Imaginary

Fictional Narratives

Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is an allegory for self-confrontation. In this scene, in which Scrooge is an unseen observer at the Cratchits’ Christmas celebration, we see the process beginning:

"God bless us every one!" said Tiny Tim, the last of all.  He sat very close to his father's side upon his little stool. Bob held his withered little hand in his, as if he loved the child, and wished to keep him by his side, and dreaded that he might be taken from him.  "Spirit," said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, "tell me if Tiny Tim will live."  "I see a vacant seat," replied the Ghost, "in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die."  "No, no," said Scrooge. "Oh, no, kind Spirit! say he will be spared."  "If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race," returned the Ghost, "will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."  Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief. [Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843), Stave III: “The Second of the Three Spirits”.]

Scrooge’s next stop is a visit at his nephew’s Christmas party:

It was a Game called Yes and No, where Scrooge's nephew had to think of something, and the rest must find out what; he only answering to their questions yes or no, as the case was. The brisk fire of questioning to which he was exposed, elicited from him that he was thinking of an animal, a live animal, rather a disagreeable animal, a savage animal, an animal that growled and grunted sometimes, and talked sometimes, and lived in London, and walked about the streets, and wasn't made a show of, and wasn't led by anybody, and didn't live in a menagerie, and was never killed in a market, and was not a horse, or an ass, or a cow, or a bull, or a tiger, or a dog, or a pig, or a cat, or a bear. At every fresh question that was put to him, this nephew burst into a fresh roar of laughter; and was so inexpressibly tickled, that he was obliged to get up off the sofa and stamp. At last the plump sister, falling into a similar state, cried out:  "I have found it out! I know what it is, Fred! I know what it is!"  "What is it?" cried Fred.  "It's your Uncle Scro-o-o-o-oge!"  Which it certainly was. Admiration was the universal sentiment, though some objected that the reply to "Is it a bear?" ought to have been "Yes;" inasmuch as an answer in the negative was sufficient to have diverted their thoughts from Mr. Scrooge, supposing they had ever had any tendency that way. [Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol (1843), Stave III: “The Second of the Three Spirits”.]

This is from Uncle Tom's Cabin:

“It’s all nonsense to talk to me about slaves enjoying all this! To this day, I have no patience with the unutterable trash that some of your patronizing Northerners have made up, as in their zeal to apologize for our sins. We all know better. Tell me that any man living wants to work all his days, from day-dawn till dark, under the constant eye of a master, without the power of putting forth one irresponsible volition, on the same dreary, monotonous, unchanging toil, and all for two pairs of pantaloons and a pair of shoes a year, with enough food and shelter to keep him in working order! Any man who thinks that human beings can, as a general thing, be made about as comfortable that way as any other, I wish he might try it. I’d buy the dog, and work him, with a clear conscience!” [Harriett Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin or Life Among the Lowly (1852), Volume II, Chapter XIX, “Miss Ophelia’s Experiences and Opinions Continued”.]

Günter Grass, literary works:

• The Tin Drum (1959): review.
• Cat and Mouse (1961): review.
• Dog Years (1965): review.
• The Plebians Rehearse the Uprising (1966): review.
• Local Anaesthetic (1970): review.
• From the Diary of a Snail (1973): review.
• The Flounder (1978): review.
• The Meeting at Telgte (1981): review.
• Headbirths, or the Germans Are Dying Out (1982): review.
• The Rat (1987): review.
• Show Your Tongue (1989): review.
• The Call of the Toad (1992): review.
• My Century (1999): review.
• Too Far Afield (2000): review.
• Crabwalk (2002): review
• Peeling the Onion (2007): review.
• The Box: Tales from the Darkroom (2010): review..

J.M. Coetzee’s autobiographical trilogy, Scenes from a Provincial Life:

• Boyhood (Viking Adult, 1997): “. . .  Coetzee portrays himself as a sickly, bookish boy, precocious at school and something of a tyrant at home, where the fierce love of his mother enlists him against an affable but weak father.”
• Youth (Penguin Books, 2003): “. . .  while ‘Youth’ tells of a young man desperately trying to become a writer, it gives no evidence that he has any literary talent. In fact, he spends the entire volume, which ends when he's roughly 23, at a creative and psychological impasse.”
• Summertime (Viking Adult, 2009): “Great men in the winter of their lives often treat the writing of their memoirs as a kind of victory lap, but whatever J. M. Coetzee is after in this third volume of his genre-bending auto­biography, it is not self-­congratulation. The first two volumes, unadornedly titled ‘Boyhood’ and ‘Youth’ (and, in contrast to this one, labeled nonfiction), were marked by Coetzee’s decision to write about himself in the third person. In ‘Summertime’ he takes this schism one bracing step farther, by imagining himself already dead.”

Other novels:

• Kamala Nair, The Girl in the Garden (Grand Central Publishing, 2011): a young woman must confront the dark secrets of her past before marrying.
• Laini Taylor, Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011): “a breath-catching romantic fantasy about destiny, hope and the search for one’s true self”.
• Dana Spiotta, Stone Arabia: A Novel (Scribner, 2011): “ . . . a work of visceral honesty and real beauty”.
• Mary H.K Choi, Yolk: A Novel (Simon & Schuster, 2021): “Flung together by circumstance, housing woes, and family secrets, will the sisters learn more about each other than they’re willing to confront? And what if while helping June, Jayne has to confront the fact that maybe she’s sick, too?”
• Paula McLain, When the Stars Go Dark: A Novel (Penguin Random House, 2021): the author confronts her own demons.
• Semezdin Mehmedinovic, My Heart: A Novel (Catapult, 2021): “Though it deals with tragedy, ‘My Heart’ is never depressing, partly because of the beauty of the language . . . and partly because of its depth and honesty of emotion, its intelligence and generosity of spirit, and the precision and originality of Mehmedinovic's observations.”
• Ed Lin, Death Doesn’t Forget: A Novel (Soho Crime, 2022): “Overlapping external mysteries consume Jing-nan’s attention, but internal ones roil him, too. Should he expand his business? What to do about his beloved co-workers, mired in their own troubles? Should he go back to college at the behest of his girlfriend?”
• Alba de Céspedes, Forbidden Notebook: A Novel (1952): “The written record of Valeria’s feelings and observations makes it impossible for her to ignore her discontent: the chill she feels in her marriage, her warring impulses toward her children, the guilt and pleasure she finds in her work.”
• Jane Harper, Exiles: A Novel (Flatiron, 2022): “. . . what makes the book memorable is Harper’s skill at plumbing personal mysteries — for instance, why a friendship has ebbed, or how not knowing the fate of a loved one affects a family.”
• Daisy Alpert Florin, My Last Innocent Year: A Novel (Henry Holt and Co., 2023), “is a heartfelt chronicle of a writer who realizes that her stories about girls with feelings matter every bit as much as the ones written by the guy who annotates The New Yorker.”

From the dark side:

• Lily Tuck, Heathcliffe Redux: A Novella and Stories (Atlantic Monnthly, 2020): “Fittingly, Tuck’s novella eventually reveals itself to be more a tale of self-delusion and internal conflict than the grand romance we were initially led to believe.”
• Sergio De La Pava, Every Arc Bends Its Radian: A Novel (Simon & Schuster, 2024): “When we meet Riv del Rio, the narrator . . . he’s getting off a plane in Cali, Colombia. He has no firm purpose there, though he has family in the city. Rather, he seems to be fleeing something in New York, and indeed, the story of what exactly he’s running from provides this deft, penetrating novel with its emotional weight.”

Poetry

From the dark side:

• Edgar Lee Masters, “Harlan Sewall”

Music: Composers, artists, and major works

Tracy Chapman is an African-American woman who know poverty early in life, then used her life experience to create compelling and introspective popular songs. Described as the “quiet revolutionary”, “she is a shining force in changemaking from her undying commitment to resisting poverty, racial injustice, and sexual oppression.” Here are links to her releases, live performances, interviews, and some videos.

Steve Earle caused many of his own troubles, but then used that experience to create touching country-blue collar songs. The distinction of introspection shows up repeatedly in writings related to this artist. Here are links to his releases, live performances, interviews, and some videos.

Alfred Cortot was a classical pianist whose introspective playing was undergirded by the skills of a great pianist. “Alfred Cortot was one of the very greatest pianists of the 20th Century, renowned above all for his intuitive, highly personal interpretations of Romantic masterpieces.” Here is a link to his playlists.

Pianist Ivan Moravec: “His playing tended more toward the introspective, as if he were having an intimate conversation with the music, and he invited you in to listen.” Here is a link to his playlists. 

William Walton, Violin Concerto in B Minor (1939, rev. 1943) (approx. 28-33’), was composed on commission from Jascha Heifetz, perhaps the greatest violinist of the time. The composition may reflect Walton’s concerns: “Writing a concerto for someone with the stature of Heifetz was daunting for Walton. He worried that he would not make the solo part difficult enough or spectacular enough, leaving the piece unworthy of Heifetz and his legend. According to his wife, Walton actually considered giving the piece to another violinist so as not to offend the commissioner but eventually convinced himself that he had ‘exhausted the possibilities of what one could do on a violin,’ which meant he could show it to Heifetz without fear.” The central musical idea of confronting the self is especially prominent in Heifetz’s 1950 performance conducted by Walton – his penchant for dramatic flair suits this work perfectly. Other top recorded performances are by Heifetz (Goossens) in 1941, Francescatti (Ormandy) in 1959, Chung (Previn) in 1972, Kennedy (Previn) in 1987, Bell (Zinman) in 1996, Kang (Daniel) in 1997, Ehnes (Tovey) in 2006, Little (Gardner) in 2013, Kim (Edusai) in 2019., and Petrova (Ward) in 2023.

Edward Elgar, Violin Concerto in B Minor, Op. 61 (1910) (approx. 43-50’) “Along with a dedication to Kreisler, the score contains a deeply personal inscription: Aquí está encerrada el alma de….. (‘Herein is enshrined the soul of…..’). The riddle in five dots, reminiscent of Elgar’s Enigma Variations, remains unsolved. It could refer to one person, such as the composer’s muse, Alice Stuart-Wortley, or a series of people. As the music unfolds, the enigma and its possible biographical references become insignificant. Elgar’s Concerto ventures into an inner world that transcends the literal.” Top recorded performances are by Menuhin (Elgar) in 1932, Heifetz (Sargent) in 1949, Campoli (Boult) in 1954, Zuckerman (Slatkin) in 1993, Ehnes (Andrew Davis) in 2007, Zehetmair (Elder) in 2008, Znaider (Colin Davis) in 2009, and Little & Royal Scottish National Orchestra (Andrew Davis) in 2010, Benedetti (Jurowski) in 2020, and Frang (Ticciati) in 2024.

Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major, Op. 110 (1821) (approx. 18-22’), is an extended internal struggle. Described as “a journey into the infinite”, its conclusion draws the most attention from musicians and musicologists. “It is 'an exertion of will to banish suffering,' according to composer Vincent d'Indy. Or for pianist Alfred Brendel: 'In a last euphoric effort, its conclusion reaches out beyond homophonic emancipation, throwing off the chains of music itself.'” Top recorded performances are by Schnabel in 1932, Edwin Fischer in 1938, Hess in 1953, Gieseking in 1956, Rudolf Serkin in 1971, Guller in 1973, Pollini in 1977, Richter in 1991, Brendel in 1995, Grimaud in 1999 and Lubimov in 2009.

Paul Hindemith’s three piano sonatas:

• Piano Sonata No. 1 “Der main” (1936) (approx. 24-27’)
• Piano Sonata No. 2 (1936) (approx. 11’)
• Piano Sonata No. 3 in B-flat minor (1936) (approx. 17-18’)

Other works:

• Enrique Granados, Goyescas, Los majos enamorados (The Gallants in Love), Op. 11 (1911) (approx. 54-57’): “The 6 movements of Goyescas are not only narrative vignettes but also part of a larger arc that holds the listener’s attention in the same way as an opera; Goyescas is, quite simply, a story.”
• Bronius Kutavičius, Lokys the Bear (2000) (approx. 96’): We realize too late that the bear’s evil spirit is the self.
• Charles-Marie Widor, Symphony No. 3 in E Minor, Op. 13/3 (1872, rev. 1887) (approx. 30-35’)
• The process of self-confrontation is never complete. Walter Saul drew the inspiration for his Violin Concerto (1980) (approx. 21’) and Metamorphosis (1974) (approx. 16’) from his conversion to Christianity; musically, we can hear the struggle to confront internal realities, however successful or unsuccessful the efforts may be.
• Carl Vine, “Inner World” for cello and chamber orchestra (1994) (approx. 12’)
• Ezra Laderman, Partita for Solo Bassoon (2012) (approx. 25’)
• Zack Stanton, Echoes of Veiled Light, for percussion trio (2010) (approx. 9’)
• Barre Phillips, “Inner Door” (approx. 14’) and “Outer Window” (approx. 15’), from the album “End to End” (2018)
• Raga Gujari Todi is a late morning raag, often portrayed as a young woman sitting on a pad of leaves, singing and playing a vina. “This late morning raag produces a mood of thoughtfulness that reaches deep into the heart. Texts set to this raga strip away all subterfuge and make man see himself as he is and search within for the truth.” Performances are by Hariprasad Chaurasia, Bhimsen Joshi and Begum Parveen Sultana.
• Robert Schumann, 3 Romances (3 Romanzen), Op. 94 (1849) (approx. 12-14’): “As with all of Schumann's ‘songs’, there is not a strong separation between voice and accompaniment: while the clarinet sustains the primary melodic role, the harp weaves in and out of the texture significantly interacting as a nearly equal partner.”

Albums:

• Russ Lossing, “Changes” (2019) (66’): “The ballads he approaches are adorned with autumnal colors and vibrate with great gentleness.”
• Frank Kimbrough, “Ancestors” (2021) (72’): “Introspective, peaceful and decidedly personal, this collection of largely first takes is pure magic.”
• Jordan Bak, “Impulse” (2022) (56’): five contemporary pieces for solo viola (Bak), and two for viola and piano (Bak and Ji Yung Lee). It is “a contemplative insight into the concept of the present moment told through the soundwaves of the viola.”
• Sara Serpa, “Recognition” (2020) (53’): “Instead of cynicism and rage, there is the sound of bruising that comes with viewing the horrific with empathy. Recognition is an album and film in which Portuguese composer and singer Sara Serpa is processing, witnessing the realities of her ancestral involvement in the colonization of Angola.”

Music: songs and other short pieces

• Billy T. Band, “Reckoning”
• Carlos Salzedo, 5 Preludes for Harp, No. 3: “Introspection”

Visual Arts

• Norman Rockwell, Triple Self-Portrait (1960)
• Konstantin Somov, Self-Portrait in the Mirror (1934)
• Marc Chagall, Self-Portrait with Muse (1917-18)
• René Magritte, The False Mirror (1928)

Film and Stage

• Nayak (The Hero), in which a famous actor comes to terms with himself during a train trip to receive an award
• Dead Man Walking, in which a convicted murderer confronts his own actions
• Hiroshima Mon Amour, a film that delves so deeply into the theme of coming to terms with the past that it blurs the distinction between the past (1945) and the present (1959)
• To Live, about wasted personal opportunities in a tumultuous culture
• Juliet of the Spirits, Fellini’s dark-side treatment of self-confrontation: “I want to suggest to modern man a road of inner liberation, to accept and love life the way it is without idealizing it, without creating concepts about it, without projecting oneself into idealized images on a moral or ethical plane.” The film addresses marital infidelity, apparently an issue in Fellini’s life, leading critic Roger Ebert to call it “a bald-faced exercise in Fellini's self-justification. When Juliet has fantasies, they're Fellini's fantasies. That's why at the end it isn't Federico who is burned alive.” Perhaps this explains the disjointed quality of the film. Well, at least Fellini was thinking about self-confrontation.
• Arguably, Fellini was more honest in I Vitteloni, a much earlier comedy, with “autobiographical elements,” about slackers and drifters. Though “unfaithful to real life,” the film offers ‘theatre truth.’”
• The Entertainer, about a man who could not accept his career failure
• The Bad and the Beautiful, a look at the film industry from within
• The Goalie’s Anxiety at the Penalty Kick, about the dangers of suppressing emotion
• The Homecoming: the film maker “has a single purpose: To create uncomfortable emotional states within us, to fabricate for us (against our will, if necessary) a cluster of painful feelings”
• Secrets and Lies: a revelation forces a family “to confront the lies and evasions that have kept them apart all these years”; “when common sense and good  hearts win over lies and secrets – we feel almost as if it had happened to ourselves”
• A Streetcar Named Desire, about a deluded Southern belle and her boorish brother-in-law who crudely points it out
• Sunset Boulevard, presenting a near-caricature of self-delusion
• Sans Soleil (Sunless): a series of seemingly disjointed images make up this film, in which the filmmaker “pretends to be examining the quality of contemporary life, though what he actually is doing is examining his own”