From: hstewar1@goethe.helios.nd.edu (hemsley stewart)
Subject: Re: nobel prize
Reply-To: hstewar1@goethe.helios.nd.edu (hemsley stewart)
Organization: Univ. of Notre Dame
Date: Fri, 16 Oct 1992 17:09:24 GMT

In article <ldruefINNiiv@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>, jsd@crunch.Eng.Sun.COM (Jules Damji) writes:
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Distribution: world
Followup-To: 
From: hstewar1@goethe.helios.nd.edu (hemsley stewart)
Reply-To: hstewar1@goethe.helios.nd.edu (hemsley stewart)
Organization: Univ. of Notre Dame
Subject: Re: nobel prize
Keywords: 

In article <ldruefINNiiv@exodus.Eng.Sun.COM>, jsd@crunch.Eng.Sun.COM (Jules Damji) writes:

|> Personally, I believe the Nobel Prize recognition, especially in
|> literature, should be given to people not only because of their
|> nobility and intelligence, or because of their unique talent and
|> their prodigious works. But also because of their compassion for 
|> human being; because of their committment to a cause; and because
|> of their universally inspirational, comical and imaginative literary 
|> works.
|> 
|> Nobody can question Naipaul's literary and unique talent; nor his 
|> perception of people of half-made worlds and half-made countries, 
|> much of it reflected in his travel works. Reading his works leaves
|> one exhausted and angry, certainly not inspired; his contempt for 
|> anyone not like him is infectious and establishes a love-hate 
|> relationship between a reader of his works and the author,
|> certainly not compassion. And about the only work where Naipaul
|> examplifies universal appeal in human character, and succeeds
|> in deriving genuine laughter and sympathy -- not deriding laughter
|> -- from his readers is in his early three novels, of which the
|> "A House of Mr. Biswas" is a classic and a masterpiece. Had
|> he continued on his early path, that of a comical writer, V.S
|> Naipaul would have been a Nobel literary laureate today.
|> 
|> The rest of his works -- both novels and travelogue, with an
|> exception of a historical piece, "The loss of Eldorado" --
|> are nothing but "see how bad you guys down there are; see
|> what mess you have created for yourself; and why can't you
|> be like me (or us -- the west)". Had this been a prize for
|> social and political psychology, perhaps he would deserve it;
|> certainly not for literature.
|> 
|> 
|> Jules
|> 
|> 
|> --
|> ___________________________________________________________________________________
|> 
|> 	Jules S.  Damji			INTERNET : jsd@Eng@Sun.COM
|> 	Sun Microsystems Inc.		LOCAL    : jsd@crunch.eng.sun.com


It sounds of if you expect literary artists to be candidates for the Nobel Peace Prize as well.  Naturally, measured in that way, Naipaul will never be a candidate for your Nobel prize.  His contempt is much too evident. However, that in no way disqualifies him from consideration for the Literature prize.

You have in fact already admirably delineated the qualities that merit him this consideration: talent, insight, humour.  It's up to the reader to use what Naipaul has dished up, however "exhausted and angry" it leaves him, to inform his subsequent approach to life.  

Naipaul's depictions are so accurate and pointed that my overwhelming reaction to his characters in "A House for Mr. Biswas" and in "Miguel Street" in particular, is sadness and compassion.  Even though they are pinned down like cockroaches on Naipaul's dissecting table, I cannot share his contempt and I believe no reasonable human being can.  Because V.S. is true to his art, his contempt is not necessarily "infectious."  

In the end all one should require of Naipaul is sharp insight; economically and clearly, yet comprehensively expressed.  What one chooses to do with it is up to one.

(Nevertheless, I find myself wishing I wasn't, in essence, defending Naipaul!).