Biographical Reading of Ann Beattie's "Janus"

Introduction: Biography and Literary Scale

Great literature is often associated with revealing great passions and large events. The English literature produced during the nineteenth century can be especially noted for the grand scope and sensationalism employed by many of its authors. Charles Dickens stands out as the foremost example of these sensationalist literary figures. In his novels — such as Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, and A Tale of Two Cities, not to mention many others — life-altering events occur in almost every chapter, and the circumstances the various characters find themselves in change drastically over the course of each novel's plot.

One explanation for this is that the novels Dickens wrote reflect both the turbulence of the time and place he lived in, and the many major changes of circumstance that he himself went through in his own life. He experienced life at most levels of British society and wrote about the many inequalities and injustices he perceived. The fact that he wrote about them as fiction does not diminish the truth that these factors held in his personal experience. In fact, a biographical reading of his work reveals that the great passions and events occurring in his novels — those qualities that earn them the status of great literature — are really reflections of his own real life, with some necessary embellishments and modifications, of course.

In the case of Charles Dickens, the connection between his biographical details and the plots and themes of his literary works is direct and easy to perceive. It can be less simple to discern the biographical impact of a work that does not exhibit such a grand scale, however. Ann Beattie is considered one of the great geniuses of the minimalist form, and as such her stories reveal characters through small details rather than plot (Frost, par. 1). This can make a biographical reading tricky, but not impossible.

Minimalism, Disillusionment, and Beattie's Tradition

The world changed drastically from the Victorian Era and the Industrial Revolution that Dickens inhabited. After the turn of the century and two World Wars, things were settling down again by the late 1940s and into the 1950s. A great deal of disillusionment occurred during this period, and many literary figures began to focus on the false promises of equality and the disappointment that passions can bring. As time wore on, a complete lack of passion — or total ennui — began to emerge as a new literary theme: the theme of disillusionment with the world in general, and specifically with the idea that humanity had any special place in the universe. This is the tradition that Ann Beattie belongs to, and it is harder to identify biographical influences in her work precisely because much of it is delivered in such a seemingly passionless and purposeless manner. Yet even with this obstacle, comparisons between her life and her work can be made.

Works Cited

Beattie, Ann. "Janus." The Norton Introduction to Literature. Ed. Allison Booth, J. Paul Hunter, Kelly J. Mays. New York: Norton, 2005. 280–283.

Brent, Liz. "Overview of 'Janus.'" Short Stories for Students, Vol. 9, the Gale Group, 2000.

Frost, Adam. "Beattie, Ann." Literature Online bibliography. Cambridge, 2002. ProQuest Information and Learning Company. 12 Mar. 2009.

Henningfield, Diane Andrews. "Overview of 'Janus.'" Short Stories for Students, Vol. 9, the Gale Group, 2000.

Koch, Lara. "All the Things You Look for in a Ring: An Interview with Ann Beattie." Folio, Winter 2006. Retrieved online 12 Mar. 2009.

Miller, Philip. "Beattie's JANUS." Explicator 46.1 (Fall 1987): 48. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. 12 Mar. 2009.