Bridging Parallels Between Miller’s Tropic of Cancer and Dada

Bryan Carter
bdc005@uncp.edu

Abstract

Dada was a reactionary philosophy to the events of the early twentieth century. Its attempts to redirect society (through anti-art art) into a new order of individual relativism, self-importance, and experimentation were not met approvingly by the critics of the time, who dismissed their exhibits as vulgar and nonsensical. Today, the art world acknowledges the importance and influence of dada’s role in stretching the possibility of what can be considered art. While the movement eventually splintered off into different artistic factions, they all retained a disdain for western society’s prevalent morals and values system, as well as for dismissing the beliefs in the institutions that they claim failed them: religion, government, art, and literature.

A dozen years after the last dada exhibit, a middle-aged expatriate finished his memoirs - a part autobiographical, part fictional account of his experiences living in Paris. Unlike other memoirs of his day, his passages were laden with sexually explicit language, uncensored revelations with prostitutes, the sick, the diseased, the dirty streets that were (probably deliberately) overlooked as subjects of literature by other expatriates. One of the first dadaist novels was Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer.

Tropic of Cancer is an affront to the morals and standards of literature decency of the time. Several passages convey dadaist tones, or, at the very least, owe a significant influence to the art movement and its broad mission to affect all aspects of western culture. Miller uses the hedonistic spontaneity, physical and moral depravation, harlotry, dirt, and disease-ridden characters in his book to demand the readers’ attention and make them respond, to question their own values, for better or worse. He advocates a drastic shift from traditional values to liberal relativism, much like the dadaists had around twenty years earlier.

Annotated Bibliography

Ades, Dawn. “Dada and Surrealism.” Modern Art: Impressionism to Post-Modernism.5th ed. Ed. 
   David Britt. London: Thames and Hudson, 2002. 202-251.

Filled with vivid color illustrations of dada and surreal art, this essay outlines the history, philosophy, and major contributors of the 2 art movements. Ades deals primarily with the dadaists in Europe (Zurich, Paris, Germany), while not mentioning the New York connection; this is probably due to the fact that she only deals with origins, and not proliferations, of the movement. The essay is a useful examination of the beginnings of modern art as society knows it today.

Arnold, Matthew. Culture and Anarchy. Ed. J. Dover Wilson. London: Cambridge University 
   Press, 1969.

This book centers on Arnold’s views on human culture and man’s pursuit for perfection and happiness. Certain passages relating culture to machinery were consistent with the findings of Miller in Tropic of Cancer.

Davis, Hope Hale. “A Labor of Love: The Devil at Large: Erica Jong on Henry Miller.” News 
   Leader 76.3 (1993): 17-19.

Davis reviews Jong’s poetry collection, which is a personal account of her correspondences and other experiences with Miller that began in 1974. He suggests that the close intimacy and affection with Miller that Jong possessed has clouded her soft approach to Miller’s sexually explicit works, which is reflected in her poems. This is an interesting review of the poetry of a life shared with Miller through the art of writing.

Erickson, Steve. “Henry Miller: Exhibitionist of the Soul.” Conjunctions 29 (1997). 
   Online Posting. 22 April 2004 http://www.conjunctions.com/archives/c29-se.htm.

This essay attempts to sway mainstream critics’ view of Tropic of Cancer as a novel dealing primarily with sex, to one that focused much of its energy and action in the pursuit of finding food. Erickson writes about how Miller’s moral improprieties reflected in his writings and that, although he is without forgiveness, none needs to be given. This essay is interesting, even though it is a bit subjective (opinionated).

Franck, Dan. Bohemian Paris: Picasso, Modigliani, Matisse, and the Birth of Modern 
   Art.2nd ed. New York: Grove Press, 2001.

A delightful book that is written with poetic flare and enthusiastic charm, Franck writes about the birth of dada, with almost 30 pages devoted to the subject. He includes passages from the many dadaist manifestoes that spread through Europe in the late 10’s and early 20’s – manifestoes that clearly (or not so clearly) outlined their mission, purpose for existence, and views on art, government, and western culture as a whole. Franck’s diction is easy to comprehend and pleasant to read for the novice art lover.

Gopnik, Adam. “Americans in Paris.” The American Scholar 73.2 (2004): 13-29.

Although this essay depicts a conglomeration of American expatriate writers, nevertheless its curt treatment of Miller’s Paris is insightful and thought-provoking. Gopnik writes that Miller was one of the first writers to write about dirty Paris, someone who went against the standards of morals of the time. Due to its minimal offering, Gopnik’s lean nod to Miller can only begin more dense studies

Miller, Henry. Tropic of Cancer. New York: Grove Press, 1961.

Miller’s most controversial account of his experience living in Paris in the early 1930’s, the text offers a compelling, comparative look at American surrealist and dadaist literature. First published by a friend of Sylvia Beach, the memoir’s offensive nature and uncensored language caused it to be banned from publication in the U.S. until 1961.

Moore, Thomas H. Henry Miller on Writing. 6th ed. New York: New Directions Books, 
   1964.

A wonderful collection that contains excerpts and analyses of Miller’s writing style and philosophy, this five-chapter book discusses Miller’s views on finding one’s voice, offers writing suggestions, as well as his views on obscenity. His essays are rich with personal insight and reflection.

Orend, Karl. “Making a Place for Henry Miller in the Classroom.” Chronicle of Higher 
   Education 50.18 (2004): 6-8.

Orend discusses, among other topics, Miller’s impact on American society with his Tropic of Cancer. He tries to explain Miller’s motives, and dismisses allegations that Miller was a sex maniac and a racist. This is an informative essay, one that strives to find value in a work that is as misunderstood today as it was in 1934.

Shipe, Timothy. “The International Dada Archive.” University of Iowa Libraries Online. 
   8 January 2002. Online Posting. 4 March 2004 
   http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/dada/archive.html.

Complete with countless links to specific artists and other art movements, this online essay praises the influence Dada continues to yield over the art world. The latter portion of the essay explains the logic of placing the dada archive collection center in Iowa. Shipe states that, because dadaist artists never focused on the permanence of their art work, many of their pamphlets, posters, and manifestoes were either lost or suffered considerable damage over time. The essay explains that the University of Iowa’s Dada Archive Center has saved hundreds of these artifacts, for viewing and researching pleasure and pursuits.

Weiss, Hanna Kaiter. Archetypal Images in Surrealist Prose: A Study in Modern Fiction. New 
   York: Garland Publishing,Inc., 1988.

This is a useful reference in identifying and understanding the prosodic archetypes of surrealism, Weiss’s introduction gives a vivid description of surrealist literature which any novice art student or aficionado can appreciate.

Web Pages

Dada art and manifesto sites:
http://www.mital-u.ch/Dada/cabvolte.html
http://www.mital-u.ch/Dada/dadae.html
http://sdrc.lib.uiowa.edu/dada/blindman/2/cover.htm

Henry Miller bibliography site:
http://www.levity.com/corduroy/millerh.htm