TheFoldedLeaf.docx

TheFoldedLeaf.docx

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TheFoldedLeaf

TheFoldedLeaf

THEFOLDEDLEAF

WilliamMaxwell

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Acriticalpaperby

GeorgeDowning

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June3,2008

IwaspleasantlysurprisedwhenIwasgiventheassignmentofdoingthecriticalpaperonTheFoldedLeaf.IhavelongadmiredWilliamMaxwellandoverthe

yearshavereadmanyofhisshortstoriesinTheNewYorker.Inaddition,The

FoldedLeaf,hisbestknownandhighlypraisedautobiographicalnovel,haslongbeenonmylistofbookstoberead.Iknewitwasacoming-of-agestory,oneofmyfavoritegenresofliterature,andthatitwassetintheMidwest,whereI,too,hadspentmyboyhood.IalsoknewthatitandothernovelsandstoriesbyMaxwellhavebeenelevatedintotheliterarycanonbytheirpublicationthisyearintheveryprestigiousLibraryofAmericaseries.

Well,unfortunately,despitemypleasantanticipation,ImustconfessthatIfoundthenovelitselfdisappointing.IknewMaxwell’sliterarystylewasoneofnuance,understatementandsubtlety,whichissomethingIordinarilyprizeinawriter,butinTheFoldedLeafIfoundtomyregretthatthesequalitieshadbecomeso

attenuatedthattheymadethenovelseemflatandbloodless.Maxwell’squietandgentlestyleseemedtometobewrongforthisstoryofadolescenceandyoungmanhood.True,therearemanylovelypassageswhichdemonstrateMaxwell’sunerringeyefordetail,aswellaswonderfullyevocativescenesoflifeintheMidwest;yetoverallIfoundthetoneofthenoveltoowithdrawnandtimidforthesubject.

Asweknow,thenovelrevolvesaroundtheclosefriendshipbetweentwoverydifferentboys,LymiePetersandSpudLatham.Lymie,wearefrequentlyremindedbythenovel’snarrator,isafrail,unathleticboywhoisobsessedbyhisphysicalfailings.Yetwearetoldthatheisaverybright,sensitiveboywhoexcelsinallofhisclasses.Althoughshyandintroverted,heisnotasocialoutcastandseemstofitintolerablywellwithhisclassmates,joiningintheiractivities.Earlyinthestoryheissavedfromdrowningintheschool’spoolbySpud,anewboyat

theschoolwhoinstantlybecomesLymie’sheroandbestfriend.

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SpudistheexactoppositeofLymie:

astrappingandhandsomeathletictypewhoisafraidofnothingandisalwaysreadyforafight.Academicsarenothisstrongsuit;whatheenjoysmostareboxingboutsandotherphysicalchallenges.

Somehowthesetwooppositetypesbecomeinseparablefriends.SpudsensesthatthereisanauraofsadnessaboutLymie.Lymie’smother,withwhomhehadhada

verycloseandlovingrelationship,diedwhenhewasjusttenyearsold.Hisfather,ahard-drinkingtravelingsalesman,haslittleincommonwithhisbookishson.Theyliveinacheaprundownapartmentandsilentlyeattheirmealsinadismallocalrestaurant,barelycommunicatingwithoneanother.

SpudbefriendsLymiebecausehesensesLymie’ssadnessandneedforfriendship.AtthesametimeSpudrealizesthattheyshareasenseoflossandlonging—Lymie

forhisdeceasedmotherandadecenthomelifeandSpudforthekindofruggedoutdoorslifehehadenjoyedinruralWisconsinbeforehisfathermovedthefamilytoChicagototakeajob.Spudseemsoutofplaceinthecityandseemsalwaystocarryachiponhisshoulder.

Whateverthemutualattraction,theboysbecomefastfriendsandgoeverywhereanddoeverythingtogether.SpudtakesLymiehometomeethisfamily,andhiskindlymother,concernedfortheskinnyboy,immediatelyextendsanopeninvitationtoLymietojointhemfordinneranytimehechooses.Ineffect,heisadoptedbySpud’sfamily,andspendsmoretimewiththemthanwithhisownfather.

AswithallofMaxwell’swriting,thefriendshipbetweenLymieandSpudhasautobiographicalrootsinMaxwell’sownyouthandearlyadulthood.Inan

interviewwithhisbiographer,BarbaraBurkhardt,MaxwellrevealedthatinhighschoolhemetaboynamedJackSkully,anathleticandruggedlyhandsomeyoungmanwhomheconsideredhisfirstrealfriend.Theywereapairofopposites,withMaxwellbeingthemildmanneredstudentattheheadofthehonorrollandJackbeingatopschoolathletewhocouldtakeonanyboyinsight.

AsIamsureistrueofallofyou,thescenesandcharactersofTheFoldedLeaf

broughtbackafloodofmemoriesofmyownboyhoodandadolescence:

playingpick-upballgamesonvacantneighborhoodlots;icecreamparlorsandhamburgerjointswherewehungoutwithourfriends,tradinggossipandsometimesillicitcigarettes;summerafternoonslazingatthebeachorsailingonthelake;andlater,aswegrewintoadolescence,revelationsaboutthemysteriesofsexandromanticlongingsforgirlswhoalwaysseemedtobejustoutofreach.

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Myrecollectionsofthesetimesarefilledwithyouthfulexuberanceandlaughter,mercilessteasingandjoking,andtheusualmischief-makingandbanterthatkidsengagein.Yet,ofcourse,allwasnotfunandlaughter;alongthewayweallsufferedtheso-called“400blows”ofgrowingup—theconfusionsandthehurts

andtheunfulfilledlongingsthatmakethattimeinlifesochallengingforeveryone.

IwishMaxwellhadputmoreofthiskindofyouthfulexuberanceintohisnovel.ThoughhedescribeswithcarefulobservationthevariousactivitiesthatLymieandSpudandtheirfriendstakepartin,thereoftenseemstometobeatimidityandakindofreticenceinhisaccounts.Foronething,thefewverbalexchangesthatMaxwellletsusinonareoftensoanodynethatonewonderswhyhebotherstorecountthematall.Adolescentboysarenothingifnotboisterousandnoisy,butlittleofthiscomesthroughinthenovel.Spud,inparticular,istomeadisappointingly-drawncharacter.Eventhoughheisanindispensablefigureinthedevelopmentofthestory,heissotaciturnanduncommunicativethatwegettoknowverylittleabouthim—otherthan,ofcourse,thatheisafinephysical

specimenandenjoysboxing.HeandLymieseldomtalktooneanotherinanykindofheartfeltormeaningfulway,andMaxwellseemstopurposelyavoidsuchexchanges.ThatisnothowIremembermybestfriendsfrommyboyhood.Wetalkedaboutanythingandeverything,andwecertainlydidn’tpullanypuncheswithoneanother.Why,Iwonder,didMaxwellfeelsoconstrainedinhistellingofLymie’sandSpud’sstory?

Onamorepositivenote,toMaxwell’screditwelearnmuchmoreaboutLymie,whoisobviouslybasedonMaxwellhimself.WithLymie,wefindourwayintohisheadandhisheartthroughthepipedreamsandreverieswhichheindulgesinashisdefenseagainstwhathesometimesfeelsisahostileworld.ThesereveriesareamongthemostsensitiveandbeautifullywrittenpassagesinthenovelandshowMaxwell’ssubtlepsychologicalgiftsattheirbest.Interestingly,wearetoldbyBurkhardtthatMaxwell’sinspirationformanyofthesepassagescamefromthepsychoanalysiswhichhewasthenundergoingwiththefamousFreudiananalyst,TheodoreReik.Maxwellfeltthathisanalysishadsufficientlyunlockedhisinhibitionsthathecouldwriteaboutthemostpersonalandprivatethoughtsofhischaracters.

Sometimesthesereveriesarelightandamusing,aswhenLymie（who,likeMaxwell,neverlearnedtothrowaball）imaginesthatheisdraftedintoaneighborhoodbaseballgameasasubstitutepitcherandimmediatelystrikesoutthreebattersinarow.Onotheroccasions,thememoriesareofadarkerandsadder

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nature,aswhen,standingwithhisfatherlookingathismother’sgrave,hetrieswithoutsuccesstorememberherfaceandhowshelooked.ExpressingLymie’s

unhappiness,thenarratortellsus“[He]hadtriedtoomanytimestorememberitanditwasgone.Itwouldn’tcomebackanymore.”

AttheopeningofChapter16,justafterSpudhasinvitedLymietocometohishousefordinner,thenovel’snarratortellsuswhyLymiebothidolizesandresentshisfriendSpud:

“Toknowtheworld’sinjusticerequiresonlyasmall

amountofexperience.Toacceptitwithoutbitternessor

envyyouneedalmostthesumtotalofhumanwisdom,

whichLymiePetersatfifteendidnothave.Hecouldn’t

helpnoticingthatthescalesoffortunetipped

considerablyinSpud’sfavor,andresentingit.Butwhat

gnawedathimmostwasthatSpudshouldbe,besides,a

naturalathlete,thepersonificationofthedaydreamhe

himselfmostfrequentlyindulgedin.”

ThenarratorgoesontodescribeLymie’sescapistfantasylifewithafatherwhohasstoppeddrinking,hastakenagoodjob,andhasmovedthefamilyintoabignewhousewithahousekeepertolookafterthingsandmakeLymiehisfavoritedessert..

ArecentreviewofTheFoldedLeafbytheGaleLiteraryGroupcommentsas

followsonthesepsychologicalmusingsofLymieandthenarrator:

“ThenarrationofTheFoldedLeafisdistinguishedby

multipleshiftsofpointofviewaswellasaddressestothe

reader—leisurelycommentariesreminiscentof

nineteenthcenturyRussiannovels.Asifitsemotional

contentwouldoverflowtraditionalnarrative,thenovel

includesmorethanadozenmeditativedigressions,

reveriesontravel,death,[Spring]...ormusingsonwhat

charactershavedoneorwilldo.Thirtyyearsafterthe

publicationofthenovel,Maxwellsaidthatthese

discursivepassagesweremerelyattemptstokeep[the

story]frombeinglinear,buttheyareasmeaningfulas

theeventstheyaccompany.”

Inherpositivereviewofthenovelatthetimeofitspublication,DianaTrillingcommentedthatthepsychologicalandphilosophicaldigressionsofthenovel

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allowedMaxwellthefreedom“tocommentonhis[characters’]fatesinhisownperson,sothatwehavetheadvantageofhisintellectaswellasofhiscreativity.”Shereferredtothenovelasan“importantsocialdocument”thatexhibit