As I have mentioned before, HPL was
undoubtedly racist. It appears often enough through his works, though more
often than not detracts little from the main purpose of the tale. If
Lovecraft’s cosmic horror were real, there would be no reason for racist ideas.
Essentially we would all equally be reduced down to such insignificant specks
that creating some hierarchy within the human race would be obviously
pointless.
But it still stands that in a number of
writings (especially early poems), HPL’s bigotry is painfully present. I make
no excuses for The Street. To be honest, I don’t even like this story. Apart
from its racial intolerances, it is really dumb. More akin to a pre-modernist
episode of 24, than to what is considered the master works of HPL.
Responding to the current events of his
time, The Street could be said to be a product of its era. But we could say
that about most artists works. It is true that Lovecraft was writing a
quasi-supernatural story that mirrors the real life events of the Boston police
strike in 1919, but the horror elements of the tale just fall flat. Instead we
are treated to an exophobic story of terrorism plotted by a sinister race. A
concept I would be far more comfortable with were it a strange non-human race.
In fact, I often wonder at the reasoning
behind Lovecraft’s anti-immigration rhetoric and racial bigotry, after all, in
his literary universe nothing truly matters on the larger scale. We are merely
cosmic fodder. Though I suppose I could see Lovecraft insisting on some base
hierarchy within species. We are dominated by space-faring beings but that
doesn’t mean we can’t try to dominate each other. It seems ridiculous, and this
needed hierarchy seems more like an addition put in by Clark Ashton Smith (who
was notorious for trying to give the Mythos a more classical balance by adding
western religious connotations), than it does something from Lovecraft. But we
know it is sadly true. Lovecraft wasn’t perfect. And he certainly isn’t some
infallible writer either, as is evident by The Street. Really there are many
other things to waste your time with. But if you are a completist as well and
want to get through all the stories with me, you can read the full text here:
HPL’s The Street
You can also check this great podcast
from the guys over at HPPodcraft and hear how much they hated it, and get some
insight into how Lovecraft fit into the literary movements of his day. TheStreet @ HPPodcraft.com
(Note: no illustration this time, I have been far too busy lately to do one, and let's just face it, this story really isn't worth it.)
No comments:
Post a Comment