassant does not drift along the sea only to get him where he wants. In addition to loving silence, Maupassant notes that most people have an “inexhaustible fund of idiotic ideas [that are] carried into [his] ears by lifeless air” (22). By drifting along the sea, Maupassant mutes what he views as “idiotic ideas”. In his mind, drifting drives or carries him away from the ‘idiotic’ rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteThroughout his novel, Maupassant consistently writes his disdain for human action. He rebuts the human claim that we are greater than other animals: "you have to be blind and besotted by stupidity and vanity to imagine that you are anything more than an animal" (22). He speaks to the depravity of war, ridiculing rulers' justifications of it. He critiques modern society and politics, and mocks those who believe they are superior to cannibals, asking "who are the real savages--the ones who fight in order to eat the ones they've killed or the ones who kill for the sake of killing" (30).
ReplyDeleteBy taking his cruise on Bel Ami, Maupassant is allowing nature to direct him. Rather than make his own decisions and acting on them, he allows the wind to choose when he moves. Although, he has a set course, the wind still controls when Maupassant changes location. Maupassant is drifting, not moving of his own accord, but allowing nature to push him along.
When one explores the notion of drifting, one considers ideas of aimless/directionless traveling, nomadism and transietness. In the book, Maupassant impresses upon the reader these same notions.
ReplyDeleteObviously, one can view drifting in a physical and literal sense. His yacht does drift from place to place. In fact, his traveling depends heavily on how the wind takes them. In the first paragraph on page 10, Maupassant discusses the volatile and unpredictablity nature of wind.
But importantly, Maupassant reveals how this act of drifting reveals things about his own self. Let's consider a crucial passage he shows us. " Oh this little boat, bobbing up and down on the waves, a boat that they could fill and swamp, I can realize, I can feel the extent to which nothing that we know really exists, sine the earth, afloat in empty space, is even more isolated, more lost than this boat drifting on the waves. They have equal importance, their fate will be sealed. And I rejoice that I can understand the hollowness of any belief and the vanity of the hopes created by that two-legged insect that we are!" (26) Maupassant reveals how humans (I use "human" in a very general sense because I believe he is claiming this idea applies to everyone) pursue things in life that are vainty and brief. He seems to hint at profound ideas that knowledge is limited. Even the most knowledgable person does not have knowledge. Yet, even with these understandings and beliefs, Maupassant seems to be searching for the greatest pleasures of this world, yet they dont seem to bring him any fulfillment. " Ah, I've lusted after everything and enjoyed nothing." (45) What is he really searching for?
As I reflect upon his journey, I begin to think about questions like What is my purpose in life? and If this world's pleasures are in vain, where should my satisfaction come from? It seems like Maupassant is finding thrill and purpose in his aimless drifting at sea. This drifting implies that there is no knowledge of what to expect and great anticipation. What is there to be gained from this trip and what is at stake?
Additionally, Maupassant paradoxically describes the wind as both gentle and rough (depending on the time) early on. Similarly, his drifting is both gentle (his peaceful trip in the beginning) and rough (during the storm). In contrast, the constant human chatter he describes in page 21-22 is very predictable (always about famous or royal people) and he wants to stay away from this lifeless predictablity.
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