The Columbia evening Missourian., 1922-08-05
THE NEW BOOKS
~Adrienne Toner"

In Adrienne Toner, Anne Dougla
SedGwick presents character; to man,
Of us new. to others familiar, but it j
not the character but in the deliniatiol
Of her that Miss Sedgwick shows he
genius.
Adrienne Toner is essentially at peace
She is educated, travelled and iniellec
tual. She has met problems and ha.
surmounied them. She has helped other,
with her peace. This has given her 4
courage that amounts to absolute self
trust. She might have gone through life
that way. She might. in her own self
measured way have kept on making 9th.
CT people happy and been happy herself
but she came to England and married
Barney Chadwick.
For the most part the Chadwicks were
good rather intellectual, hide-bound
English people. They would have been
happy had they fallen under the influ-
ence of Adrienne if there had been no
sign Of inhibition. But there was. II
was in the form Of Roger Oldfellow, the
close friend Of Barney, a self styled cynic
and saiirist.
Really, 0ldfellow is not true cynic
nor true satirist, for his sntipathy to
the patronage of others, and not his cyni.
cism, is his reason for disliking Adrienne.
He cannot completely understand and
will not tolerate the uneasiness he feels
when Adrienne, later Bamey's wife,
scores point after point with her poise
and her intellect.
The trouble is that both are only an
alytical enough to see the others weak
points. Both make the mistake Of standing
fatfooted. But it is Oldfellow with his
ultra air and desire to satisfy his ego who
makes the poorer appearance.
Her own ego reused, Adrienne throws
sand in the snug family machine of the
Chadwicks when she sanctions love af.
fair between her sister-in-law and man
not yet divorced.
Here, were Oldfellow the true cynic
and sage, he would have stepped in to
seal the first break in the life Of the
circle they all moved in but he felt him.
self challenged and began the slow un-
dermining (perhaps unconscious) Of
Adrienne.
Adrienne was sincere in everything
she did. She knew nothing else from the
first. Whatever trick she. employed later
il was Oldfellow who urged it upon all
'f them. Oldfellow on the other hand
does not even want to be fair. He wants
10 be just. The dry hard hide-bound |
Justice Of the be-wigged English court is
MS when he causes Barney to leave his !
wife. and the rest of the family to lose |
owe and respect for Adrienne. He meant
o save them from unhappiness and in
tead brought it to them.
Through the entire novel Adrienne |
hows herself-innoceni. She has been
'rought up in an environment that
'rought her knowledge that all the world
vas beautiful and that the people in it
we're there to foster this beauty. Then
he found that beauty was not free in
he world. That the roof of the world
fas not the stars and the heavens. but
Tas in under some man-made covering.
valve in that sense, no one can blame
er for clutching at her dreams as they
lew from her one by one. And Oldfel-
'w was the man who put them to flight.
Her love was shattered and taken from
er. Her husband went back to his for.
Ter loye-or woman who loved him. She
nselfishly wants him happy and is big
nough to compromise herself so that he
lay get divorce. by this time she has
armed through her pain-learned to be
eautiful even in her pain.) The man
as it may seem) who helps her
herself is OldfeIlow who now
,alizes he loves her. Adrienne thinks
E has made a noble sacrifice. But it is
't desire to sacrifice that makes Old.
How do this-he wants Adrienne.
Thus the cynic and the satirist comes
realize that the peace and the beauty
, has stigmatized so, is. really the won.