Darkness at Noon
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 Cover of Darkness at Noon |
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| Author | Arthur Koestler |
|---|---|
| Language | German |
| Genre(s) | Novel |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Released | 1940 |
| Released in English | 1 March 1984 |
| Pages | 224 pp (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-553-26595-4 |
| Preceded by | 'The Gladiators' |
| Followed by | 'Arrival and Departure' |
Darkness at Noon is the most famous novel by Hungarian-born British novelist Arthur Koestler. Published in 1940, it tells the tale of Rubashov, a Bolshevik old guard and 1917 revolutionary who is first cast out and then imprisoned and tried for treason by the Soviet government he once helped create.
The novel is set in 1938 during the Stalinist purges and Moscow show trials. It reflects the author's personal disillusionment with Communism and Stalin's destruction of the revolution; Koestler knew some of the defendants at the Moscow trials. Although the characters have Russian names, neither Russia nor the Soviet Union are actually mentioned by name as the location of the book. Joseph Stalin is described as "Number One", a barely-seen and menacing totalitarian leader.
Due to Koestler's complex life, the novel was originally written in German and translated into English. However, the original German text has been lost, and German versions are back translations from English. Darkness at Noon is actually the second part of a trilogy, the first volume being The Gladiators about the subversion of the Spartacus revolt, and the third Arrival and Departure about a refugee in World War II. The Gladiators was originally written in Hungarian and Arrival and Departure in English. Of these two, only The Gladiators has had much success.
Contents |
[edit] Characters
Several inspirations have been suggested for Rubashov. According to George Orwell, "Rubashov might be called Trotsky, Bukharin, Rakovsky or some other relatively civilised figure among the Old Bolsheviks".[1]
Koestler arguably drew on his own experience of being imprisoned by Francisco Franco during the Spanish Civil War. Like Rubashov, he was in solitary confinement, expected to be executed, paced his cell constantly, was permitted to walk in the courtyard in the company of other prisoners, was not beaten himself but knew that others were beaten.
[edit] Chapter by Chapter plot summary
[edit] The First Hearing
1. Rubashov, an aging Russian revolutionary, is in his prison cell. He has just been arrested moments ago and is at peace, for he knows that he will not be examined for several days.
2. An hour earlier, Rubashov was arrested. While the soldiers were knocking on his door, he is having nightmares about a past arrest, in which soldiers knock on his door and he tries to ignore the noise, then they come into is room and order him to leave with them. He has trouble putting on his dressing gown because one of the sleeves is inside-out. In these nightmares, he relives the terror of those moments.
3. Now Rubashov relives his most recent arrest, which had taken place only hours earlier. The noise of the soldiers awakens the residents of Rubashov’s house. One woman screams, but the soldiers silence her.
4. Rubashov is being driven to the prison. He is oddly detached: He even absently passes cigarettes to the soldiers who had arrested him.
5. Rubashov arrives in his cell and has an uncanny reaction when he sees his name on the cell door.
6. Upon being awakened by the bugle call in the prison, Rubashov thinks about how he has sympathy for his own body and takes a sort of self-pitying delight in this fact. After being reprimanded by the old warder for not having gotten out of bed, Rubashov says he has a toothache. Later, Rubashov hears a noise and thinks he is to be beaten, when in fact it is only breakfast being brought to the prisoners.
7. When Rubashov discovers that he is not included in the orderly’s breakfast rounds, he becomes angry and bangs on the door of his cell. The old warder finally responds. He says that Rubashov is being ignored because he said he had a toothache. Rubashov thinks wryly to himself that the regime’s new method was to treat invalids by starving them.
8. Now, Rubashov looks at the scene with the warder from his perspective. He often likes to put himself in the place of his oppression. Rubashov thinks, “They will shoot me. My motives are of no interest to them.” Rubashov begins communicating with prisoner number 402 by using the quadratic alphabet, a code prisoners invented where different patterns of tapping on the wall correlates to letters of the alphabet. Rubashov learns that 402 is a loyalist, i.e. still loyal to the monarchy. 402 still thinks himself innocent. Rubashov thinks nothing is worse than thinking oneself innocent while in prison. 402 wants Rubashov to talk about sex. So to humor him, Rubashov describes a woman with breasts like champagne glasses.
9. Again, Rubashov relives a past experience. This time, he is in an art gallery in Germany, having a conversation with a young party leader named Richard. Rubashov accuses Richard of acting against the interest of the party, and tells him that he is no longer a member of the party. Then, Rubashov takes a taxi to the train station, and the driver, recognizing him, gives him a free ride. On the train, Rubashov’s tooth torments him and he dreams that Richard and the cab driver want to run him over for cheating them out of the fare.
10. Rubashov is surprised that he dreamed about the past, since most long-time prisoners fantasize about the future. He learns from 402 that Harelip, his name for another prisoner he saw from his window, is also a political prisoner. Knowing that he will most likely be tortured, Rubashov analyzes the different torture methods, trying to prepare himself for the physical pain.
11. Rubashov has run out of cigarettes, and his need for nicotine becomes intolerable. When Rubashov tries to order cigarettes from the prison canteen, The old warder tells him that he cannot buy things until his cash has been converted to prison vouchers. Rubashov’s temper rises. HARELIP sends his greetings to Rubashov via 402.
12. Rubashov wants to get to the bottom of the defects of the party. “All our principles were right,” he says, “but our results were wrong.” Rubashov returns to reliving his past experiences, this time in a bar in Belgium. This takes place soon after Rubashov has been released from jail, after two years’ imprisonment, and is once again working for the party. The leader of the dockworkers’ section of the party where he is sent in Belgium is called Little Loewy. In a café, Little Loewy tells Rubashov the story of his life, how he was a native of Germany, and how he had been involved in a plot to procure some much-needed weapons for the party. Loewy disappeared from the town, and the party member who was supposed to get him a passport never showed up. For a while afterwards, Loewy goes between France and Belgium, getting arrested in each country for not having a passport, being told never to come back, and fleeing to the other country. While living on the streets, Loewy catches cats and sells their skins in order to make money. Party members in both France and Belgium were of no help to Loewy. Loewy’s story ends happily: While in jail in Belgium, he makes friends with a party member, who gets him the appropriate papers.
Rubashov’s reason for going to Belgium is that the dockworkers’ section of the party has refused to unload any ships with cargo destined for or coming from the dictatorships of central Europe. For the second time in two years, a fleet of old-fashioned cargo boats was returning to the port with raw materials and gasoline to be used by the dictatorship: It was Rubashov’s job to prepare the dockworkers for the arrival of the fleet. The party leadership in the Soviet Union is ordering the dockworkers to unload the cargo because if the embargo with the dictatorship continues, other countries will steal the markets and the Soviet Union’s industrial development and economy would be hurt. Little Loewy and the dockworkers’ section of the party is upset by this state of affairs, and hangs himself.
13. The old warder comes to Rubashov’s cell to take him to the doctor. The doctor treats Rubashov rudely and offers to extract the damaged eye-tooth, though he has no anesthesia. Rubashov refuses. Later, Rubashov is examined by Ivanov, a prison official who happens to have been an old friend of his. Rubashov talks to Ivanov about the change in the party’s doctrine, the removal of the Old Guard, of which Rubashov was a part. Then, Ivanov recounts the events in Rubashov’s immediate past that cause the party to suspect Rubashov’s opposition. Ivanov gives Rubashov an ultimatum, if he signs a confession, he will get a public trial, i.e. he has a chance of not being executed. Rubashov refuses and wants to be brought back to his cell.
[edit] The second hearing
1. In an excerpt from his diary, Rubashov talks about the superiority of the neo-Machiavellianism of the Party as compared with the counter revolutionary dictatorships. He argues that subjective good faith is irrelevant, that whether someone is objectively right or wrong supersedes whether his intentions were good. He confesses to having destroyed people whom he was fond of and giving power to those he did not like, all in the name of this objectivity.
2. Gletkin and Ivanov are two prison officials. Ivanov happens to have been an old friend of Rubashov’s. The two officials meet to discuss Rubashov. Gletkin argues that people will give in when placed under physical pressure, for he has a strong aversion to Rubashov and wants to use the “hard method” with him. Ivanov, on the other hand, does not want Rubashov to be executed. Ivanov says Rubashov should be left alone
3. Because of Ivanov, Rubashov’s living conditions improve; He is given prison vouchers and thus buys cigarettes, a pencil and paper. Rubashov considered it as settled that he would not give in to Ivanov, so he knows he only has a limited time to live. He thinks about the reversibility of he and Ivanov, the roles could have been reversed. Again, he relives his past, this time his relationship with Arlova, his secretary when he worked in the office of trade delegation. One day, after he had been dictating to her, he decides to ask her out during the evening. She accepts, and they sleep together. She tells him that “you will always be able to do what you like with me.” They continue to sleep together. During the second great trial of the opposition, things begin to change; the portraits of the Old Guard are replaced, and certain books from the library are removed. Arlova, who also served as librarian, was accused of opposition to the party because she allegedly did not follow instructions about the removal and replacement of books in the library. Rubashov knows something is in store for Arlova, and begins to feel guilty. Arlova was shot.
4. Rubashov has a new neighbor in 406, who keeps tapping, “Arise, ye wretched of the earth”, but he taps “arie” instead of arise. Rubashov learns a bit about his neighbor from 402, 402 calls him Rip Van Winkle, because he was a revolutionary who had served twenty years of solitary confinement. Rubashov is taken to be shaved by the barber, who gives him a slip of paper that says “Die in silence.” The message disturbs him, and he realizes that his decision to refuse Ivanov’s offer isn’t as unshakable as he had thought.
5. Rubashov is taken for exercise in the yard. His neighbor is Rip Van Winkle, who draws Rubashov an amazingly accurate map of the country, complete with topography and major cities.
6. The day before the term set by Ivanov’s ultimatum expires, Rubashov senses something is about to happen. Sure enough, he learns from 402 that prisoner 380 is to be executed. All the prisoners who know about the execution drum on the wall. Rubashov learns that he knew 380. His name is Bogrov and they were roommates in exile. As Bogrov is being dragged away, he says Rubashov’s name.
7. Later, Ivanov comes into Rubashov’s room, gives him brandy and tries again to convince him to confess. Rubashov accuses Ivanov of having Bogrov executed for the specific reason of drawing a confession from Rubashov. Ivanov denies this and says that if Rubashov lets him talk for five minutes uninterrupted, he will leave Rubashov’s cell, as per his request. He goes on to say that Bogrov’s execution was arranged by Gletkin, against Ivanov’s instructions. Ivanov is trying to use logic to draw a confession from Rubashov, but Rubashov’s guilt and conscience have no relationship with logic. Ivanov scorns Rubashov for his moralistic and humanitarian views. Rubashov becomes conflicted with his own guilt for the sacrifice of Arlova, Richard and Little Loewy, and objectivity. Ivanov, among other things, refers to the “liquidation” of peasants who died of starvation as a surgical operation, a sacrifice that would better the lives of all in the long run. Ivanov finally agrees to leave, and Rubashov says he will think Ivanov’s proposal over again. Ivanov meets with Gletkin. He tells Gletkin of how Rubashov is weakening, and calls Gletkin an idiot for having deliberately executed Bogrov to provoke Rubashov.
[edit] The third hearing
1. Rubashov writes in his diary, in which he discusses his newly formulated theory of relative maturity. Technological and intellectual developments actually set the masses back, and it takes a while before they can catch on. He also uses the metaphor of a swing to demonstrate this rise and fall in maturity.
2. Rip Van Winkle was apparently taken away, for Rubashov has a new exercise partner, a peasant. The peasant was arrested for having refused to allow his children to be vaccinated and for acting against other attempts of the regime at modernization. Back in his cell, Rubashov writes and signs his confession, and tells 402 of his decision to give in to Ivanov’s ultimatum. 402 is disgusted: The two argue about the meaning of honor.
3. Two days later, Rubashov is impatient to be brought before Ivanov, and he thinks, with amusement, how party members will react to his theory about his relative maturity of the masses. He yearns to spend his time in a quiet library where he can find historical precedents to back up his theory. At two o’clock that morning, Rubashov is brought to be cross-examined, not by Ivanov, but by Gletkin. The light in the room is very harsh, enough to make his eyes water. Rubashov learns that Ivanov was arrested. Rubashov feels old and naked, and he says that he is ready to make a statement. Gletkin reads the accusation against Rubashov, which is completely ridiculous in Rubashov’s eyes. Two of the accusations include an attempt on Rubashov’s part on Stalin’s life and plans to reinstate the old regime by force. When asked if he pled guilty, Rubashov says he pleads guilty to not having “understood the fatal compulsions behind the policy of the government, and to have therefore held oppositional views.” He does not confess, however, to any of the criminal allegations. Gletkin tells Rubashov “he will not get off so easily” i.e. without pleading guilty for the criminal activity. Gletkin tries to make Rubashov feel even more guilty for Arlova’s death. Harelip is brought into the examination room, and Rubashov finally recognizes him as the son of a Professor Kieffer, a friend of Rubashov’s. Harelip had been instructed by Gletkin to fabricate a story against Rubashov, in which Rubashov incited Harelip to poison Stalin’s lunch. Rubashov became very sleepy, and his memory of the rest of the examination becomes hazy.
4. Rubashov is continuously examined by Gletkin over a period of about a week. He is being deprived of sleep, being only allowed to sleep one or two hours between sessions. They go over all seven points of the accusation. Rubashov argues each point, but eventually pleads guilty on all but one, his alleged sabotage in the aluminum trust. The two get into a conversation about industrialism. Rubashov tells of workers shot as saboteurs because of some negligence on their part which was due to extreme tiredness. Gletkin argues that the peasants only had ten years to adapt to industrialism, and if they weren’t sacked or shot, the whole country would come to a standstill.
5. In his diary, Rubashov compares Gletkin to a Neanderthal, and uses the metaphor of the barbarism of the Neanderthal as compared with the refinement of the ape.
6. Rubashov faints during an examination and is allowed to go into the yard for exercise. When Rubashov returns to Gletkin’s office, the last point under examination is his motivation. Rubashov denies that his motivation was counterrevolutionary. Gletkin uses excerpts from Rubashov’s own diary against him. He tells Rubashov that his testimony at the trial will be the last service he can do for the party. Rubashov signs the statement.
[edit] The grammatical fiction
1. The porter Vasily’s daughter reads her father a newspaper account of Rubashov’s trial, in which he pleads guilty to all charges and is sentenced to death. Vasily is loyal to Rubashov. A short time ago, a photograph of him hung above Vasily’s bed, but his daughter, strictly loyal to the party, took the picture down. In his final speech to the court, Rubashov says that he has nothing to die for, and that his only justification is that he didn’t make it easy for himself.
2. Rubashov, knowing his death is inevitable, has become peaceful. Rubashov taps the word “I” on the wall facing 406. He reasons that revolution, and the sacrifice caused by revolution, is justified when one thinks about mankind as a whole, but not when one thinks of I, of individual human beings. Rubashov had tried to find answers in working for the party, and failed.
Rubashov talks to 402, to pass the time before his execution. Harelip is fetched first, and the prisoners drum on the wall. Rubashov says that he would study astronomy if he were pardoned. 402, who has eighteen years left to serve in prison, says how he envies Rubashov. Rubashov thanks 402. The drumming starts again, and Rubashov walks with the soldiers and a civilian down the basement steps, and is shot in the neck.
[edit] Influence
The French language title is Le Zéro et l'Infini, meaning "Zero and Infinity". Like "Darkness at Noon", it reflects Koestler's lifelong obsession with the meeting of opposites, and dialectics. The book sold over 400,000 copies in France.
In 1954, at the end of a long inquiry and a show trial, Communist Romania sentenced to death former high-ranking member of the Romanian Communist Party and one-time government official Lucreţiu Pătrăşcanu, on various charges.[2][3] According to his collaborator Belu Zilber — himself a victim of the trial —, Pătrăşcanu had read Darkness at Noon during the time when he visited Paris as an envoy to the 1946 Peace Conference, and had brought the book back to his native country.[2][3]
[edit] References
- ^ George Orwell, Arthur Koestler. Essay, at www.george-orwell.org
- ^ a b (Romanian) Stelian Tănase, "Belu Zilber. Part III" (fragments of O istorie a comunismului românesc interbelic, "A History of Romanian Interwar Communism"), in Revista 22, Nr.702, August 2003
- ^ a b Vladimir Tismăneanu, Stalinism for All Seasons: A Political History of Romanian Communism, University of California Press, Berkeley, 2003, ISBN 0-52-023747-1 p.75, 114
