Henderson The Rain King: A Modern Picaro In Spiritual Exile

This M.A. thesis aims to give a detailed analysis of Henderson the picaro in Saul Bellow's novel Henderson the Rain King. Since the 1960s, many critics have written numerous critical articles and reviews about this novel and extensive analyses have been devoted to the main character. There have been at least three approaches to Henderson the protagonist: the mythic and archetypal approach, the existentialist approach and the humanistic analysis. This thesis focuses on the humanistic analysis of Henderson the Rain King, exploring the similarities and differences between a traditional picaro and Henderson the modern one. Though many critics have acknowledged the picaresque characteristics of the novel and much attention has been dedicated to the spiritual evolution of the main character, a careful examination will reveal that Henderson is a modern picaro who also embodies the telling characteristics of an exile. By applying Edward Said's theory on exile, this thesis argues that Saul Bellow in Henderson the Rain King highlights the universal presence of exiles in spiritual terms and that Henderson's eventual regeneration demonstrates Bellow's humanistic idealism that exile can be of healing effects.This thesis is composed of three chapters in addition to an Introduction and a Conclusion.Chapter One reviews the history and characteristics of the picaresque genre, and special attention is given to its development in American literature. The background information of picaresque tradition will be important in understanding the relation of Henderson the Rain King to those classical picaresque works, especially concerning the trope of picaro characterization.Chapter Two explores the picaresque characteristics in Henderson the Rain King, and gives a detailed analysis of the picaro image in the novel, namely Henderson. This chapter discusses the similarities and differences between a traditional picaro and Henderson the modern one. It is the absence of financial worries and the deliberate spiritual quest that make Henderson a modern picaro.In Chapter Three, Said's theory on exile is introduced to interpret the exilic presence of the protagonist. Said's perspective specially emphasizes the sense of spiritual alienation and social dislocation strongly felt by an exile, which is also what Henderson the picaro shares in his life. In this chapter, Henderson is seen as an exile both in physical and spiritual terms. By discussing the reasons why Bellow claims Henderson a gentile character, the chapter comes to conclude that Saul Bellow makes Henderson a non-Jewish character to highlight the universal presence of exiles in spiritual terms in modern society.The last part of this thesis is a summary of the above three chapters: Saul Bellow succeeds in presenting a modern picaro in spiritual exile, a confused character who does not allow himself to be swallowed by the all-encompassing impact of spiritual confusion in his society. It also sums up the significance of the study of Henderson as an exile. His spiritual rebirth at the end of the novel shows Saul Bellow's humanistic idealism that exile can be of healing effects. Though the ending of the book lacks a convincing account of whether Henderson succeeds in going back to and mingling with his American community, it does not diminish Bellow's greatness and importance as an artist nevertheless nevertheless.