In the rigid, class conscious society of 19th century England, what is the biggest concern about the restoration of English magic? Is it the risk of magic falling into the wrong hands? Is it the fear of trying to control such an awesome force? No, the biggest concern is whether to sit an English magician next to a duchess or a lady at the next dinner party.
Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell takes its place along side the works of Oscar Wilde and Thomas Hardy in the tradition of mocking the eccentricities of British society. While the Harry Potter series mixes magic with the struggles of adolescence, Susanna Clarke uses magic as a backdrop for the more mundane conflicts of adult life. The fear of someone else getting ahead of you in the workplace. The domestic difficulties created by a workaholic spouse. The annoyance of gossiping and catty acquaintances.
Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell takes its place along side the works of Oscar Wilde and Thomas Hardy in the tradition of mocking the eccentricities of British society. While the Harry Potter series mixes magic with the struggles of adolescence, Susanna Clarke uses magic as a backdrop for the more mundane conflicts of adult life. The fear of someone else getting ahead of you in the workplace. The domestic difficulties created by a workaholic spouse. The annoyance of gossiping and catty acquaintances.
You may be thinking this doesn't sound like the titanic battles of earth shattering consequence that are found in a Tolkien novel. Clarke's world is one in which magician is just another profession along side doctor, lawyer or engineer. Toiling away as civil servants on projects such as controlling the flows of rivers or building roads to carry soldiers in war and always with the proper paperwork completed and submitted for payment by the British cabinet. The reserved nature of magic throughout the novel can be best summed up with the following passage between the Duke of Wellington and Jonathan Strange,
"'Can a magician kill a man by magic?' Lord Wellington asked Strange. Strange frowned. He seemed to dislike the question. 'I suppose a magician might,' he admitted, 'but a gentleman never would.' Lord Wellington nodded as if this was just as he would have expected."
"'Can a magician kill a man by magic?' Lord Wellington asked Strange. Strange frowned. He seemed to dislike the question. 'I suppose a magician might,' he admitted, 'but a gentleman never would.' Lord Wellington nodded as if this was just as he would have expected."
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell can also be viewed as an allegory for the industrial revolution. Mr. Norrell is a traditional landed gentleman. The self proclaimed founder of the rebirth of English magic, he becomes obsessed with controlling its use. His skill in magic came through years of studying books and meticulous research. Each act of magic must be analyzed for its moral and physical impact and rationed out like a precious commodity. He believes that only a select few in Britain and perhaps even only himself are capable of undertaking the great responsibility of practicing magic within the rigid rules he sets forth to ensure magic is viewed as a noble profession and not an obscene entertainment for the masses.
Jonathan Strange views magic in a much more utilitarian manner. His skills in magic were honed on the battlefields of Europe while under the command of Lord Wellington. These experiences influence Strange's style of magic to involve much more improvisation and quick action. Denied access to the ancient magic books that Mr. Norrell hordes, Strange fabricates his own spells by mixing what ancient knowledge he can obtain along with common sense and observation. Strange has no desire to be one of the elite and works to make magic a tool available to the masses for the practicalities of everyday life.
