Passage: "He stood up in the prisoner's dock, a high pedestal where he was on display as if naked to the whole court. His hands were tied hard behind his back, forcing him to bow his head. He kept trying to straighten up, to look his fate in the eye, but the pain in his neck forced him again to hunch. Up so high, he could feel the rising vapours of those below him in the court: all those bodies encased in their clothes, all those chests breathing in and out, and all those words, passing around through the air" (Grenville 65).
This image follows the introduction of the Old Bailey Court. It was right before the trial began. What struck me about this passage was how high up he was above the rest of the court. In some ways, he seemed more like a spectacle than a prisoner. It is a dramatic placement. Even while now carrying the luggage of thievery, Will is in a position that can evoke feelings of awe relative to the position of the rest of the "bodies" in the courtroom. Then, the "rising vapours" seem to contrast the monotonous dull gloom that the early parts of the novel were set upon. With this description, the courtroom has traits of heat, intensity, and pressure. It feels like the room is boiling. Yet, it still is similar to the initial description of London: "no one could move an elbow without hitting the wall or the table or a sister or a brother" (Grenville 9). The cramped feeling is still present. I imagine this passage as a stop on the road to Australia for Will. He still feels cramped, but the climate around him is starting to change. The vapours create humid air, just like in Australia. Perhaps this is a form of foreshadowing? Is the novel slowing and momentarily shifting small setting details in Will's life until he reaches his ultimate goal: finding wealth in Australia and finally being "on display" in a much more respectable way?
Hey John! I really enjoyed hearing about your idea of the courtroom being a "stop on the road" to Australia as images of heat begin to emerge. Part of the quote that you selected emphasizes Thornhill's attempts to straighten but his inability to do so as a result of being tied. I wonder if this moment is another glimpse of foreshadowing, speaking to Thornhill's desperate attempts to elevate his financial position while being shackled to his status by oppressive societal systems. I'm curious to see if Thornhill will be able to experience a "respectable," better life in Australia like you suggest, or if his hands are just tied too tight.
ReplyDeleteReally great close reading of being tied and trying to straighten--as a metaphor for entrapment in the hierarchy and assumptions of the time and place!
DeleteI thought your insight into Thornhill's position on the pedestal was very important, John. Classism is a clear theme within the novel, and the image goes to show how impoverished Londoners were treated almost inhumanly. The more affluent population cared little for the poorer Londoners, with the proof being in the image you describe. Maybe this will relate to how Thornhill interacts with the indigenous people of Australia in the coming parts? Or maybe this is made just to show how bad Thornhill's life in London was before he was exiled?
ReplyDeleteHey John, reading your perspective of the ambience of the courtroom was very enlightening and true to the story. When I first read it I didn't think that deeply into the description or the diction that really emphasizes this "intensity" and "pressure" of the room. After reading your posts though, I realized that it was a precursor to how Will Thornhill would react when it was his turn to speak in his defense. He scrambled for words and wasn't really able to give the story that he had preplanned. The "heat, intensity, and pressure" that you described got to him. Thank you for your insights into this passage!
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