A Candle for St. Jude by Rumer Godden
"A Candle for St. Jude" by Rumer Godden is a novel centered around Madame Anna Holbein, who has dedicated thirty years to running a ballet school and theater in Hampstead, London. As she prepares for a jubilee celebration coinciding with her own debut's anniversary, she faces a crisis when she finds the final ballet, choreographed by her ambitious pupil Hilda French, unsatisfactory. Despite Hilda's initial resistance, Madame's last-minute decision to revise the ballet leads to tensions among her dancers, particularly with Caroline, her star pupil, and the handsome dancer Lion, who is romantically involved with Hilda. The plot thickens as Madame discovers Hilda's previous work, "Leda and the Swan," which she believes would be the perfect finale.
The narrative explores themes of isolation, particularly through the experiences of Madame and Miss Ilse, who, despite their long residency in England, face cultural dislocation. Godden's work often reflects her interest in the passage of time and the challenges of evolving relationships within artistic communities. Through Madame's struggles with her role as a mentor and the inevitable changes in the ballet world, the novel examines the delicate balance between creativity, ambition, and personal connections. While not regarded as one of Godden's major works, the story encapsulates many of her recurring themes, such as faith, identity, and the complexities of artistic expression.
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Subject Terms
A Candle for St. Jude by Rumer Godden
First published: 1948
Type of work: Moral tale
Themes: The arts, coming-of-age, jobs and work, love and romance, and religion
Time of work: The late 1940’s
Recommended Ages: 15-18
Locale: Holbein Theatre, in Hampstead, London
Principal Characters:
Madame Anna Holbein , the owner of the theater and school, a former prima ballerinaMiss Ilse Holbein , the widow of Anna’s brother and a devout Catholic, who sees to the more practical aspects of running the schoolHilda French , an ambitious and extremely talented young dancer whom Madame does not likeLion , a handsome but shallow former pupil, now with the Metropolitan Company, who falls in love with HildaCaroline , Madame’s favorite pupil and Lion’s partner at the Metropolitan, who, though talented, lacks the artistic genius of Madame and Hilda
The Story
Madame Anna Holbein has been running the ballet school and small theater in Hampstead, London, for thirty years, presenting shows in December and May. This year the spring season coincides with the anniversary of her own debut fifty years earlier. The day before opening night, Madame impetuously decides that she does not like the final ballet scheduled, one called Lyre with Seven Strings and choreographed by one of her pupils, Hilda French. She suggests substantive changes in the piece, but Hilda is ambitious and stubbornly insists that with the proposed changes the work will no longer be her own. Finally persuaded by the young and handsome dancer known as “Lion,” a loyal pupil of Madame who has gone on to the Metropolitan Company and with whom Hilda has fallen in love, Hilda reluctantly agrees to the changes. After seeing the ballet in its new form, however, Madame realizes that the revised version is still unacceptable.
Still with no plans for the final work, Madame is unable to sleep the night before the performance and happens to find a script for a ballet based on the mythological tale of Leda and the Swan. Swept up by the passionate story and its appropriateness for the ballet, Madame is convinced that this work will make the perfect finale for her jubilee celebration. Only later does she notice that this ballet, too, has been created by Hilda. In typical fashion, Madame excitedly commences to prepare everyone for the new ballet on the very day it is to debut. Seeking—indeed demanding—assistance from all around her, Madame embarks on what seems an impossible task. The rare score must be located, the musicians and dancers rehearsed, and the unusual costumes designed and sewn. Even more difficult for Madame is dealing with the inevitable short tempers, emotional outbursts, accusations of favoritism, and rivalries to be expected among a group of egotistical artists under crisis.
Madame’s star pupil, Caroline, has not objected to the presentation of Hilda’s other ballet, because it is inferior and does not challenge her position as prima ballerina. Yet when she sees Hilda and Lion dance Leda and the Swan, Caroline threatens to leave Madame and take Lion with her. This confrontation is too much for the weak and exhausted Madame to bear, and she faints only hours before the performance. When she comes to, Miss Ilse is attending her, and arrangements have been made to replace Caroline and Lion. The two dancers return, however, and the show will go on as planned.
The great Master Leonid Gustave has appeared to pay his respects to Madame and will certainly be impressed by Hilda’s work. As the novel ends, everyone’s fate seems to be decided. Caroline shows great promise, but Madame cannot fathom the extent of Hilda’s success. It seems boundless.
Context
Though not usually considered one of Rumer Godden’s major novels, A Candle for St. Jude contains elements that have recurred throughout her prolific career. Having spent much of her life in India, Godden frequently deals with the subject of isolation, particularly the isolation felt in a foreign country. Madame and Miss Ilse are Russian, and though they have been in England for thirty years, the reaction of other characters to their foreign accents is a frequent reminder of their displacement. Frequently these isolated characters are children, who, as in That Greengage Summer (1958), find themselves separated from their parents and in a foreign country.
A Roman Catholic, Godden has written several works involving nuns, notably her first major work, Black Narcissus (1939), and In This House of Brede (1969). It is Miss Ilse’s steadfast Catholicism that gives the novel its title and serves as a touchstone for Madame’s parallel faith in her art.
Another common theme in her work is the inevitable passing of time, the major theme of The River (1946), and a reality that Madame is finally forced to face when she realizes that Hilda may surpass Madame’s greatness.
Godden has been compared to Henry James and E. M. Forster in treatment of moral themes such as the loss of innocence. Godden herself disapproved of the categorizing of novels for different age groups and refused to limit her language when writing for children. Indeed, she has received widespread critical praise for her insightful understanding of the emotions of children and adults in all her works and for the richness of her imagery and poetic style.