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Excerpt from Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia, by Samuel Johnson
RASSELAS was written by Samuel Johnson in the year 1759, when his age was
fifty. He had written his London in 1738; his Vanity of Human Wishes
in 1740; his Rambler between March, 1750, and March, 1752. In 1755 his
Dictionary had appeared, and Dublin, by giving him its honorary LL.D.,
had enabled his friends to call him “Doctor” Johnson. His friends were
many, and his honour among men was great. He owed them to his union of
intellectual power with unflinching probity. But he had worked hard,
battling against the wolf without, and the black dog within—poverty and
hypochondria. He was still poor, though his personal wants did not
exceed a hundred pounds a year. His wife had been seven years dead, and
he missed her sorely. His old mother, who lived to the age of ninety,
died poor in January of this year, 1759. In her old age, Johnson had
sought to help her from his earnings. At her death there were some
little debts, and there were costs of burial. That he might earn enough
to pay them he wrote Rasselas.
Rasselas was written in the evenings of one week, and sent to press
while being written. Johnson earned by it a hundred pounds, with
twenty-five pounds more for a second edition. It was published in March
or April; Johnson never read it after it had been published until more
than twenty years afterwards. Then, finding it in a chaise with Boswell,
he took it up and read it eagerly.
This is one of Johnson’s letters to his mother, written after he knew
that her last illness had come upon her. It is dated about ten days
before her death. The “Miss” referred to in it was a faithful friend.
“Miss” was his home name for an affectionate step-daughter, Lucy Porter:—
Explanation
Explanation of the Excerpt from Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia by Samuel Johnson
Context of the Excerpt
The provided passage is not an excerpt from Rasselas itself but rather a biographical and historical introduction to the work, likely written by an editor or critic (possibly from an early edition or a literary commentary). It offers crucial context about Samuel Johnson’s life, his motivations for writing Rasselas, and the circumstances surrounding its composition.
Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia (1759) is a philosophical tale—a blend of fiction and moral reflection—written in the tradition of Voltaire’s Candide (1759) and Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. It follows the journey of Prince Rasselas and his companions as they search for the "choice of life" (i.e., the best way to live) but ultimately find that human happiness is elusive. The work is deeply influenced by Johnson’s melancholic worldview, his struggles with depression ("the black dog"), and his preoccupation with the futility of human desires.
Detailed Breakdown of the Excerpt
1. Johnson’s Literary Career and Reputation (First Paragraph)
"RASSELAS was written by Samuel Johnson in the year 1759, when his age was fifty. He had written his London in 1738; his Vanity of Human Wishes in 1740; his Rambler between March, 1750, and March, 1752. In 1755 his Dictionary had appeared, and Dublin, by giving him its honorary LL.D., had enabled his friends to call him 'Doctor' Johnson."
Literary Achievements Before Rasselas:
- London (1738) – A satirical poem imitating Juvenal, critiquing urban corruption.
- The Vanity of Human Wishes (1749) – Another Juvenalian satire, exploring the emptiness of worldly ambitions.
- The Rambler (1750–52) – A series of moral and literary essays, establishing Johnson as a leading intellectual.
- A Dictionary of the English Language (1755) – A monumental scholarly work that cemented his reputation.
Title of "Doctor" Johnson:
- Though he lacked a formal university degree, Trinity College Dublin awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) in 1765 (the excerpt mistakenly says 1755). This allowed his friends to call him "Dr. Johnson," a title by which he is still known.
Significance:
- The passage establishes Johnson as a prolific and respected writer before Rasselas, reinforcing that the work was not a fluke but part of a larger intellectual project on human nature.
2. Johnson’s Personal Struggles (Second Paragraph)
"He owed them to his union of intellectual power with unflinching probity. But he had worked hard, battling against the wolf without, and the black dog within—poverty and hypochondria. He was still poor, though his personal wants did not exceed a hundred pounds a year. His wife had been seven years dead, and he missed her sorely."
"The Wolf Without and the Black Dog Within":
- "The wolf without" = poverty (Johnson struggled financially for much of his life).
- "The black dog" = depression (a phrase Johnson popularized to describe his chronic melancholy).
- This dual struggle shaped his pessimistic yet morally rigorous worldview, which permeates Rasselas.
Financial Hardship:
- Despite his fame, Johnson lived modestly, needing only £100 a year (a small sum even then).
- His wife, Elizabeth "Tetty" Johnson, had died in 1752, leaving him grief-stricken.
Connection to Rasselas:
- The novel’s themes of disillusionment and the search for meaning reflect Johnson’s own personal despair and his skepticism about human happiness.
3. The Immediate Motive for Writing Rasselas (Third Paragraph)
"His old mother, who lived to the age of ninety, died poor in January of this year, 1759. In her old age, Johnson had sought to help her from his earnings. At her death there were some little debts, and there were costs of burial. That he might earn enough to pay them he wrote Rasselas."
Johnson’s Filial Piety:
- His mother, Sarah Johnson, lived to 90 but died in poverty.
- Johnson, despite his own financial struggles, supported her in her final years.
- After her death, he needed money to cover her debts and burial expenses.
Pragmatic Reason for Writing Rasselas:
- Unlike his other works, which were often labors of intellectual passion, Rasselas was written quickly for money.
- This explains its concise, almost fable-like structure—it was composed in one week (January 1759) and sent to the printer while still being written.
Irony:
- A work about the futility of wealth and ambition was itself written to alleviate financial need.
- This tension between philosophical detachment and personal urgency adds depth to the text.
4. The Speed of Composition and Johnson’s Later Reaction (Fourth Paragraph)
"Rasselas was written in the evenings of one week, and sent to press while being written. Johnson earned by it a hundred pounds, with twenty-five pounds more for a second edition. It was published in March or April; Johnson never read it after it had been published until more than twenty years afterwards. Then, finding it in a chaise with Boswell, he took it up and read it eagerly."
Rapid Composition:
- Written in evenings over seven days, the work is tightly structured yet philosophically dense.
- The speed suggests it was not overly polished, yet its moral clarity remains sharp.
Financial Success:
- Earned £100 initially (enough to cover his mother’s debts) and £25 more for a second edition.
- Despite its hasty creation, it became one of Johnson’s most enduring works.
Johnson’s Later Reaction:
- He never reread it for over 20 years, implying detachment—perhaps because it was written under duress.
- When he finally reread it in a carriage with James Boswell (his biographer), he did so "eagerly", suggesting he still found value in it.
Significance:
- The fact that Johnson did not revisit it for decades yet later read it with interest reinforces its timeless relevance—it was not just a quick money-making scheme but a genuine philosophical inquiry.
5. The Letter to His Mother (Final Paragraph)
"This is one of Johnson’s letters to his mother, written after he knew that her last illness had come upon her. It is dated about ten days before her death. The 'Miss' referred to in it was a faithful friend. 'Miss' was his home name for an affectionate step-daughter, Lucy Porter."
Emotional Context:
- The mention of a letter to his dying mother adds a poignant, personal layer to the introduction.
- "Miss" = Lucy Porter, his stepdaughter, who was a close companion after his wife’s death.
Connection to Rasselas:
- The novel’s themes of loss, duty, and the search for consolation may have been influenced by his mother’s death.
- The urgency of writing (to pay for her burial) ties the personal and the philosophical together.
Key Themes in Rasselas (As Hinted by the Excerpt)
While the excerpt itself is biographical, it foreshadows the major themes of Rasselas:
The Vanity of Human Wishes (Futility of Ambition):
- Johnson’s earlier poem (The Vanity of Human Wishes) already explored this, and Rasselas deepens it.
- The prince’s search for the "choice of life" mirrors Johnson’s own disillusionment with worldly success.
Melancholy and the "Black Dog":
- Johnson’s depression seeps into the novel’s pessimistic tone.
- The characters constantly shift from one supposed happiness to another, only to find dissatisfaction.
Poverty vs. Wealth:
- Johnson’s financial struggles inform the novel’s critique of materialism.
- The Happy Valley (where Rasselas starts) is a gilded cage—wealth does not bring fulfillment.
Duty and Filial Love:
- Johnson’s devotion to his mother parallels Rasselas’s sense of obligation (e.g., to his sister Nekayah).
- The novel questions whether duty alone can bring meaning.
The Search for Meaning in a Flawed World:
- The biographical context (Johnson’s grief, poverty, and hypochondria) makes Rasselas not just abstract philosophy but deeply personal.
- The novel’s conclusion—that happiness is unattainable in this life— reflects Johnson’s own struggles.
Literary Devices in Rasselas (Implied by the Excerpt)
While the excerpt itself is expository, it hints at the stylistic and structural choices in Rasselas:
Allegory & Symbolism:
- The Happy Valley = false paradise (like Johnson’s own unfulfilled ambitions).
- The journey outside the valley = search for meaning (like Johnson’s intellectual and emotional struggles).
Irony & Paradox:
- A book about the futility of wealth was written for money.
- A philosophical tale was dashed off in a week yet became enduring wisdom.
Dialogue-Driven Philosophy:
- Rasselas is heavily conversational, with characters debating happiness—likely because Johnson thought through ideas by discussing them (as seen in Boswell’s Life of Johnson).
Fable-Like Structure:
- The rapid composition explains the simple, moralistic plot—it reads like a philosophical parable rather than a complex novel.
Significance of the Excerpt in Understanding Rasselas
Humanizes the Text:
- Knowing Johnson wrote it under financial and emotional pressure makes the novel’s melancholy tone more authentic and urgent.
Explains the Novel’s Brevity & Focus:
- Written in a week, it lacks ornate subplots but cuts straight to existential questions.
Links Johnson’s Life to His Philosophy:
- His personal struggles (depression, poverty, grief) shape the novel’s themes—it’s not just abstract moralizing but hard-won wisdom.
Highlights the Tension Between Art and Necessity:
- Rasselas was both a financial transaction and a literary masterpiece—this duality makes it fascinating as a cultural artifact.
Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters
This biographical introduction is essential for understanding Rasselas because:
- It connects the novel to Johnson’s life, showing how personal suffering shaped his philosophy.
- It explains the work’s origins—written quickly, for money, yet enduring as a classic.
- It reveals the man behind the myth—Johnson was not just a dictionary-writing genius but a struggling, feeling human being.
Rasselas is not just a story about a prince’s quest—it is Johnson’s own grappling with the big questions of life, written in a moment of personal crisis. The excerpt frames the novel as both a literary work and a human document, making it richer and more poignant for modern readers.
Would you like a deeper analysis of a specific passage from Rasselas itself?