1923 - One of Ours by Willa Cather

Introduction

There is a significant distance between my previous post and this one. I actually had finished reading One of Ours at the end of March, but my other job got in the way of being able to complete this report.

I was not familiar with this novel or the author before checking out the book from the library. Her language is much more colorful than my previously read Pulizter Prize winners and that made the reading much more exciting and enjoyable. Enough so that the main character made it to my Notable Characters section, rather than some eccentric minor character. I do not expect this to be common.

Willa Cather wrote One of Ours based on letters written by her cousin, who was the first Nebraska officer killed in World War I. At the time she was criticized by Sinclair Lewis as showing the soldiers as "violinists in disguise." It would be difficult to find a modern war movie or novel that did not portray similarly. Whether this novel influenced the depictions of today or not, the "violinist" aspect of the soldiers being inaccurate was not something that even crossed my mind. I think especially of the film The Thin Red Line.

The exciting language, strong and sympathetic main character, and relatable themes of outgrowing debilitating circumstances made this book, so far, the best of the Pulitzer Prize winners I have read for this blog.

Plot Summary

Claude Wheeler is always discontented with his lot. He dislikes being sent to the religious school, he is unhappy to take over his father's farm, and even his own appearance causes him discomfort. In a world of confident brunettes, Claude alone stands as an awkward, freckly redhead.

Claude's mother worries herself over his separation from the rest of the town, and comes as close to anyone to understanding him. Perhaps second in this understanding is the servant Mahailey. Mahailey pities poor Claude in his difficulties, and supports him as far as she is able.

The first major event in Claude's life comes after a near-fatal injury forces him to rest in bed for weeks. During this time his friend Enid watches over him and nurses him to health. This carries with it the implication of engagement.

Enid's sister left Nebraska to do missionary work in China, and Enid always felt she should follow. Not without difficulty, Claude is able to convince her to marry him. In his whole life of disappointment and overbearing Fate, he is finally joyous to have a life for himself.

Sometimes when Enid sat unsuspecting beside him, a quick blush swept across his face and he felt guilty toward her, -meek and humble, as if he must beg her forgiveness for something. Often he was glad when she went away and left him alone to think about her. Her presence brought him sanity, and for that he ought to be grateful. When he was with her, he thought how she was to be the one who would put him right with the world and make him fit into the life about him. He had troubled his mother and disappointed his father. His marriage would be the first natural, dutiful, expected thing he had ever done. It would be the beginning of usefulness and content; as his mother's oft-repeated Psalm said, it would restore his soul.

Claude begins construction on a house for himself and Enid. He dedicates the entire top floor as a large bedroom for them to enjoy. Enid's humility won't allow this luxury, and decides the top floor will only be opened to her pastor (who has no issue humbly accepting). When he finds his wife's difficult personality and unwavering convictions at odds with the ideal wife he was hoping for, he further consoles himself with marriage's neutralizing properties.

Everything would be alright when they were married, Claude told himself. He believed in the transforming power of marriage, as his mother believed in the miraculous effects of conversion. Marriage reduced all women to a common denominator; changed a cool, self-satisfied girl into a loving and generous one. It was quite right that Enid should be unconscious now of everything that she was to be when she was his wife. He told himself he wouldn't want it otherwise.

Of course, this tragic setup leads to expected misery. As a wife, Enid is distant and cold to Claude. On the first night of marriage she keeps the train's honeymoon suite to herself and sends poor Claude to sleep in the smoking lounge. Less than a year into marriage, Claude finds himself feigning sleep in order to avoid a conversation with her. When Enid's sister falls ill in China, Enid leaves Nebraska immediately and indefinitely. No doubt, she is finally happy to fulfill her long-denied vocation.

During this time, World War I is raging its way across Europe. The Nebraskans follow the news closely, as many are only one or two generations removed from the warring nations. When America decides to step in, Claude is quick to volunteer.

Claude finds purpose and direction for his oppressing ideals in the Army. He is among men who he respects, in a position of power and true responsibility, and having a chance to affect the world on a global scale.

The miracle had happened; a miracle so wide in its amplitude that the Wheelers,-all the Wheelers and the rough-necks and the low-brows were caught up in it. Yes, it was the rough-necks' own miracle, all this; it was their golden chance. ...The feeling of purpose, of fateful purpose, was strong in his breast.

The purpose was hard-earned as the boat ride over to Eurpoe found half the men dead through a flu pandemic.

In France Claude befriends a fellow soldier named David (the aforementioned violinist). David seeks to distance himself from his previous life as a violinist. At first rivals, the pair grow close in respect and in the comfort of being fully understood. They each find their desired Destiny in the war and spend time bonding in the trenches as well as out.

During an especially intensive battle, David rushes off to assist his countrymen elsewhere while Claude inspires his men at the front. Some of David's party returns and Claude leads a rush to the front. While finally finding a moment of true purpose and meaning in his life, Claude is shot during the charge and dies smiling. His comrades are relieved that he did not learn of David's earlier death.

Notable Characters

As stated earlier, I don't imagine the main character will be typically be the most interesting. Claude was the most rounded and developed of the characters, and I empathized with his struggles and disenchantments with the world and his position.

Claude punishes himself in trying to right his personality and ideals with the world. A sort of (but not true) self-loathing drives him to physically push himself.

The usual hardships of country boyhood were not enough for Claude; he imposed
physical tests and penances upon himself. Whenever he burned his finger, he
followed Mahailey's advice and held his hand close to the stove to "draw out the
fire." One year he went to school all winter in his jacket, to make himself
tough. His mother would button him up in his overcoat and put his dinnerpail in
his hand and start him off. As soon as he got out of sight of the house, he
pulled off his coat, rolled it under his arm, and scudded along the edge of the
frozen fields, arriving at the frame school-house panting and shivering, but
very well pleased with himself.

Even when working hard and daily exhausting himself, Claude grows uncomfortable with the idleness of his life of farming. He finds no satisfaction in being too worn out at night to reflect upon life. Early on in the book, his friend Ernest discusses this with him. Ernest asks and Claude answers:

"But what do you expect? What can happen to you except in your own mind? If I
get through my work, and get an afternoon off to see my friends like this,
it's enough for me."

"Is it? Well, if we've only got once to live, it seems
like there ought to be something - well, something splendid about life,
sometimes."

Claude's father leaves him in charge of the farm, but even being completely in charge leaves him dissatisfied.

He often felt that he would rather go out into the world and earn his bread
among strangers than sweat under this half-responsibility for acres and crops
that were not his own.

Poor Claude had many influences in his life, most of them seemingly negative. The pastor who later dictated his wife's beliefs was also the head of the religious school where he was taught (though he preferred the secular university). I say poor Claude, because the following statement about him aligns my pity with his mother's or Mahailey's. Anyone who could hold such thoughts and beliefs has a long way to go before contentment.

Claude had come to believe that the things and people he most disliked were the
ones to shape his destiny.

This powerfully pessimistic viewpoint struck me and persisted enough that even the interesting minor characters were overshadowed. It made his later transformation all the more moving.

Favorite Passages

I do not typically favor descriptions of scenery. While I appreciate a description of the setting, the poetry and flowery language usually drones in my mind while awaiting the story to resume. However, after hundreds of pages of Claude's angst, the following passage was cold water on a parched throat:

Perfect bliss, Claude reflected, as the chill of the sheets grew warm around his body, and he sniffed in the pillow the old smell of lavender. To be so warm, so dry, so clean, so beloved! The journey down, reviewed from here, seemed beautiful. As soon as they got out of the region of martyred trees, they found the land of France turning gold. All along the river valleys the poplars and cottonwoods had changed from green to yellow, -evenly coloured along the horizon they ran, like torches passed from hand to hand, and all the willows by the little streams had become silver. The vineyards were green still, thickly spotted with curly, blood-red branches. It all flashed back beside his pillow in the dark: this beautiful land, this beautiful people, this beautiful
omelette; gold poplars, blue-green vineyards, wet, scarlet vine-leaves, rain dripping into the cour, fragrant darkness...sleep, stronger than all.

The description of France by a weary, on all fronts, Claude emphasizes the great relief found in his Army life. Although Nebraska has all the same trees,flowers, and relaxing scenery as this area of France, Claude is not internally ready to drink in the good things in life.

Typically, my favorite passage is a paragraph near the end of a novel, which summarizes with strong language the themes and tone of the book. The above was more of a treat, but the following passage covers my usual requirements:

The intervals of the distant artillery fire grew shorter, as if the big guns were tuning up, choking to get something out. Claude sat up in his bed and listened. The sound of the guns had from the first been pleasant to him, had given him a feeling of confidence and safety; tonight he knew why. What they said was, that men could still die for an idea; and would burn all they had made to keep their dreams. He knew the future of the world was safe; the careful planners would never be able to put it into a straight-jacket, -cunning and prudence would never have it to themselves. Why, that little boy downstairs, with the candlelight in his eyes, when it came to the last cry, as they said, could "carry on" for ever! Ideals were not archaic things, beautiful and
impotent; they were the real sources of power among men. As long as that was true, and now he knew it was true -he had come all this way to find out- he had no quarrel with Destiny. Nor did he envy David. He would give his own adventure for no man's. On the edge of sleep it seemed to glimmer, like the clear column of the fountain, like the new moon, -alluring, half-averted, the bright face of danger.

Claude finds a realistic romanticism in his life: of ideals becoming tangible. The power and insisting force of World War I gives him and countless others a chance to accomplish more than they could in their marriages, farms, schools, or churches. Of course, this accomplishment and applying of ideals is cut short for many.

Conclusions

There is an interesting chapter in the middle of the novel where the story is shown from the perspective of an early antagonist, Leonard Dawson. Throughout childhood and into adulthood, Leonard always found a biting remark to humiliate Claude. The chapter focusing on Leonard occurs during Claude's miserable marriage to Enid. Leonard expresses his pity for Claude and his frustration in Enid's obvious resistance toward married life. In this chapter, Leonard gains sympathy and shows he truly cares for Claude.

When the next chapter returns to exclusively focusing on Claude's life, we are left with a deep-felt understanding of Claude and all those around him. Whether taunting him, pitying him, or ignoring him, all of the people in Claude's life were trying to help him shake free of his discomfort with life.

It was also very telling when Claude thinks the following:

Every one was always saying it was a fine thing to be young; but it was a
painful thing, too.

I also found youth's painfulness stronger than its fineness. It gave me great pleasure to read about another life that enriches as it ages and finds a stronger focus. I find this a poignant and realistic reading than a dwelling on the probably false (if not then definitely not universal) romanticism and fancy-free nature of youth.

Claude found his focus by joining the Army and fighting in a great war. This is not an idea that I am completely comfortable with. I have the implicit knowledge that those without direction and discipline could join the armed forces to obtain both. However, my experience with those who enlisted, my growing distaste for violence, and the forced elasticity of the word "necessary" makes the Army seem less a compass for the lost than a haven for the perpetually aggressive.

The book avoids blind hawking by creating an intriguing character and by giving him direction and camaraderie in the Army that tradition suggests. The reader is treated to a hopeful ending when Claude finally finds his specific place in the world, and that he was able to advance above even his own ideals.