Friday, April 17, 2015
Wolf Hall: Cromwell as David the Renaissance Superman
No spoilers in the text below, and I urge those who haven't read the book to continue reading the post because the aim is to pique your interest. Wolf Hall's a great read and it's not just me- Booker Prize 2009 and among the 10 best historical novels ever (Observer); it gives you a sweeping panorama of Europe during this inflection point (16th century). For some more conviction, read on.
1. Protestant protests. The Lutheran protestant movement was afoot in Europe, with the commoner protesting against the choking yoke of the Catholic church. The repercussions were clearly felt in England. Lutheran works were banned in England, and the book talks at length about the black market for these books, and the horrendous punishments meted out to "heretics" (public burning)
2. King v Pope: Who among them is the supreme leader of England? The questions was being pondered in the bars, on the unruly streets, and in the House of Commons, and Cromwell led the dialogue. Further, England was the first European country to stage this debate, and the results would inform this dialogue firstly across Europe- in their relationship with the Pope, and secondly across the entire world in the tricky balance between the powers of the state and religion.
3. Feudalism feuds and rise of the Commons. Feudalism had endured through the middle ages, and now some of the assumptions were being questioned. Cromwell the blacksmith layman's "rise and rise" (phrase on the blurb) would likely serve as an inspiration for many to break free from the shackles of the occupational hierarchy of feudalism - the journey from blacksmith's son, beaten by drunk father, to a lawyer, traveler, and the most powerful man in England.
4. Renaissance@England: Thomas Cromwell as England's David. Yes, Tom Crom plays football and his free kicks are legendary. Ha, am talking not of the David of World Cup fame but the David of New Testament fame- the Goliath slayer. The Renaissance was well underway in Florence by this time, while England was still in the throes of the dark ages. The Medici are forever hovering in the background in the text. Medici were the main financiers of the Renaissance - bankrolling Leanardo and Michelangelo and Raphael and Donatello. Yes sir, no Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles if not for the generosity of the Medici! So, Cromwell, having spent his formative years in Florence, brings the renaissance to England. Copernicus was propounding his theories at the time, which Cromwell and friends discuss one fine evening. This angle was especially interesting to me because I was in Florence a few months back and was quite affected by the spirit of the renaissance. David- Michaelangelo's famous sculpture seen today in Florence (see picture below), epitomises the Renaissance. David is the Renaissance man and the church is the Goliath, and see below how David - rebellious yet slightly afraid - looks his gigantic opponent in the eye while holding in his left hand his deadly slingshot. Cromwell seems to be David the Renaissance man for England as one reads about him taking on the Church's authority. He is forward looking, breaks through the feudal barriers, and is besotted by ideas. Here's a quote:
"He can draft a contract, train a flacon, draw a map, stop a street fight, furnish a house and fix a jury. He will quote you a nice point in the old authors, from Plato to Plautus and back again. He knows new poetry, and can say it in Italian. He works all hours, first up and last to bed. He makes money and he spends it. He will take a bet on anything"
5. A game of Kat-An, and Feminism is the winner. The debate between the two pretenders to the queen's throne- Katherine and Anne- takes the centerstage in public debate- women at the centre of the public eye. Cromwell, in his own household, is a champion for women going beyond narrow traditionally defined boundaries.
Tom Crom: An awe-inspiring superman
1. Brings Renaissance home: Steeped in the modern practices of the times- Protestantism, arts and sciences, he is the bridge between Florence and England.
2. Business Analyst par excellence. Everyone comes to Cromwell to sort out their books.
3. Munificent mentor. Generously imparts knowledge.
4. Lawyer par excellence. Drafts complex laws and wields magic with words
5. Well-traveled. In his youth, after he's run away early in the book and traveled to Florence and Antwerp and god knows where. There's this poignant moment when Tom's in Cyprus with a Moslem woman. He's wondering whether to turn back home or continue eastward - towards Turkey and beyond. He throws a dice, and the number is low, and based on that number, he heads home. Now while the story is surely apocryphal, it tells us a lot about the man.
6. Resilient. Can't talk more - avoiding spoilers.
7. Enigmatic. There are only brief snatches of his times before his return, and there seems to be enough meat in those brief snatches that there can be set on this period in spicy little novels - nice cash cow, Mantel has created here. Travels through Belgium, Italy, Cyprus; learning trading, law and accounting; learning multiple languages; murders; women- a splendid romp!
1500s: tumultuous times- Tom Crom and the book at the heart of it all
Here's why the times were such, and how Tom Cromwell and the book sits in the dead centre of the events:1. Protestant protests. The Lutheran protestant movement was afoot in Europe, with the commoner protesting against the choking yoke of the Catholic church. The repercussions were clearly felt in England. Lutheran works were banned in England, and the book talks at length about the black market for these books, and the horrendous punishments meted out to "heretics" (public burning)
2. King v Pope: Who among them is the supreme leader of England? The questions was being pondered in the bars, on the unruly streets, and in the House of Commons, and Cromwell led the dialogue. Further, England was the first European country to stage this debate, and the results would inform this dialogue firstly across Europe- in their relationship with the Pope, and secondly across the entire world in the tricky balance between the powers of the state and religion.
3. Feudalism feuds and rise of the Commons. Feudalism had endured through the middle ages, and now some of the assumptions were being questioned. Cromwell the blacksmith layman's "rise and rise" (phrase on the blurb) would likely serve as an inspiration for many to break free from the shackles of the occupational hierarchy of feudalism - the journey from blacksmith's son, beaten by drunk father, to a lawyer, traveler, and the most powerful man in England.
4. Renaissance@England: Thomas Cromwell as England's David. Yes, Tom Crom plays football and his free kicks are legendary. Ha, am talking not of the David of World Cup fame but the David of New Testament fame- the Goliath slayer. The Renaissance was well underway in Florence by this time, while England was still in the throes of the dark ages. The Medici are forever hovering in the background in the text. Medici were the main financiers of the Renaissance - bankrolling Leanardo and Michelangelo and Raphael and Donatello. Yes sir, no Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles if not for the generosity of the Medici! So, Cromwell, having spent his formative years in Florence, brings the renaissance to England. Copernicus was propounding his theories at the time, which Cromwell and friends discuss one fine evening. This angle was especially interesting to me because I was in Florence a few months back and was quite affected by the spirit of the renaissance. David- Michaelangelo's famous sculpture seen today in Florence (see picture below), epitomises the Renaissance. David is the Renaissance man and the church is the Goliath, and see below how David - rebellious yet slightly afraid - looks his gigantic opponent in the eye while holding in his left hand his deadly slingshot. Cromwell seems to be David the Renaissance man for England as one reads about him taking on the Church's authority. He is forward looking, breaks through the feudal barriers, and is besotted by ideas. Here's a quote:
"He can draft a contract, train a flacon, draw a map, stop a street fight, furnish a house and fix a jury. He will quote you a nice point in the old authors, from Plato to Plautus and back again. He knows new poetry, and can say it in Italian. He works all hours, first up and last to bed. He makes money and he spends it. He will take a bet on anything"
As I said, I was quite swayed in Florence by David and the spirit of Renaissance: I try to be David here. See how David lines up the wall and the 'keeper and is in the middle of that momentary pause before kicking the ball- sending it swerving and dipping into the top right corner
5. A game of Kat-An, and Feminism is the winner. The debate between the two pretenders to the queen's throne- Katherine and Anne- takes the centerstage in public debate- women at the centre of the public eye. Cromwell, in his own household, is a champion for women going beyond narrow traditionally defined boundaries.
Tom Crom: An awe-inspiring superman
Tom Crom was the man who saw England through these tumultuous times. The title of another book on Cromwell, in fact the more famous one on the subject, is called "The man for all seasons" -an apt title I'd say. The NYT review calls Cromwell "..the picaresque hero of the novel- tolerant, passionate, intellectually inquisitive, humane". Picaresque reminds me of Reading Fiction class from UG; wiki says this is "a genre of prose fiction which depicts the adventures of a roguish hero of low social class who lives by his wits in a corrupt society". Along the way, Tom Crom takes up many apprentices and grooms them to be stars- A rising Cromwellian tide lifted all the boats of Austin Friars (his home), and Cromwell takes under his banner many such boats which were previously adrift in the seas. Some remarkable qualities/acts of the man:
1. Brings Renaissance home: Steeped in the modern practices of the times- Protestantism, arts and sciences, he is the bridge between Florence and England.
2. Business Analyst par excellence. Everyone comes to Cromwell to sort out their books.
3. Munificent mentor. Generously imparts knowledge.
4. Lawyer par excellence. Drafts complex laws and wields magic with words
5. Well-traveled. In his youth, after he's run away early in the book and traveled to Florence and Antwerp and god knows where. There's this poignant moment when Tom's in Cyprus with a Moslem woman. He's wondering whether to turn back home or continue eastward - towards Turkey and beyond. He throws a dice, and the number is low, and based on that number, he heads home. Now while the story is surely apocryphal, it tells us a lot about the man.
6. Resilient. Can't talk more - avoiding spoilers.
7. Enigmatic. There are only brief snatches of his times before his return, and there seems to be enough meat in those brief snatches that there can be set on this period in spicy little novels - nice cash cow, Mantel has created here. Travels through Belgium, Italy, Cyprus; learning trading, law and accounting; learning multiple languages; murders; women- a splendid romp!
Attractive writing: language of the 1500s, witty, good imagery
It's not Shakesperean - language is quite easy to read. Vocabulary and figures of speech are good. Some of the imagery is striking. I plan to go back to the book time and again, to smile at some of the jokes (many of them bawdy), and marvel at some of the imagery. Here are some examples, with some background; quote in italics:
1. IMAGERY: The cardinal owns a woolen carpet which has King Solomon and Queen Sheeba embroidered. As the carpet is rolled up; "They are brought together, the woolen monarchs, Solomon and Sheeba; as they are brought into coiled proximity, their eyes are filled by each other, and their tiny lungs breathe in the fiber of bellies and thighs"
2. IMAGERY: "The flames of the wax candle bow civilly to the Cardinal, and stand straight again"
3. SCENE DESCRIPTION: "Down come the Cardinal's hunting scenes (they are taking down a painting), the scenes of secular pleasure: the sportive peasants splashing in the ponds, the stags at bay, the hounds in cry the spaniels held on leashes of silk and the mastiffs with their collards of spikes: the huntsmen with their studded belts and knives, the ladies on horseback with jaunty caps, the rush-fringed pond, the mild sheep at pasture, and the bluish feathered treetops, running away into a long plumed distance, to a scene of chalky bluffs and a white sailing sky"
4. FIGURE OF SPEECH- ALLITERATION: "Now the cardinal begins to play with words:"Would a bishop abash you? A parish clerk panic you? A deacon disconcert?""
5. HUMOUR: "You're sweeter to look at than the Cardinal", he says
"That's the smallest compliment a woman has ever received"
6. BAWDY HUMOUR: Talking about how the Protestants/Lutherans/Germans are heretics: Hans shrugs, "The Chancellor says the Lutherans fornicate in church"
7. BAWDY HUMOUR: The Cardinal is describing Queen Katharine's dance in the king's court: "I will never forget that turn of her head, that moment when her beautiful red hair slid over one shoulder...There was no man who saw it who didn't imagine - though the dance was in fact very sedate...Ah dear. She was sixteen"
Caveat: Will the real Tom Cromwell please stand up?
Before Wolf Hall, the most famous work and on Cromwell written in 1954 was "The Man for all seasons", in which "Cromwell plays the villain and represents all that is evil and bad". He is also depicted as "unscrupulous and ambitious" (as per a book review, link below). This character is at sharp odds with the Cromwell of Wolf Hall. Now, which author is correct, Hillary Mantel or Robert Bolt (the author of Man for...). Tom Cromwell, to generations of readers of the decades between 1954 and 2015; was an evil guy. He's a superman to all post Wolf Hall readers (such as me). So who is he, really? Feel free to invent! This brings up the post modern literature theory of authors arm-twisting history to suit the purpose of the work. Think Inglorious Basterds, where Hitler and his acolytes are roasted alive in the theater. Or think of the disappointment of ardent fans of "It's not about the bike"
Sources
Labels: Books
Friday, April 03, 2015
IIMB Convocation: D. Shetty straight from the heart, other highlights and sentimental musings
Dr. Devi Shetty, heart surgeon and founder of Narayana Hrudayalaya, was the Chief Guest at the 40th Convocation of IIMB, in which yours truly was also conferred a degree. Narayana Hriduyalaya is across 17 cities and 27 hospitals. B School connect- a) Aravind Eye and Narayana are poster boys of India's affordable health care, and both are subjects of HBS cases, b) Narayana also used to recruit at IIMB.
So, convocation and all - much pressure on the speaker. But Mr Shetty rose to the occasion to deliver a touching speech. He's used to it- he touches the heart all the time. Here are some highlights from his thought-provoking address:
-A business model meant for the poorest man in the country (insert Gandhi quote: is your step going to be of use to the poorest and weakest man) is a great model. The rich just follow the poor. Argument bolstered by the success of the Yeshaswini micro insurance plan, under which Devi Shetty drove the Karnataka govt. to provide micro insurance to the poor. For a monthly payment of Rs 5 per person, with the government contributing Rs 2.5, "the scheme offers free consultation, diagnostics at discounted rates and all kinds of operations". Apparently the world's cheapest such insurance scheme. I suppose India is the best place to run such "economies of scale" models, and Mr. Shetty is a champ - Yashaswini and the entire low-cost Hriduyalaya model. He also later talks about how "Charity is not scalable"
-"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing which has" - Margaret Mead. Also added, "If you want to walk fast walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together"
-"God has something better for you". Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (KMS hereon) is apparently a buddy of Mr. Shetty - she donated 30 Cr for his Cancer hospital in Bangalore which is even named after her (for KMS' husband was once a Cancer patient. She's doing a Glenn McGrath here). So, KMS wanted to become a doctor, and she did not clear the entrance exam, and therefore moved on to Biotech et al, and look what has resulted a $1.5 Bn mkt cap, poster boy of Indian biotech. My thought is that when confronted by big decisions, or forks, it helps to take a chill pill by keeping in mind- You will do well either way! Like KMS did.
-"Behave like a thief". Time for audience CP- what does the thief do when he enters first? (No one got it- the degree is here anyway, so who cares about CP marks). He keeps the back door open. So, keep the exit options open, he says. This led to a trail of thief jokes later in the day - "You are supposed to return the gown! Oh, you are keeping it? Ah, think like a thief eh?"
-Couple of nice lessons drawn from his time at the surgery table. I think, for an expert in a field, one can extract such good ideas from their area of expertise/work - "The safest surgeon is one who doesn't operate", and "money is like oxygen. It is not the purpose of life, but you can't live 3 minutes without it"
-"World is not ruined by the activity of bad people, but by the inactivity of good people". My thoughts- think World War II, and Appeasement by Britain and UK. Mr Shetty gives an example of how the Karnataka government imposed a service tax which would have hurt the poor's ability to pay for medical expenses. Mr Shetty and "A few good men" rallied forces and went on street marches, and got the state tax rescinded. While pinch of salt is advised because there may have been Narayana Hriduyalaya bottomline impact driving Mr Shetty's action, the point is well taken.
-Has had some good help from the Indian business ecosystem. I mentioned above KMS' 30 Cr donation. He also mentioned how L&T built for him a super-specialty hospital for $6 Mn instead of the industry standard $20 Mn, and in 6 months instead of the regular 3 years. A doff of the hat to IIMA there - Mr AM Naik, Chairman of L&T, has just awarded degrees at IIM A - he's the KMS equivalent for IIM A.
-Taking notes, or planning to take notes, forces you to listen.
Some good life lessons in here, and I plan to read some of the above and imbibe.
Ceremony light (and tight) moments
- Present in absentia. Madhuvanthi was declared to be receiving her degree "in absentia", but then she showed up uninvited on the stage, creating immense confusion among the august gathering of the IIM B Executive board on stage. KMS, who handed out the degrees, was the most perplexed.
- Handle-barred. Yours truly's mustachio'd pic, which appeared in the rehearsal and caused a bit of an uproar, was removed, thanks to the well-meaning intervention of Prof Pranav Garg (who was quite the Master of Ceremonies for the convo). In place of the macho Harley rider appeared this lame MBA nerd, to the vocal disappointment of the PGP audience. However, the mustachio'd pic still remains on the Alumni card.
- Pro-nuance-ing names. The new PGP chair started off her evening well with a good speech- while everyone else was heaping praises on the Graduates, she turned the tables on them and said the focus should be on the parents, who have done as much, if not more, for their wards to earn the right to sit. Rightly so. However, her day went downhill after that, because she was entrusted with the no-doubt onerous task of reading out 398 names, and she blew it. She did not exhibit any trace of pro-nuance-ation, as she split some common Indian names into English words while reading out. Think Ash + Win for Ashwin - she did this for some names. Her discomfort soared with complex South Indian names
- Light and tight. The graduation hat was very tight and the flourescent lights were blazing, and caused a bit of a headache.
The graduates. My weird expression because i'm really stretching my hand to get the selfie. It hurts.
Sentimental musings
I was among the last 10% of the batch to leave. And it was sad to say one goodbye after another. What is striking is that today, the stone-walls, the room, the people, the Park and Eat food, everything means home; but just a day later- you sleep and wake up- and you have to erase that part of your life and all the above stop meaning "home". I can remember Harsh, the car-driving Bangalorean, packing up with bags and baggage just the day after convocation despite having all the flexibility, because the emptying out of G-Top was understandably too much to handle. What is usually the best thing about campus - you walking around and bumping into random batchmates and striking up a conversation - at NC, at ABP, in the corridors, turned very sour because each of these conversations turned into a farewell.
Among the last 2(3) of 7 to leave G-Mid. We're sad to.
Ramblings: The best Chief Guest speech ever - Gussie presents the prizes by PG Wodehouse, In Absentia is a great Porcupine Tree album.
Labels: Musings
Wednesday, April 01, 2015
Kramer vs Kramer - A good Hoffman-Streep show
Kramer vs Kramer: 3 things:
1. Notable parts of the movie (Spoiler alert)
a) The start perplexes: Why did the wife leave? The husband seems to have no clue, and one would expect a series of fights/disagreements and a state of rancour in the air, leading to a slow transition to the moment when she leaves. Instead, ka-boom! She's gone, and Ted is stunned. I was perplexed, too, and this hangover stayed with me through a good part of the movie.
b) Great courtroom scene: The entire courtroom scene was very real and shorn of exaggeration. Ted makes a solid defense: If today (1979), women are expected to be equals to men in the workforce, then men can be expected to be equal to women at home, and therefore custody suits should not be biased towards women.
c) French toast: Great symbolism- right at the start, when the father son relationship is rocky, Ted makes a meal of it (metaphorically!), with gooey milk-egg mixture splattering and the bread burning. But right towards the end, he makes a meal of it (literally!), with the kid Billy giving an able helping hand. These symbolic acts/places/phrases are great aids for storytelling and for showing "full circle" moments in a story. Nice, warm-fuzzy feeling teamwork between the father son pair. I for one am going to make some French toast at home, and the movie would surely have led to a spike in French toast sales at restaurants.
2. Great acting. I wore a hat while I watched the movie, and after the movie- Dustin Hoffman, to you I doff man, and Merryl Streep: to you I merrily tip. Hoffman, very real, some powerful high word-speed dialogues when agitated. Streep very good as the confused, mopey character. They won the academy awards, anyway, both of 'em. The movie won a whopping 5! My sister tells me Streep has won the most Oscar nominations, ever.
3. Do powerful movie stars influence behavior/mannerisms of people?
I had a senior colleague in the US at work, who would have been an impressionable kid during the release of this movie and other Hoffman starrers. Now this senior colleague I think has some serious Hoffman influence in the way he speaks (and even in the way he looks) - struck me as I watched this movie. Movies were a powerful influencer during the pre-internet days. Would an entire generation's accent and body language be shaped by the characters and actors in the movies they watch, especially as a kid?
1. Notable parts of the movie (Spoiler alert)
a) The start perplexes: Why did the wife leave? The husband seems to have no clue, and one would expect a series of fights/disagreements and a state of rancour in the air, leading to a slow transition to the moment when she leaves. Instead, ka-boom! She's gone, and Ted is stunned. I was perplexed, too, and this hangover stayed with me through a good part of the movie.
b) Great courtroom scene: The entire courtroom scene was very real and shorn of exaggeration. Ted makes a solid defense: If today (1979), women are expected to be equals to men in the workforce, then men can be expected to be equal to women at home, and therefore custody suits should not be biased towards women.
c) French toast: Great symbolism- right at the start, when the father son relationship is rocky, Ted makes a meal of it (metaphorically!), with gooey milk-egg mixture splattering and the bread burning. But right towards the end, he makes a meal of it (literally!), with the kid Billy giving an able helping hand. These symbolic acts/places/phrases are great aids for storytelling and for showing "full circle" moments in a story. Nice, warm-fuzzy feeling teamwork between the father son pair. I for one am going to make some French toast at home, and the movie would surely have led to a spike in French toast sales at restaurants.
The famous French toast scene, with the two Kramers at work
2. Great acting. I wore a hat while I watched the movie, and after the movie- Dustin Hoffman, to you I doff man, and Merryl Streep: to you I merrily tip. Hoffman, very real, some powerful high word-speed dialogues when agitated. Streep very good as the confused, mopey character. They won the academy awards, anyway, both of 'em. The movie won a whopping 5! My sister tells me Streep has won the most Oscar nominations, ever.
3. Do powerful movie stars influence behavior/mannerisms of people?
I had a senior colleague in the US at work, who would have been an impressionable kid during the release of this movie and other Hoffman starrers. Now this senior colleague I think has some serious Hoffman influence in the way he speaks (and even in the way he looks) - struck me as I watched this movie. Movies were a powerful influencer during the pre-internet days. Would an entire generation's accent and body language be shaped by the characters and actors in the movies they watch, especially as a kid?
Labels: Cinemas
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