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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 14, No. 7. June 25, 1951

Encircling Mists..

Encircling Mists...

It is difficult to know whether to be encouraged or disheartened after A reading the group of critical essays by M. H. Holcroft, now republished in one volume under the title of "Discovered Isles" with the aid of the State Literary Fund. On the one hand I suppose we ought to be grateful for any New Zealand writing that is chiefly concerned with ideas. On the other hand the attitude expressed in the book is so woolly, so wishy-washy, so crammed with bargain-counter metaphysics, as another critic has that the reader is dragged towards despondency, wondering if New can ever produce anything of any intellectual profundity.

Mr. Holcroft is perhaps not so far removed from the mythical typical New Zealander as he might like to believe. Lack of the light touch, benevolent Intentions, a sense of fairness, a slightly anaemic humanitarian Ism, a muddled mind, are all clearly visible in this work. In particular, the book is weak in theory, good In practical comments, where the conclusions though not always Just are generally sensible and often shrewd.

The three essays that make up "Discovered Isles" have a sufficient degree of unity not to require separate discussion here. They are primarily an analysis of New Zealand culture In relation to our literature. Mr. Holcroft laments the universal materialism which informs our culture, realising that while we remain so preoccupied with material things we cannot hope for any first class literature or art. On the constructive side there Is a plea for the recognition of spiritual values. All very nice, and those of us who share a hatred of our society's bucolic materialism might be expected to welcome "Discovered Isles" with garlands and leaps of Joy.

But this is where the trouble starts. It is Just at this point that a hasty heart and a muddled mind go wildly astray. For in place of this poverty-stricken materialism is offered nothing better than vague "spiritual experience," flashes of inexplicable "awareness," barrels of emotionalism mistaken for mysticism. All these foggy intimations put me very much in mind of some second-rate poet of the French Romantic movement. There is exactly the same tone, exactly the same preoccupation with yearnings and feels. It looks as if New Zealand writing may be even further behind the times than anyone has suspected.

The attitude of the triology is a latent pantheism; indeed in the talk of "racial memories," this pantheism comes right to the surface. Now pantheism is widespread and moat respectable, but there are no signs that the author is aware that though more subtle it is equally as materialist as the cruder species against which he protests.

Naturally Mr. Holcroft is against organised religion. His position however is completely undermined by his express identification of Christianity with this "spiritual experience" of his. Nothing suggests that he realises what Christianity is—an explicit assertion of the nature of reality and the destiny of man. A way of life, and an interdependent liturgy, philosophy and the ethical system. I cannot help thinking that the source of the errors and confusions which abound in "Discovered Isles" is the bland acceptance of the Russellian heresy that everything that is knowable can be known by science (the physical and mathematical sciences, Russell means), with its converse that anything that is outside the scope of that science is unknowable. This at once abandons theology and probably metaphysics to the jungle of emotion and to a faith that does not transcend but contradicts reason.

The essential weakness of the whole book is illustrated by a remark in the introduction to the collected work, to the effect that some of the ideas expressed were felt rather than stated. In other words, "Discovered Isles" should be regarded not as a reasoned statement but as the vague expression of vague feelings.—J.B.C.