The Good Soldier: Ford Maddox Ford Flashcards
“The conclusion of Dowell’s narrative offers not a resolution, so much as a plangent confirmation of complexities. While Ford would certainly have agreed with Dowell that it is a novelist’s business to make a reader ‘see things clearly’, his interest in clarity had little to do with simplicity. There is no ‘getting to the bottom of things’, no triumphant answers to the epistemological muddle offered in this beautiful, bleak story - only a finer appreciation of that confusion. We may remove the scales from our eyes, Ford suggests, but only the better to appreciate the glass through which we see darkly.” Zoe Heller
In this quote, Zoe Heller is discussing the conclusion of Ford Maddox Ford’s novel “The Good Soldier.” She argues that the novel does not offer a neat resolution to the complex issues it raises, but instead confirms the difficulties and ambiguities of life. Heller notes that while Ford believed it was important for a novelist to make things clear for the reader, he did not believe in simplifying the complexities of the world. In other words, Ford was interested in exploring the nuances and intricacies of life, rather than offering easy answers or solutions.
Heller suggests that the novel does not provide a clear epistemological answer, or a definitive explanation of how we can know what we know, but rather offers a deeper appreciation of the complexity and confusion of life. By removing the “scales from our eyes,” or the blinders that prevent us from seeing clearly, we are able to see more of the world around us, but this does not mean that we will have all the answers or be able to fully understand the complexities of life. Instead, we may simply see the darkness more clearly.
- “Why can’t people have what they want? The things were all there to content everybody; yet everybody has the wrong thing.”
This quote from the Good Soldier implies the theme of how human desires can never be fully satisfied. Edward Ashburnham, Florence Dowell, and Leonora Ashburnham all have what they want in life - wealth, status, and love - yet they remain unhappy because they lack other specifics, perhaps.
- “There is no man who loves a woman that does not desire to come to her for the renewal of his courage, for the cutting asunder of his difficulties. And that will be the mainspring of his desire for her. We are all so afraid, we are all so alone, we all so need from the outside the assurance of our own worthiness to exist.”
This quote describes how men, including the protagonist, John Dowell, need women to reinforce their self-worth. In John’s case, he needs Florence to give him a sense of purpose and direction in life. However, the novel shows how this kind of desire can lead to destructive relationships when the person is not able to fulfil this role or when the relationship is based on deceit.
- “But the real fierceness of desire, the real heat of a passion long continued and withering up the soul of a man, is the craving for identity with the woman that he loves. He desires to see with the same eyes, to touch with the same sense of touch, to hear with the same ears, to lose his identity, to be enveloped, to be supported. For, whatever may be said of the relation of the sexes, there is no man who loves a woman that does not desire to come to her for the renewal of his courage, for the cutting asunder of his difficulties. And that will be the mainspring of his desire for her. We are all so afraid, we are all so alone, we all so need from the outside the assurance of our own worthiness to exist.”
This quote highlights the idea that passion and desire are not just about physical pleasure but also the need for emotional intimacy and a sense of oneness with the person you love. Edward Ashburnham desires identity with every woman he falls in love with, seeking to become one with them. But this desire for complete intimacy and self-annihilation ends up causing great pain for himself and others.
- “We are all so afraid, we are all so alone, we all so need from the outside the assurance of our own worthiness to exist.”
This quote speaks to the human condition of insecurity and the need for validation. Florence Dowell is a character who embodies this fear and loneliness, constantly seeking reassurance from others, particularly men, that she is desirable and worthy of love. But her need for external validation leads her to be manipulative and deceitful, ultimately causing harm to herself and others.
- “Mind, I am not preaching anything contrary to accepted morality. I am not advocating free love in this or any other case. Society must go on, I suppose, and society can only exist if the normal, if the virtuous, and the slightly deceitful flourish, and if the passionate, the headstrong, and the too-truthful are condemned to suicide and madness.”
This quote suggests that societal norms and expectations often lead to the suppression of natural human desires and tendencies, causing individuals to live lives of quiet desperation. The novel shows how the strict moral codes of the time prevent the characters from pursuing their desires, leading them to live lives of duplicity and deceit. Ultimately, the novel suggests that society’s strict adherence to accepted morality leads to a kind of death of the soul, where people are unable to live fully authentic and meaningful lives.
“With each new woman that a man is attracted to there appears to come a broadening of the outlook…”
The narrator, John Dowell, reflects on the nature of love and attraction. He suggests that each new attraction to a woman brings with it a new perspective or understanding of the world, and that love is often sparked by subtle details in a person’s appearance or behavior. This is exemplified in the novel through the relationships between the four main characters, as their various affairs reveal new aspects of their personalities and motivations.
“Is the whole thing a folly and a mockery?”
Dowell contemplates the nature of morality and sexual desire, wondering whether there are any objective guidelines for how to behave in these matters. He questions whether his own lack of sexual desire makes him less of a man, or whether it is a sign of greater enlightenment. This quote highlights the novel’s themes of deception and uncertainty, as the characters struggle to navigate their relationships and moral dilemmas without clear guidance or direction.
“Well she was bright; and she danced…”
Dowell reflects on his relationship with his wife Florence, and the challenges of trying to maintain her lively spirit over the course of their marriage. He compares her to a dancing reflection that he is always trying to catch, suggesting that her brightness and energy are difficult to sustain. This quote reveals the tension between the characters’ public personas and private struggles, as Florence’s vivacity masks her inner turmoil and dissatisfaction.
“You can’t kill a minuet de la coeur.”
Dowell reflects on the fleeting nature of love and intimacy, wondering if there is any way to preserve these feelings beyond the moment of their occurrence. He compares them to a dance that may be lost to time, but whose beauty and elegance are eternal. This quote speaks to the novel’s themes of nostalgia and regret, as the characters struggle to come to terms with the loss of their youthful passions and the fading of their relationships.
“In all matrimonial associations there is, I believe, one constant factor - a desire to deceive the person with whom one lives…”
Dowell reflects on the tendency of couples to conceal their flaws and weaknesses from one another, and the toll this takes on their relationships. He suggests that it is impossible to live with someone who sees all of one’s flaws and failures, and that the effort to maintain appearances can be exhausting and ultimately futile. This quote underscores the novel’s themes of deception and disillusionment, as the characters’ marriages are gradually revealed to be built on lies and illusions.
“It is a queer world and fantastic world. Why can’t people have what they want?”
John has Nancy, but she is mad… Edward wanted her but ended up dead.
“You are to understand that Lenora loved Edward with a passion that was yet like an agony of hatred. And she had lived with him for years and years without addressing to him one word of tenderness. I don’t know how she could do it.”
John Dowell describes Leonora’s love for Edward, which is a complex mixture of emotions. Leonora’s desire for Edward is intertwined with her need for social respectability and stability. She views Edward as a noble man, but his infidelities cause her intense emotional pain. Her inability to express her love or confront Edward about his behavior ultimately leads to tragedy.
“I call this the Saddest Story… Here were two noble people…drifting down life, like fireships afloat on a lagoon and causing miseries, heartaches, agony of the mind and death…It is all darkness.”
This quote from John Dowell’s narration highlights the overall mood of the novel. The “Saddest Story” refers to the tragic lives of the Ashburnhams and the destructive impact their actions have on those around them. The quote emphasizes the lack of meaning or purpose in their suffering and suggests that their tragedy is a product of life’s random and senseless nature.
“But the fellow talked like a cheap novelist. - Or like a very good novelist for the matter of that, if it’s the business of a novelist to make you see things clearly.”
A meta quote!
