Jubal Harshaw: Difference between revisions
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good faith revert 944982414 by Hullaballoo Wolfowitz (talk), still doesn't meet WP:GNG, looks like basically all the analysis that was at this article is already included at Stranger in a Strange Land |
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#REDIRECT [[Stranger in a Strange Land]] |
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'''Jubal Harshaw''' is a fictional character featured in ''[[Stranger in a Strange Land]]'', a [[novel]] by [[Robert A. Heinlein]]. He is described as: "Jubal E. Harshaw, LL.B., M.D., Sc.D., bon vivant, [[gourmet]], [[Sybaris|sybarite]], popular author extraordinary, neo-pessimist [[philosopher]], devout [[agnostic]], professional [[clown]], amateur subversive, and parasite by choice." |
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The character's name was chosen by Heinlein to have unusual overtones, like [[Jonathan Hoag]].<ref>{{Cite book |url=http://books.google.com/?id=L0xBADHGgwsC |title=The Robert Heinlein Interview and Other Heinleiniana |author=J. Neil Schulman |page=170 |isbn=1-58445-015-0 |date=1999-01-31}}</ref> The character shares a surname with radio host Ruth Harshaw, a Denver radio host on whose program Heinlein frequently appeared, linkely in ''hommage''.<ref name=WHP>William H. Patterson Jr., ''Robert A. Heinlein: In Dialogue With His Century'', vol 2, p.70</ref> |
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{{R to related topic}} |
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}} |
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The main character of the novel, Valentine Michael Smith, enshrines him (much to Harshaw's initial chagrin) as the [[patron saint]] of the church he founds. Critics have also suggested that Harshaw is actually a stand-in for Robert Heinlein himself, based on similarities in career choice and general disposition;<ref>{{cite book|last=Marshall B. Tymn|title=Masterplots II.: American fiction series, Volume 4|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=aX4YAAAAIAAJ&dq=%22Jubal+Harshaw|year=1981|isbn=978-0-89356-460-5}}</ref> though Harshaw is much older than Heinlein was at the time of writing. Harshaw even is described as planning a story based on an idea Heinlein passed on to [[Theodore Sturgeon]].<ref name=HiD>Alexei Panshin, ''Heinlein in Dimension'', pp 98-103</ref> [[Paul di Filippo]] called the character "the Heinlein mouthpiece in ''Stranger in a Strange Land''.<ref>[https://www.barnesandnoble.com/review/astounding-days Astounding Days: John W. Campbell and the Golden Age of Science Fiction]</ref> |
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[[Alexei Panshin]] found Harshaw to be a poorly drawn character. "Jubal Harshaw, too, is lessened by his super powers -- doctor, lawyer, etc; his multiple traing seems a gratuitous gift from Heinlein without reason or explanation. . . . He is too pat".<ref name=HiD /> |
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Reviewing the posthumous publication of the original ''Stranger'' text in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', Rudy Rucker described Harshaw as "the first of a series of pompous libertarian windbags whose oral methane makes all of Heinlein’s later tomes into rapidly emptying locker rooms". <ref name=rudy /> |
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Literary critic [[Dan Schneider (writer)|Dan Schneider]] wrote of Heinlein's ''[[Stranger In A Strange Land]]'' that Harshaw's belief in his own [[free will]], was one "which Mike, Jill, and the Fosterites misinterpret as a [[pandeistic]] urge, '[[Thou art God]]!{{'"}}<ref name="DS">[[Dan Schneider (writer)|Dan Schneider]], [http://www.hackwriters.com/strangerH.htm ''Review of Stranger In A Strange Land (The Uncut Version), by Robert A. Heinlein''] (7/29/05).</ref> |
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A 2011 ''Medium'' review evaluates Harshaw negatively, labeling him "Heinlein’s crude [[wish-fulfillment]] stand-in for himself" and "a pedant" for whom: "There’s nothing another character can say to him that won’t produce a lecture in reply, and even the faintly interesting ones tend to slide back into tired sexist stereotypes by the time he’s done."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/@plewis67/stranger-in-a-strange-land-dont-bother-d054868c529d|title=“Stranger in a Strange Land”: Don’t Bother|first=Peter|last=Lewis|date=January 5, 2019|website=Medium}}</ref> |
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When Heinlein's editor required him to make substantial cuts in the original ''Stranger'' manuscript, the bulk of the material cut was said to be lengthy monologues by Harshaw.<ref name=rudy>"Grok and the World Groks With You", Rudy Rucker, Los Angeles Times, December 23, 1990</ref> |
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== Other fictional appearances == |
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Harshaw also appears in three later Heinlein novels: |
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* ''[[The Number of the Beast (novel)|The Number of the Beast]]'' ([[1980 in literature|1980]]) |
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* ''[[The Cat Who Walks Through Walls]]'' ([[1985 in literature|1985]]) |
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* ''[[To Sail Beyond the Sunset]]'' ([[1987 in literature|1987]]) |
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== References == |
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{{Reflist}} |
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== External links == |
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{{wikiquote|Stranger_In_A_Strange_Land#His_Preposterous_Heritage|Jubal Harshaw}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Harshaw, Jubal}} |
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[[Category:Robert A. Heinlein characters]] |
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[[Category:Characters in written science fiction]] |
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[[Category:Fictional writers]] |
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{{sf-char-stub}} |
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Revision as of 23:53, 12 March 2020
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