MAETERLINCK'S " BLUE BIRD."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1721, 11 April 1913, Page 9

MAETERLINCK'S " BLUE BIRD."

— $ — :HE SYMBOLISM OF THE PLAY.

11. Camilla Maucla.ir, at a very early icriod of Maeterlinck's literary career, lrcw attention to the peculiar duality of nind of the Belgian writer, which enables lim to create simultaneously a concrete 'orin complete in itself, and a web of symbolism, subject 'matter for deep iiouglit. Thus lie appeals to a double uidienco; and while the "Bluo Bird day, completely satisfiis tho children for ivhoin it is written aiul the superficial idult intellect which never seeks to mresligtite beyond the obvious, it offers at ilie same time' material for abstract speculation which invites tho interest of the more thoughtful. We have been tolc. agaiii\ and again that the Blue Bird is the symbol of Happiness, and' tho progranuno of the llaymarket production, tells us that 'the Bluo Bird, inhabitant of the 'pays bleu, the. fabulous blue country ,of our dreams, is an ancient symbol in the folk-loro ot Lorraine, and standsi for Happiness. Now, the play was avowedly' written for children, and it is entirely suitable that this explanation should bo given tlieni, For it is only children who understand the meaning of happiness; children, and those few who retain the simple souls of children. To the re.'t of u4 it exists merely as tho necessjry but unfamiliar contrary of unhappiness. Assuredly Maeterlinck, with his unique dual nature, lias provided this superficial interpretation for the children, and at the same time has offered' us a beautiful example of the symbolic mysticism by which lie lends us to search for that bidden meaning of things which is just outside tho obvious. Few writer!, have been so consistent in this. Alwuys it is the mystery lying immediately out of sight to which lie lures us by his compelling simplicity, the element only just beyond our rcach which lie indicates .by his wonderful symbolism. Wo will accept the statement, tli'erefore, that the Blue Bird represents Happiness, anil at th: samo time look for a deeper meaning. Tyltyl's final words aro, "Wo need him for our happiness later on"; and the Oak describes tho Bite Bird as "the great secret of things and of happiness." Tho Blue Bird, therefore, is something that is needed ill order.l.'aat wc shall be led towards -that perfection of tho ideal of life which, for want of a i better term, ive call "happiness." Not ojite is it stated that the Blue Bird is intended to represent happiness itself; (here is distinct evidence that it is intended, to represent something that is far tatter. In tho first scene 'ivo find tho two children, not miserable and unhappy, but as joyful and content .us children well call be. They have lov.'ng, kind parents, a happy home, and they aro so" unselfish that they do not even grudge the rich children "their party, and cakes. Myltyl and Tyltyl aro not really liappicr in the last act than in the first; they aro only more, conscious of it,' for during their travels they have been introduced <o the Happiness of the Home. The Bird was in the cottage all the time. What they, lacked was the key to tho situation, and that key is Knowledge. Tyltyl grumbles, "It is darker here nnd smaller, and thero are no cakes"; and the Fairy replies, "It's exactly the same, only you can't see," and sends the children on the journey of life, to find the Blue Bird of truo knowledge, . in order that they may learn to "see." Tho germ of the theory that the Bluo Bird represents Knowledge is to be found in Night's speech: "I cannot understand Man these last few years. What, is he aiming at? Must he absolutely know everything?" Night personifies the darkness of ignorance and prejudice, which has' for long hidden the true way. Sho complains bitterly of tho advance of human learning, which has already captured her Mysteries, frightened her Terrors, bored her Ghosts, and made her Sicknesses ill—"the doctors are so unkind to them." Only tho Wars remain, "more terrible and powerful than ever," for wo have yet to learn how to settlo our quarrels without killing each other; but, "fortunately, they are rather heavy and slow moving." The Cat, Night's Aidc-de-Camp, describes the unfortunate situation in the Fairy's Palace. "Listen to me! All of us here present—Animals, Things, and Elements—possess a soul which Man does not know yet. That, is why we retain a remnant of our independence; but if he fi;ids the Blue Bird, he will know all. lie Will see all, and we shall be completey at his mercy." The first blue bird that Tyltyl found was at, his Grandfather's cottage in tho Land of Memory; but he had barely time to recross the tlirosliokl before he discovered that it> had turned black la it that the bird or knowledge that was blue, in our grandparents' time of limited enlightenment turns black by the light of modern research? Or is it that Death opens the door of that l>nd, which is the only place where tho longed-for Blue Bird can live ? In the Forest Scene the Oak has a bluo bird, the kii'jw)edge„«f Nature's secret, on his shoulder; but the children cannot obtain it. For the Animals mi'l Trees hate and fear Man. They remember that, as :Man'.s knowledge has incic-ased, so has iiis mastery over themselves. If he should obtain' the Blue ( Bird of all Knowledge, then would llieir servitude be made "still harder." So, as the Cat explains in his telephonic conve.'sation at the beginning of tho scene, "there is no room for hesitation .... l.e lr.ust he dono awav with." • The Blue Bird is not to be found in the Palace of Happiness. Happiness, obviously'then, can exist vithout. him. Tho Luxuries, naturally enough, "have a poor opinion of 111n"; and th-.- two Great Happinesses, the Great Joy of Being Just and the Joy of Understanding, who ought lo know all about the Bluo Bird, if'anyone does, have lo confess, "We are very happy, but wo cannot see / bejond ourselves."! This act (which is o subsequent audition to tho work in its original fern!) sheds great, light on the symbolism .of the play as a wlule, and particularly on two important points. It.has made quite clear that Light has known from, the first the real whereabouts ot the Blue Bird, and that she is taking Man through Life "only to realise nnd lo learn." But most welcome of all is the explanation given of the repeated failure to find the Blue Bird. The reason is that Man is not yet ready for it. When implored by the Great Joys to put aside, her veil, and lead them to the "last truths and the last happiness," Light can only answer sadly, "I am obeying mv Master. The hour is not yet come."—Florence G. Fidler, in "Everyman."