Henry David, one of the most well-known writers of the twenty-first century, published two linked books, "The Beast in the Jungle" and "The Jolly Corner." The author authored the two works in three years since "The Beast in the Jungle" was first published in 1903 and "The Merry Corner" was published three years later in 1906. The author emphasizes the importance of having a supernatural figure have a significant impact in how the characters behave. A comparison and contrast of “The Beast in the Jungle” and “The Jolly Corner” is focused on the fact that the author creates a beast in the former and an apparition in the later that are used to mirror the lives of the main characters.
One of the significant similarities that the reader relates with from reading the book “The beast in the Jungle” and “The Jolly Corner” is that the supernatural being comes later in the novels and terrorizes the characters completely. In the first case, the author writes that the beast was an inherent trait that was challenging the protagonist and causing him discomfort from the thought that it was separating him from the rest of the world. The author states, “He had thought himself, so long as nobody knew, the most disinterested person in the world, carrying his concentrated burden, his perpetual suspense, ever so quietly, holding his tongue about it, giving others no glimpse of it nor of its effect upon his life, asking of them no allowance and only making on his side all those that were asked” (James, The Beast in the Jungle 23). Likewise, in the “The Jolly Corner,” the author introduces the apparition in a manner that it scares even the reader because it is expected to affect the main character as it is thought to be waiting for the appropriate time to pounce on the protagonist. The author states, “The image of the "presence," whatever it was, waiting there for him to go--this image had not yet been so concrete for his nerves as when he stopped short of the point at which certainty would have come to him” (James 32). The inference that the reader develops from the assessment of the impact of the two creatures is that they are intended to unsettle the protagonist in both cases as they appear to have more control.
It is also apparent that in both novels, the protagonist plays a crucial role in waking the ghost up from its sleep from their actions and thoughts. It is worth citing that the beast and the apparition as the author creates them in both novels appear to be in a dormant state at the beginning of the stories. However, the idea of coming back home and realizing the inherent potential that is hidden from the advances play a crucial role in influencing the manner in which the beasts become powerful. In the “Beast in the Jungle” the supposed beast becomes alive after John Marcher appears to be in a stable relationship with May Bartram and as long as he was alive, there was going to be a spectacular fate. As it turns out, the reader realizes that it is an illusion that Marcher has created for himself. Similarly, the beast in “The Jolly Corner” had been lurking and came to full recognition after Spencer Brydon decided to live in the family house and inherit the family business. In fact, just as Marcher ignites the beast, the ghost in “The Jolly House” also results from Spencer’s hard work of wanting to unravel his inner self and American ego.
While the two stories share in the theme of thee origin and fate of the ghosts, it is worth noting the key difference in the manner in which the supposed spirits appear to exist. In the “Beast in the Jungle” the existence of the beast is an illusion and it was part of him from the start. The author states, “It was the truth, vivid and monstrous, that all the while he had waited the wait was itself his portion” (James, The Beast in the Jungle 34). It is not read because it is based on the perception that the protagonist has about his life and how he perceived marriage. Meanwhile, in “The Jolly Corner” the apparition is real and even confronts Spencer when the protagonist decides to pursue it. The author states, “It had begun to be present to him after the first fortnight, it had broken out with the oddest abruptness, this particular wanton wonderment: it met him there” (James, The Jolly Corner 45). From both, it is seen that the beast is unreal while the apparition is real and could be seen.
In summary, Henry James’ books “The beast in the Jungle” and “The Jolly Corner.” Share in the aspect the creation of the supernatural beings and in the fact that they both had a stressful influence on the main character. However, while the beat was not real, the spirit in “The Jolly Corner” was real and seeable.
Works Cited
James, Henry. The Beast in the Jungle. New York: N.p., 1903. Print.
---. The Jolly Corner. United Kingdom: N.p., 1908. Print.
