Diploma Thesis Eva Malíıková

Masaryk University Brno Faculty of Education Department of English Language and Literature The Treatment of Setting Novels by Arthur Hailey Diploma Thesis Brno 2009 Supervisor: Written by: Ph.Dr. Irena P řibylová, Ph.D Eva Malíšková DECLARATION I hereby declare that all the literary sources used in the thesis are stated in the bibliography. Eva Malíšková 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to thank Ph.Dr. Irena P řibylová Ph.D., for her advice, help and support in the course of my work. 3 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………...5 1. POPULAR LITERATURE…………………………………………………………….6 1.1 Popular literature and its features and genres…………………………………6 1.2 Popular literature from the wiew of some selected scholars…………………8 1.3 Hailey and his place in popular literature……………………………………13 2. HOTEL……………………………………………………………………...………...19 2.1 The location and the prospects of the St. Gregory …………………………..19 2.2 Everyday duties and everyday worries ……………………....…...................22 2.3 The employees ………………………………………………………………25 2.4 Services and troubles ………………………………………………………..28 3. AIRPORT……………………………………...……………………………………...32 3.1 The places and the weather…………………………………………………..32 3.2 The departure lounge………………………………………………………...34 3.3 The community of Meadowood ………………….……………………....….36 3.4 Air traffic control…………………………………………………………….37 3.5 Services………………………………………………………………………39 3.6 Preparation of a flight and a flight…………………………………………...41 3.7 Stowaways…………………………………………………………………...44 4. IN HIGH PLACES………...………………………………………………………….46 4.1 The plot and setting………………………………………………………….46 4.2 The Prime Minister and his Cabinet…………………………………………49 4.3 Vastervik and its stowaway………………………………………………….51 4.4 The summit meeting in Washington…………………………………………54 CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………...…58 BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………………………....60 RESUMÉ……………………………………………………………………………….62 4 INTRODUCTION My final thesis is entitled The Treatment of Setting Novels by Arthur Hailey . Hailey wrote novels which rank among popular literature. During his writing career he published eleven novels from different settings and I have chosen three of them. The aim of my thesis is to describe what the popular literature is and focus on analysis of the settings which are priorities in his novels. The work is divided into four main chapters – “Popular Literature“, “Hotel“,“Airport“ and “In High Places“. The first chapter, which is called “Popular Literature“, deals with the formation and development of popular literature mainly in American literature. I want to point out the common elements and features which occur in this sort of literature. Futhermore, I would like to mention some literary critics giving their opinions and attitudes to the contemporary popular literature. At the end of this chapter I would like to explain why Hailey wrote his novels and why they rank into popular literature. The next three chapters treat the settings in three Hailey’s novels - namely “Hotel“, “Airport“ and “In High Places“. I have chosen especially these novels because each setting is different in many ways. Each chapter is divided into several subchapters which describe how Hailey treats the theme, works with details and focuses on individual settings, their equipment and facilities, management, staff, services and problems which the characters have to solve. At the end of each chapter I express my opinions on individual novels. My work is also focused on search why his novels are bestsellers and what is the positive impact of the novels on readers. I state here his techniques, skills and last but not least a good knowledge of given settings and his mastership in depicting the settings so impressively. I would also like to explain why just his accurate descriptions of the settings, a simple plot, with a certain extent of excitement and happy endings attract so many readers. 5 1. POPULAR LITERATURE 1.1 Popular literature and its features and genres The literature in the 20th century is characterized by different artistic movements and styles. There were excellent writers whose styles, works and masterworks contributed to the formation of valuable literature which broadens our horizons. On the other hand, there were also authors whose works do not have artistic value but their books are demanded by readers and they are published in great numbers. The author Arthur Hailey, whose books I have chosen for my work, ranks among American writers who produce popular literature. American literature from the early forties up to the present is characterized by range of different individual styles. These styles proceed from realistic and naturalistic principles. Also, we can find here different post modernist stylistic-compositional experiments which interfered in all genres. (Baštín, Š., et al. p. 291) As the author mentions in his book, the contemporary American literary scene has more and more writers of popular literature who offer their readers works which have three common features: a skilful style, effective techniques and an attractive theme. These novels often mean an escape from serious social problems into the world of romantic illusions, erotics and exotic adventures and the attractive world of business. Nearly all the novels were a great commercial success, we can mention, for example, Herman Wouk and his novel The Winds of War (1973), Arthur Hailey´s Airport (1968) and Mario Puzo with The Godfather (1969). (Baštín, Š., et ali. p.315-316) The Czech philosopher, aesthetician, literary theorist and historian Kv ětoslav Chvatík occupies himself with the development literature in the twentieth century. In his book Od avantgardy k druhé modern ě he mentions some authors of bestsellers as H.G. Konsalik, J.M. Simmel, A. Haily and M. Puzo. He writes that these authors use attractive settings as Italian Mafia, drugs trade,airports, hospitals, solicitor’s office etc. in order to achieve readers‘ success. (Chvatík, K. p.269) The editors of The Columbia History of the American Novel focused on different genres in American literature which come under popular forms. It includes sports novels, pulp magazines with serialized novels, adventure paperbacks, science fiction, Western, hard-boiled detective stories and last but not least thrillers. (Elliott, E. p. 357-379) 6 I have read the selected sources about popular literature and its genres which are mentioned in the bibliography. I have come to the conclusion that Hailey´s books might be defined as thrillers because they fulfil almost all requirements characteristic for this genre. How the thriller differs from other genres and which techniques are used? According to Wikipedia, thriller is defined as a genre whose task is to arouse strong tension and emotions in the readers or viewers. When comparing it with horror, the source of tension is realistic while horror uses fictional, supernatural phenomena. Rapid sequence of events, frequent actions and ideal heroes, who have to fight stronger opponents, are typical of thrillers. Other devices which help raise tension are false leads and cliffhangers. The authors of thrillers often choose unusual settings like foreign countries, deserts, polar areas or the wide seas. In some stories there are main heroes so called tough guys who get over all danger, like policemen, soldiers, sailors, spies or pilots. However, the heroes can be also ordinary people who find themselves in dangerous situations accidentally. Formerly, the main heroes were men but nowadays there seems to be also some room for heroines. The heroes rather try to thwart the plans of the enemies than to reveal crimes which might happen. These crimes include series or mass murders, assassinations, overthrowing goverments or terrorism.¹ Comparing Hailey’s books with the definition of thriller, there are to be found similar elements. His stories do not miss the right tension and emotional drives. He tries to keep readers in tension making up different plots which alternate after some chapters. He always starts several stories with many characters but only some of them play important parts. The supporting characters sometimes play their roles only in one chapter. These characters often do not have anything in common with the others except the setting. The setting enables them either to use its services and offers or they may misuse the setting for committing bad things like thieving in the hotel, smuggling a bomb into a plane, abuse of power etc. The main hero or heroes are ideal people who are hard-working, honest, fair and helpful. They often have to fight their opponents who try to give them a hard time. They usually hold high posts as directors, managers, doctors, politicians or bankers, and they take the responsibility very seriously. They are devoted to their work and loyal to the company. Hailey prefers male parts in his novels because the settings mostly require it or ______________ ¹) my translation 7 perhaps, the author thinks that they are predestined for such posts. Women usually play supporting roles apart from some exceptions, for example, in The Moneychangers Edwina gets an equal role of a banker between men, and in Strong Medicine the main hero is even a woman. Hailey also often uses cliffhangers to keep readers in suspence expecting what will happen in the next chapters. 1.2 Popular literature from the view of some selected scholars I would like to present some scholars and their opinions on popular literature in this chapter. One of them is Umberto Eco, who is the most famous expert of mass and fiction literature, he focuses on the art which surrounds and impresses us in his book Skeptikové a těšitelé . He calls it mass culture and he examines the negative and positive sides of the whole art not only litrature. He warns the mankind not to succumb to current trends but start looking for real values. For instance, he says: ‘…the worst certificate for the work is enthusiasm that evokes in a mass man….the Ghost knows well where to look for its only opponent, namely in phrases, in self-deception and in shortage of mass power.‘ (Eco,U. p.17) ¹) It is true that the literature offered to us in supermarkets or bookshops might be confusing for potential customers.

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