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A review by greatgodbird
Mr. Sammler's Planet by Saul Bellow
2.0
An interesting read. Bellow (the author) presents to the reader the dichotomy between innovation and archaism through several symbols and analogies for American dreams and humanity-induced decline of civilisation. Unfortunately, some of these key philosophical representors accomplish their tasks only through reductive writing and profiling; knowing even a little of how people of colour, women, and queer individuals and groups have been and continue to be viewed and treated in America makes some of this writing abhorrent.
On the topic of racism, the key black character remains unnamed, yet is described in animalistic terms - such descriptions convey this man to be an oppressive beast, and the black population of New York to be unable to understand white speech. Hideous slurs are used casually by characters and narrator, and extend to the way leading male characters (Mr Sammler, Elya, Wallace, Feffer) refer to women and queer people living in Manhattan in the late 60s. The cornerstone character in the short plot, an Indian biophysicist (Govinda Lal) is reduced to descriptions of his vocal timbre, his hairiness, and crude exoticised ideas of "littleness", and demonic and primitive paganisms - all in the midst of Lal's eloquent discussions on human invention and innovation.
Women, especially, are reduced to paragons of negativised sexual liberation - sexual beings for men at the forefront, and spoiled, vapid idiots used to facilitate intellectual monologues second. This is truly a shame on behalf of the male characters, as the actual descriptions of the lead women (Shula, Angela, and Margotte) demonstrate that the men are oblivious to their keen interests in politics, equality, ethics, and global matters adjacent to their discovery, or rediscovery, of sexuality following global economic crises and depression, escape from WWII, and religiously oriented marital abuse.
It is difficult to know where lies the line between Bellow's actual ideas on non-white, non-male, non-straight demographics, and the opinion infused into characters to emphasise his ideas. There is a distinct contrast in this book between the Self and the Other - though this results in antagonisation between ideologies, cultures, races, and sexes, it is also highly encouraged that the Other be a goal. For instance, one grand symbol recurrent in 'Mr Sammler's Planet' is the moon, and the new sciences allowing for moon travel coupled with American capitalism selling space travel tickets to the rich. Having escaped the Holocaust, having grappled with mortality in murder, his dying friend's aneurysm, and the legacy of H.G. Wells, Mr Sammler's planet is a confused den of depravity, where humanity must progress, or, as he sees it, it begins to perish.
In the penultimate chapter, which appears to be the crux of the book (despite the previous chapter being much more exciting!), Mr Sammler opens up to his new intellectual companion, Govinda Lal, and expresses his confusion at the pace of social evolution, wars, and rekindling humanity and identities following abrupt and violent expulsion from the things we know. He acknowledges changes have occurred, and feels guilty of his boundary-crossings into once-innocent, now offensive territories, yet is conflicted by the Self (known and right) and the Other (unknown and... is it also right?) - at which point do they intersect?
In any case, human progression, invention, innovation, and greatness are covered in this book through positive and negative analogical characters and events. My favourites were Wallace - he does not wipe properly, stinks, and is a treasury of failed business ventures - and Margotte - the aspiring horticulturist, avid reader, and a widow who is free to spill her thoughts and philosophies to her absent-minded Uncle Sammler, and not simply "shut up" anymore.
On the topic of racism, the key black character remains unnamed, yet is described in animalistic terms - such descriptions convey this man to be an oppressive beast, and the black population of New York to be unable to understand white speech. Hideous slurs are used casually by characters and narrator, and extend to the way leading male characters (Mr Sammler, Elya, Wallace, Feffer) refer to women and queer people living in Manhattan in the late 60s. The cornerstone character in the short plot, an Indian biophysicist (Govinda Lal) is reduced to descriptions of his vocal timbre, his hairiness, and crude exoticised ideas of "littleness", and demonic and primitive paganisms - all in the midst of Lal's eloquent discussions on human invention and innovation.
Women, especially, are reduced to paragons of negativised sexual liberation - sexual beings for men at the forefront, and spoiled, vapid idiots used to facilitate intellectual monologues second. This is truly a shame on behalf of the male characters, as the actual descriptions of the lead women (Shula, Angela, and Margotte) demonstrate that the men are oblivious to their keen interests in politics, equality, ethics, and global matters adjacent to their discovery, or rediscovery, of sexuality following global economic crises and depression, escape from WWII, and religiously oriented marital abuse.
It is difficult to know where lies the line between Bellow's actual ideas on non-white, non-male, non-straight demographics, and the opinion infused into characters to emphasise his ideas. There is a distinct contrast in this book between the Self and the Other - though this results in antagonisation between ideologies, cultures, races, and sexes, it is also highly encouraged that the Other be a goal. For instance, one grand symbol recurrent in 'Mr Sammler's Planet' is the moon, and the new sciences allowing for moon travel coupled with American capitalism selling space travel tickets to the rich. Having escaped the Holocaust, having grappled with mortality in murder, his dying friend's aneurysm, and the legacy of H.G. Wells, Mr Sammler's planet is a confused den of depravity, where humanity must progress, or, as he sees it, it begins to perish.
In the penultimate chapter, which appears to be the crux of the book (despite the previous chapter being much more exciting!), Mr Sammler opens up to his new intellectual companion, Govinda Lal, and expresses his confusion at the pace of social evolution, wars, and rekindling humanity and identities following abrupt and violent expulsion from the things we know. He acknowledges changes have occurred, and feels guilty of his boundary-crossings into once-innocent, now offensive territories, yet is conflicted by the Self (known and right) and the Other (unknown and... is it also right?) - at which point do they intersect?
In any case, human progression, invention, innovation, and greatness are covered in this book through positive and negative analogical characters and events. My favourites were Wallace - he does not wipe properly, stinks, and is a treasury of failed business ventures - and Margotte - the aspiring horticulturist, avid reader, and a widow who is free to spill her thoughts and philosophies to her absent-minded Uncle Sammler, and not simply "shut up" anymore.