Article #334-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Episodes in Van Bibber's Life, by Richard Harding Davis

There is perhaps only one other place as feverish as it is behind the
scenes on the first night of a comic opera, and that is a newspaper
office on the last night of a Presidential campaign, when the returns
are being flashed on the canvas outside, and the mob is howling, and
the editor-in-chief is expecting to go to the Court of St. James if the
election comes his way, and the office-boy is betting his wages that it
won't.

Such nights as these try men's souls; but Van Bibber passed the
stage-door man with as calmly polite a nod as though the piece had been
running a hundred nights, and the manager was thinking up souvenirs for
the one hundred and fiftieth, and the prima donna had, as usual, begun
to hint for a new set of costumes. The stage-door keeper hesitated and
was lost, and Van Bibber stepped into the unsuppressed excitement of
the place with a pleased sniff at the familiar smell of paint and
burning gas, and the dusty odor that came from the scene-lofts above.

For a moment he hesitated in the cross-lights and confusion about him,
failing to recognize in their new costumes his old acquaintances of the
company; but he saw Kripps, the stage-manager, in the centre of the
stage, perspiring and in his shirt-sleeves as always, wildly waving an
arm to some one in the flies, and beckoning with the other to the
gasman in the front entrance. The stage hands were striking the scene
for the first act, and fighting with the set for the second, and
dragging out a canvas floor of tessellated marble, and running a throne
and a practical pair of steps over it, and aiming the high quaking
walls of a palace and abuse at whoever came in their way.

Explanation

**Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Episodes in Van Bibber’s Life by Richard Harding Davis**

Context of the Work

Episodes in Van Bibber’s Life (1892) is a collection of short stories by Richard Harding Davis, a prominent American journalist, war correspondent, and fiction writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The stories follow Van Bibber, a wealthy, sophisticated, and somewhat cynical young man who navigates high society, romance, and adventure with wit and nonchalance. Davis, known for his sharp social observations and vivid descriptive prose, often explored themes of class, masculinity, and the performative nature of society—both in elite circles and in the chaotic worlds of theater and politics.

This excerpt opens one of the stories (likely "The First Night"), capturing the backstage chaos of a comic opera’s premiere, a setting Davis uses to contrast Van Bibber’s cool composure with the frantic energy around him. The passage is rich in sensory detail, irony, and social commentary, offering a snapshot of both the theatrical world and the psychological tension of high-stakes moments.

Themes in the Excerpt

Performative Composure vs. Chaos
- The excerpt juxtaposes Van Bibber’s calm demeanor with the frenetic backstage atmosphere. While others are in a state of panic (the stagehands, the manager, the prima donna’s implied diva behavior), Van Bibber moves with effortless polish, suggesting his mastery over social performance.
- This reflects a broader theme in Davis’s work: the mask of sophistication that elite men like Van Bibber wear, even in chaotic or absurd situations.
The Theater as a Microcosm of Society
- The backstage of a comic opera serves as a metaphor for social and political performance. The first night of a show is as high-pressure as a Presidential election night (a comparison Davis makes in the opening lines), reinforcing the idea that both theater and politics are staged spectacles where success depends on managing perception.
- The stage-door keeper’s hesitation (and subsequent "loss") implies that access to this world is guarded, much like elite social circles.
Class and Insider Knowledge
- Van Bibber’s familiarity with the smells, sounds, and rituals of the theater marks him as an insider, someone who belongs in these rarefied spaces. His pleased sniff at the paint and burning gas suggests a connoisseur’s appreciation for the gritty, unglamorous reality behind the spectacle.
- The office boy betting his wages (in the election analogy) contrasts with the editor-in-chief’s ambitions for diplomatic glory, highlighting class divisions in both theater and politics.
The Illusion of Control
- The stage manager (Kripps) is in shirt-sleeves, perspiring, and wildly gesturing, symbolizing the desperate effort to maintain order in a inherently chaotic environment. Yet, his authority is performative—he is just another part of the machine.
- The set changes (marble floors, thrones, quaking walls) are flimsy constructions, reinforcing the idea that power and prestige are often illusions, propped up by quick fixes and improvisation.

Literary Devices & Stylistic Analysis

Extended Analogy (Presidential Election Night)
- The opening sentence compares the backstage of a comic opera to a newspaper office on election night, linking theatrical performance to political theater.
- Both settings are high-stakes, public-facing spectacles where outcomes are uncertain, and emotions run high. This analogy sets up the tension between appearance and reality that runs through the passage.
Sensory Imagery
- Davis immerses the reader in the backstage world through olfactory (smell), visual, and auditory details:
  - "Familiar smell of paint and burning gas" → Evokes the gritty, industrial side of theater.
  - "Dusty odor from the scene-lofts" → Suggests age, decay, and the hidden labor behind the glamour.
  - "Cross-lights and confusion" → Creates a disorienting, chaotic atmosphere.
  - "High quaking walls of a palace" → The physical instability of the sets mirrors the instability of the performance itself.
Irony & Understatement
- Van Bibber’s calm nod to the stage-door man is ironic because the situation is anything but calm. His nonchalance contrasts with the frantic activity around him, emphasizing his detached sophistication.
- The prima donna’s "usual" hints for new costumes is a wry jab at diva behavior, suggesting that even in chaos, some things never change.
Kinetic, Fast-Paced Prose
- The long, breathless sentences (e.g., "The stage hands were striking the scene for the first act, and fighting with the set for the second, and dragging out a canvas floor...") mimic the hurried, overlapping actions of the backstage crew.
- The use of present participles ("striking," "fighting," "dragging") creates a sense of ongoing motion, reinforcing the chaos.
Symbolism of the Sets
- The tessellated marble floor, throne, and palace walls are symbols of false grandeur—flimsy constructions that look impressive but are easily moved or broken.
- The "practical pair of steps" is a grounding detail, reminding the reader that even in fantasy, functionality is necessary.

Significance of the Passage

Characterization of Van Bibber
- Van Bibber is the epitome of the "cool" aristocrat—unfazed by chaos, privy to hidden worlds, and master of social performance. His calm entrance into the madness marks him as both an insider and an observer, a man who participates but remains detached.
- His pleasure in the familiar smells suggests a nostalgic or ironic appreciation for the artifice of high society and theater.
Social Commentary on Performance & Power
- The excerpt critiques the performative nature of elite spaces, whether in theater, politics, or high society. The backstage is a metaphor for the "behind-the-scenes" of power—where illusions are constructed, and control is tenuous.
- The comparison to election night implies that politics, like theater, is a staged event where outcomes are uncertain, and emotions are manipulated.
Realism vs. Romanticism
- Davis blends realistic detail (the smells, the sweat, the shouting) with a romanticized view of sophistication (Van Bibber’s effortless charm). This duality reflects the tension in Gilded Age America between gritty reality and aspirational glamour.
Foreshadowing & Dramatic Tension
- The chaos of the first night sets up potential conflict—will the show succeed? Will Van Bibber’s composure be tested? The unstable sets and frantic crew suggest that something could go wrong, creating narrative tension.

Conclusion: Why This Passage Matters

This excerpt is a masterclass in atmospheric writing, using vivid imagery, sharp social observation, and kinetic prose to immerse the reader in a world of controlled chaos. Van Bibber’s calm demeanor amid the storm encapsulates the central theme of performance—both in theater and in life—where success depends on maintaining the illusion of control.

Davis’s comparison to a Presidential election night elevates the scene beyond mere backstage comedy, framing it as a microcosm of power, perception, and the fragile constructions of society. The passage critiques the artifice of elite worlds while also celebrating the skill of those who navigate them with grace—embodied perfectly in Van Bibber’s polite nod and pleased sniff.

Ultimately, the excerpt invites the reader to question: How much of life is a performance? And who are the real masters of the stage?

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s comparison of the comic opera’s first night to a Presidential election night serves primarily to:

A. underscore the triviality of artistic endeavors in contrast to the gravitas of political events.
B. expose the performative and precarious nature of power structures in both theater and politics.
C. highlight the shared emotional exhaustion of participants in high-stakes, public-facing roles.
D. critique the class divisions between laborers (stagehands, office boys) and decision-makers (editors, managers).
E. suggest that both settings are ultimately governed by chaos, rendering human agency irrelevant.

Question 2

Van Bibber’s "pleased sniff at the familiar smell of paint and burning gas" most strongly implies that he:

A. derives voyeuristic pleasure from observing the suffering of the underpaid stage crew.
B. is momentarily transported to a nostalgic memory of his own failed theatrical ambitions.
C. takes connoisseur-like satisfaction in the unglamorous, mechanical underpinnings of spectacle.
D. uses olfactory stimulation as a coping mechanism to suppress his underlying stage fright.
E. is secretly disdainful of the opera’s production values but masks it with performative enthusiasm.

Question 3

The "high quaking walls of a palace" are most effectively interpreted as a symbol of:

A. the fragility of monarchical systems in an era of democratic upheaval.
B. the stagehands’ physical exhaustion manifesting in the instability of the set.
C. the prima donna’s diva-like demands for increasingly grandiose stage designs.
D. the flimsy, constructed nature of power and prestige in both theater and society.
E. the director’s avant-garde aesthetic choices, which deliberately undermine realism.

Question 4

The stage-door keeper’s hesitation and subsequent "loss" to Van Bibber’s calm nod functions in the passage as:

A. a microcosm of the broader power dynamics between insiders and outsiders in elite spaces.
B. an illustration of Van Bibber’s supernatural ability to manipulate others through hypnosis.
C. a comic relief moment that temporarily alleviates the tension of the backstage chaos.
D. evidence of the keeper’s professional incompetence, which will later cause the production’s failure.
E. a narrative device to foreshadow Van Bibber’s eventual downfall due to overconfidence.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the passage’s overarching tone toward the backstage world it depicts?

A. Uncritical reverence for the romanticized chaos of artistic creation.
B. Cynical disdain for the pettiness of those who participate in frivolous spectacles.
C. Detached amusement at the absurdity of human efforts to impose order on entropy.
D. Melancholic nostalgia for a bygone era of theater before commercialization corrupted it.
E. Ironic appreciation for the skillful performance of composure amid inherent instability.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: B

Why B is most correct: The passage explicitly links the backstage of a comic opera to a Presidential election night, two scenarios where outcomes are uncertain, emotions are heightened, and performances are staged for public consumption. Both settings involve power structures that are performative and precarious—the editor-in-chief’s ambitions depend on election results, just as the opera’s success depends on the illusion of seamlessness. The comparison critiques how authority and prestige are constructed spectacles, not inherent truths. This aligns with Davis’s broader thematic concern with theatricality in social and political power.