Caleb Williams
With “Caleb
Williams”, or Things as They Are; or, The Adventures of Caleb Williams” I am
back to British novels. The author is probably more know as the husband of
early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and father of Mary Shelley (Frankenstein),
but “Caleb Williams” is sufficiently interesting to stand on its own.
The story
is a first-person narrative of a young man, Caleb Williams, who is hired as
secretary for Mr. Falkland, a country squire. The first volume tells the
background story of Mr. Falkland, how he is a man on noble mind and intention,
but fell into a depression after an affair with neighboring squire Mr. Tyrrel.
This Tyrrel was a brutal fellow who was deeply envious of Falkland and tormented
those who opposed him, such as his niece and a tenant, called Hawkins. After a
fight with Falkland, Tyrrel is found dead, and Hawkins is blamed.
In the
second volume, Williams cannot control his curiosity but is digging into this
mysterious death. Despite several warnings to mind his own business, he finally
learns, and Falkland admits, that it was he who murdered Tyrrel and let Hawkins
take the rap. As a price for learning the truth, Williams must stay with
Williams forever under close guard. Something Williams quickly gets fed up
with.
When Caleb
Williams insists on leaving, Falkland fabricates charges against him to send
him to prison and possibly the gallows. Willams escapes and throughout the
third volume we have a cat and mouse game with Williams constantly being
pursued by Williams.
The
immediate story serves as a thriller. It is tension on high level to follow
first Williams playing with fire and then trying to evade his pursuers. Especially
the last third reminded me a lot of the movie “The Fugitive”. Those that are
pursuing Williams care nothing for his innocence, there is a price on his head
and that is all that matters. He is setup by somebody to cover their crime, and
as in “The Fugitive”, Willams only finds release when he stops fleeing and faces
the real culprit.
Underneath,
this is an undisguised criticism of the British legal system at the time and
here it is important to keep in mind that the book follows on the heels of the
French revolution, with new ideas about the order of society. Godwin’s
criticisms are many, but notably the inequality before the law of those of rank
compared to the servant class. Mr. Falkland can only be judged by his peers,
and he is considered innocent on reputation alone. For a servant to even charge
a nobleman with a crime is a felony in its own right, never mind his guilt. In
this system, those without rank have no protection from the law. Secondly,
Godwin is objecting to the conditions prisoners are subjected to. Life in
prison is unspeakably horrible and prisoners are subjected to it without being convicted,
but simply for being a suspect.
This is a
commendable mission, and one that feels very much in order. I do not get the
impression Godwin is exaggerating his examples, he had plenty of friends who felt
the vengeance of the legal system. It is difficult not to feel indignation, but
it is all plausible, although Caleb Williams is a tad more resourceful than most.
What I did
not get was the ending. I read it explained that Godwin had a theory that the
system could be reformed, not through revolution, but through understanding and
honesty, by people simply talking to each other. Sounds commendable, but also,
well, a bit naïve. Godwin is setting up that Willams should face Falkland, but rather
than turn the table, they can simply talk it over and then get along. This
despite Falkland being represented as a domineering and adamant opponent to
Williams, almost a madman in his pursuit of Williams. I don’t know if I buy
that.
Until that
point though, this was a book I enjoyed reading more than I expected. It is lengthy
at times, but especially the last third has a lot of drive, enough to keep me
on the edge.
A moderate recommendation
from me.
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