Giles Goat-Boy
Encyclopedia
Giles Goat-Boy is a 1966 novel by the American writer John Barth
. It is a satire and allegory of the American campus culture
of the time. In 2001, Barth told Michael Silverblatt
on KCRW
's Bookworm that while he wrote the novel thinking the name 'Giles' was pronounced with "a hard 'G'
... I liked the alliteration with 'Goat'", his editor naturally reminded him of the correct pronunciation: the title is to be pronounced with a soft 'G', "whether we like it or not."
). He strives for herohood. The novel abounds in myth
ological and Christian
allegories, as well as in allusions to the Cold War
, 1960s academia
, and religion.
The role of the Grand Tutor (in German Grosslehrer) is that of a spiritual leader, and the novel mentions them with altered names than their actual mythological equivalents: Enos Enoch (Jesus Christ), Moisè (Moses
), the original Sakhyan (Buddha
), Maios (Socrates
). Enos Enoch in Ebraic means "The man who walked with God" or "humanity when it walked with God." Similar renaming take place for heores of epic poems: Laertide (Odysseus
), Anchisidis (Aeneas
). The subtitle The Revised New Syllabus means, in the renamings of the novel, a parodic rewriting
of the Gospels of Jesus Christ (the New Testament
). Among the parodic variations, a computer
replaces the Holy Spirit
, and an artificial insemination
the Immaculate Conception
. Christian reviewer Guido Sommavilla found these aspects of the parody irritating, blasphemous and grotesque
.
Very presciently, a hypertext
encyclopedia also figures in the novel, years before the invention of hypertext and three decades before the Web
became part of society at large. The character, Max Spielman is a parody of Ernst Haeckel
, whose insight "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" is rephrased as "ontogeny recapitulates cosmogeny" and "proctoscopy
repeats hagiography
". The "riddle of the universe
" is rephrased as "the riddle of the sphincters".
John Barth
John Simmons Barth is an American novelist and short-story writer, known for the postmodernist and metafictive quality of his work.-Life:...
. It is a satire and allegory of the American campus culture
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
of the time. In 2001, Barth told Michael Silverblatt
Michael Silverblatt
Michael Silverblatt is the host of Bookworm, a nationally syndicated radio program about books and literature, originating from Los Angeles public radio station KCRW. A graduate of SUNY Buffalo, Silverblatt created the half-hour interview show in 1989 to share his love of literature, poetry and...
on KCRW
KCRW
KCRW is a public radio station broadcasting from the campus of Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California, carrying a mix of National Public Radio news, talk radio and freeform music format. The general manager of KCRW is Jennifer Ferro...
's Bookworm that while he wrote the novel thinking the name 'Giles' was pronounced with "a hard 'G'
Hard and soft G
In the Latin-based orthographies of many European languages , a distinction between hard and soft ⟨g⟩ occurs in which ⟨g⟩ represents two distinct phonemes...
... I liked the alliteration with 'Goat'", his editor naturally reminded him of the correct pronunciation: the title is to be pronounced with a soft 'G', "whether we like it or not."
Plot
George Giles is a boy raised as a farm animal who rises in life to Grand Tutor (spiritual leader) of the New Tammany College (the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). He strives for herohood. The novel abounds in myth
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
ological and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
allegories, as well as in allusions to the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, 1960s academia
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
, and religion.
The role of the Grand Tutor (in German Grosslehrer) is that of a spiritual leader, and the novel mentions them with altered names than their actual mythological equivalents: Enos Enoch (Jesus Christ), Moisè (Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
), the original Sakhyan (Buddha
Buddha
In Buddhism, buddhahood is the state of perfect enlightenment attained by a buddha .In Buddhism, the term buddha usually refers to one who has become enlightened...
), Maios (Socrates
Socrates
Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, especially the writings of his students Plato and Xenophon, and the plays of his contemporary ...
). Enos Enoch in Ebraic means "The man who walked with God" or "humanity when it walked with God." Similar renaming take place for heores of epic poems: Laertide (Odysseus
Odysseus
Odysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
), Anchisidis (Aeneas
Aeneas
Aeneas , in Greco-Roman mythology, was a Trojan hero, the son of the prince Anchises and the goddess Aphrodite. His father was the second cousin of King Priam of Troy, making Aeneas Priam's second cousin, once removed. The journey of Aeneas from Troy , which led to the founding a hamlet south of...
). The subtitle The Revised New Syllabus means, in the renamings of the novel, a parodic rewriting
Reprise
Reprise is a fundamental device in the history of art. In literature, a reprise consists of the rewriting of another work; in music, a reprise is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the...
of the Gospels of Jesus Christ (the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
). Among the parodic variations, a computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
replaces the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
, and an artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
the Immaculate Conception
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception of Mary is a dogma of the Roman Catholic Church, according to which the Virgin Mary was conceived without any stain of original sin. It is one of the four dogmata in Roman Catholic Mariology...
. Christian reviewer Guido Sommavilla found these aspects of the parody irritating, blasphemous and grotesque
Grotesque
The word grotesque comes from the same Latin root as "Grotto", meaning a small cave or hollow. The original meaning was restricted to an extravagant style of Ancient Roman decorative art rediscovered and then copied in Rome at the end of the 15th century...
.
Very presciently, a hypertext
Hypertext
Hypertext is text displayed on a computer or other electronic device with references to other text that the reader can immediately access, usually by a mouse click or keypress sequence. Apart from running text, hypertext may contain tables, images and other presentational devices. Hypertext is the...
encyclopedia also figures in the novel, years before the invention of hypertext and three decades before the Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
became part of society at large. The character, Max Spielman is a parody of Ernst Haeckel
Ernst Haeckel
The "European War" became known as "The Great War", and it was not until 1920, in the book "The First World War 1914-1918" by Charles à Court Repington, that the term "First World War" was used as the official name for the conflict.-Research:...
, whose insight "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" is rephrased as "ontogeny recapitulates cosmogeny" and "proctoscopy
Proctoscopy
Proctoscopy is a common medical procedure in which an instrument called a proctoscope is used to examine the anal cavity, rectum or sigmoid colon. A proctoscope is a short, straight, rigid, hollow metal tube, and usually has a small light bulb mounted at the end...
repeats hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
". The "riddle of the universe
World riddle
The term "world riddle" or "world-riddle" has been associated, for over 100 years, with Friedrich Nietzsche...
" is rephrased as "the riddle of the sphincters".