Archive:The Lesson and The Sword

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The Lesson and The Sword
Aferuunstell.png
5th Edition (2000) Istani Front Cover
AuthorUram Servan
Original titleAferu ũs Tell
CountryIstan
LanguageIstani Baredan
Genre
  • Allegorical Satire
  • Bildungsroman
  • Novel of Ideas
Set inIstan, Szezkia, Settia, Yaina, Sjuu, Jute
Published1786-89

The Lesson and The Sword (Istani: Aferu ũs Tell /ɛ:.fɪ.ru ũ tɪtɬ/) is a novel, originally published in three volumes, by celebrated Istani writer, lawyer and natural philosopher Uram Servan, first published after Servan's death in 1786; it's publication was proscribed during Servan's lifetime. It is considered the foremost work of literature in all of the Istani corpus, and indeed amongst the greatest works of Baredan fiction ever written; Norjihani author Saddan Verad Larl declared the work "Certainly the most respected work of fiction amongst our great people [The Baredans]... deeply insightful and infinitely playful". It is also the longest work of fiction in the Istani language, and is indeed one of the longest pieces of literature on Sahar.

The novel follows a young Istani officer (whose name is never revealed) who follows a mysterious Xhovian fleet to the island of Jute - on the way discovering that they intend to colonise the island - and his attempts to help the Juteans stand up against Xhovian aggression. He eventually leaves the Juteans, believing they are incapable of survival, and it is assumed the Xhovians enslaved and ate the population of the island. Servan began to write the novel after failing to be admitted onto one of the Istani Aristocratic Committies (bodies who offer advice and expertise on matters being put to vote) focusing on law, being blocked by his prominent rival Paren Saer. As such, the work is a satire, indirectly attacking the Istani government of the time on numerous occassions throughout, especially Saer. The novel is often seen as being staunchly anti-interventionist and anti-colonialist, although modern criticism has attacked it for being racist, both towards the Xhovians and to other cultures (in this case, the people of Jute).

Initial Publication

Servan originally planned to release the novel as a standalone work in 1786, having written it in the period 1780-1785 in a number of bursts; it was begun soon after he was refused membership of the Committee of Legal Affairs. However, his attempts to publish the work were opposed by the Pyçaşim (the main legislature of the Istani government, filled by citizens elected via sortition), and after his release of a section of the novel in an Istani periodical caused public outcry, all of his works were proscribed. After his death, however, a group of his friends agreed to publish the novel. It was released in three volumes, the first two consisting of three sections and the final of four; Servan had originally split the book into ten sections, much like the ten years of the Gennist Calendar. Each of them has their own title, derived from the text of the book:

  • Volume One | The Pursuit of Nothing (Istani: Gyşi Uçymim): Covers the first three sections, exploring the life of The Officer in Istan and his original pursuit of the Xhovians alongside Vers
  • Volume Two | The Endless Night of the Heart: The next three sections, which recount The Officer's journey through Sjuu and across the sea to Jute, where he first comes into contact with the Juteans
  • Volume Three | The Call of the Native: The final four sections, in which The Officer tries to group the Juteans into a force to fight off the Xhovians, and how he proceeds to give up on them and returns to Istan. In the final section, he returns to discover his father has died and his siblings have divided the inheritance amongst themselves, leaving The Officer with nothing. He dies alone.

The sections themselves each have the titles given to them by Servan, related to parts of Gennist scripture (see below).

Synopsis

Nowadays the Novel is often published all as one, but split into the three 'volumes' or 'lessons' (although this attribution of lessons, based on the title, is like the volumes themselves a later creation).

The Pursuit of Nothing

The first section, entitled "On The Birth" - a reference to the birth of Uled (the first human in Gennist mythology) or of Mahadras Mahadrin (an Istani/Norjihani semi-mythic hero) - introduces us to the main character, The Officer, whose name is never revealed. He has just graduated from military school and been assigned to his army group when the book begins. He lives comfortably, the son of a wealthy banker and part of a noble family, and The Officer reflects on his childhood and how easy it was for him. However, he gets caught up in a dispute between two fellow officers, one of whom is a former lover of his. As a result, he ends up being stripped of his command as he prepares to leave to go to his northern posting, and is told that he is to be demoted all the way down to Head of the Guard for the city of Myski. This section ends with The Officer considering suicide.

The next section, "On The Child" begins three years later, with The Officer on a naval vessel in the Argeyaz, for reasons unknown; there is a deliberate uncertainty created over whether this is the same Officer as the first section given the change from a land officer to someone with some naval position, whose rank is never revealed either (although the character is still referred to as The Officer). An unusually large fleet is spotted leaving Avdjereg. Curious, he asks for permission to follow the fleet. This is refused, and in a fit of rage The Officer ends up resigning his command. With his friend/manservant Vers, the Officer steals a small boat from the harbour at Tesan soon afterwards, and they find the Xhovian fleet heading to Settia. They follow the fleet to Settia, and proceed to follow the large force that emerges as they begin to cross South Baredina.

The final section of the first volume, "The Destruction of Youth", details how The Officer and Vers follow the Xhovians across South Baredina, escaping from all sorts of dangers and getting help from locals as they cross the mountains that run through the region. They learn that the force is marching to colonise the island nation of Jute from a local chief, seemingly sympathetic towards The Officer. However, as they leave the town they were staying in the next morning, they are stopped by the chief who hands them over to the Xhovian colonial force, and tells them everything The Officer told him. The Xhovians bind them in chains and take them away. However, throughout the day The Officer's chains loosen slightly, such that by night time he is able to escape into the night, although not before he discovers he and Vers were going to both be eaten. He leaves Vers behind to his fate.

The Endless Night of the Heart

"The Persistence of Shadows", the next section of the Novel, begins with The Officer arriving in Eifit, capital of Sjuu. He takes the opportunity to collect himself and visits the Grand Temple, where he meets a young scholar called Talbr who he spends time with, although communication is difficult as Talbr's Istani is not great. The Officer talks about his plans to travel to Nevira and then potentially onwards to Jute with a Sjuun friend of his who he met years before (which again suggests this Officer might not be the same as the first; it is perhaps unlikely the first officer would have been so widely travelled and well connected at such a young age), and is overheard by Talbr who demands to be taken along; Talbr says he knows the countryside beyond Eifit well, and that he will guide them to the coast. They proceed to the coast, where Talbr uses his connections to get a boat to sail towards Jute, even though it is clear neither the Officer or Talbr know where they are going. As they leave, someone tries to tell them the Xhovians have been seen just to the north, and have put out a bounty for The Officer (they presumably know his identity). However, he arrives too late, and neither The Officer or Talbr hear him as he sails away.

The next section, "The Creation of a Man", covers the journey as The Officer and Talbr cross the Saru heading towards Jute, trying to get there before the Xhovians can. They head north along the coast, hoping to pass Nevira to warn the government there. However, they end up very much off course, being stuck in the centre of the ocean. Talbr goes mad and tries to kill The Officer, planning to give his head to the Xhovians in return for the bounty. The Officer is able to overpower Talbr, and pushes him into the sea. He then carries on to Jute, narrowly avoiding the Xhovian fleet on his way.

The final section of this volume, "The Word", begins with The Officer finally arriving in Jute, but to his dismay at least some of the Xhovian ships have arrived before him. Evading them, he brings his little ship to shore, and reflects on the fact it is now over 5 years since he first set off from Istan; it is presumed that during his journey to Jute he did eventually reach land and got supplies to carry on his journey, but his journey since the previous section is deliberately obscured, giving his survival an almost miraculous quality. He lands and sets up a small camp, and prepares his greeting to the supposed "King" of Jute he expects to meet. He then talks to himself about his recklesness and foolishness. He then ends up considering suicide, much like at the end of the first volume, but talks himself out of it. He proceeds to cry himself to sleep.

The Call of the Native

The first section of the final volume, "The Dog and The Bone", starts with The Officer waking up the next morning and discovering he is surrounded by a group of Juteans, curious and yet obviously unaware of the Xhovian presence just a few miles down the coast. The Officer tries to talk in Jutean, having learnt a little from 'some little old mystic, probably dead by now, just like myself' on his journey to Jute. However, he ends up accidentally offending the locals, and is taken away by them to be questioned further. The Juteans ask him where he has come from and how he knows Jutean. This section of the book is often considered the most difficult to read, with lots of half sentences and unclear wording, reflecting the lack of communication between the Juteans and The Officer.

The next section, "The Ever-learning Teacher", carries on immediately from the previous one, and begins with one of the Juteans bursting into the village and revealing the fact that the Xhovians have arrived; he says he has only just escaped with his life. The Juteans think that The Officer must be one of them; he certainly looks similar enough. However, The Officer is able to convince the Juteans that he has come to help them. He is released and given a place to stay. He returns to his original camp to discover that nothing is left but his sword. He brings it back with him to the village, and shows the Juteans the sword. This again antagonises them, and The Officer retires. He writes a letter to himself, complaining about 'These miserable, uncompromising, ignorant idiots, unaware of how close their doom is'.

The third section,"So Long, Farewell" begins with The Officer trying to teach some of the Juteans how to fight, trying to organise them into units and regiments with him as their leader. The Juteans are angered by this, feeling it an affront to their way of life, but he carries on, reminding the Juteans that if they don't do something the Xhovians will come and kill them, and potentially even eat them. Using this fear, he is able to create some form of discipline, although he is opposed throughout by a small group of the Juteans. The story moves forward slightly again, to a scene where The Officer is invited to take part in a ceremony in the village. He refuses, saying 'You may have your spirits, but I too have my own. I have seen a world beyond your imagining, and its spirits fill me even now'. In refusing, he greatly insults the Juteans who use the excuse to kick him out of the village. The Officer returns to the site of his original camp, where his boat still sits. He turns around and sees a fire in the distance; the village has been attacked. He utters the line 'So long, farewell, and may you realise the error of your ways before your ways are gone forever', and leaves Jute.

The final section, "The Return of the Native", begins presumably a matter of years later again, as The Officer enters Tesan, the city he left at the beginning of the book. He plans to publish an account of his journey, to be entitled The Lesson and The Sword, but is rejected by all of the major publishers. He discovers that he was presumed dead, and that all of his possessions were shared amongst his family. Further to this, he discovers his father has died. His father had planned to give him everything, but due to the fact The Officer was presumed dead, his father's estate was shared between the other siblings. Realising he is alone and destitute, he hangs himself in his temporary lodgings, jumping off the papers of his memoir. The story ends with his funeral, attended by no one.

Themes

Main Characters

  • The Officer - The Officer (or Officers), is the main character of the book, and the book follows his journey to and from Istan. The book essentially serves as a subverted Bildungsroman around The Officer; he begins the book having just become an Officer in the Istani army, but it is soon revealed he is not as mature as he thinks; he gets into a brawl and proceeds to be cast down to the lowly position of head of the guard of Myski. The journey to and from Jute then serves as his 'coming of age', as he discovers the world and comes to terms with it. His youthish optimisim is slowly worn down throughout the journey, but he has become a more mature man as a result. However, when he returns, it is discovered he now has nothing, and despite the moral value of his journey he has gained nothing at all. The Officer's name is never revealed, but it is presumed that The Officer is supposed to be Servan himself; taking this view allows us to see the story as an autobiographical text, following his legal and especially political career. This is all complicated by the deliberate uncertainty created by the potential suicide at the beginning of the book.
  • Vers
  • Talbr