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Excerpt
Excerpt from Allan Quatermain, by H. Rider Haggard
“I have just buried my boy, my poor handsome boy of whom I was so
proud, and my heart is broken. It is very hard having only one son to
lose him thus, but God’s will be done. Who am I that I should complain?
The great wheel of Fate rolls on like a Juggernaut, and crushes us all
in turn, some soon, some late—it does not matter when, in the end, it
crushes us all. We do not prostrate ourselves before it like the poor
Indians; we fly hither and thither—we cry for mercy; but it is of no
use, the black Fate thunders on and in its season reduces us to powder.
“Poor Harry to go so soon! just when his life was opening to him. He
was doing so well at the hospital, he had passed his last examination
with honours, and I was proud of them, much prouder than he was, I
think. And then he must needs go to that smallpox hospital. He wrote to
me that he was not afraid of smallpox and wanted to gain the
experience; and now the disease has killed him, and I, old and grey and
withered, am left to mourn over him, without a chick or child to
comfort me. I might have saved him, too—I have money enough for both of
us, and much more than enough—King Solomon’s Mines provided me with
that; but I said, ‘No, let the boy earn his living, let him labour that
he may enjoy rest.’ But the rest has come to him before the labour. Oh,
my boy, my boy!
“I am like the man in the Bible who laid up much goods and builded
barns—goods for my boy and barns for him to store them in; and now his
soul has been required of him, and I am left desolate. I would that it
had been my soul and not my boy’s!
Explanation
This excerpt from Allan Quatermain (1887) by H. Rider Haggard is a poignant lament from the titular protagonist, Allan Quatermain, a seasoned adventurer and hunter, as he grapples with the death of his only son, Harry. The passage is steeped in grief, existential despair, and philosophical reflection on fate, loss, and the futility of human resistance against inevitable suffering. Below is a detailed breakdown of the text, its themes, literary devices, and significance, with a primary focus on the excerpt itself.
Context of the Excerpt
H. Rider Haggard was a Victorian-era author best known for his adventure novels set in Africa, often blending exploration, imperialism, and supernatural elements. Allan Quatermain (1887) is both a sequel to King Solomon’s Mines (1885) and a prequel, detailing the later years of Quatermain’s life. The novel explores themes of colonialism, fate, mortality, and the cost of ambition, with Quatermain serving as a world-weary narrator whose adventures have left him physically and emotionally scarred.
This particular passage occurs after Harry Quatermain, Allan’s only son, dies from smallpox contracted while working in a hospital. The loss shatters Allan, forcing him to confront the randomness of fate, the fragility of human plans, and the cruelty of a universe indifferent to suffering.
Themes in the Excerpt
The Inevitability of Fate and Suffering
- Quatermain frames life as a "great wheel of Fate" that crushes all humans indiscriminately, comparing it to the Juggernaut—a massive, unstoppable chariot in Hindu mythology that rolls over devotees (and non-devotees alike). This imagery underscores the indifference of destiny: whether one resists (like Westerners) or submits (like the "poor Indians"), the outcome is the same—destruction.
- The repetition of "crushes us all" reinforces the universality of suffering, stripping away any illusion of control.
The Futility of Human Struggle
- Quatermain contrasts Western defiance ("we fly hither and thither—we cry for mercy") with Eastern acceptance ("we do not prostrate ourselves before it like the poor Indians"), but both responses are equally powerless. The "black Fate" (personified as a relentless, deaf force) "thunders on" regardless, reducing all to "powder"—a metaphor for obliteration.
- His grief is compounded by the irony of his son’s death: Harry, who was ambitious, skilled, and on the cusp of a bright future, is struck down by a disease he willingly exposed himself to for experience. This underscores the randomness of tragedy.
Parental Love and the Agony of Loss
- Quatermain’s grief is raw and personal. He repeats "my boy, my boy!"—a cry of unresolved mourning—and dwells on Harry’s potential ("just when his life was opening to him"). The loss is doubly painful because Harry was his only child, leaving him "without a chick or child to comfort me."
- His self-reproach is evident: he had the means to prevent Harry from working ("I might have saved him"), but his belief in self-reliance ("let the boy earn his living") backfired tragically. This reflects a Victorian ideal of hard work clashing with the harsh reality of mortality.
Wealth and Its Meaninglessness
- Quatermain references King Solomon’s Mines, the source of his fortune, but now his wealth is useless—he had "goods" and "barns" (a biblical allusion to Luke 12:16-21, the Parable of the Rich Fool) prepared for Harry, but death renders them void. This echoes the vanity of material success in the face of loss.
- His wish—"I would that it had been my soul and not my boy’s!"—reveals a father’s willingness to trade his own life for his child’s, a sentiment that universalizes his grief.
Existential Despair and Religious Resignation
- The phrase "God’s will be done" is hollow comfort—Quatermain acknowledges divine sovereignty but feels abandoned by it. His tone is bitter rather than submissive, suggesting a crisis of faith.
- The Juggernaut metaphor (a pagan symbol) alongside biblical references ("his soul has been required of him") creates a tension between fate and providence, leaving the reader (and Quatermain) with no clear answer.
Literary Devices
Metaphor and Simile
- "The great wheel of Fate rolls on like a Juggernaut": Compares fate to an unstoppable, destructive force, emphasizing its indifference and power.
- "Reduces us to powder": Suggests total annihilation, stripping away individuality.
- "Black Fate": Personifies fate as dark, ominous, and merciless.
Repetition
- "Crushes us all" (repeated twice): Reinforces the inevitability of suffering.
- "My boy, my boy!": A lamentation, echoing biblical and classical mourning (e.g., David’s cry for Absalom in 2 Samuel 18:33).
Biblical Allusion
- "The man in the Bible who laid up much goods and builded barns": References the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21), where a man hoards wealth but dies before enjoying it. This parallels Quatermain’s futile preparations for Harry’s future.
- "His soul has been required of him": Directly quotes the parable, reinforcing the suddenness and finality of death.
Irony
- Situational Irony: Harry dies pursuing experience (working in a smallpox hospital) that was meant to enrich his life, not end it.
- Dramatic Irony: Quatermain’s wealth from King Solomon’s Mines (a symbol of adventure and success) now feels cursed, as it couldn’t save his son.
Personification
- Fate is given agency: it "thunders on", "crushes", and is deaf to pleas. This makes suffering feel active and malevolent, not passive.
Contrast
- East vs. West: Indians submit to fate; Westerners resist, but both are equally powerless.
- Youth vs. Age: Harry’s vibrant potential ("life was opening to him") vs. Quatermain’s withered old age ("old and grey").
Significance of the Passage
Humanizing the Adventurer
- Quatermain is typically a stoic, rugged hero in Haggard’s novels, but here, he is broken by grief. This moment humanizes him, showing that even the most hardened individuals are vulnerable to loss.
Critique of Victorian Values
- The passage questions Victorian ideals of self-reliance, hard work, and progress. Harry’s death exposes the fragility of these values—his ambition and labor lead only to an early grave.
- The uselessness of wealth challenges the materialism of the era, suggesting that no amount of success can shield one from tragedy.
Existential Reflection
- Quatermain’s grief is not just personal but philosophical. His meditation on fate, suffering, and the meaninglessness of human struggle aligns with existentialist themes (though predating existentialism as a formal movement).
- The Juggernaut metaphor suggests a universe without moral order, where suffering is random and inevitable.
Colonial Undertones
- The comparison between Western resistance and Indian submission to fate can be read as a commentary on colonial attitudes. The West sees itself as active and defiant, while the East is passive and fatalistic—yet both are equally helpless. This subtly undermines colonial superiority.
Universal Grief
- While set in a specific time and place, the passage transcends its context. The pain of losing a child is a timeless, universal experience, making Quatermain’s lament relatable across cultures and eras.
Conclusion: The Weight of the Text
This excerpt is one of the most emotionally powerful moments in Allan Quatermain, stripping away the adventure and excitement to reveal the raw, unfiltered grief of a father. Haggard uses vivid metaphors, biblical allusions, and stark repetition to convey the crushing weight of fate and the futility of human resistance.
Quatermain’s lament is not just about personal loss but about the human condition itself—the randomness of suffering, the illusion of control, and the hollow comfort of faith or wealth in the face of death. His voice is both deeply personal and universally resonant, making this passage a profound meditation on mortality that lingers long after reading.
In the end, the "great wheel of Fate" rolls on, and all we can do—like Quatermain—is mourn, question, and endure.