The End of the Road
Encyclopedia
The End of the Road is a 1958 novel by the American writer John Barth
. Its story follows Jacob Horner as he deals with an extreme case of psychological paralysis. A revised edition was published in 1967.
-like graduate student gets a job as a grammar
teacher at Wicomico
State Teachers College. There he meets Joe Morgan, an existentialist who has forsaken both objective and subjective values and wants to live based on his understanding of the grounding of meaning as freed from both, which he tries to achieve by peeling away all layers of meaning as understood by the human mind, thus arriving at some sort of pure state of knowledge.
Joe Morgan is humorless, tyrannical, without lightness, or sense of caprice or the absurd. “I've no right to expect you or anybody to accept anything I do or say — but I can always explain what I do or say,” he claims. Horner ends up sleeping with Morgan's wife, Rennie, who accepts the rigid values and thinking styles of her husband, being amenable to her own form of hyper-rationality. This development so startles Joe that he insists that Rennie keep on sleeping with Jacob, so that he can explore the "meaning" and cause of their relationship.
Though she finds this repulsive, or almost so, Rennie wants to placate Joe (whom she actually fears and worships at the same time) by remaining consistent, rather than acting on her feelings of confusion and guilt. Morgan would prefer her to be "strong" and make a decision based on his definition of pure meaning, which is impossible to arrive at when one is fallible.
Horner, a "blank slate" in a sense, suffers from the inability to know his own feelings, which are constantly shifting and reforming; however he precisely and fatuously describes them, or, as he prefers, his ability to feel multiple things equally at the same time, which maddens Joe and Rennie as well.
The endless, philosophical maze-wandering that Joe forces all three of them to pursue ends darkly, with an abortion
performed by Doctor D that kills Rennie, gets Joe Morgan fired, and sends Jacob Horner back into the care of the Doctor and into the psychological paralysis that takes hold of him when his sense of self dissipates and his brain enters what appears to be a "sleep-mode".
Tragic images, for example of Laocoon
, crop up throughout; Jacob Horner is focused particularly on Laocoon's eyes. Too, his first lover declares ominously, “God damn your eyes, God damn your eyes, God damn your eyes.”
, directed by Aram Avakian
and starred Stacy Keach
and James Earl Jones
. It was savaged by critics on its release and was particularly criticized for its violence, most notably for a graphic scene in which the main female character undergoes an abortion
.
Clips of the film can be seen in the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth
on one of the tv monitors being watched by David Bowie's character. Terry Southern also has a cameo in The Man Who Fell to Earth.
, the singer of American rock band R.E.M., has explained that the lyrics for the song "Laughing," from the band's first full-length record Murmur
, were inspired by Barth's novel.
John Barth
John Simmons Barth is an American novelist and short-story writer, known for the postmodernist and metafictive quality of his work.-Life:...
. Its story follows Jacob Horner as he deals with an extreme case of psychological paralysis. A revised edition was published in 1967.
Plot
After undergoing a series of unusual therapies with a strange "Doctor", Jacob Horner, a chameleonChameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
-like graduate student gets a job as a grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
teacher at Wicomico
Wicomico County, Maryland
As of the census of 2010, there were 98,733 people, 37,220 households, and 24,172 families residing in the county. The population density was 261.7 people per square mile . There were 41,192 housing units at an average density of 109.2 per square mile...
State Teachers College. There he meets Joe Morgan, an existentialist who has forsaken both objective and subjective values and wants to live based on his understanding of the grounding of meaning as freed from both, which he tries to achieve by peeling away all layers of meaning as understood by the human mind, thus arriving at some sort of pure state of knowledge.
Joe Morgan is humorless, tyrannical, without lightness, or sense of caprice or the absurd. “I've no right to expect you or anybody to accept anything I do or say — but I can always explain what I do or say,” he claims. Horner ends up sleeping with Morgan's wife, Rennie, who accepts the rigid values and thinking styles of her husband, being amenable to her own form of hyper-rationality. This development so startles Joe that he insists that Rennie keep on sleeping with Jacob, so that he can explore the "meaning" and cause of their relationship.
Though she finds this repulsive, or almost so, Rennie wants to placate Joe (whom she actually fears and worships at the same time) by remaining consistent, rather than acting on her feelings of confusion and guilt. Morgan would prefer her to be "strong" and make a decision based on his definition of pure meaning, which is impossible to arrive at when one is fallible.
Horner, a "blank slate" in a sense, suffers from the inability to know his own feelings, which are constantly shifting and reforming; however he precisely and fatuously describes them, or, as he prefers, his ability to feel multiple things equally at the same time, which maddens Joe and Rennie as well.
The endless, philosophical maze-wandering that Joe forces all three of them to pursue ends darkly, with an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
performed by Doctor D that kills Rennie, gets Joe Morgan fired, and sends Jacob Horner back into the care of the Doctor and into the psychological paralysis that takes hold of him when his sense of self dissipates and his brain enters what appears to be a "sleep-mode".
Major themes
In the novel Barth deftly explores important themes: the folly of taking philosophies to logical extremes, and the need to accept and embrace paradox as well as be able to combine, or at least try, various and flexible philosophies to survive in the larger world. Horner, the distanced main character, is extremely introverted, uselessly selfconscious, helplessly observational. As a critique of self-insight, then (or at least of insight without any vital or meaningful involvement), of bizarre therapies, of tediously self-referential debate and a distinctly academic kind of selfconsciousness, of what it means to live (or strongly attempt to live) without emotions or taking them into account, the "End of the Road" is powerful and effective — especially in having the reader identify with its characters' variously destructive impotences. It also is, some feel, an icily compelling take on the academic 1950s and the disconnect between thinking and feeling.Tragic images, for example of Laocoon
Laocoön
Laocoön the son of Acoetes is a figure in Greek and Roman mythology.-History:Laocoön is a Trojan priest of Poseidon , whose rules he had defied, either by marrying and having sons, or by having committed an impiety by making love with his wife in the presence of a cult image in a sanctuary...
, crop up throughout; Jacob Horner is focused particularly on Laocoon's eyes. Too, his first lover declares ominously, “God damn your eyes, God damn your eyes, God damn your eyes.”
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
The novel was made into a 1970 movie. Barth expressed his discontent, calling it "vulgar." The loose adaptation was written by Terry SouthernTerry Southern
Terry Southern was an American author, essayist, screenwriter and university lecturer, noted for his distinctive satirical style...
, directed by Aram Avakian
Aram Avakian
Aram A. Avakian was an American film editor and director.Directed ground-breaking indie film End of the Road- Life and work :...
and starred Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach
Stacy Keach is an American actor and narrator. He is most famous for his dramatic roles; however, he has done narration work in educational programming on PBS and the Discovery Channel, as well as some comedy and musical...
and James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones
James Earl Jones is an American actor. He is well-known for his distinctive bass voice and for his portrayal of characters of substance, gravitas and leadership...
. It was savaged by critics on its release and was particularly criticized for its violence, most notably for a graphic scene in which the main female character undergoes an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
.
Clips of the film can be seen in the 1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth
The Man Who Fell to Earth (film)
The Man Who Fell to Earth is a 1976 British science fiction film directed by Nicolas Roeg.The film is based on the 1963 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis, about an extraterrestrial who crash lands on Earth seeking a way to ship water to his planet, which is suffering from a severe drought...
on one of the tv monitors being watched by David Bowie's character. Terry Southern also has a cameo in The Man Who Fell to Earth.
In popular culture
Michael StipeMichael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
, the singer of American rock band R.E.M., has explained that the lyrics for the song "Laughing," from the band's first full-length record Murmur
Murmur (album)
Murmur is the debut album by the American alternative rock band R.E.M., released in 1983 on I.R.S. Records. Murmur drew critical acclaim upon its release for its sound, defined by singer Michael Stipe's cryptic lyrics, guitarist Peter Buck's jangly guitar style, and bassist Mike Mills' melodic...
, were inspired by Barth's novel.