Henderson the Rain King

Saul Bellow

Henderson the Rain King

Saul Bellow was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1976 for, among other things, the ability to give values a place side by side with facts in literature, unlike realism. The import of his work was seen as creating awareness that only the right values can give human kind freedom and responsibility, necessary foundations for building of faith in the future and a desire for action. Bellow's work was also recognized for its unique mixture of philosophy, cultural analysis and deep insights into human consciousness (The Nobel Foundation Web site).

Henderson the Rain King is an archetypical Bellow work bearing all the aforesaid characteristics. Henderson, the novel's principal character sets out on a journey ostensibly to Africa but primarily in search of himself. Bellow's portrayal of the unhappy, discontented middle-aged American millionaire has been widely interpreted as a caricature of Americans in the twentieth century: "...big, restless, wealthy, confused...resemblances in Henderson...literary heroes...turbulent, fleshy, sensual, gross.... He is the American Adam...verge of a breakdown, trying to recover some lost quality of himself...."(Markos, 109)

All is, however, not lost as Bellow shows Henderson as all too human with many redeeming qualities, self-realization being the most important: "No one has ever conveyed so well as Saul Bellow the anguish of a man who is capable of honestly contemplating his nature but incapable of changing it.... Henderson has acted like a slob again and again...but one never doubts that he has good...qualities...predicament seems tragic...." (Hicks, 100)

Tragedy gets converted to hope when Henderson is shown, at the end of the novel, as transformed from the anxious, disturbed state of 'becoming' to the sereneness of 'being,' through his adventures in Africa. Henderson's newly discovered being leads to his returning to America with a newfound determination to live up to the 'service ideal' as a medical doctor. Thus, Bellow emphasizes "...Henderson's basic decency...desire to be a good man...take some constructive action...live for something more than himself." (Markos, 117)

Much like Bellow, the concept of happiness as defined in the Declaration of Independence, too, was based on the optimism, philosophy and faith that human nature was inherently decent. This is self-evident in the very wording, "...a decent respect to the opinions of mankind...that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." (The National Archives)

Though The Declaration of Independence drew much of its inspiration from the philosopher John Locke, Jefferson's theory of 'natural law' differed in that it substituted the inalienable right of the "pursuit of happiness" for "property," emphasizing that happiness is the product of civic duty and virtue (The Library of Congress). Bellow's Henderson too ultimately realizes the same thing when he decides to adopt the 'service ideal.'

Perhaps, the best substantiation of the positive consequences of the Founder's conception of happiness is History itself. Although, some original portions such as a denunciation of the slave trade were rejected from the draft to accede to the wishes of South Carolina and Georgia (The Library of Congress), the fact is America ultimately fought to abolish slavery and is, today, the most vocal and passionate advocate for non-discrimination of all types. Such action has largely stemmed from a collective commitment to the conception of basic human rights such as happiness. This commitment is also reflected in America's staunch upholding of principles such as freedom of expression and a free market system that allows individuals the opportunity to seek their dreams.

As regards negative consequences, skeptics, in their arrogance, often express the view that all humans are not, in fact, born equal and therefore are better off having their welfare looked after by men with superior intelligence and wisdom. Such schools of thought are used to justify aristocracy, autocracy, socialist and dictatorial regimes on the grounds that allowing individual freedom to pursue happiness would lead to abuse, self-indulgence, destruction and anarchy. In fact, it could be said that the Anti-Federalists were from a very similar school of thought and to that extent, would have viewed Henderson's anti-social behavior as a product of a culture and regime that allowed too much freedom: "In a large republic there are men of large fortunes...of less moderation; there are trusts too great to be placed in any single subject...interest of his own...." (First Anti-Federalist Paper)