Maiden Voyage is an autobiographical novel by the English writer and artist Denton Welch, who became a writer after a serious accident which had long-term effects on his health. The novel describes a period during the 1930s: his last term at school, and the following weeks living in Shanghai, China, where his father had a business.
The novel was first published in 1943 by Routledge, and it was his first published book, previously having articles published in periodicals. Edith Sitwell, who had written to Welch that "you are a born writer", agreed to accept the book's dedication. At the publisher's suggestion, Welch, who had been an art student, made decorations for the book, included end-papers, a dedicatory page and decorated section numbers.[1]
At the time in which the novel is set, the writer's father, Arthur Welch, was a director of Wattie & Co, rubber estate managers in Shanghai. His mother, from Massachusetts, USA, had died in 1927.[2] Europeans such as his father lived in the Shanghai International Settlement. When talking with their servants, Pidgin English was spoken; it is often quoted in the novel.
The original manuscript, which consists of nine exercise books, was donated to the British Museum (now held by the British Library) by Sir Eric Miller in 1956.[3][4] Some earlier draft chapters are held in the archives of the University of Exeter.
The novel is split into three sections, each prefaced in the original text with one of Welch's illustrations. The first (marked "0" in Welch's drawing) covers his escape from, and last term at Repton School. The second covers his journey to China and the third recounts his year[5] spent there.
Instead of travelling from London to Repton, in Derbyshire, the narrator takes a train to Salisbury, which he had once visited with his mother. He goes on to Exeter, and walks to Budleigh Salterton; he visits family acquaintances, who are surprised to see him. Back in Salisbury after a few days, he has no money left, and returns to his relations in London.
He returns to school in Derbyshire. Throughout the novel, every feature of his life comes under his calm scrutiny. "Haltingly at first the conversation flowed all over the [dining] room; then it gathered volume.... I imagined that everyone was talking about me, and I expect they were....[6] "Getting used to school in those first days was strange. Everyone thought that I had run away for a different reason and so they all treated me differently."[7]
His father, sorry that he had run away from school, suggests in a letter that he come to Shanghai with his elder brother Paul, who is joining the company. "I was so full of joy that I ran down the lane and over the fields until I was exhausted. I felt like a person full of power and skill. I was no longer a part of the dead old system. I could bear anything now till the end of term."[8]
He describes his arrival in Shanghai: "The water was covered with boats. Junks with coloured sails and great eyes painted on their bows were stuck together with sampans and iron-plated steamers, like a pudding of small sago and large tapioca. The Bund glistened through the masts and funnels. The buildings reminded me of New York, which I had never seen. There were no sky-scrapers, only an uneven terrace of buildings looking huge and majestic in the sun."[9]
The narrator is interested in antiques, and he accompanies a friend of his father, an antiques dealer who is going to Kai-feng Fu on business, stopping en route at Nankin. Travelling by train from Nankin to Kai-feng Fu, "I sat looking out of the window at the eternal hills and plains and cities of dried mud. Everything was the same, tawny, earth-brown. Even the city walls were of baked-gold mud which made them look imitation, like the scenery at a searchlight tattoo."[10]
On the day of his departure for Europe, "... I hurried into the dining room.... I started to read, hoping to calm my excitement.... I looked up and saw Cook squinting at me through the service-hatch. I seemed so different to myself, that I was not surprised. People were justified in staring at me. I was going away."[11]
Contemporary reaction was positive, the striking prose style in particular catching many reviewers' eyes. Writing in The Spectator, Janet Adam Smith identified in the writing an "almost painful intensity and immediacy", through which the young Denton "lives for us in these pages with an almost embarrassing vividness."[12] In The Times Literary Supplement, Marjorie Tiltman found an "astonishing awareness" from "an intolerant and clever pen", revealing "the over-egotism of the sensitive, the self-centeredness of the lonely in spirit, and, almost in spite of himself, awakes the reader's compassion."[13] In an observation arrestingly revealing of its era, Tiltman chooses to identify the act of "illegally demanding a half-ticket" for the Salisbury train in the opening lines of the book as an example of Denton's "mis-deeds".
Robert Phillips notes[14] that for some time following publication, many, including some significant bibliographies, took Maiden Voyage to be a work of literal autobiography. However he notes that in selecting, arranging and embellishing details from his life, Welch causes them to "lose specifically personal meaning and begin to become universal human materials, elements of works of art".[15]
Phillips identifies several themes in the work, all inter-related, which include his attitude towards women following the early death of his mother, and heightened elements of his growing sexual awareness (emphatically not "awakening"). These are manifested in a number of arresting, highly charged, sometimes violent and often misogynystic images: an encounter with a Phallaceae fungus (or stinkhorn mushroom) at school (p. 83), a violent nightmare involving a woman whose breast has been pierced by a hat-pin (pp. 113–14), a boxing lesson from a furniture-mover he has been spying on and during which he takes a beating (p. 226) and an episode where he dresses up in his friend Vesta's frock (including make-up) before heading out into the street, fully aware that he resembles a prostitute (p. 243).
Apart from Sitwell, the book was praised by E.M. Forster, Gerard Hopkins and Kenneth Clark, although Forster's initial response to Welch's writing was rather more measured. He later modified his view when he learned of Welch's physical challenges.[16]
Constituency of the National Assembly of France 8th constituency of RhôneinlineConstituency of the National Assembly of FranceRhône's's 8th Constituency shown within RhôneDeputyNathalie Serre[1]LRDepartmentRhôneCantonsAmplepuis, L'Arbresle, Le Bois-d'Oingt, Ecully, Lamure-sur-Azergues, Tarare, ThizyRegistered voters102568[2] Politics of France Political parties Elections Previous Next The 8th constituency of the Rhône (French: Huitième circonscription du Rhône) is a French…
село Шутнівці Шутнівці на річці СмотричШутнівці на річці Смотрич Країна Україна Область Хмельницька область Район Кам'янець-Подільський район Громада Слобідсько-Кульчієвецька сільська громада Основні дані Населення 384 Площа 0,686 км² Густота населення 559,77 осіб/к
Mix FM Porto Alegre Mix FM Porto Alegre Fundação Educacional Luterana São Paulo País Brasil Frequência(s) FM 107,1 MHz Sede Canoas, RS Slogan O melhor Mix de Porto Alegre Fundação 20 de setembro de 2013 Pertence a Ulbracom Proprietário(s) Ulbra Género Pop Rock, Hip Hop, Rap e Funk Carioca Faixa etária 14 a 39 anos Afiliações Mix FM Idioma (em português brasileiro) Prefixo ZYD 636 Nome(s) anterior(es) Felusp FMPop Rock FM Emissoras irmãs Ulbra TV Cobertura Canoas e Grande Port…
Measurement of the area of the heart's aortic valve In cardiology, aortic valve area calculation is an indirect method of determining the area of the aortic valve of the heart. The calculated aortic valve orifice area is currently one of the measures for evaluating the severity of aortic stenosis. A valve area of less than 1.0 cm2 is considered to be severe aortic stenosis.[1][2] There are many ways to calculate the valve area of aortic stenosis. The most commonly used metho…
English-language weekly newsmagazine in India The Illustrated Weekly of IndiaJanuary 1947 edition's cover pageFormer editorsSean Mandy, A. S. Raman, Subrata Banerjee, Khushwant Singh, M. V. Kamath, and Pritish NandyCategoriesNewsmagazineFrequencyWeeklyFounded1880First issue1880 (1880)Final issue13 November 1993 (1993-11-13)CompanyTimes GroupCountryIndiaLanguageEnglish The Illustrated Weekly of India was an English-language weekly newsmagazine publication in India. It started …
Cổng đền Đuổm Đền Đuổm là ngôi đền thờ Dương Tự Minh (Thánh Đuổm) - một vị tướng người Tày, phò mã nhà Lý, đã có nhiều công trạng. Đền tọa lạc tại chân núi Đuổm, xã Động Đạt, huyện Phú Lương, tỉnh Thái Nguyên, bên quốc lộ 3, cách thành phố Thái Nguyên 25 km về phía tây bắc. Là một quần thể gồm các đền thờ do người dân dựng lên và những ngọn núi đá tự thiên. (Đền …
Thái Lan tạiĐại hội Thể thao Đông Nam Á 2011Mã IOCTHANOCỦy ban Olympic quốc gia Thái LanTrang webwww.olympicthai.or.th/eng (tiếng Anh và Thái)ở Jakarta và PalembangVận động viên766Huy chươngXếp hạng 2 Vàng Bạc Đồng Tổng số 109 100 120 329 Quan chức338Tham dự Đại hội Thể thao Đông Nam Á 1959 1961 1965 1967 1969 1971 1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2…
This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2023) Albany Convention CenterArtist rendition viewed from the current location of Liberty StreetAddressHudson Avenue and BroadwayLocationAlbany, New YorkCoordinates42°38′49.39″N 73°45′8.91″W / 42.6470528°N 73.7524750°W / 42.6470528; -73.7524750OwnerAlbany Convention Center AuthorityOperatorASM GlobalOpenedN/AConstruction cost$220 …
Byzantine emperor Konstantios DoukasEmperor of the RomansGold histamenon of Romanos IV: Michael VII flanked by his brothers Andronikos and Konstantios.Byzantine co-emperor (under Romanos IV Diogenes) Reign1060–1078PredecessorMichael VII DoukasSuccessorNikephoros III BotaneiatesCo-emperorsNikephoros Diogenes(1070–1071)Michael VII Doukas(1071–1078)Constantine Doukas(1074–1078)Andronikos Doukas(1068–1070s)Born1060Died18 October 1081DyrrhachiumDynastyDoukasFatherConstantine X DoukasMotherE…
Kun Bokator at the 2023 SEA GamesVenueHall C, Changvar Convention CentreLocationPhnom Penh, CambodiaDate4–8 May 2023 The Kun Bokator competition at the 2023 SEA Games, with 21 events, took place at Hall C, Changvar Convention Centre, Phnom Penh, Cambodia from 4-8 May 2023.[1] The sport marked its debut at the SEA Games. Kun Bokator is a Khmer martial art dating back two millenia and a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.[2] Medal table * Host n…
Removal from office of some civil servants Logo of the Ukrainian Lustration Committee In Ukraine, lustration (Ukrainian: люстрація, liustratsiia) refers to the removal from public office of civil servants who served under Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. This measure was initiated under president Petro Poroshenko, after Yanukovich was deposed in the Revolution of Dignity. This lustration also applies to civil servants who were active in the Communist Party of the Soviet Union prio…
Agus SuparmantoMenteri Perdagangan Indonesia ke-32Masa jabatan23 Oktober 2019 – 23 Desember 2020PresidenJoko WidodoPendahuluEnggartiasto LukitaPenggantiMuhammad Lutfi Informasi pribadiLahir23 Desember 1965 (umur 57)Jakarta, IndonesiaKebangsaan IndonesiaPartai politik PKBAlma materUniversitas NasionalPekerjaanPolitikusPengusahaSunting kotak info • L • B Agus Suparmanto, S.E (lahir 23 Desember 1965)[2] adalah Menteri Perdagangan Kabinet Ind…
Defunct roller coaster This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Windjammer Surf Racers – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Windjammer Surf Racers Knott's Berry FarmPark section The BoardwalkCoordinates 33°50′45″N 118°00…
Biểu tượng của NSA (Cơ quan tình báo Mỹ trực thuộc bộ Quốc phòng) Hình tượng đại bàng hoặc giống đại bàng được sử dụng trong các huy hiệu như hiệu lệnh, như là một hình ảnh tượng trưng, và như là một tiêu ngữ. Các bộ phận của cơ thể của chim đại bàng như đầu, cánh của nó hoặc chân cũng được sử dụng như là một hiệu lệnh hoặc tiêu ngữ. Đây là nhóm các loài chim có kích t…
Mathematical function having a characteristic S-shaped curve or sigmoid curve The logistic curve Plot of the error function A sigmoid function is any mathematical function having a characteristic S-shaped curve or sigmoid curve. A common example of a sigmoid function is the logistic function shown in the first figure and defined by the formula:[1] σ ( x ) = 1 1 + e − x = e x 1 + e x = 1 − σ ( − x ) . {\displaystyle \sigma (x)={\frac {1}{1+e^{-x}}}={\fra…
International border View of Ollagüe volcano on the Bolivia–Chile border from west. The Bolivia–Chile border is an international border of South America. It separates Bolivia from Chile along Cordillera Occidental on the western edge of the Altiplano Plateau. There is an ongoing dispute about the nature of Silala River and Chile's use of its waters.[1][2][3][4] Since 2021 the Bolivia–Chile border has been a major point of entry of irregular Venezuelan migra…
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Ukkadam Bus Terminus – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (September 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Ukkadam Bus Stand உக்கடம் பேருந்து நிலையம்General informationLocationUkkadam, Coimb…
37°57′33″N 121°56′18″W / 37.95907°N 121.938219°W / 37.95907; -121.938219 Scott Hamilton (sax) and Ray Brown (bass) at the festival in 1979 The Concord Jazz Festival is an annual event that was established in 1969 in Concord, California. The festival was launched by Carl Jefferson, a car dealer and jazz enthusiast, who managed to get a group of friends to support the concept. The city agreed to pay for half the cost. The first festival was held on 26 January 19…
Cruiser Spartan Cruiser over Melbourne, 1934 Role Light TransportType of aircraft Manufacturer Spartan Aircraft Limited Designer Edgar Percival First flight 1932 Introduction 1933 Retired 1942 Primary users Spartan Air LinesBritish Airways Ltd Number built 17 Developed from Spartan A.24 Mailplane The Spartan Cruiser was a 1930s British three-engined transport monoplane for 6 to 10[1] passengers built by Spartan Aircraft Limited at East Cowes, Isle of Wight. It was a development of t…
Untuk Pacet (haemadipsidae) genus hewan penghisap darah, sekerabat cacing tanah, lihat Pacet. Untuk kegunaan lain, lihat Pacet (disambiguasi). PacetKecamatanPacetPeta lokasi Kecamatan PacetTampilkan peta Kabupaten BandungPacetPacet (Jawa Barat)Tampilkan peta Jawa BaratPacetPacet (Jawa)Tampilkan peta JawaPacetPacet (Indonesia)Tampilkan peta IndonesiaKoordinat: 7°05′41″S 107°42′44″E / 7.094654711470894°S 107.7122380157681°E / -7.094654711470894; 107.712238015768…
Lokasi Pengunjung: 3.143.22.194