russellsmith_childhood_portora.pdf

7/29/2019 RussellSmith_Childhood_Portora.pdf

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BeckettinContext

aretwoexamplesthatscholarsoftencommenton(seeS.E.Gontarski’s

‘Introduction’toNohowOn,xvii-xx).OneisascenewhereBeckett’sfathertookhimtotheFortyFoot,aswimmingholenearDublin,andtaughthimtoswimby

orderinghimtodiveintothewater.ThesceneisrepeatedinvariousformsthroughoutBeckett’swritinglife,fromtheuncollectedpoem‘ForFuture

Reference’(1930),throughWatt andEleutheriatoCompany ,writtenwhenBeckettwasinhisseventies.Thethematic‘core’ofthesceneinvolvesthechild’sfearandthefather’ssterncommandto‘Beabraveboy’(NohowOn12).Asecond

exampleinvolvesasmallboyoutwalkingwithhismother,askingacurious

questionandreceivingacuttingretort,whichistreatedwithsignificantvariationsin‘TheEnd’,MaloneDiesandonceagaininCompany .Thethematic

corehere,amidsttheshiftinglacunaeandvariationsofdetail,isafeelingofapparenttogethernesssuddenlyrupturedbythemother’sangryresponse.Aswe

shallsee,Beckett’smemoriesofhisschooldaysatPortoraareofthistype,for

whiletherearefewconcretedetails,scenesofmindlessrotelearningenforcedbypunishmentarearecurrenttheme,especiallyinTheUnnamable.

Thefourthcategoryisthemostdifficult:thequestionofgeneralisedthemesthatarenotablyabsentfromBeckett’swriting.Beckettalwaysinsistedthathehada

happychildhood;whatcanitmean,then,thatchildrenarealmostentirelyabsentascharactersinBeckett’soeuvre?Thatis,therearenoimaginative

reconstructionsoftheexperienceofchildhoodandschooldaysaswesee,for

instance,intheopeningchaptersofJoyce’sPortrait .ThestoriesofSaposcatinMaloneDies,forinstance,areself-consciouslypresentedasfictional,withMalone

evenwarningthereader‘Nothingislesslikemethanthispatient,reasonablechild’(Trilogy193).Anotherwayofputtingthismightbetosaythatthereisno

implicitBildungsromanorchildhoodback-storyinBeckett’smaturewriting;childhoodexistsinaseparateuniverse,radicallydivorcedfromthepresent.Seenfromtheestrangedvantagepointofadulthood,itappearscomplicatedand

compromisedbythegaps,distortions,interpolationsandembellishmentsof

memoryanditsvicissitudes.

AbriefwordisinorderonBeckett’sbiographers.DeirdreBair,Beckett’sfirstbiographer,makesitclearinherPrefacethatshefounditdifficultworkingwith

Beckett,andthroughoutthebookonecandiscernanunderlyinghostilitytoher

subject,bynomeansa primafaciefaultinabiographer.Her1978biographywasrelentlesslycriticisedinBeckettstudies,bothforitsfactualerrorsandmore

pointedlyforitsnegativeportrayalofBeckettasadeeplydisturbedmanhauntedbyatormentedchildhoodandalifelongguilt-riddenrelationshipwithhis

domineeringandneuroticmother.JamesKnowlson’sauthorisedbiography

(1996)canbeseenasacorrectivetoBair’saccount,emphasisingBeckett’semotionalresilience,generosityandcompassion,andconsistentlyinterpreting

thenegativeaspectsofhisearlyyearsintheredeeminglightoffuturity.But

Bair’sbiographywasbegunin1971,anditsdepictionofBeckett’searlyyearsdrewonmanysourceswhohaddiedbeforeKnowlsonbeganhisaccount;

Beckett’sandhiscontemporaries’viewsoftheirearlyyearswouldhavemellowedinthemeantime.Knowlson’sbiographyisfaithfultothemature

Beckett,whileBair’smoretendentiousaccountgivesaglimpseoftheintense

RussellSmith:ChildhoodandPortora

sensibilitythatproducedworkslikeTheUnnamable.Thetruthprobablylies,as

truthiswonttolie,somewhereinbetween(ornowhereinparticular).

LoisGordon’sunjustlyoverlookedTheWorldofSamuelBeckett (1996)concentratesonBeckett’sfirstfortyyears,andisparticularlygoodonhistorical

context,whileAnthonyCronin’sSamuelBeckett:TheLastModernist (1997),isastuteandengaginglywritten,especiallyinitsevocationoftheDublinofBeckett’schildhood.Finally,EoinO’Brien’sTheBeckettCountry (1986)

meticulouslydocumentsinphotographstheactualpeopleandplacesmentioned

oralludedtoinBeckett’swork,butisguiltyofoccasionalsolecismssuchas,writingoftheancientgraveyardatTullynearBeckett’schildhoodhome,‘Itwas

thisgraveyardthatMoranchoseforhisfinalrestingplace’(O’Brien26).TosuggestthattheplacesinBeckett’sfictioncanbevisitedbyatouristwithamap

seemsaradicalmisreadingofBeckett’sprojectasawhole.

Foxrock

Tobeginatthebeginningisneversimple,andinBeckett’scasetherearetwo

difficulties.Thefirst,thankfully,hasbeensettorest:SamuelBeckettwasborninthefrontroomofhisfamilyhomeonGoodFriday,13April1906.However,his

birthwasnotregistereduntiltwomonthslater,on14June,withthebirthcertificategivinghisbirth-dateas13May,leadingBairtospeculatewhetherthis

uncannyconjunctionofGoodFridayandFridaythethirteenthwasmyth-making

onBeckett’spart(Bair1-2).ThebirthnoticeintheIrishTimesof16April1906(reproducedinDukes5)provesthatBeckett’sversioniscorrect.

Thesecondproblemismoredifficult,forBeckettrepeatedlyclaimedtohavememoriesofhispre-natalexistence.‘Mymemoirsbeginunderthetable,onthe

eveofmybirth,whenmyfathergaveadinnerparty&mymotherpresided’,hewrotetoArlandUssherin1937(Letters474).HetoldJohnGruenin1970:‘Ihave

aclearmemoryofmyownfoetalexistence.Itwasanexistencewherenovoice,

nopossiblemovementcouldfreemefromtheagonyanddarknessIwassubjectedto’(qtdinCronin2,seealsoKnowlsonandKnowlson68).

ItseemsthatBecketttooktheseclaimsseriously.Prenatalmemoriesofthiskindare,however,impossible.Whilethefoetushasamemoryandundergoesvarious

kindsoflearninginutero,‘autobiographicalmemories’—thatis,explicit

recollectionsofeventsorepisodes—donotbeginuntiltheageofthreeorolder.Such‘falsememories’arewellknowninpsychoanalysis,whereanalysands

producememories—inwhichtheygenuinelybelieve—inanefforttopleasethe

analystandadvancetheanalysis.Moreover,manyearlychildhoodmemoriesarelikelytoinvolve‘confabulation’,whereindividualsconfuseactualmemoriesand

knowledgeofeventsgainedfromothers.Indeed,theUnnamablerecognisesthecreativeandcollaborativenatureofchildhoodmemory:‘Enoughofactingthe

infantwhohasbeentoldsooftenhowhewasfoundunderacabbagethatinthe

endherememberstheexactspotinthegardenandthekindoflifeheledtherebeforejoiningthefamilycircle’(Trilogy326).Thoughit’sappealingtoimagine

Beckettinuteroscowlingbehindhisspectaclesattheinanityofdinner-party

chitchat,itisafantasyonBeckett’spart,andtellsusmoreabouttheadultBeckettthantheunbornchild.Initsrejectionoftheideaofthewombasalost

BeckettinContext

Eden,itshowsBeckett’sinsistenceonunderstandingsufferingasanontological

given,notapsychologicalcontingency.

Beckett’sfather,WilliamFrankBeckett(1871-1933)wasasuccessfulquantitysurveyor,aman’smanofpracticalgoodsenseandrobustenergy,witha‘ready

wit’,butalsoa‘fierytemper’(Knowlson10).Hewasanexcellentswimmerandkeengolfer,buthisgreatestlovewasoflongwalksthroughthehillsaroundDublin,especiallyonSundaymorningswhen,whileMayattendedTullowParish

Church,Billwould‘gotochurchwiththebirdsupinthemountains’(Knowlson

24).Hisearlydeathplungedhisyoungersonintoprofounddepression,andBeckett’swritingisrepeatedlyhauntedbythewordlesscompanionshipoftheir

walkstogether;‘theywereabsolutelytunedin’rememberedBeckett’scousinSheilaRoe(Knowlson12).MemoriesofthesewalksintheDublinhillsprovide

theonlymomentsofquasi-spiritualexperienceinBeckett’swriting.

ButBillBeckettwas,inhisson’swords,‘absolutelynon-intellectual’(Knowlson

10).Thoughhewouldhaveimpresseduponhissonthetraditionalmanlyvirtues

ofcourage,resilienceandemotionalself-restraint,therewasanothersidetoBillBeckett.Inhislatetwenties,asthesonofaprosperousProtestantfamily,Billhad

falleninlovewithEvaMurphy,thedaughterofaprominentCatholicbusinessman.Bothfamilieswereappalledattheprospectofamarriage,andthe

girlwasforcedtorenounceherloverathermother’sdeathbedandhastily

marriedofftoanelderlyCatholicsurgeon(seeCronin6).BilllapsedintowhatwouldnowbecalleddepressionandwasadmittedtotheAdelaideHospitalwith

pneumonia,wherehewasnursedbyatall,thin,seriousandpracticalgirl,MariaRoe,knownasMay,andtheyweremarriedwithinayear.ButaccordingtoMary

Manning,aclosechildhoodfriendofBeckett’s,Bill‘nevergotover’hisfirstlove(Knowlson13).Bycontrastwiththemorefamiliarimageofhismanlybonhomie,thisstorywouldhaveleftaprofoundimpressionofmasculinevulnerabilityand

lastinghurt,thoughitisneverdirectlyevokedinBeckett’swriting.

MayBeckett(1871-1950)camefromaonce-wealthyCountyKildarefamilythat

fellonhardtimes,andwhenherfather,SamuelRobinsonRoe,diedwhenMaywasfifteen,thefamilywasinsuchfinancialstraitsthatshehad‘gonenursing’to

easetheburden.Thoughanill-sortedcouple,Billwasseenasagoodmatchand

theyweremarriedon31August1901.ThehouseBillBeckettbuiltforhisnewbride,Cooldrinagh,inthefashionablesuburbofFoxrock,wasathree-storey

Tudorhomewithtenniscourt,croquetlawn,summerhouse,stablesandextensivelawnsandgardens.Maywasofapuritanicalbutalsorather‘mercurial’

temperament,‘extremelystrictanddemanding’,witharigidsenseofdecorum

andafiercetemper,butalsocapableof‘acerbicwit’,andevenmomentsofelationthatcontrastedforciblywithherperiodsof‘darkdepression’andself-

imposedisolation(Knowlson5).Shewasthreatenedwithexpulsionduringher

conventschooldaysfortalkingtoaboyoverthebackwall,anepisodeshesometimesreferredtoasamarriedwoman,andofwhichsheseemedrather

proud(Cronin8).Inhermarriedlife,however,shedisplayedtheintolerantperfectionismofthereligioustemperament,and,asCroninobserves,despite

Beckett’sclaimtohavelittlesympathywiththisoutlook,hewould‘inheritthisextremismratherthanhisfather’sadaptabilityandmoderation’(Cronin13).

Beckett’srelationshipwithhismother—‘Iamwhathersavagelovinghasmademe’heconfidedtohisfriendTomMcGreevy(Letters552)—isasourceof

constantdisputeinBeckettstudies.‘YoumightsayIhadahappychildhood’,Beckettoncesaid,‘althoughIhadlittletalentforhappiness.Myparentsdid

everythingthattheycouldtomakeachildhappy.ButIwasoftenlonely.WewerebroughtuplikeQuakers.Myfatherdidnotbeatme,nordidmymotherrunawayfromhome’(Reid64;qtdinBair13).Bairastutelydetectsaslymessage

here:forasthemarriageprogressed,Beckett’sfatherwasincreasinglyaway

fromhome,spendinghiseveningsintheclubandhisweekendswalkinginthehills,whilehismotheralmostcertainlybeathim,thoughhowfiercelyandhow

oftenisasignificantpointofvariancebetweenBair’sandKnowlson’saccounts(Bair13;Knowlson19-20).Whateverformtheytook,May’sfrequent

punishmentsseemonlytohaveingrainedmoredeeplyherson’srebelliousand

risk-takingtemperament(Knowlson21-2).However,althoughshesternlydisapprovedofherson’sartisticambitionsandbohemianlifestyle,andtheyhad

blazingrowswheneverduringhisadultlifehestayedatCooldrinagh,she

supportedhimfinanciallyandpaidforhistwo-yearcourseofintensivepsychoanalysis,agenerousactforsomeoneofherreligiousconvictionsand

socialmores.

Nevertheless,goingbythe primafacieevidenceofBeckett’swork,motherfigures

areoftentreatedwithhostilityandaggression,sometimesofanextraordinarilyviolentnature.Thoughitwouldbewrongtoreadthisasstraightforwardly

autobiographical,itwouldbeequallydisingenuoussimplytofollowMolloy’sadvice‘ifyoudon’tmindwe’llleavemymotheroutofallthis’(Trilogy 56).This

phraseisofcourseanallusiontoFreud’sfamousformulationinhisessay,‘Negation’:‘“Youaskwhothispersoninthedreamcanbe.It’snot mymother”.Weemendthisto:“Soitishismother”’(Freud437).

PhilBaker’swonderfulstudyBeckettandtheMythologyofPsychoanalysis(1997)convincinglyshowed,beforeBeckett’snotesbecameavailabletoscholars,how

wellinformedBeckettwasaboutpsychoanalytictheory.Inparticular,Beckett’suseofthemessuchasbirthtraumaandtheOedipuscomplexaresoovertthat

theybecome‘notunconscioussymbolswhichneedtobedeciphered,but

quotationsof“unconscioussymbols”whichoperateonaconsciousthematiclevelandneedtoberecognised’(xvi).Thisknowingnesspresentsenormous

problemsforautobiographicalandespeciallypsychoanalyticreadingsofBeckett’swork.ForBaker,Beckett’s‘hostiledialoguewithpsychoanalysis’(4)

focuses‘particularaggressionononespecifictenet:theformativeeffectof

childhoodontheadult’(18).So,intermsofmaternalaggression,therepressedmaterialispresentedinplainview,withnoattemptatdenial,‘turningthetext

insideoutinawaywhich,farfrombeinghelpfultotheFreudianreader,pre-

emptsthiskindofpsychoanalyticreading’(16-7).IninterpretingtheinfluenceofBeckett’schildhoodcontextonhiswork,weshouldbeconsciousthatBeckett’s

treatmentofchildhoodofteninvolvessignificantexaggeration,distortion,inversionandirony.Intermsoftheschemaoutlinedabove,whatispresented

mostovertlyisoftencarefullycraftedtomisleadandfrustratethepsycho-biographicalreader.

BeckettinContext

Bair’sbiographyrelatedachildhoodincident(toldbyBeckett’scousinMollieRoe)whereBecketttormentedhismotherbyclimbingtothetopofafirtreeand

throwinghimselfofftobecaughtbythelowerbranches.ThesceneisreproducedinCompany (NohowOn14-15),writtenafewyearsafterBair’s

biographywaspublished,leadingBairtowonder‘iftheworkhadtrulysprungfromBeckett’screativevisionorifhemighthavebeenplayingajokeonhisbiographerandhervisionofhislife’(Bair,‘Preface’,xiii).Thisdichotomyseemsa

falseone,however;thestructureofCompanyinsiststhatmemoriesare

ultimatelynomorethanstories,andwhetherone’sownorothers’isultimatelyundecidable:‘Repeatedlywithonlyminorvariantsthesamebygone.Asifwilling

himbythisdinttomakeithis.Toconfess.Yes,Iremember’(NohowOn10).

Fromtheageoffiveuntilnine,BeckettattendedakindergartennearFoxrockrun

bytheElsnersisters;memoriesofthesisters,theircookHannahandtheirdogZulureappearinMolloy(Knowlson24-5).FromageninetothirteenBeckett

caughtthe‘DublinSlowandEasy’fromFoxrocktoHarcourtStreetStationin

Dublin,whereheattendedalargerschoolatEarlsfortHouse(Knowlson30-36);detailsofthistrainjourneyandthetwostationsrecurmanytimesinBeckett’s

works,mostnotablyin AllThatFall andWatt (seeKnowlson30-1).

Portora

BeckettattendedPortoraRoyalSchool,Enniskillen,fromEasterterm1920,whenhewasfourteen,untilthelatterhalfof1923,whenheenteredTrinity

College,Dublin.AprimaryreasonforsendingfirstFrankandthenSamto

boardingschoolwas,inBeckett’sownwords,‘togetusawayfromtheTroubles’(KnowlsonandKnowlson21).Beckettrememberedbeingtakenbyhisfather,

onenightduringtheEasterRisingin1916,uptheGlencullenroadtoaspotwheretheycouldseetheflames,aneventBeckettlaterrecalledwithhorror.

Overtheensuingweeks,listsofrebelsexecutedinsecretbytheBritishappeared

dailyintheDublinpapers(seeGordon12-22);inJamesStephens’memorablewords,‘itwaslikewatchingbloodseepingfromunderalockeddoor’(Cronin

36).GerryDukesnotesthattherewere23separateholdupsbyRepublicanirregularsorcriminalsontheDublin‘SlowandEasy’lineinthecourseofthe

Troubles(Dukes18).

PortorawasaschoolontheEnglishpublicschoolmodel,renownedas‘tough’,

andoffering‘thepredictablepackageofdiscipline,prayers,bullying,and

appallingfood,butalsoasoundeducation’(AckerleyandGontarski450).Oftenreferredtoasthe‘EtonofIreland’,theschool’ssongwasFloreatPortora,sungto

thesametuneasFloreatEtona.Atthetimeitwasaschoolof120pupils,mostlyboarders,whoresidedintheschool’simposing,square-setGeorgianbuildings,

highonahilloverlookingEnniskillenandLoughErne.

PortoraRoyalSchoolwasfoundedunderthetermsofadecreeissuedbyJamesI

ofEnglandin1608,accordingtowhich‘thereshallbeafreeschoolatleastin

eachcounty,appointedfortheeducationofyouthinlearningandreligion’(Portora).Portora’swebsitewrylynotesthat,althoughthedecreeintended

RoyalSchoolstobebuiltinthe‘countytowns’,‘atthetimeoftheproclamation

CountyFermanaghhadnotowntowhichthedescription“county”couldbeapplied,infactitcouldbesaidthatthecountyhadnosettlementstowhichthe

description“town”couldbeapplied’(Portora).Theoriginalschoolwasthereforeestablishedin1618atthevillageofBallybalfour,15milesfromEnniskillen.

Ballybalfour’sawkwardroleinservingasa‘countytown’,withoutanyclaimtoeitherofthesetitles,cannotbutrecallMoran’sdescriptionofthe‘Molloycountry’centredonBally(fromtheGaelicbailefor‘town’or‘village’),

comprising‘asettlement,dignifiedbysomewiththenameofmarket-town,by

othersregardedasnomorethanavillage,andthesurroundingcountry’(Trilogy 134).MorangoesonexplainthesystemwherebythetermsBally,Ballyba,and

Ballybabadesignate,respectively,thetown,thetownincludingitsenvirons,andtheenvironsexclusiveofthetown.IntransformingBallybalfourintoBallybaba,

BeckettseemstohavedrawnonthisfragmentofPortoranfolklore.

Beckettexcelledattheschoolinsportingpursuits—cricket,rugby,swimming

andboxing—butasPortora’sarchivistDavidRobertsonnotes,his‘academic

attainmentatPortorawasbelowhistruepotential’,notingthatwhenheleftforTrinityin1923,fourofhiscontemporarieshadwonawards,butnotBeckett

(Robertson).Hisnamedoesnotfeatureonthescrollofacademicprize-winnerswiththenow-restorednameofOscarWilde,boarderfrom1864to1872,whose

namewasremovedafterhisconvictionforhomosexualoffencesin1895(Cronin

Beckett’sconcentrationonsportingratherthanacademicachievementwasnotatypical.A1910reportbytheIntermediateEducationBoardnotedthat

‘Attentiontosportingactivitiesappearedtohavebeentothedetrimentofacademicinterests’(Portora).Beckettmadetheschool’scricketFirstXIinhisfirstyear,distinguishinghimself,accordingtotheschoolmagazine,as‘an

attractivebatsman’,‘goodfield’,anda‘verygoodmedium-pacedbowlerwitha

sharpbreak-back’.Heplayedhalfbackintherugbysidefromhisfirstyearandin1923wascaptainoftheFirstXV,‘blindwithouthisspectacles,butboldasalion

inthescrum’asrecalledbyDouglasGraham,acontemporaryandlaterheadmasteroftheschool(Peterkin).Hewasalsoamemberoftheschool’s

swimmingteamandtheschool’slight-heavyweightboxingchampion.Thereare

almostnoreferencestocricket,rugby,boxingorswimminginBeckett’swriting.

Beckettappearstohavefittedinreasonablywellattheschool.Asaboarder(ratherthanoneofthedespised‘daydogs’),asuccessfulsportsman,andwithan

olderbrotherwhowasaprefectandcaptainofthecricketFirstXI,Beckett’s

socialstatusintheschoolhierarchywouldhavebeensecure.Nevertheless,Beckett’sschoolmatesrememberhimasmoodyandwithdrawn;photographs

typicallyshowhimwithhisheadslightlyloweredinadisdainfulscowl,

gloweringbehindhisspectacles.Knowlsonreportsthatduringhisfirstterm,BeckettwasbulliedinthelibrarybyagangledbyaboycalledClark;Beckett,

whohadaviolenttemper,lashedoutattheringleader;havinglearntboxingatEarlsfortHouseandbeingslightlyheavierthanClark,Beckettgavehimasavage

beating.Afterthathewasleftalone(Knowlson38).

BeckettinContext

Althoughtheschoolwasmoreinclinedtoreward‘physicaldistinctiononthe

playingfieldandknightlinessexpressedthroughtheconceptof“fairplay”’(Cronin40),italsoaccordedacertainprestigetointellectualachievement.The

thenheadmasterE.G.Sealeawardedagoldmedaleachyeartothewinnerofanessaycompetition,anhonourwhichBeckettwonthreetimes.Itisnotknown

whetherBeckettcontributedtotheschoolmagazinePortora,althoughasonnetaboutaschoolperformanceofHaydn’sToySymphony,signed‘JohnPeel’,showssomefeaturesofBeckett’sstyleandevenincludesareferencetoDante

(reproducedinO’Brien119).BothSamandhisbrotherFrankwereunusual

amongtheirschoolfellowsintakingpianolessons,andSamwasrememberedforbeingword-perfectacrosstherangeofGilbertandSullivanoperas.Hewasalsoa

keenchessandbridgeplayer,participatedintheschooldebatingsocietyandwasanassistanttotheschoollibrarian.Inshort,heseemstohaveparticipatedacross

therangeofactivitiesonoffer.

Althoughneverinserioustrouble,Beckettwasrebelliousbyinclinationandwas

aringleaderinseveralpranks.Glimpsesofthisappearinthecharacterisationof

SapoinMaloneDies:‘Heboxedandwrestledwell,wasfleetoffoot,sneeredathisteachersandsometimesevengavethemimpertinentanswers’(190).Oneofthe

teacherswholeftalastingimpressionwasthescienceandmathematicsmasterW.N.Tetley,whomBeckettparticularlyloathed.GeoffreyThompsonremembers

BeckettdrawinglewdcaricaturesofTetley,hisfacepeeringrightsideupfrom

betweenhisbuttocks,andcasuallyallowingTetleytodiscoverthem,astreakofmaliciousdaringthatshockedhisclassmates(seeBair32-4).Tetleyisthe

primarysubjectofthe1930poem‘ForFutureReference’—‘thatlittlebullet-headedbristle-cropped/red-facedratofapuremathematician’—(quotedin

Harvey299-301),indicatingthatBeckett’santagonismwelloutlivedPortora(seeCronin45-7).EoinO’Brienevenspeculates(116)thatTetleymayhavecontributedtothecreationofBasilinTheUnnamable:‘Oneinparticular,BasilI

thinkhewascalled,filledmewithhatred.Withoutopeninghismouth,fastening

onmehiseyeslikecinderswithalltheirseeing,hechangedmealittlemoreeachtimeintowhathewantedmetobe’(Trilogy 300).

AnothermemorableepisodeconcernedThomasTackaberry,ahopeless

disciplinarianwho,thoughinhisfifties,wasstillajuniormaster.Oneevening,

whenitwasTackaberry’sturntosupervisetheevening‘prep’inthestudyhall,Beckettandafellowstudentorchestratedaconcertof‘TheSingularSing-Song

Singers’.Havingdistributedasong-listbeforehand,onasignalfromBecketttheassembly‘spontaneously’burstintoaseriesofsongs.Tackaberry,spotting

Beckettastheringleader,descendedonhimandbegantorainblowsonhishead

withhisfists.Beckettputuphisguarduntilthebeatingstoppedandthenretorted:‘Whydon’tyouhitsomeoneyourownsize!’Theeffectwasdevastating:

Tackaberrywalkedbacktohisdais,puthisheadinhishandsandstartedto

weep.‘TothinkI’vecometothis’,hemoaned,‘aconvenientpiss-potforthewholeschool!’(Knowlson44-5).Alongwithhisaloofnessandsenseof

superiority,therewasastreakofaggressionandevencrueltyintheyoungerBeckettthatoccasionallyfindsexpressioninhiswriting,especiallyinearly

workssuchasDreamandMurphy .

ThoughheoftensaidhistimeatPortorawasthelastperiodofhappinessfor

yearstocome,Beckettretainednoaffectionfortheschool.Thoughoneschoolmate,GeoffreyThompson,becamealifelongfriend,Beckettdroppedall

tieswiththeschool,andlateroverturesforrecognitionwereignored.EoinO’Brien’smeticulousdocumentationofBeckett’sIrishbackgroundisforcedto

concedethat‘therearefewreferencesinSamuelBeckett’swritingstotheinstitutesinwhichhereceivedhiseducation’(O’Brien111).IndeedtheprincipalliterarylegacyofPortoraseemstohavebeenahandfulofnames;G.T.Bor

becamesurgeonBorin‘ACaseinaThousand’;E.P.Mahoodlenthisnametothe

unfortunatepupilinTheUnnamable,whilebothMercierandCamierdrewtheirnamesfromOldPortorans.

WhatBeckettseemstohaveretainedfromPortora(whetherornothehadit

before)isself-discipline,physicaltoughness,self-reliance,andamanlycodeof

‘truth-telling,trustworthinessandfairplay’(Cronin40).Whathedidnotretain,ashisbrotherFrankdidandashismotherwouldhavewished,wasreligious

faith:‘Mymotherandbrothergotnovaluefromtheirreligionwhentheydied’,

Beckettlatercommented.‘Atthemomentofcrisisithadnomoredepththananoldschooltie’(Driver244).

ThelegacyofPortora,thoughshortondetail,coalescesintwoimportantthemes

inBeckett’swork:ahatredofmindlesseducationalmethodsbasedoncoercion,

andarejectionoftheconventionalvaluestheyuphold.AccordingtoD.B.McNeill,acontemporaryofBeckett’s,theboyslearntlargeslabsofLatinbyOvid,Cicero

andVirgilbyheart,mainlytakenfromKennedy’sLatinPrimer ,thebookfavouredbythethenheadmasterE.G.Seale(Green).‘Andoutitallpoursunchanged,’says

theUnnamable,‘Ihaveonlytobelchtobesureofhearingthem,thesameoldsourteachingsIcan’tchangeatittleof.Aparrot,that’swhatthey’reupagainst’(Trilogy338).Anespeciallyimportantthemeisthatofthepensum,‘apieceof

schoolworkimposedasapunishment’(OED):‘ifIhaveapensumtoperformitis

becauseIcouldnotsaymylesson,and…whenIhavefinishedmypensumIshallstillhavemylessontosay,beforeIhavetherighttostayquietinmycorner’

(Trilogy 313).

Thedisreputablebehaviouroftheinsubordinatesonandpupilwhoinsistson

thinkingandactingforhimselfbecomesacentralfigureinsomeofBeckett’smostmemorablewriting(seeforinstanceTrilogy 25).Oneshouldnotexpect,

therefore,tofindMolloy’snameamongthelistsofOldPortorans;‘thedanger’,asBeckettwroteinhisfirstpieceofliterarycriticism,‘isintheneatnessof

identifications’(Disjecta19).Itisratherinthediffuseresonances,theghostly

after-imagesandpointedlacunae,notthedetails,thatthecontoursofBeckett’schildhoodandschooldaysaretobediscerned.

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russellsmith_childhood_portora.pdf

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