The Body of Jonah Boyd
Encyclopedia
The Body of Jonah Boyd is a novel
by David Leavitt
, published in 2004, that depicts various consequences of the theft of a manuscript
. It tells a story about the life of a common American family dealing with ethical principles, relationships and fairness (and unfairness) today.
The story is perceived through the eyes of Denny, the secretary and mistress of University professor Ernest Wright, who increasingly exerts influence on the life of the Wright family.
dinner in 1969, when author Jonah Boyd, the new husband of Mrs. Wright’s friend Anne, accidentally loses his notebooks including his almost finished novel.
Years later, when almost nobody who knows about Boyd’s novel is still alive, Ben finishes the book and publishes it under his name. Critics review Ben's ending as the best part of the novel. This way, Ben develops his own writing style and becomes a successful novelist.
When Denny finally discovers this "theft", she decides to confront Ben. Surprisingly he sees this situation as a possibility to confide with someone rather than a threat.
At last they marry and after Ben's death Denny even inherits the Wrights’ house, which plays a central part in the family's and Denny's lives and in which all the fatal events took their start.
In the end, everything turns out well for Denny. She marries Ben Wright and therefore becomes part of the Wright family and even inherits the Wrights' house - which she has secretly longed for. Her inner wish to become a part of the Wright family, is quite understandable since she has never had a chance to experience a real family life: her father ran away and her mother died. This circumstance also explains why she so readily accepts Nancy's way of treating her, which is more like that of a mother than a friend.
Ernest Wright: He is married to Nancy Wright and the father of Mark, Daphne and Ben. Besides, he is a professor at the psych department, which focuses on Freudian psychology
, at the university of Wellspring. Irrespective of his role as husband and father, he is having a secret affair with his secretary Judith "Denny" Denham. Phil Perry and Glenn Turner, Ernest's protégés, take also part in the story.
Nancy Wright: She is Ernest's wife. Although she knows about her husband's affair with Denny she pretends to be unsuspecting. At first, it seems that Nancy and Denny might become friends because Ernest's secretary is invited to the Wrights' place every weekend as Nancy's four-hand partner at playing the piano. But since the preparations for a Thanksgiving
dinner in 1969, she starts to treat Denny more like a servant than a friend. Their relationship is described as fractious and sometimes maudlin. In fact, Nancy uses Denny as a kind of substitute for her friend Anne. She actually does not look for a real friend, but someone whom she can "cultivate and nurture", as if Denny like Daphne was Nancy's daughter and not equal in age.
Ben Wright: At first sight, the 15-year-old amateur poet
seems to be a minor character of the novel
. But as the story develops the reader is granted a greater insight into Ben. For many years he has had a secret crush on Anne, an old friend of the family and Jonah Boyd's wife. Anne takes advantage of the situation and intrigues with Ben to steal Boyd's notebooks in order to teach her husband a lesson. 15-year-old Ben is confused by her behaviour, but accepts Anne's conditions. Decades later he publishes the stolen novel under his own name and becomes a famous writer. When Denny finds out about the theft, she conceals the truth and marries Ben.
Daphne Wright: The 17-year-old daughter of the Wrights' family, she experiences her first love affair with her father's protégé, Glenn Turner, which has to be kept secret.
Mark Wright: He is the 20-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Wright. In 1969 he went to Canada
in order to avoid his military
draft. Because of his physical absence the narration does not focus on Mark and he is only a minor character
of the story.
Anne Boyd: In 1969 Anne, who is Nancy's former four-hand partner at playing the piano, has married the celebrated author Jonah Boyd. Her frustration with her unfulfilled love-life with Jonah Boyd triggers her decision to intrigue against him. Secretly, she has a pedophilic relationship with Ben during his adolescence.
Jonah Boyd: He is a celebrated author
and a special guest at the Wrights' Thanksgiving
dinner in 1969 where he "loses" his notebooks with his almost finished novel. Towards the end of the story, Jonah Boyd, being a former drinker, dies in a car accident. The "accident" is in fact suicide
. Although the conspiracy of Ben and Anne is the reason for Boyd's death, neither the boy nor Anne feel guilty. Ben avails himself of the opportuniy and publishes Boyd's novel under his name. Anne coldly informs the readership that she does acknowledge her crime, however, she does not want to spend the rest of her life doing penance for it. She adds: "What good could come of that? Two lives ruined, instead of just one."
' refers to the written body of Jonah Boyd (his unfinished manuscript), rather than to his corpse.
With the episode of the theft of Boyd's manuscript, Leavitt wants to defend himself once again and claim his honesty against Spender's charges, who accused him, arguing that While England Sleeps, Leavitt's novel about literary London in the 1930s, used substantial inattributed material
from Spender's autobiography "World Within World".
Normally being a feature of most crime stories
, this novel
withholds important information for a long time to build up suspense
. It is also striking that only at the end of the novel the real narrator
is revealed. Although one is tricked into believing that the story has been written by Denny, it turns out that the writer of the story is Ben (Ben tells the story as if Denny narrated it).
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by David Leavitt
David Leavitt
David Leavitt is an American novelist.-Biography:Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Leavitt is a graduate of Yale University. and a professor at the University of Florida...
, published in 2004, that depicts various consequences of the theft of a manuscript
Manuscript
A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...
. It tells a story about the life of a common American family dealing with ethical principles, relationships and fairness (and unfairness) today.
The story is perceived through the eyes of Denny, the secretary and mistress of University professor Ernest Wright, who increasingly exerts influence on the life of the Wright family.
Plot introduction
The crucial starting point of all following events is the Wrights’ annual ThanksgivingThanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
dinner in 1969, when author Jonah Boyd, the new husband of Mrs. Wright’s friend Anne, accidentally loses his notebooks including his almost finished novel.
Plot summary
Anne finds the manuscript and schemes against Boyd in order to teach him a lesson for his carelessness. She asks Ben Wright, the youngest son and amateur poet who was also present when Anne found the books again, to hide the novel until she would tell him to "surprisingly find" it. Jonah stops writing and changes his careless behaviour towards Anne. Since Anne very appreciates her kind of "new" husband and does not want him to get into his former rut again, she decides to leave the book in Ben's care instead of returning it to her husband. Jonah, who used to drink, again finds consolation in alcohol, which ultimately leads to his death through a car accident.Years later, when almost nobody who knows about Boyd’s novel is still alive, Ben finishes the book and publishes it under his name. Critics review Ben's ending as the best part of the novel. This way, Ben develops his own writing style and becomes a successful novelist.
When Denny finally discovers this "theft", she decides to confront Ben. Surprisingly he sees this situation as a possibility to confide with someone rather than a threat.
At last they marry and after Ben's death Denny even inherits the Wrights’ house, which plays a central part in the family's and Denny's lives and in which all the fatal events took their start.
Characters
Judith "Denny" Denham: Ernest Wrights' secretary and Nancy Wrights' four-hand partner at playing the piano - secretly wants to be part of the Wright family. Although she describes herself as being "fat" and not at all beautiful, she never has any problems attracting men and has already had several affairs with married men. So, too, with Ernest Wright. Nevertheless, she comes over every Saturday to play the piano with Nancy, but in fact, she wants more. Despite Denny always claims that she does not want to marry as it is sufficient for her to have affairs with various married men, she collects every issue of "Modern Bride".In the end, everything turns out well for Denny. She marries Ben Wright and therefore becomes part of the Wright family and even inherits the Wrights' house - which she has secretly longed for. Her inner wish to become a part of the Wright family, is quite understandable since she has never had a chance to experience a real family life: her father ran away and her mother died. This circumstance also explains why she so readily accepts Nancy's way of treating her, which is more like that of a mother than a friend.
Ernest Wright: He is married to Nancy Wright and the father of Mark, Daphne and Ben. Besides, he is a professor at the psych department, which focuses on Freudian psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, at the university of Wellspring. Irrespective of his role as husband and father, he is having a secret affair with his secretary Judith "Denny" Denham. Phil Perry and Glenn Turner, Ernest's protégés, take also part in the story.
Nancy Wright: She is Ernest's wife. Although she knows about her husband's affair with Denny she pretends to be unsuspecting. At first, it seems that Nancy and Denny might become friends because Ernest's secretary is invited to the Wrights' place every weekend as Nancy's four-hand partner at playing the piano. But since the preparations for a Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
dinner in 1969, she starts to treat Denny more like a servant than a friend. Their relationship is described as fractious and sometimes maudlin. In fact, Nancy uses Denny as a kind of substitute for her friend Anne. She actually does not look for a real friend, but someone whom she can "cultivate and nurture", as if Denny like Daphne was Nancy's daughter and not equal in age.
Ben Wright: At first sight, the 15-year-old amateur poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
seems to be a minor character of the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
. But as the story develops the reader is granted a greater insight into Ben. For many years he has had a secret crush on Anne, an old friend of the family and Jonah Boyd's wife. Anne takes advantage of the situation and intrigues with Ben to steal Boyd's notebooks in order to teach her husband a lesson. 15-year-old Ben is confused by her behaviour, but accepts Anne's conditions. Decades later he publishes the stolen novel under his own name and becomes a famous writer. When Denny finds out about the theft, she conceals the truth and marries Ben.
Daphne Wright: The 17-year-old daughter of the Wrights' family, she experiences her first love affair with her father's protégé, Glenn Turner, which has to be kept secret.
Mark Wright: He is the 20-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Wright. In 1969 he went to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in order to avoid his military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
draft. Because of his physical absence the narration does not focus on Mark and he is only a minor character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
of the story.
Anne Boyd: In 1969 Anne, who is Nancy's former four-hand partner at playing the piano, has married the celebrated author Jonah Boyd. Her frustration with her unfulfilled love-life with Jonah Boyd triggers her decision to intrigue against him. Secretly, she has a pedophilic relationship with Ben during his adolescence.
Jonah Boyd: He is a celebrated author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and a special guest at the Wrights' Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
dinner in 1969 where he "loses" his notebooks with his almost finished novel. Towards the end of the story, Jonah Boyd, being a former drinker, dies in a car accident. The "accident" is in fact suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Although the conspiracy of Ben and Anne is the reason for Boyd's death, neither the boy nor Anne feel guilty. Ben avails himself of the opportuniy and publishes Boyd's novel under his name. Anne coldly informs the readership that she does acknowledge her crime, however, she does not want to spend the rest of her life doing penance for it. She adds: "What good could come of that? Two lives ruined, instead of just one."
Discussion
The ambiguous title sets the reader on a wrong track until it is fully explained at the end of the story. Judging from the title The Body of Jonah Boyd the reader might assume that this novel is about the death of Jonah Boyd. However, the word 'bodyBody
With regard to living things, a body is the physical body of an individual. "Body" often is used in connection with appearance, health issues and death...
' refers to the written body of Jonah Boyd (his unfinished manuscript), rather than to his corpse.
With the episode of the theft of Boyd's manuscript, Leavitt wants to defend himself once again and claim his honesty against Spender's charges, who accused him, arguing that While England Sleeps, Leavitt's novel about literary London in the 1930s, used substantial inattributed material
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful appropriation," "close imitation," or "purloining and publication" of another author's "language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them as one's own original work, but the notion remains problematic with nebulous...
from Spender's autobiography "World Within World".
Normally being a feature of most crime stories
Crime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
, this novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
withholds important information for a long time to build up suspense
Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead-up to a big event or dramatic...
. It is also striking that only at the end of the novel the real narrator
Narrator
A narrator is, within any story , the fictional or non-fictional, personal or impersonal entity who tells the story to the audience. When the narrator is also a character within the story, he or she is sometimes known as the viewpoint character. The narrator is one of three entities responsible for...
is revealed. Although one is tricked into believing that the story has been written by Denny, it turns out that the writer of the story is Ben (Ben tells the story as if Denny narrated it).