REVUE D’ÉTUDES INTERCULTURELLES DE L’IMAGE JOURNAL OF CROSS-CULTURAL IMAGE STUDIES IMAGINATIONS JOURNAL OF CROSS_CULTURAL IMAGE STUDIES | REVUE D’ÉTUDES INTERCULTURELLES DE L’IMAGE Publication details, including open access policy and instructions for contributors: http://imaginations.csj.ualberta.ca “Adult Fear and Control: Ambivalence and Duality in Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always” Gabrielle Kristjanson November 12, 2013 To Cite this Article: Kristjanson, Gabrielle. “Adult Fear and Control: Ambivalence and Duality in Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always” Imaginations 4:2 (2013): Web (date accessed) 91-117. 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KRISTJANSON ADULT FEAR AND CONTROL AMBIVALENCE AND DUALITY IN CLIVE BARKER’S THE THIEF OF ALWAYS GABRIELLE KRISTJANSON, UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE This article considers the relationship Cet article analyse le rapport entre le between the text and accompanying texte et les illustrations dans le livre illustrations in Clive Barker’s children’s pour enfants de Clive Barker intitulé novel The Thief of Always: A Fable. The Thief of Always: A Fable. Barker a This tale of abduction was published écrit cette histoire d’enlèvement dans le in the social background of fear contexte social de la peur du prédateur around the child predator of the d’enfants au début des années 90. Il y early 1990s and incorporates ideas of a mis en scène les idées d’un méchant monstrous villainy, loss of childhood monstrueux, de la perte de l’innocence innocence, and insatiable desires. As a enfantine, et des désirs insatiables. fable, Thief is a cautionary tale that not En tant que fable, le livre est un conte only teaches that childhood years are de mise en garde, qui non seulement precious and are not to be wished away enseigne que l’enfance est précieuse, or squandered in idle leisure, but also étant nécessaire pour chaque enfant qui of the dangers that some adults pose to ne doit pas la gaspiller paresseusement, children. Problematically, an honest and mais aussi qu’il existe un danger que frank discussion of adult sexual desires certains adultes peuvent poser face aux toward children would despoil the very enfants. Une réflexion sincère sur les innocence that is trying to be protected; désirs sexuels adultes face aux enfants thus, a lesson such as this must be étant problématique parce qu’elle sublimated within the story. Yet, it is dépouille l’innocence qu’on cherche à the illustrations, and more specifically protéger. Barker a donc dû sublimer une the way in which the illustrations telle leçon dans le récit. Ce sont alors corroborate and contradict the plot of les illustrations et leur rapport au récit this story that reveals an underlying à la fois corroborant et contractif qui ambivalence toward the figure of the révèlent une ambivalence cachée du child and an echoing duality present in personnage enfant, ainsi qu’une dualité both the child and the child predator. présente dans les deux personnages : l’enfant et le prédateur d’enfants. 91 • ISSUE 4 - 2, 2013 • IMAGINATIONS ADULT FEAR AND CONTROL This article undertakes an analysis of exercise. O’Sullivan clarifies that the relationship between the text and “this new literary children’s literature illustrations in Clive Barker’s children’s is distinguished by insecurity and novel The Thief of Always: A Fable. ambivalence instead of certainty, linear By considering not only the plot and rather than circular narratives and characterization presented in Thief, but diversity instead of simplicity” (28). With also the accompanying illustrations, the inclusion of his own illustrations, drawn by Barker himself, an interesting Barker achieves a permeating under- dynamic is revealed. While illustrations current within his linear narrative in are included in children’s literature which either textual or visual forms are to enliven the work and increase its at times complementary, supplemental, appeal for the young reader, these or oppositional. As he admits, his additions also serve to supplement the images precede his texts: “my image text, introducing and incorporating making and story making are associated new information into the work. When [...]. My sketches act as notes” (qtd. in the author is also the illustrator, it Burke ii). Because Barker writes about would be expected that the text and his images, using them “as notes” as image would work in tandem toward he says, his work can be categorized a common hermeneutical outcome, yet as ekphrastic. Stephen Cheeke asserts when attempting to convey a complex that on its most basic level, ekphrasis relation with the potential for danger, constitutes “‘literary’ prose descriptions ambiguity, and ambivalence, like that of artwork” (4). The text and the images between the adult and child, conflicting are inextricably linked, each explaining ideas can infiltrate a seemingly and referencing each other and, in cooperative process. The significance in the process, amplifying the “the gap the text-image relationship at work in between language and the visual image” Barker’s Thief can be best summarized (Cheeke 2). Writing and illustrations by Joseph H. Schwarcz, in his book The create representations; hence, it is not Ways of the Illustrator, who writes that the image or the text itself that carries “the pictures let us in on a secret” (17), meaning but rather the signifier to which and given that most secrets are meant the text, image, or their ekphrastic to be just that, Barker’s illustrations “gap” points. Barker is both author and partner with as well as betray the illustrator of Thief, a rare combination written word in what hidden secrecies in which multiple threads of meaning they expose. become embedded in the literature. When discussing the composite of Barker’s approach to children’s literature text and image in literature, Schwarcz reflects a modern trend described affirms that “the combination of the by Emer O’Sullivan in her book two forms of communication into a Comparative Children’s Literature, common fabric where they complement which treats children’s literature as each other creates conditions of literature as opposed to mere didactic dependence and interdependence” IMAGINATIONS • ISSUE 4 - 2, 2013 • 92 KRISTJANSON (4). Barker’s illustrations are highly of a child predator. The fantasy realm, connected with the narrative, creating while it promises fun, magic, and food, what Schwarcz calls a close “partnership is essentially a prison, and predictably, with the written word,” one that is Harvey must defeat Hood to free not necessarily complementary (11). himself, as well as all the children Through their ekphrastic relationship, that Hood has imprisoned within this the text and the illustrations in Thief fantasy realm over the years. expose underlying issues of childhood not explicitly expressed in the text. As a fable, Thief is a cautionary tale that not only teaches that childhood Thief is the story of ten-year-old Harvey years are precious and are not to be Swick who dreams of a life free from wished away or squandered in idle the tedium of childhood. He wishes to leisure, but also tells of the dangers that exchange his chores and schoolwork some exploitative or predatory adults for the leisure and freedom of adult life. may pose to children. This second Barker thrusts his child protagonist into lesson is far less explicit than the first a predatory realm that threatens both and likely only readily accessible to Harvey’s childhood and life, leaving the adult reader, yet it is one that him thankful upon his escape for the discourses around child protection re-establishment of his childhood and claim is necessary to be conveyed to grateful for the time he has to grow up the child in order to reduce harm and under the watchful eye of his loving preserve innocence.1 Problematically, parents. Barker imparts this lesson via to participate in an honest and frank a child abduction narrative. Enticed by discussion of adult sexual desires a smiling stranger, Harvey leaves home for children would despoil the very to enter a fantasy world that promises innocence that is trying to be protected; endless fun. The fantasy world is thus, a lesson such as this must be off-set from reality by a concealing sublimated within the story. However, as fog and can be imagined as an estate my analysis will reveal, it is not only this with a large house surrounded by lesson that becomes embedded within a field, a wooded area, and a pond. the text-image relationship, but also The fantasy world is orchestrated by feelings of adult ambivalence and fear Barker’s villain, Mr. Hood, who detains toward the child as a figure, effectively children with promises of abundance, calling into question the very notion indulgence, and endless leisure, but of childhood innocence. By dissecting then uses them to maintain his own the camouflaging effects of magic and immortality. Appearing in two forms, monstrosity, the anxieties ingrained in first as the house itself and then later— some of Barker’s key illustrations are after the house is destroyed—as a brought to the fore, revealing their humanized form of a man comprised contained dualities and contradictions of debris from the ruined house, Hood when considered in tandem with the is a veritable monstrous representation text.