A Fairly Honourable Defeat by Iris Murdoch
**A Fairly Honourable Defeat** is a novel by Iris Murdoch that delves into the complexities of love, relationships, and the interplay between good and evil in the bustling backdrop of London. Central to the narrative are two sisters, Hilda and Morgan, who embody contrasting approaches to love—Hilda represents steadfast, devoted love, while Morgan navigates her own tumultuous romantic entanglements, reflecting a more chaotic exploration of desire. The story is steeped in Murdoch's interest in the theme of evil's triumph over good, suggesting that the ideal of pure, disinterested love often faces insurmountable challenges.
The novel employs a realistic narrative style but also hints at supernatural elements, enriching its exploration of the characters' inner lives and conflicts. As Morgan grapples with her feelings for both her estranged husband, Tallis, and her passionate lover, Julius, the dynamics among the characters become increasingly complicated, leading to misunderstandings and tragic consequences. Murdoch's work is marked by a subversion of traditional gender roles and relationships, presenting a multitude of emotional engagements that challenge patriarchal norms.
Through the contrasting portrayals of Hilda and Morgan, the novel invites readers to reflect on the nature of love, loyalty, and the societal expectations placed upon women. Murdoch's nuanced approach highlights not only individual struggles but also broader themes of power, secrecy, and the quest for identity within the fabric of human connections.
A Fairly Honourable Defeat by Iris Murdoch
First published: 1970
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: The 1960’s
Locale: London, England
Principal Characters:
Hilda Foster , a plump, graying housewifeRupert Foster , her husband, a handsome, successful civil servantPeter Foster , their nineteen-year-old sonTallis Browne , their brother-in-law, whose wife, Morgan, has left himMorgan Browne , Hilda’s younger sister, a philologist who falls in love with Julius King and leaves her husbandJulius King , the principal antagonist, a biochemist of some distinctionAxel Nilsson , Rupert’s college friend and colleague in the civil serviceSimon Foster , an art historian at the Prince Regent Museum who adores Axel
Form and Content
A Fairly Honourable Defeat is the story of a group of people, active in the busy world of London, whose lives are anchored in the various kinds of love they have found, or lost. The two sisters at the heart of the novel, Hilda and Morgan, respectively exemplify a devoted, dedicated love for one man and the muddled explorations of love by a promiscuous woman. At the time Iris Murdoch wrote the novel, she was interested in exploring the power of evil, and her title refers to the triumph of evil over good as the theme is played out in the plot. In the context of the book, “good” might be defined as pure, disinterested love. The defeat is “fairly honourable,” however, because evil seems to have so many more tricks at its disposal that the odds are heavily in its favor. Although the story is told in an overtly realistic style, with careful descriptions of room interiors, clothes, weather, and various London locales, there are many suggestions of the supernatural that expand the novel into another dimension.
Much of the action has taken place before the novel opens; Peter, the prodigal son, has disappointed his parents by leaving the University of Cambridge and dropping out of society. Morgan, the errant sister, has abandoned her husband, Tallis, for a passionate love affair with Julius King. At the opening of the novel, Morgan and Julius have separated, and both have returned to London. Hilda and Rupert Foster, the successful, admirable couple filled with love for each other and themselves, happily take up the burden of helping Morgan sort out her life.
Helping Morgan, however, is not an easy task. Hilda and Rupert believe that it would be in Morgan’s best interest to return to Tallis, although they view Tallis as a rather muddled incompetent. Although Simon and Axel also think that Morgan should return to Tallis, they decide not to tell Tallis that she is back in town. Morgan finds herself still passionately in love with Julius, yet is also drawn to what she perceives as Tallis’ restful, spiritual qualities. She pursues Julius relentlessly in London, but he rejects her with such flamboyant actions that she cannot help but admire him as a “god.” As she prattles to him about love, Julius makes a bet with her that he can create a breach between any lovers, no matter how devoted.
While Julius is busy winning his wager, Morgan, who believes it is her job “to find out who I am and what life means,” finds comfort in other loves. Peter Foster falls in love with her, but she denies his sexual desires to keep their love pure. Through a malicious misunderstanding contrived by Julius, both Morgan and Rupert come to believe that they are loved by the other, and they agree to keep it a secret and work it out privately. They both love Hilda deeply and fear that their love, although innocent, would upset her if she knew about it. The relationship grows confused and overwhelming and causes great disturbance to Rupert, Morgan, and Peter, who finds out about it. Julius enjoys the muddle and makes sure that Hilda is aware of the unfolding drama. By the time Julius confesses his instigation of the whole charade, the suspicion, pain, and anger of the others have grown to such a degree that no one is able to prevent the tragic conclusion: Rupert’s death by drowning in his own swimming pool.
Context
Feminist critics have often ignored, and even disparaged, Iris Murdoch’s work, seeing it as both lightweight and old-fashioned. Her novels exhibit many of the conventions of realism, but it is a realism that is turned upside-down. While marriage is often the subject of realistic novels, Murdoch replaces a reliance on heterosexual relationships with a multiplicity of sexual and other sorts of emotional engagements. In A Fairly Honourable Defeat, Hilda and Morgan symbolize the two extremes of women’s roles: Hilda the “good” woman and Morgan the “bad,” or promiscuous, woman. Yet significantly, the preeminent relationship in Morgan’s life proves to be with Hilda, not with the several men who are involved with her. Her relationships with men change, fade, and ultimately disappoint, whereas her love for her sister remains constant. In novel after novel, Murdoch subverts traditional patriarchal ideas of love. She imagines almost as many kinds of sexuality as she does characters. Simon and Axel have a relationship that is strong enough to weather Julius’ meddling, Axel’s suspicious nature, and Simon’s giddiness.
The bureaucratic men in A Fairly Honourable Defeat (Simon, Axel, and Rupert) never know what or how much to tell one another, and a tragedy occurs. Even Simon, who is quick to help a stranger in trouble, cannot bring himself to tell Rupert that he and Morgan were set up by Julius. It is as if patriarchal power is likely to destroy freedom by secrecy and desire for power, as opposed to matriarchal power, which encourages freedom.
Murdoch’s position as one of the most successful and influential postwar British writers is important for women. Her successful academic career at the University of Oxford, where women traditionally have not played a major role, is also significant. Although Murdoch deplores the male dominance of society and strongly believes in the equality of women, she decries what she considers a “separatist feminism” and considers it a retrograde idea.
Bibliography
Dipple, Elizabeth. Iris Murdoch: Work for the Spirit. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1982. Discusses the spiritual aspects of Murdoch’s novels as they relate to love, sexuality, and women. Provides insights into A Fairly Honourable Defeat.
Murdoch, Iris. Interview by Michael O. Bellamy. Contemporary Literature 18 (1977): 129-140. This interview took place in 1976 at Murdoch’s flat in London. The novelist discusses her ideas on different novelists and different novelistic forms. She explores the deeper meanings of A Fairly Honourable Defeat in some detail.
Sage, Lorna. Women in the House of Fiction: Post-War Women Novelists. New York: Routledge, 1992. This elegantly written book analyzes certain women writers and speculates on what qualities distinguish them from male fiction writers. Murdoch is discussed at length from a feminist viewpoint and compared with Doris Lessing, another realistic writer. One of the chapters, “The Middle Ground,” is devoted almost exclusively to Murdoch.
Todd, Richard. Iris Murdoch. New York: Methuen, 1984. A useful volume that provides information about Murdoch’s life as well as her work. Todd attempts to link the novels to Murdoch’s philosophical positions, particularly to the existentialism of Jean-Paul Sartre, which was an early influence.