James aldridge

_{(b. 1918)}

James Aldridge was born in 1918 in Australia. His father was an editor of the local newspaper James started wor­ king young, first as a messenger boy, then as a correspon­ dent for various Melbourne papers. His youth passed in the stormy years of the economic crisis of the 30s. The economic depression affected his family which could hardly make both ends meet. Aldridge's thirst for knowledge was strong, however, so he managed to graduate from Oxford University. Later he started his career as a London jour­ nalist. The civil war in Spain had a great effect on the formation of Aldridge, the anti-fascist. He wanted to help the Spanish people in their struggle: he graduated from a pilot's school in order to volunteer for the front. Despite all his attempts he was strictly forbidden to do so by the British Government.

During World War II he was a correspondent in many

countries and on many fronts. This helped him to un­ derstand that the popular masses were the decisive force of history. The tragic fate of Greece, sold out by its govern­ ment to the fascist invaders, was of special interest to young Aldridge. He greatly sympathized with the ardent desire of the Greek patriots to set their country free.

His first novel Signed with Their Honour (1943) was followed by The Sea Eagle ( 1944). Both are dedicated to the

struggle of the Greek people against the fascist powers.

5 AHr.llHiiCKaR .IIHreparypa ₁₂₉

SIGNED WITH THEIR HONOUR

Aldridge's first novel Signed With Their Honour ( 1943) touches on the problems of the Greek national strug­ gle and realistically presents the tragic fate of an English pilot who fought in Greece and was killed in battle. The novel already raises the most important problem which will be typical of Aldridge's later work: that of the gradual development of a young intellectual's consciousness.

John Quayle, the main character of the novel, comes with his squadron to Greece in the autumn of 1940. The task of the British air-force is to help the Greek army which is fighting against the joint forces of Italian and German fascists. The prime minister of Greece, Metaxas does not want to resist the Italian army. However, under pressure of the Greek patriots he hesitates to surrender without fight­ ing. The Greek patriots fight heroically, but they are badly equipped. Their leaders, the majority of whom sympathise with the fascists, use every opportunity to hamper their struggle. One of the patriots says: "The Generals are our tragedy" At first the British pilots look upon their task as an ordinary job, an adventure. They are passive and indif­ ferent to the fate of Greece and its people. But gradually the pilots come to understand that the British command is deceiving Greece, that Churchill has no desire to fight against the fascists, for he has plans of his own.

Quayle begins to realize that they have become mere puppets in the hands of high officials. His complete awa­ kening comes, influenced by his love for Helen, the daught­ er of' his friend- an antifascist writer who takes part in the national resistance movement. Quayle understands that the people's courage and strength are capable of changing the outcome of the most hopeless war. The heroic struggle of Greece increases his contempt for his own country. Even his character is changed by the war: a calm, reserved man by nature, he becomes energetic, ready to fight for a just cause. When the Italians fail to occupy Greece in April 1941, the Germans invade it. John Quayle is ordered to fly to Cairo. Helen, his wife, has to stay in Greece, which is occupied by the Germans. In an air battle off the coast of Egypt John's plane is shot down and he dies.

The passage below, taken from Aldridge's novel

5igned With Their Honour, describes the execution of some

1:30

Greek soldiers. This was one of the facts that moved John

Quayle to more serious and mature thoughts.

... Quayle was walking through a rain storm in Janina with Helen towards the hospital when he saw the squad of Greek soldiers being marched through lhe rain. Their coals were undone. They had no hals on. Their heads were shaven. They were grey and without sight, though they looked forward as they walked. Their hands were bound behind their backs with crude rope, and a thick piece of rope strung the nine of them together There were nine other Greeks wilh rifles on !heir shoulders each side escorting them. Neither did !hey see though they looked forward and screwed their eyes up to keep out the beating rain. Quayle asked Helen where they were going. She looked at him and look his arm.

"They are going to be shot", she said.

"Shot? Are they spiPs?" "They shot their officer" "What for "

"They tried him themselves for treachery and shot him. So now they will be shot"

"Where are they taking them?" "Behind the hospital", Helen said. "Christ", he said.

Quayle watched the squad as it moved through the wide river of mud and open space, moving ahead of them lo lhe hospital through the rain. He could see the yellow-brown of the Greek uniforms after !hey had disap­ peared across the wet field behind lhe hospital. When he stood on the steps with Helen he could see them in the dimness. He left her suddenly and quickly, and crossed the field to the stone fence. He saw the Greek soldiers lying hemp around the eyes of the others. He could see they were nul talking, and he could see their grey faces as !hey did it. They lined the nine up, and the nine shuffled awkwardly because they could not see what they were doing, and the firing squad led them by the arm into line in the open field. He saw one fall over and stumble up again. One of the firing squad wiped the mud from his face and pul him in line. He could barely see for the rain. They did not untie the nine's hands. They just stood there in an uneven line and were trying to see death through lhe hemp banda­ ges but only the rain mel their eyes. And they were just out of their mother's wombs.

The strength of the novel lies in showing the transfor­ mation of a thoughtless soldier, ready to fulfil any order, into a man who thinks and who fights against evil.

The name of James Aldridge is inseparable from the

most progressive tendency in post-war English liter­

ature- that of the anticolonial novel.

In the British Empire which had for many years ex­ ploited its colonies, a number of works were published.) dedicated to the colonial problem. The main theme of all these works was the "sacred" mission of the white man to bring civilisation to the coloured peoples. Works by Ru­ dyard Kipling may be considered the best example of all those literary creations. And only after World War II the anticolonial novel gave a new meaning to an old subject. James Aldridge, Basil Davidson, Desmond Stewart, Nor­ man Lewis and others in their works protested against colonialism and oppression, against British imperialism.

Aldridge's novel The Diplomat ( 1949) is one of his best

works. It is a political novel with a philosophical tendency, touching on social conflicts. It tells of the efforts of the British Government to prevent the workers and peasants of Iranian Azerbaijan from setting up an autonomous re­ public as it would be dangerous for British oil interests in the Middle East.

Lord Essex, a British diplomat, is sent to Moscow to

settle the matter A young scientist, McGregor who was brought up in Iran has been appointed to help Essex as he knows Russian and Iranian.

Aldridge draws a brilliant picture of the relations between Essex and McGregor These get worse and worse, as McGregor becomes more and more aware of Essex's imperialist aims.

The portrait of Essex is marvelously accurate. The

writer shows very clearly the real aims of his diplomatic mission, and the way he spins a web of intrigue against the Soviet Union and Iran.

The novel ends with a dramatic debate in the House of Commons, for McGregor has exposed to the world the real aims of Lord Essex's mission. The young scientist comes to the conclusion that the society he lives in is false.

Much attention is paid to portraying the courage of the

Iranian people, fighting for their rights and independence_ The Diplomat has become an important landmark in English literature. In June 1953 the World Peace Council awarded Aldridge a gold medal for this novel. This is a definite acknowledgement of the writer's achievement. In 1964 Heroes of the Empty View was published. The cornerstone of this novel is the problem of the attitude of the English people towards the historical fate of their motherland and the development of the liberation move­

ment in colonial countries.

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The novel I Wish He Would Not Die (1958) is a logical continuation of the previous one (though the subject is quite different). The life story of captain Scott reminds us of the fate of many of Aldridge's heroes. Captain Scott, an English soldier, who lives in the Middle East, and is, in fact, a mouthpiece of British colonial policy, begins to understand its injustice. Gradually he comes to the con­ clusion that he should choose another way, that his duty is to help the oppressed.

A new turn in his problematics can be seen in the novels A Captive in the Land (1962) and The Statesman's Game ( 1966). * They came as a result of the author's desire to tell

the English reader the truth about the Soviet Union, to do

away with his countrymen's prejudice against this

country Rupert Royce, the main character of the novels, gets in touch with Soviet men which makes him meditate upon the essence of the two systems. The change of his attitude towards the Soviet people is clearly seen after his meeting with a Soviet pilot Alexei Vodopyanov Rupert sympathizes with Alexei, as well as he admires Nina, a courageous woman, who stands up to the troubles of her life and work in the North.

From The Statesman's Game the reader learns how

Royce's desire to cooperate with the Soviet country brings

about a discord in his family

In these two novels Aldridge has shown himself to be

a master of political analysis, able to present the most significant forms of thought in contemporary society.

The two works, written in the late 70s, are the story

Soldiers at War and the novel One Last Glimpse (1977).

The peculiarity of the story Soldiers at War lies in the fact, that it is written in the war genre, but in an entirely new manner The principal characters, former pilots of

different nationalities, are now cinema-actors. They are shooting a film about World War II, in which all of them took part. The psychological factor arises because the film

situation corresponds exactly to what took place many

years ago in the war The scene of the battle between the

American and German pilots is played by a real American and a real German. It is here that the author's mastery is obvious in depicting the feelings of the former enemies. For

* Both novels were published iu Russian under lhe lille "CbJH 3CMJIH

4ylKoii".

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a moment both of them forget that they are acting, and think they are still at war

In the novel One Last Glimpse Aldridge surprises the

reader by an entirely new theme and his approach to it. It deals with the relationship of two great American writers, Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, during the 1920s. He sees in their friendship the classical drama of friend­ ship and rivalry. Arguments arise constantly between them as to the aims and forms of literaty creation.

The novelty in form and contents of this work can be found in Aldridge's peculiar approach to the two outstanding American writers.

Aldridge's works arc based on sharply dr;Jolatic si· tuations; they are full of movement and disclose the con­ nections and contradictions of reality

The language of his works is laconic, and at the same time it is expressive and rich. He possesses the gift of an excellent story teller and social commentator With his

perfect ear for dialogue, keen eye for detail, and rich store

of knowledge about British political and social life, Aldridge captures the mood and movement of a certain historical period in English life. His works have been translated into Russian and are highly appreciated by our reading public. The creations of this outstanding realistic artist have an important aesthetic value and manifest the considerable achievements of progressive English litera­ ture.

James Aldridge is among those representatives of English intelligentsia who made an important contribution to the anti-fascist struggle. In May 1973 the Committee for International Lenin Prizes "For the Promotion of Peace Among Nations" awarded J. Aldridge the International Lenin Prize.

I. When did Aldridge"s journalistic career begin? 2. What are the problems raised by Aldridge in his novel Signed with Their Honour?

3. When did !he anticolonial novel appear on the literary scene of t:::ngland? 4. What is the subject of the novel The Diplomat? 5. What is new ahout the theme of One Last Glimpse?