Under the Striped Gazebo
From Omnictionary
Under the Striped Gazebo is a 1983 novel by William S. Wright, notable for its fiercely controversial nature and the protests which resulted from its publication. It tells the story of middle-aged millionaire Humphrey Weppingly, who has a sexual relationship with thirteen-year-old Mary Cinders. The blatantly paedophilic nature of the book caused unparalleled outrage.
Overview
The novel is set in the summer of 1943, and takes place between five characters: Humphrey, his wife Joan, her lover Randy, young Mary, and the butler, Harry. The story takes place in the space of three days, and is split into three parts accordingly.
Humphrey is a rich artist who has grown bored of the subjects whom he paints. He calls for a new model to be brought in to sit for a portrait, and he instantly falls in love with Mary. But his love goes too far, and unnatural thoughts start forming in his mind.
The novel explores the delicate nature of abnormal relationships, and is written in the third person.
Expanded Plot
The novel begins with a letter from Sir Humphrey Weppingly to his wife Joan, mysteriously asking her forgiveness. It is unknown whether the book is supposed to have been written by Weppingly himself (the letter ends "allow me to yell you the story through my own eyes") or whether the letter was included merely to interest the reader. The book opens in the fictitious english town of Winsmorshire, a rustic country village in which millionaires like Humphrey often take their summers. Humphrey has made his fortune in the enginerring business (the nature of his job is never explained beyond that) but in his middle age has taken up painting. It is made clear in the first third of the book that Sir Humphrey is in need of someone new to paint. Their neighbors, a poor farming family, offer the services of their beautiful thirteen year old daughter, Mary Cinders, in exchange for money.
Meanwhile, Lady Joan Weppingsly in on the lawn on the opposite side of the house with the manservant, Randall Trotter-Metcalf (known as Randy throughout the book), with whom she is having an affair. They are discussing (in between kissing on the garden bench) about Humphrey's paintings, and how they came to be together. Joan explains that he became very absorbed with his work, and would ignore everything else, including his wife, which is how she came to fall for Randy.
Later in the day, Humphrey meets Mary, and she sits for him while he paints. He begins to notice every minute detail about her, all the things that are beautiful about her. Her kind, mild manners and lovely appearance have Humphrey (who appears to be suffering some sort of midlife crisis) to begin having thoughts of a more sexual nature about her. art one ends after a dream he has about Mary.
Part two opens on Harry, the butler, in the servants quarters, preparing breakfast with the maids and Randy. It becomes known to the reader that Harry knows about the affair between Randy and Joan, and intends to tell Sir Humphrey as soon as he can. Breakfast is brought to the table, and Humphrey and Joan eat in uncomfortable silence. Mary comes to the door and rings the bell, causing Humphrey to become very excited, and practically run to her. Harry follows, and informs Sir Humphrey of Joan's affair. Mary comforts Humphrey, and he finds himself falling even more deeply for her. Most of this third is spend with Humphrey reflecting on what it means to love someone, and whether age is a factor - whether it is wrong to act upon ones love when the object of your affections is thirteen when you yourself are fifty three. He eventually decides not to confront Joan - he has lost all interest in her, and focus on painting Mary and his love for her.
Randy and Joan begin to suspect that Humphrey knows about them, and make plans to leave Winsmorshire as soon as possible.
In the last third of the book, Humphrey is putting the finishing touches on his painting of Mary, lusting after her almost constantly although she is still completely oblivious. Several scenarios play out in his head, but they all turn out not be real, only daydreams of his. His has become so obsessed he sees affection in her everyday movements. He is convinced she loves him too, and that they can be happy once he divorces Joan, because of her affair. He confronts Joan, and she yells at him for not paying attention to her and not being a good husband. She leaves with Randy, leaving Humphrey alone in the house with the help.
Mary comes for her last session of painting, and Humphrey passionately expresses his love for her. Mary is obviously repulsed, and flees the house, leaving the picture unfinished. Sir Humphrey realizes he has lost both his wife, and the girl he loved, and gained nothing at all. The novel ends with the same letter from the beginning, this time with a postscript.
"I love her, and I alway shall. Through rain and snow, sleet and fog fire and storm, I will love her. Perhaps because I convinced myself I did On those lazy summer days With the smell of paint in my nostrils And a beautiful girl before my eyes Or maybe I did truly love her There, in Winsmorshire Under the striped gazebo."
Criticism
Wright claimed that the novel was rejected over a hundred times before he finally found someone to publish it. His original publisher, with whom he published Decisions Which Are Hard To Make, amongst other titles, rejected the manuscript and dropped him from their list of writers, so disgusted were they by the work. The public immediately responded to its publication, with mass burnings of the book being held, and many death threats being delivered to Wright’s house daily. Eventually, after months of relentless attacks on the book, Wright was forced to withdraw all copies of the novel from bookshops and libraries, as well as to cease all publication of it. Copies of the book are now very rare.
