Linguistics, Criticism, and Smollett’s Roderick Random

LINGUISTICS, CRITICISM, AND SMOLLETT'S RODERICK RANDOM T.K. PRATT Let it be declared at once that this article is intended for those who are skeptical about the usefulness of modem linguistics in literary criticism. That such skepticism exists is sometimes hard for the linguist, caught up in what seems an exciting cross-fertilization, to realize, but departments of English know it too well. That such skepticism has foundation, but no future, is the thesis of what follows. In addition, a contribution might be made to the surprisingly minute body of writing on the vigorous style of Tobias Smollett. In view of the constant and largely justified demand from the anti-linguists for practice, not theory, with a recognized work of literature, we tum immediately to an example of Smollett's prose: (I) - The first who appeared was a brisk airy girl, about twenty years old, with a silver laced hat on her head, instead of a cap, a blue stuff riding-suit trimmed with silver, very much tarnished, and a whip in her hand. (2) After her, came limping, an old man with a worsted night-cap, buttoned under his chin, and a broad brimmed hat slouched over it, an old rusty blue cloak tied about his neck, under which appeared a brown surtout, that covered a thread·bare coat and waist-coat, and, as we afterwards discerned, a dirty flannel jacket. (3) - His eyes were hollow, bleared and gummy; his face was shrivelled into a thousand wrinkles, his gums were destitute of teeth, his nose sharp and drooping, his chin peeked and prominent, so that, when he mumped or spoke, they approached one another like a pair of nut-crackers; he supported himself on an ivory-headed cane, and his whole figure was a just emblem of winter, famine, and avarice. (4) - But how was I surprized, when I beheld the formidable captain in the shape of a little thin creature, about the age of forty, with a long withered visage, very much resembling that of a baboon, through the upper part of which, two little grey eyes peeped: He wore his own hair in a queue that reached to his rump, which immoderate length, I suppose, was the occasion of a baldness that appeared on the crown of his head, when he deigned to take off his hat, which was very much of the size and cock of Pistol's. (5) - Having laid aside his great coat, I could not help admiring the extraordinary make of this man of war: He was ahout five feet and three inches high, sixteen inches of which went to his face and long scraggy neck; his thighs were ahout six inches in length, his legs resembling UTQ, Volume XLU, Number 1, Fall 1972 LINGUISTICS, CRITICISM, AND Roderick Random 27 spindles or drum-sticks, two feet and an half, and his body, which put me in mind of extension without substance, engrossed the remainder; - so that on the whole he appeared like a spider or grasshopper erect, - and was almost a vox & preterea nihil. (6) - His dress consisted of a frock of what is called bearskin , the skirts of which were about half a foot long, an Hussar waist-coat, scarlet breeches reaching half-way down his thigh, worsted stockings rolled up almost to his groin, and shoes with wooden heels at least two inches high; he carried a sword very near as long as himself in one hand, and with the other conducted his lady, who seemed to be a woman of his own age, and still retained some remains of an agreeable person; but so ridiculously affected, that had I not been a novice in the world, I might have easily perceived in her, the deplorable vanity and second-hand airs of a lady's woman. - [from Roderick Random, ch. xi, 4th ed., 1755] We have here a self-contained piece of deSCription. Just before it, Roderick has heard the owners of the four portraits - respectively, Jenny Ramper, Isaac Rapine, Captain and Mrs Weazel, as their names turn out to be - talking in a darkened waggon he has joined on the road to London. Just after, begins one of their...