Meditating on Purpose through Voss
In this article I reflect on my impressions reading the beginning of Voss, by Patrick White. This book was gifted to me to accompany my time in New South Wales, Australia. Initially I planned to cover the many themes, the characters and plot of the first two chapters. But the novel is so dense, so rich that I’ve limited myself to write about purpose.
Voss, the novel.
In a shallow sense, Voss by Patrick White is a historical novel set in 19th-century Australia, following the journey of the German explorer, Johann Voss, as he attempts to traverse the Australian interior. The book blends elements of adventure, romance, and colonialism.
For the curious mind pursuing something more, Voss delves deeply into the psychological and philosophical struggles of its characters. It explores themes of isolation, and the existential questions that arise from living. White examines the human condition through the eyes of different individuals who are used to provide unique angles on such topics. Most prominently the novel seems to reflect on the tension between the external world and our inner mind.
Systematising my reading.
To begin I want to go over my approach in writing this post. I wanted to find the point of equilibrium between extracting deep insights while keeping the reading enjoyable — to minimise the friction while still learning something of value. Naturally, I began by reading. I wanted to see the story from the view of the reader, to experience the emotions which can only be formed from the first encounter with a climax in the story, or to form incorrect impressions about characters and then experience the feelings of being proven wrong. I wanted to be led by the narrative as intended by the author. Though, I’ll note that I kept the batch size small here. I did not want to delay all the learning, to theorise and only write until after tackling the entire novel. So I would read one chapter, and review the previous one. This would keep things fresh during casual reading and also give context when trying to analyse the former events and ideas.
To keep my reflection purposeful so I decided on 4 areas to pay particular attention to.
The first being the characters introduced and how they are described. This serves me in two ways, I often struggle to remember names which leaves me flicking back through pages to find out who is being referred to. Also, to my detriment, White appears to enjoy referring to a character in several different ways. The protagonist, Johanne Voss, is given many names ranging from the German, Mr Voss, the Traveller. Or in an even more awkward manner, since the novel is from third person, the perspective of events is frequently shifting from one character to the other. In turn, Laura’s cousin, Belle can be described as cousin Belle, the niece, or Miss Bonner. All correct, but all specific to the leading context of the passage. Having noticed my inability to easily manage all these angles on one individual I thought it be wise to note down the different ways a character is referred to and iteratively write a short character profile.
With over thirty characters introduced in only the first two chapters, I will restrict myself to group them into those who illustrate wealth, status, the lower class, Australian convicts, the young and the old. Inspired by White I will leave you to develop an impression of the core cast according to the narrative of my writing.
When we should stick together. Hopeful flotsam in the antipodes.
Directly this quote is simply describing Frank Le Mesurier and Harry Robarts floating after a shipwreck somewhere between Australia and New Zealand. But in his own mystical way, White is never direct. He illusively buries his meaning, and here we are expected to unravel the clue that the two characters are opposites of one another. Harry is simple, dependent on Voss. While Frank is almost unpredictable, a man with no purpose, yet too intelligent to find the first crutch to label as a purpose, and far from dependant on Voss. He comes and goes as he wishes.
Alongside personas, at the end of each chapter, I would write a short summary of the plot. Like many great writers, Dostoyevsky comes to mind, Patrick White has a proficiency to spiral down a deep description of some small detail. I have to admit, this managed insanity works beautifully, one minute I’ll be lost thinking about a bamboo forest in the back of the Bonners’ garden, particularly why on earth is this relevant, then the next minute a critical detail unveils itself, which, if it were said clearly and concisely, with the fact being communicated well, the effect would not be the same. There is something behind the ability of a novel to control your attention and emotion to make a particular idea resonate that much more. And White executes this masterfully. The reason I bring this up is, there is a lot of noise surrounding the plot. A chapter may only have three real events occur, yet occupy over twenty pages, with the events themselves being only five of them. Keeping track of the storyline makes it easier to digest, and less overwhelming. It helps me know where I am, and not read with the past events fogged up, thrown out from my short term memory.
Since I am here in Australia, New South Wales, I am keeping track of any locations mentioned. The idea of standing on a rustic bridge, over dead lilies in the Botanical Gardens, contemplating in the same way Voss did with Palfreyman is almost nostalgic. This synthetic nostalgia activated through the empathy can only be brought out through books, novels specifically. Maybe I will challenge myself to visit as many of the locations mentioned; such a challenge starts with knowing all the areas mentioned.
The final two areas I am tracking could be, and in turn are, merged into one. The introduction written by Macfarlane mentions how White has a tendency to use the adjective mystical rather often, so I took it upon myself to search for other frequent words. In natural language processing there is a technique called term frequency-inverse document frequency (TFIDF) which assigns weights to words according to how rare they are in the holistic corpus and how frequently they appear in a specific document. For example, mystical would score highly in White’s works. TFIDF is a formal method, strictly defined for machines to automate, I am simply relying on my intuition to detect any word that seems irregularly common. I believe this to be intentional by White, and wish to make interpretations accordingly. Building from this, almost as words build sentences, I am also tracking any sections that have depth — quote communicating an angle on religion, or social dynamics. Ultimately, novels do serve the purpose of giving the reader access to a portal leading into the writer’s mind, the portal being empathy, which is most easily activated through story. As promised, the common words and heavy extracts are merged into themes. It is these themes which I hope will uncover the underrated philosophy of White.
The Storyline.
In the first chapter, Mr Voss walks 4km from Sydney to see Mr Trevelyan a wealthy merchant. While he waits for the merchant to come back from Church he encounters Laura — the merchants niece. They engage in small talk, out of social expectations; neither one wants to do it. Mr Voss escapes the small talk by noticing conviction in something Laura says. Her servant then brings biscuits and port. We learn about each of their pasts, Laura’s memories were induced by the tranquil house, while Voss’ the port. Laura gets tired and proceeds to play cat and mouse until finally the rest arrive. Mr Bonner and Voss plan the expedition, discussing who will come and the map. The expedition may last up to two years. Voss is then offered to join them for dinner but declines and walks off, he then again, is offered bread by an old man but declines and then falls asleep under some tree. The dinner party discusses the man, with little positive to say.
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Following, in the second chapter, Voss lies in his iron bed at his lodgings, Topp’s home. Owned by Mrs Thompson. Harry Robarts comes to visit Voss. Voss is examining his supplies for the expedition. Later that same evening Le Mesurier comes too, in some flashback to their conversation the expedition was to occur in two months or so. In this chapter we are shown the power dynamics between the characters. Voss has clear authority. They will board the Osprey in less than two weeks. Frank and Robarts bicker a lot. Mrs Thompson brings up a snack — only for Voss. Short after, Topp comes in with wine for everyone, for he knew Voss would not share his. Shortly later Turner arrives, half drunk. None of the crew seems to be getting along, but Voss asks them to accept one another’s faults for the expedition will be a long one. Voss has a dream about how untouchable his vision is. No matter what anyone, anyone other than Palfreyman, says. The dream was more of a nightmare.
In short, we, the readers, are introduced to the core cast of this psychodrama. We are given a guided first impression to each of the individuals, either from the near categorical perspective give by the narrator or by the interpretations of their fellow characters. These different angles give a fluidity to their personalities, perhaps giving us hints towards relations of the future or the potential within each member to grow. In parallel, there are several events covered too. Voss meets with his patron, Mr Bonner, to discuss the upcoming expedition to cross the continent. Then, most of his crew members hangout at Voss’ lodgings, nothing really happens here other than White giving us a taste of their dynamics. The rascals don’t get along, and Voss’ leadership is emphasized.
Foraging for insight.
Tangentially, I would like to address my most significant source of friction surrounding this book. That being — deciding on what to hone in on and take time to think about.
White covers, no, rather, he explores the vast range of our human nature. To call this an adventure book would be foolish. It is a framework tackling all there is in life. White dances with so many different themes where the beat of the narrative conjoins each of the musical instruments (of our nature) making a beautiful, naturally flowing melody.
If I had mastered the art of music, I would set myself the task of creating a composition by which the various instruments would represent the moral characteristics of human beings in conflict with one another ~ Voss.
I would rather suggest the sublimity of perfection, but in order to understand it, you must first find perfection and that you will never do ~ Voss.
So far, I am convinced that Voss is the voice of White, and the remaining characters are the antagonists, there to convince us of what he believes. The above quote encompasses the foundation of the book, White delves into each aspect of our nature, and despite their conflict, he breaks them across different characters and portrays them in one story.
He shows us the awkwardness of social interaction, the beliefs surrounding Religion, the dynamics of wealth, the intricacies of love, the appeal of power, the traditions of gender roles et cetera. Somehow he balances all these themes, which, more typically, require a whole non-fiction book to be broken down while keeping hold of the 18th-century world set in Australia.
Unable to write about all of them, for that would mean I simply regurgitate the novel; I wish to explore the purpose of man and how it relates to one’s unique nature. An auxiliary theme to our nature is the distinction of our thoughts and our mind from the so-called reality. Without further ado…
So far, White has provided numerous scenarios surrounding purpose, Frank Le Mesurier has and believes he will not have a purpose, Palfreyman has devoted himself to science and God, Voss has an obsession to cross the Australian continent, Topp has his music, Cousin Belle is chasing love, and then there are those caught up in achieving status and wealth such as Palfreyman’s patron, the Bonners, Lieutenant Radcliffe and the Pringles. Interestingly, with the last point, each instance is at a different level, closer or possibly further, from their goal, yet equally driven. Possibly, the deeper one gets into the status game, the more it matters, though this has not been explored heretofore. I do not know which of these examples are examples of True purpose or merely crutches. Maybe all one requires is to believe in the crutch to deal with the existential burden of living. Possibly, the degree of introspection and use of the rational mind to uncover one’s purpose does not have any relation to living a bearable life.
Zooming in on Voss, I would like to abstract away his obsession with crossing the continent down to the pursuit of freedom. He has not begun his journey across the Australian bush, though he has been down his path for freedom for some time now. As a younger man, his first step in this direction was rebelling against convention, going from studying to becoming a surgeon to a botanist. This was more aligned with his nature, for he had a deep fascination for this field. “He did study inordinately and was fascinated by a particular species of lily”. Shortly after came his second, larger step in accordance with the heuristic for freedom. I suspect he was not conscious of his early pursuits of freedom. This second step resonates with many young men, and that is to leave the shelter provided by their parents. “Finally, he knew he must tread with his boot upon the trusting face of the old man, his father”. Coincidentally or purposefully, this step is described literally as a tread and highlights the occasional necessity to cut ties with others, or as I suspect, more generally, to cut ties with our attachment and dependence to things when working towards our unique purpose. Typically, purpose is associated with an undeniable, almost delusional vision, and at a certain point in the path, it becomes so. However, at least in the early stages, everything feels uncertain, especially when investing in it — in the form of cutting out relations, perhaps. Our protagonist, Voss, too, shares this doubt, for “when he did wrung freedom out of his protest parents…he did wonder at the purpose and nature of that freedom”. I could explore this myself; however, White manages to encompass my vague and sparse thoughts with the following -
But the purpose and nature are never clearly revealed. Human behaviour is a series of lunges, of which, it is sometimes sense, the direction is inevitable.
On this note, I would like to introduce the character of Turner. His very first introduction bears weight in our discussion, for he excuses his drunkenness with “A man’s nature will get the better of him…Me nature, for which a man is not accountable”. Initially, I was under the impression that Turner’s role is to offer a different perspective or even to challenge the leading notion; however, White very quickly links this simple, dogmatic belief that we are what we are and should not fight it with the following.
“Every man has his own genius, though it is not always discoverable. Least of all when choked by the trivialities of existence”.
“Great men were exempt from trivial duties.”
Let us replace genius and great with nature. We all have unique strengths and weaknesses, and part of growing up is discovering and refining our strengths. A man on the path of refinement, once it is discovered, is already a great man, a genius. White even gives us the formula for purpose, you must “Discard the inessential and attempt the infinite”. As mentioned earlier, there is risk, there is uncertainty, and you won’t know what your uniqueness entails. You must lunge in different directions, in ways that feel right, and as you gather feedback, you can take larger, bolder lunges. In the process, “You will be burnt up most likely, you will have the flesh torn from your bones, you will be tortured probably in the many horrible and primitive ways, but you will realise that genius of which you sometimes suspect you are possessed”. This apparently painful process is not a bug; it is part of the process. The pain here depicts shedding away the noise in your character; you are chiselling away at your personality as Michael Angelo did with his Pieta. So, in sum, our nature will guide us in finding our purpose. If there is a weak connection between the previous quote and my insight, I apologise — I don’t have the talent of White. In fact, here, he can make the connection for you: “To make yourself, it is also necessary to destroy yourself”. When I first read this, I made the mistake of thinking this is contrary to Turner’s line of reasoning about our nature. However, later, I realised that destroying yourself is the process of uncovering your nature. It is the tearing of flesh to show your bone.
At this stage, I have found myself challenging the premise of my writing. Why do we want to have purpose? Well, as listed earlier, there are those who crutch on the sensation of love to cope with the uncertainty of love. That is their, thought to be, purpose. On the contrary, Voss “had no more need for sentimental admiration than he did for love. He was complete”. I view complete as the symbolic representation of coping. Coping with the unbearable uncertainty of the future, in both a personal and philosophical sense. Voss may be coping through his obsession with expeditions, while Belle copes through love, the romantic kind. “These young people had a habit of looking at each other as if they might discover an entrance into some yet more intimate chamber of the mind”. I want to hone in on as if they might this, to me, implies that the discovery is not the goal. Rather, it is the prospect of it. We humans are lazy; we don’t want to labour to find our nature nor go through the path of purpose where our flesh is torn. Instead, we can short-circuit this and live on the fine line of its prospects. We feign our search for this intimate chamber of the mind.
To further the argument for the necessity of purpose, I will refer to the worm analogy in chapter two. “His life is blissfully blindly physical. The worst that can happen to your worm is that he come up and be trodden on”. We are not worms, and I think White gave this analogy to imply that our lives are not purely physical. We can live a physically good life yet suffer. There is something more. This leads us to the Stoic theme that our mind is distinct from our body, our physical body, that is. The seemingly innocent phrase “repulsed by his own skin” can warm us into this idea. The feeling of repulsion comes from the mind as it observes the physical body. In fact, there is a whole auxiliary theme of observation. White rarely directly describes thinking. Instead, he uses our senses to represent it — to see, to hear, to read — were all ways our characters collected the thoughts of each other. For a concrete example, “Young things read the thoughts more clearly”. To me, this suggests that our senses are the connection between the mind and the physical world; they give us the ability to think. By proxy, they represent thinking. It seems seemingly obvious, but when exploring something, it is important to go down to the first principles. I wanted to make this obvious statement to give weight to “unseeing people walked the sandy earth”. White attacks our society, stating how so many of us are living blindly physical lives and not honing in on our minds. Unseeing people are unthinking people. Unthinking people are no different to worms. But perhaps life is more bearable as a worm; our simple-minded Robarts is happy when his tummy is full, and the moment Le Mesurier activates a degree of thinking in our stupid Robarts, he has an existential crisis. “Many disturbing and opaque thoughts began to move in his clear mind. What am I? What is it necessary to be?”. Perhaps if Robarts toiled with this dragon, he could come out like Voss. To cope with the power of thinking by having a purpose. For Voss “could dispense with flesh…The German began to think of the material world which his egoism had made him reject”. Maybe this is an overcorrection, but the emphasis makes the lesson easier for us, the readers.
To close off this short essay, I will end with Voss’ words: “If we were to compare meanings … we would arrive at perhaps different conclusions”. You may not agree with my inductions, but I might disagree with them in the near future. This writing was merely a lunge in the dark to uncover the map to my inner chamber.
In Earnest,
Ivan.
