Journal Assignment #6: Zuleika as a Symbol of the Distractions of College Life

09.19.2004


    The discussion questions on page 317 of the Course Anthology helped me to connect Zuleika Dobson to the University of Texas and my experiences here in more ways than I had initially considered. 

    I had seen Jude the Obscure as a better parallel to college life and distractions from goals, but when taken more symbolically, the story and person of Zuleika are just as applicable. Zuleika distracts the Oxford undergraduates from their purpose at the university and ultimately even from their will to live. This begins already on the second page of the novel, when, upon Zuleika’s arrival to Oxford, “a hundred eyes were fixed on her, and half as many hearts lost to her” (Beerbohm 2). The undergraduates’ response to her presence is, of course, an extreme situation, but it is in this extremity that the parody and satirical elements of the novel are present. Moreover, this allows Zuleika to become a more universal symbol of smaller distractions, since the unbelievable overwhelming response of the undergraduates is easier to see as a symbol than as an actual event. In my own experiences at UT so far, I have already encountered countless distractions. Because there is always something going on – people are going to eat, or calling me up to hang out, or sounding like they are having fun next door – I find it hard to sit down to do homework or even just rest for an extended period of time. Part of this stems from the desire to want to belong (to not be an outsider) and not wanting to sit around studying alone while others are getting to know each other and enjoying themselves. When I went home a few weeks ago, I did more homework in two hours than I have managed to do in most two hour stretches here. Thus, it seems that Zuleika Dobson, to me, symbolically embodies the various social distractions I have experienced at college so far. Hopefully, however, I will learn to discipline myself and to deal with these distractions in more constructive ways than the undergraduates of Oxford did.

    The discussion question involving a parallel between the architecture and traditions of UT and Oxford intrigued me as well. The architecture of Oxford can be seen symbolically as an embodiment of the traditions and values of the university. This is reflected most obviously in Beerbohm’s discussion of the Emperors. Beerbohm’s description of them as being “exposed eternally and inexorably to hear and frost, to the four winds that lash them and the rains that wear them away” (Beerbohm 5) indicates their permanence, or, at the very least, their longevity as compared to the fluctuating university city surrounding them. Moreover, Beerbohm points out that the figures are often misunderstood or even ignored. This is not unlike people’s responses to the architecture of UT. Everyone sees the tower, and at some point must read the inscription on it, but few stop to think about the history of the tower and the traditions it embodies. Nevertheless, the tower has become the symbol of the university. Similarly, how many of us would have noticed, not to mention thought about, the shells carved over the doorways of some of the buildings? In the same way that the Emperors of Oxford embody the history of the university, the carvers, and architectural styles, the shells and other architectural characteristics do so at UT.

    The last of the discussion questions I’d like to address is “What role do the illustrations play in this novel?” (Course Anthology 317). 

                   

    While I read Zuleika Dobson, I felt that the illustrations enhanced the text, but were not essential. They are more, however, than merely illustrations of what is happening in the plot. They allow Beerbohm to increase his parody through the use of caricature, both of real people and of characters in the novel, which represent or symbolize real people. As the introduction of The Illustrated Zuleika Dobson states, “illustrations of actual persons reinforce the mixing of the real and the fictional” (Hall, introduction to The Illustrated Zuleika Dobson). Beerbohm even caricatures himself several times throughout the novel, which I find particularly significant. This not only indicates his ability to take himself less than seriously, but also connects him to the novel. This is appropriate because he is already present in the novel as its first-person narrator, who even digresses to discuss the writing process, such as in the chapter beginning on page 178: “And yet very soon you found me behaving just like any novelist (Beerbohm 178). As a further example he is seen on page six with wings floating above one of the Emperors, placing a crown on his head. This connects well to the sympathy and admiration for the figures he indicates as he introduces and describes them. Thus, the illustrations greatly enhance the text, both by paralleling it and by presenting another layer of parody, satire, and insight.

    The discussion questions thus helped me to think more deeply about Zuleika Dobson, both in relation to its symbolic connection to other universities, particularly UT, as well as in genuine consideration of the impact and importance of Beerbohm’s illustrations.