Disraeli and the Archi-Textual: Constructions of Authority in Sybil

ffprint rom D E  L A  GA GE E  I E  L  E 110 ,  A 1 JAA 2015 © orn Humnitis srh Assoition  DIAELI AD HE ACHI-EAL: CCI F AHI I SYBIL Bnjmin Disrli’s Sybil ( ) hs on n r in thr ovrlpping ontxts: s  politil novl, n nggmnt with th Conition o Engln’ t, n  novl onrn with symols n signs. Drwing on suh rings, I rgu tht Sybil uss rhittur n lngug s th rw mtril to onstrut  lost sour o truth n uthority, whos rstortion’ th txt sks to ring out. is pross, I suggst, prous two rlt prolms: first, sin no singl uiling, nm, or oumnt is suffiint to srv s sis or this lost origin thy must  omin into mutully pnnt rhi-txtul’ struturs, onling th ontingny o uthority in th novl. on, th ploymnt o mtril ojts s sits o uthority unrmins Sybil’s ttmpts to stlish  trnsnnt truth yon mtrility, pling rhittur n lngug in th position o Drri’s supplmnt’n ojt or onpt tht pprs mrginl to  strutur, ut on whih tht strutur in t rlis. For Drri, on xmpl o this is writing’s rltionship with lngug: lthough writing pprs to   sonry vlopmnt within lngug, it is in t th pl whr th différance nssry to sustin lngug is stlish. imilrly, in Sybil, supposly sonry signs o powr (houss, oumnts, nms) stlish n nor th uthority rom whih thy r prsum to riv. In vloping this ring I rw upon Higgr, Fouult, n Dluz n Guttrithinkrs whos work, lik Drri’s, ntrs n stilizs uthority.  first wy Sybil hs typilly n r is in rltion to Disrli’s politis, spilly s prt o th oung Engln’ trilogy o politil novls, twn Coningsby ( ) n Tancred ( ). ort ’Kll’s rnt mjor stuy o Disrli rgus tht his fition n politis r insprly intrtwin, so tht oth r shown to  ntmnts o th sm urgnis n purposs.  politil rr, lik th fition, is n invntion.’ For ’Kll, Sybil is onsistnt with th ils o oung Engln moi in Coningsby’, xprssing this llgin imgintivly through n llgoril romn o I woul lik to thnk ttns o th Glston Lirry Colloquium in ovmr or thir rsponss to n rly vrsion o this rtil, n Jrmy mling or his invlul vi throughout th writing pross.  trm Conition o Engln’ ws oin y oms Crlyl.  Chartism, n n (Lonon: n. pu.], ). For n introution to this topi s Jms immons, Inustril n “Conition o Engln” ovls’, in A Companion to the Victorian Novel (ln, A: Blkwll, ), pp. – ; n ry oovy, Making a Social Body: British Cultural Formation, – (Chigo: nivrsity o Chigo rss, ), pp. – . Jqus Drri, Of Grammatology (Bltimor: Johns Hopkins nivrsity rss, ), pp. – . ort ’Kll, Disraeli: e Romance of Politics (oronto: nivrsity o oronto rss, ), p. . Modern Language Review, ( ), – © orn Humnitis srh Assoition  Disraeli and the Archi-Textual sulr politis n spiritul votion’. Aoring to Gry Hnwrk, Sybil mploys th rhtori o  prtis politiin, with Disrli ttmpting to uil  onsnsus or th lgitimy o oung Engln’s gols. tthw Bvis hs suggst tht suh rhtori ws ltr proi y Dikns in Bleak House (  – ) through th figur o ir Listr Dlok. hil mith lso ommnts on Sybil in politil trms: ogthr with Coningsby, Sybil mois th is o oung Engln, tiv rom to ,  smll group o ory s inluing Lor John nnrs n Gorg myth, l y Disrli . . .] oung Engln ttk th tilitrins n look k with nostlgi to n iliz ul systm in whih Churh n ristory omin to prott th rights o th popl. o r Sybil in this wy is to s it s prt o  politil projt tht sks to sp n linting prsnt n rturn to wht Dnil hwrz lls n grl ut imginry pst’. Aoring to ul mith, this is prt o  wir Europn t, onrning whthr n orgni n stl ommunity oul  sustin or orm, whn ol ons o lolity, tritionl uthority n rligion h n loosn’.  nm oung Engln’ gsturs towrs this Europn kropltr Bnjmin quots irr rtino’s osrvtion tht аophil Gutir n his rins wr rrring to thmslvs s oung Frn’ y . In, s ’Kll osrvs, it ws in ris tht th prlimntry intity o th oung Engln movmnt took shp’ in . It is in this politil ontxt tht Disrli’s ivision o Engln into wo tions’ must  onsir: I ws tol’, sys Egrmont, tht n impssl gul ivi th ih rom th oor; I ws tol tht th rivilg n th opl orm wo tions, govrn y iffrnt lws, influn y iffrnt mnnrs, with no thoughts or sympthis in ommon; with n innt inility o mutul omprhnsion. oung Engln sks to rig this ivi, not only in trms o  nw utur, ut s th rturn to  lost pst. As  rsult, th novl’s politis r rrng s ’Kll, pp. , . is hptr on Sybil first ppr in Victorian Studies, ( ), – .  Gry Hnwrk, Bhin Sybil’s il: Disrli’s ix o Iologil ssgs’, Modern Language Quarterly, ( ), – (p. ); tthw Bvis, e Art of Eloquence: Byron, Dickens, Tennyson, Joyce (xor: xor nivrsity rss, ), pp. – . hil mith, e Other Nation: e Poor in English Novels of the s and s (xor: Clrnon rss, ), p. . Dnil hwrz, Disraeli’s Fiction (Guilor: milln, ), p. . ul mith, Disraeli: A Brief Life (Cmrig: Cmrig nivrsity rss, ), p. . ltr Bnjmin, e Arcades Project, . y Howr Eiln n Kvin Lughlin (Cmrig, A: Blknp rss o Hrvr nivrsity rss, ), p. . ’Kll, p. . Bnjmin Disrli, Sybil (xor: xor nivrsity rss, ), p. . Furthr rrns r givn in th min txt.  onflit twn th rstortion o wht hs n ruin or onl (suh s mivl orms o soity) n two othr ors: on th on hn, mr sur, pitomiz y th or young nis o Chptrs n , n on th othr  politis whih rss th pst ompltly, pitomiz y ogt (s low) n th rvolutionry is o tphn orly. In pursuing this rturn to th pst, politis in Sybil oms intnsly historil. For hwrz, th novl, lik Coningsby n Tancred, ntrs on its protgonist ovroming out to ttin  uniqu intlltul n morl potntil to shp history’. is shping o history involvs  pross o historil rturn, n unrthing o th origins rom whih gnuin soil vlus r suppos to mnt. It is  pross tht rquirs th protgonist to tk on th vlus h hops to rstor, somthing hwrz points to in osrving tht Disrli’s trilogy xplors th possiilitis o hroism’ in th itorin g. I Disrli’s protgonists r hros, it is in oms Crlyl’s sns o th wor, s mmrs o n Aristory o lnt’ uniquly quipp to orrt th rrors o th English ntion. In Past and Present ( ) txt whih influn Disrli’s unrstning o historyCrlyl sris th most signifint o ths rrors:  took trnsint suprfiil mln or vrlsting ustn; w hv prt r wy rom th Laws o this nivrs, n hol now lwlss Chos n inn Chimr is ry to vour us!’ Crlyl ssrts tht gnuin n univrsl vlus xist, ut tht ls pprn n qukry hv usurp thir pl in Engln, whr popl hv mistkn sur pprn or truth. For Disrli, this is th prolm his hros must ovrom. Crlyl h prviously xplor th thm o hroism in his ltur sris ( ) n ook ( ) on th topi, proposing tht th history o wht mn hs omplish in this worl, is t ottom th History o th Grt n who hv work hr’.  Influn y Grmn ilist philosophy, Crlyl suggsts tht th hro is l to pntrt th ivin mystry’ o th worl, o whih ll Apprn, rom th strry sky to th grss o th fil, ut spilly th Apprn o n n his work, is ut th vesture’.  hro ss th truth onl y this xtrnl lothing n imprts it to othrs, s propht, pot, prist, or king. rt o th signifin o hwrz, p. Ii., p. . oms Crlyl, Past and Present (Lonon: Chpmn n Hll, ), p. . Aoring to Goron Frsr, Sybil hlp spr Crlyl’s politil viws in Amri;  “o  iniffrnt n to  young”: Disrli, Sybil, n th rsrvtion o n Amrin “,” – ’, Victorian Literature and Culture, ( ), – .  lso Cthrin Gllghr, e Industrial Reformation of English Fiction: Social Discourse and Narrative Form – (Chigo: nivrsity o Chigo rss, ), p. .  oms Crlyl, On Heroes, Hero-Worship, & the Heroic in History, . y ihl K. Golrg n othrs (Brkly: nivrsity o Cliorni rss, ), p. . Ii., p. .  Disraeli and the Archi-Textual Sybil lis in th wy it omins this hroi srh or tru’ Crlyln origins with n intrst in th wys uthority n  soilly onstrut. Critis hv lso ommnt on th novl’s nggmnt with th Conition o Engln’ qustion, typilly longsi Mary Barton ( ), North and South ( ), Hard Times (  ), n Alton Locke (  ). ymon illims tks this pproh, ompring Sybil’s rillint romnti gnrliztions’ to Hard Times, s os Cthrin Gllghr, who rgus tht th tns strutur’ o th novl in Engln ws unovr n ltr or goo y Disrli n his prs. For Gllghr, th onrns ths novls ris out inustriliztion r lso qustions out how th rlist novl ploys nrrtiv rprsnttion. Sybil, or instn, is uilt roun  omintion o ironi n synohl symoli rprsnttion’, with th politil lsss offring inomplt n orrupt rprsnttion whil yil Grr stns or th possiility o ull or gnuin rprsnttion. is strutur, Gllghr suggsts, uils on Crlyl’s onrn in Sartor Resartus ( ) with th ul ntur o signs or symols: thir ility to oth onl n rvl. ough ulsrкkh, th novl’s protgonist, pprs to istinguish twn xtrinsi’ (opqu n onitionl) n intrinsi’ (trnsprnt n ssntil) symols, it vntully oms lr, sys Gllghr, tht oth sorts o symol r t lst prtilly soilly trmin, ritrry n potntilly ironi’. h xtns this ritiqu to Sybil, rguing tht yil Grr shoul  r ginst th grin o Disrli’s txt, s n ultimtly xtrinsi’ rthr thn intrinsi’ symol. thr ritis who hv intrprt Sybil s  omplx o mor or lss los n opn symolsth thir min ritil pproh to th novlinlu ’Kll, whos politilly inflt ring ontns tht Sybil ss Disrli ttmpting to writ propgn in th orm o n llgoril romn’, n ry oovy, who rgus with rrn to Coningsby tht Disrli ttmpts to rous his rrs’ intrst in th politil omin y figuring th initition into politis s lling in lov’. Both ’Kll n oovy r romn in th oung Engln novls s  politil llgory, with Disrli’s politis unrlying  mor onvntionl romnti strutur. is strutur oth isplys Disrli’s politis (y inorporting thm into th plot) n onls thm (y sulimting thm into  iffrnt orm). imilrly, or Louis Czmin, Disrli thought in symols, n ws utly liv to th powr o imgs ovr humn thought n onut’. Jnnir mpson tks symolism s ymon illims, Culture and Society: – (w ork: Columi nivrsity rss, ), p. . Gllghr, pp. xii, , . ’Kll, p.  . ry oovy, Making a Social Body: British Cultural Formation – (Chigo: nivrsity o Chigo rss, ), p. . Louis Czmin, e Social Novel in England – , trns. y rtin Fio ( ; rpr. Lonon: outlg n Kgn ul, ), p. .  hr ous whn sh ontns tht yil Grr rprsnts un itori, whos rly rign is rvisit n rinsri y th novl. ymolism or mpson is  gnr n gnring tivity, sin t]h usinss o mking womn into symols, o invsting thir ois with mning, is th usinss o mn, mn lik th Disrli who is writing iyl n rwriting itori’.  most sustin ring o symolism in Sybil, though, hs n y John lrih, who units Cott, Crlyl, n Disrli s writrs or whom truth inrsingly sms ssil only through  ntwork o shiing n unrtin signs. For ths writrs, inustril lour hs gr th humn n soil oy to th xtnt tht truth n mning r no longr gurnt’. In rspons, thy sk to mk history, lour, n th oy mutully pnnt gurntors o stility n mning’, primrily y ppling to th surity o th mivl pst. ht lrih sris s Disrli’s sir to ovrom  lk o sur mning in soity is lso  rtion ginst n sn o uthorittiv origins. In Sybil, this mrgs prtiulrly whn txts n nms intrt with rhittur. r is  ltnt hop in suh intrtions tht th soliity o ston n ovrom th fluiity o th signifir, stilizing signifition. s intrtions on prou rhi-txtul’ struturs, y whih I mn struturs tht iltilly omin rhittur n txtulity, sking to mk truth t on rl n sustinl. In thir omintion o stility n fluiity, rhi-txtul struturs opn up th intrply twn hop n nxity s  ntrl ihotomy within th novl, on tht rmins unrsolv spit th onvntionl mrrig ning.  supplmntry’ ntur o th rhi-txtul rltionship is on olu, s it is in Crlyl’s ount o  Hro s ot’, whih sts up  rltionship twn lngug n rhittur whr th ormr rlis on th lttr whil sming to triumph ovr it.  potry o Dnt is si to outlst ]ll thrls, pontifilitis, rss n ston’, yt Crlyl hs rlir lim tht uthnti, so-ll musil’ lngug, suh s Dnt’s, ontins ] tru inwr symmtry, wht on lls n rhitturl hrmony’. In this wy, rhittur is m to ppr worthlss nxt to potry whil in t ing prsrv s th mtphoril sis o potry’s prmnn. I Sybil’s primry solution to  lk o soil mning is  rturn to th pst, moi y ltr n yil Grr, thn thr is lso  sutxt in whih th utur lis in prouing Engln nw. is is ssoit with Dvilsust, Jnnir mpson, Sybil, or th wo onrhs’, Studies in Philology,  ( ), – ). John . lrih, Signs of their Times: History, Labour and the Body in Cobbett, Carlyle and Disraeli (Athns: hio nivrsity rss, ), p. . is iffrs rom Gаrr Gntt’s onpt o th rhitxt, or whih s e Architext: An Introduction, trns. y Jn Lwin (Brkly: nivrsity o Cliorni rss, ). On Heroes, pp. , . (p.  Disraeli and the Archi-Textual  sl-m mn, n tphn orly. As yil sys to hr thr: tphn os not wnt to rll th pst . . .] h wishs to rt th utur’ (p. ).  xhng ontinus:  pst is  rm,’ si Grr. An wht is th utur?’ nquir yil. Alk! I know not; ut I on wish th ttl o Hstings wr to  ought ovr gin n I ws going to hv  hn in it.’ (p. ) For Grr, th only wy to oniv o th utur is s  rptition o th pst, spifilly o th Bttl o Hstings, whih stlish  split twn ruling ormns n sujt Anglo-xons tht prsists in Egrmont’s wo tions’. Grr ollpss th morn soil prolms o Engln into olr historil ivisions, sistpping thir ngrous mornity, whih might, i knowlg, l to lls or  wholly nw solution. hil Grr rognizs th pst s  rm’, h n still only omprhn th utur s its rturn, lit in ltr orm. His stn hr is tht o oung Engln, n th novl s  whol: origins my  illusory rms, ut thy must  prott n rprou s th only vil rout to  nw utur.  sir to mk th pst n utur intil rts  onstitutiv tnsion in Sybil twn ors o progrssion n rgrssion, whih mrgs in th txt’s rpt ttmpts to stlish n sur n uthority tht oul llow or oth. From the Abbey to the Arboreal n wy txt n rhittur intrt in Sybil is in Chrls Egrmont’s rltionship with rny Ay, his mily hom. Chrls is th youngr son o th Egrmont mily, whos noility ts rom th issolution o th monstris in th sixtnth ntury n n nstor nm Blwin Grymount.  issolution sw th stlishmnt o rny Ayth momnt th Egrmont mily plnt thmslvs in th ln’ (p. )n th option o thir urrnt nm, s th nrrtor ironilly sris: lthough th xlt rnk n xtn possssions njoy . . .] y th Grymounts h thir origin immitly in grt trritoril rvolutions o  rnt rign, it ws not or  momnt to  suppos tht th rmot nstors o th Elsistil Commissionr o  Blwin Grymount] wr y ny mns osur. n th ontrry, it ppr tht thy wr oth ormn n ronil, thir rl nm Egrmont, whih, in thir ptnt o prg, th mily now rsum. (p. )  rplmnt o th nm Grymount’ y Egrmont’,  ruulnt ormniztion, is sur y th nm’s insription in th ptnt o prg, just s th mily’s rights to th y r sur y plnting thmslvs’ in th ln. lnting hr oms n rhitturl rthr thn orgni trm, with  implitions o or onqust n usurption. It is, lik th option o th nm Egrmont’, n rtifiil origin posing s  nturl on.  pity or nnoling through rnming prsists into th nrrtiv prsnt o Sybil, prtiulrly with Bptist Htton, whos mstry o mily history grnts him th powr to stow nms n stts, s th nomintion Bptist’ ironilly inits. A journlist lims tht sin th rorm o prlimnt th only hn o  tory oming  pr is th vour o Bptist Htton’; h is  isovrr, invntor, rmr, rrngr o pigrs’ (p. ). Htton is mirror n proi y his rothr, Bishop’ Htton, who prorms mrrigs in th town o ogt y sprinkling som slt ovr  griiron, ring ur Fthr’ kwrs, n writing th oupl’s nms in  ook (p. ).  importn o nming is lso rogniz y Chffing Jkownr o th mpl o th uss’,  mting hll. For Chffing Jk, nm’s vrything; m th ortun o th tmpl; i I h ll it th loon, it nvr woul hv fill, n prhps th mgistrts nvr hv grnt  lin’ (p. ). is intrpnn o nm n uiling is givn litrl shp y th ront o rny Ay, whih is rown with  onsirl pimnt o wht sm t th first gln niul opn work, ut whih, xmin mor nrly, offr in gignti lttrs th motto o th hous o rny’ (p. ). riting n rhittur hr om inistinguishl, h turning into th othr in th t o stlishing n suring th hous o rny’. is rny Ay, hom o Lor rny, Chrls Egrmont’s rothr, is mirror n invrt y nothr rny Ay: th monsti ruins’ o th mivl uiling whih pr-ts it (p.  ). iwing ths ruins, s on Fountins Ay in orkshir,  Egrmont rflts tht His own hous, his own orr, h stlish thmslvs on th ruins o tht grt oy, th mlms o whos nint mgnifin n strngth surroun him. An now his orr in turn ws mn’ (p.  ).  ouling o th ys mks th ruins simultnously origin n npoint or th Egrmont mily, n or th English ristory it rprsnts, h o whih is position s prsiti upon n olr st o struturs. is pssg mks history irulr rthr thn linr, rpling th onpt o  singl historil origin with  ylil movmnt twn growth n ollps, unity n rgmnttion. It is no ontrition, thror, tht Egrmont ws lmost orn mi th ruins’ whih prfigur his mily’s strution (p.  ). Just s th morn rny Ay is uilt on th ruins o th ol, th rlir y hs its own nstor. Its loistr grn is uilt roun  solitry yw’, whih sm th olst tr tht oul wll liv, n ws, oring to   Glyn Coppk, Fountains Abbey: e Cistercians in Northern England (trou: Amrly ulishing, ).  Disraeli and the Archi-Textual trition, mor nint thn th most vnrl wlls o th Ay’ (p.  ). Egrmont rsss  strngr lning ginst its trunk, who turns out to  th working-lss lr ltr Grr. Grr rspons: y sy ’tis th trunk nth whos rnhs th monks nmp whn thy m to this vlly to ris thir uiling. It ws thir hous, till with th woo n ston roun thm, thir lour n thir fin rt, thy pil up thir y. An thn thy wr rivn out o it, n it m to this. oor mn! poor mn! (p. )  yw tr is not just th origin o th y, ut its prototyp. rny Ay vlop out o this nint yw, whih srv s its origin n mol, nling th monks to plnt thmslvs’ in th ln, lik th Egrmont mily. ltr Grr is, howvr, kn to istinguish twn th monks n morn lnlors suh s Lor rny, insisting tht th monks uilt n plnt, s thy i vrything ls, or postrity’ (p. ).  morl vln o plnting hs shi rom n t o tking (th liming o ln) to n t o giving (th provision o oo n r or utur gnrtions). For ltr, th ommunitrin rhittur o th monstris rprsnts n il tht hs n ro y th houss o iniviul wlthy milis. H hos Augustus ugin in Contrasts ( ), or whom Hnry III ws  mrilss tyrnt’ n th issolution  tl low to th progrss o Arhittur’ whih sw th ol ys onsign to rpious ourt prsits, s th rwr o som grovlling sumission, or in th hn o ply’.  Egrmont mily r just suh prsits’, ompliit in th strution o th uthnti, inlusiv rhittur o th mivl prio. t vn or th originl rny Ay,  prolm rmins, sin in Sybil plnting’ is lwys in som wy rhitturl n rtifiil.  monks’ rming o th yw tr within th monstry is lso  thnologil nrming in Higgr’s sns, s sri in  ustion onrning hnology’ (  ). For Higgr, thnology is not primrily  signtion or humn prouts, ut  stting-upon’ or hllnging’ y mns o whih ntur oms stning-rsrv’ Bestand],  rsour purly or th us o n. An on oms  pl to gt fish, or to us or trvl, rthr thn xisting in its own right. In th pssg quot, th monks’ prption o th tr s  prototyp or th nw y is n t o nrming in whih th tr is onstrin into oming into ing s  hous’, rthr thn mrging s its own vnt. In th finl nlysis, th yw tr only sms to   ountion or th monstry: s soon s th monks rriv, thy s th vlly n th tr s A. . ugin, Contrasts; or, A Parallel between the Noble Edifices of the Fourteenth and Fieenth Centuries and Similar Buildings of the Present Day; Shewing the Present Decay of Taste (Lonon: n. pu.], ), pp. , . rtin Higgr,  ustion onrning hnology’, in ‘e Question concerning Technology’ and Other Essays, trns. y illim Lovitt (w ork: Hrpr n ow, ), pp. –  (pp. , ).   monstry yt to  uilt, n this trmins th wy thy utiliz th tr.  monstry is  Drrin supplmnt’: it onstituts th tr s origin in orr to root itsl mor surly in th lnsp. is pross o nrming prllls th ouning o th Egrmont mily.  isovry’ o n nint ormn pst in fft nrms’ th mily tr o th Grymounts, turning it into stning-rsrv to  us, y mns o rtrosptiv hngs, to ring soil n onomi nfits to th mily.  mtphor o th mily tr is us in th txt whn Grr rrs to th junior sons o th ristory s youngr rnhs’ (p. ). s r rnhs whih r sonry, hl in rsrv in s o th th o th signt hir. ough th novl mks thnologil nrming trnsprnt in th s o th mily tr, n opqu in th s o th yw tr, th strutur o th pross is ssntilly th sm: th y origints th yw tr in th sm wy s th titl origints th mily. Wodgate, Trafford, and Marney As th y’s yw suggsts, trs in Sybil oprt to support or sur historil n rhitturl struturs. is mks thir sn signifint, s is th s in ogt,  town s on illnhll in th st ilns. ogt is  sort o squtting istrit o th grt mining rgion to whih it ws ontiguous’ (p. ). It is th uglist spot in Engln, to whih nithr tur nor rt h onstrut  singl hrm; whr  tr oul not  sn,  flowr ws unknown, whr thr ws nithr lry nor stpl, nor  singl sight or soun tht oul son th hrt or humniz th min. (p. )  lk o trs n rhittur (spilly hurhs) runs togthr hr, signiying n sn o history n ultur s wll s ntur. is sription n  ompr with Lor lntin’s ount, ltr in th novl, o his mily’s hivmnts:  finst trs in Engln wr plnt y my mily; thy ris svrl o your most utiul hurhs; thy hv uilt rigs, m ros, ug mins, n onstrut nls n rin  mrsh o  million o rs whih rs our nm to this y. (p. ) In this pssg, whih ffs th rol o th lourrs who tully omplt th work, trs n uilings orm  omplx sur y th uthority o th ristorti mily, whos nm mrks th ln thy lr. ogt, y Drri, p. . hil mith, illnhll n ogt: Disrli’s s o Blu-Book Evin’, Review of English Studies, ( ), – .  Disraeli and the Archi-Textual ontrst, is ln without n ownr; no on lim ny mnoril right ovr it; thy oul uil ottgs without pying rnt. It ws  istrit rognis y no prish; so thr wr no tiths, n no mlsom suprvision’ (p. ). ogt rvls th lwlssnss tht rsults rom  lk o strutur, whthr rhitturl, lgl, or symoli. Ironilly, it is known or mking kys n loks, symols o privt proprty, rising th possiility tht this town prou th loks whih th Hll-Cts ltr smsh on thir rmpg ross th ountry, inluing tht on th iron ox hl in owry Cstl (p. ).  isturing implition is tht th ominnt soil orr rlis on  violn n lwlssnss whih lls outsi its ontrol. is lwlssnss is vint in th popl o ogt, who r outsi th struturs o signifition tht  uiling lik rny Ay provis, mking thm pr-morl n pr-linguisti: It is not tht th popl r immorl, or immorlity implis som orthought; or ignornt, or ignorn is rltiv; ut thy r nimls; unonsious; thir mins  lnk; n thir worst tions only th impuls o  gross or svg instint. r r mny in this town who r ignornt o thir vry nms; vry w n spll thm . . .] Ask thm th nm o thir sovrign n thy will giv you n unmning str; sk thm th nm o thir rligion, n thy will lugh. (p. ) is sn o nms is onnt to th sn o rhittur n trs.  popl o ogt r fin y thir rootlssnss, y not ing plnt in th ln’. In Dluz n Guttri’s trms, ogt is n solutly trritorilis’ sp, on whr strutur hs rokn own. In th pross o trritoriliztion, though, ogt hs n simultnously rtrritoriliz’, or rstrutur, through th powr o lour, whih rigns suprm’ unr th rutl irtion o th town’s mstr workmn (p. ). is rtrritoriliztion os not ully ovrom th rootlssnss o th popl o ogt, howvr, s thy ltr ris up s th Hll-Cts’ (p. ) to rmpg ross th ountry hlting inustril proution.  nrrtor (n, it sms, Disrli) ss ogt’s lk o history, lw, n strutur s th sns tht llow suh n vnt to our. A ky mtphor us y Dluz n Guttri whn isussing signiying struturs is th tr or root systm (th rorl), whih is st ginst th rhizom,  non-systmti rrngmnt with no origin n no tlology. is suggsts tht trs r struturl n struturing in th sm wy s rhittur. In ogt,  lk o trs omins with th lk o  sovrign,  rligion, n vn nms to lv th popl o ogt fftivly uninsri, without humn intity. ogt is, in psyhonlyti trms, Gills Dluz n Fаlix Guttri, Anti-Oedipus, trns. y ort Hurly n othrs (Lonon: Continuum, ), pp. – . Dluz n Guttri, A ousand Plateaus, trns. y Brin ssumi (Lonon: Continuum, ), pp. – .   soity without rprssion. Arhitturl strutur, whih th town lks, plys th sm rol in soity s th pprtus o rprssion plys in th min, so tht its sn lvs n uniffrntit, unstrutur unonsious. As i to support this ring, th town hs no fin orm or ntr: As you vn . . .] you xpt t vry momnt to mrg into som strts, n nountr uilings ring som orrsponn, in thir siz n omort, to th onsirl popultion swrming n usi roun you. othing o th kin. r wr no puli uilings o ny sort; no hurhs, hpls, town-hll, institut, thtr. (p. ) Hirrhil, or rorl, rhittur ouns soil intity y onling n rprssing th soil unonsious, prsnt hr s  swrming, unisiplin popultion. uh rhittur, though, os not fill n sn o uthority, ut mrly ovrs it ovr. is is prisly th s with rny Ay, whih simultnously rprsss n mmorilizs th Egrmonts’ lk o gnuin noility. I rny Ay pprs to put uthority on isply whil ovring ovr its sn, in ogt this lk is li r. As with mny struturl lmnts o th novl, ogt hs  mirror img in th txt, in this s th villg o rffor. rffor tks its nm rom its ounr, th nvolnt mnuturr r rffor, whos ptrirhl uthority xtns ovr it. In giving it his nm, r rffor imprsss on th villg th struturl importn o intity, n i h rinors y nourging his workmn to purhs th homs thy rnt, thus using th possssion o privt proprty s th mns to strngthn on’s iniviul stk in th ommunity whil inirtly inrsing his own surity.  workrs who sv suffiint mony to tk up this offr r prou o thir hous n thir littl grn, n o th hortiulturl soity, whr its prou prmitt thm to  nnul omptitors’ (p. ). s littl grns’ xist longsi th puli uilings provi y r rffor: In vry strt thr ws  wll: hin th tory wr th puli ths; th shools wr unr th irtion o th prptul urt o th hurh’ (p. ). hrs ogt is uilt on ln unr no on’s nm n no on’s gz, rffor is morlly rgult y its uilings, n y th prsn o r rffor’s own hous, lot i]n th mist o th villg’ (p. ). is hous’s pnoptil fft is m lr: roximity to th mployr rings lnlinss n orr, us it rings osrvtion n nourgmnt. In th sttlmnt o rffor rim ws positivly unknown, n offns wr slight’ (p. ). uh morl rgultion rplits th onitions o rffor’s morn tory:  singl room, spring ovr nrly two rs, n holing mor thn two thousn workpopl’ with  roo o groin rhs, light y vntilting oms t th hight o ightn t’ (p. ).  nrrtor points out th morl vntgs’ o suh  light n opn worksp: th hil works unr th y o  Disraeli and the Archi-Textual th prnt, th prnt unr tht o th suprior workmn; th insptor or mployr t  gln n hol ll’ (p. ). In rffor, th ntir xistn o th workr is rought unr not only th nm, ut lso th gz o th thr, in th prson o r rffor n his surrogts. As wll s ogt, th town with no lnlor, rffor invits omprison with rny, th town with n unring lnlor. rny, s on ipon in orkshir, is uilt on ln own y th Egrmont mily ut, lthough its sitution is on o th most lightul sily to  imgin’, its pitursqu pprn is  ]utiul illusion’ (p.  ). nlik rffor, rny is only ttrtiv rom  istn, so tht t]h ontrst twn th intrior o th town n its xtrnl spt ws s striking s it ws ull o pin’ (p.  ). rny in los-up onsists o  vrity o nrrow n row lns orm y ottgs uilt o rul, or unhwn stons without mnt, n, rom g or nss o th mtril, looking s i thy oul srly hol togthr’ (pp.  – ). hrs rffor’s gz pntrts into vry spt o his workrs’ livs, Lor rny only viws rny s prt o th lnsp. By mking th villg  plsing prospt n nothing mor, h onstrins its xistn, in n sthti ountrprt to Higgr’s thnologil nrming. ymon illims ssoits this orm o prption with ightnth-ntury lnsping, n its ispossssion o orinry working popl: it n  si o ths ightnth-ntury rrng lnsps not only, s is just, tht this ws th high point o grrin ourgois rt, ut tht thy su in rting in th ln low thir winows n trrs wht Johnson t nhurst h illy imgin:  rurl lnsp mpti o rurl lour n lourrs. uh  sir to rmov lour n lourrs is vint in Lor rny’s lthusin pronounmnt tht riks r only urnt ]us thr is  surplus popultion in th kingom . . .] n no rurl poli in th ounty’ (p. ). It lso mrgs in Lor lntin’s sription o his mily’s tivitis (p. ). I rny’s ç-lik rhittur inits Lor rny’s mintnn o n ightnth-ntury prsptiv, rffor’s uilings rflt th simultnous mivlism n mornity o its ounr, whos intrst in rviving th ronil prinipl’ (p. ) o nlightn ulism oxists with his mploymnt o morn thniqus o proution n pnoptil survilln.  hil mith’s not  in Sybil, p. . ymon illims, e Country and the City (Lonon: Hogrth rss, ), pp. – . n pnoptiism n mornity s ihl Fouult, Discipline and Punish, trns. y Aln hrin (Lonon: intg, ).  e Tomb and the Papers For Fouult, morn survilln is  orm o insription, in whih th oy is writtn on’ y struturs o lw n stt, inluing th rhittur whih srvs suh struturs (prisons, ourts, rrks, n so on). is suggsts tht ois might ply  prt in onstruting th uthority whih writing n uilings ppr to isply.  In Sybil, uilings n ois on run togthr: rly in th novl, Egrmont omprs rny Ay to  grt oy’ (p.  ), n ltr, on sing yil in stminstr Ay, h is ught y th symmtry o hr shp n th pitursqu position whih sh grully oupi’ (p. ), viwing hr s prt o th y’s strutur. imilrly, th hous whr yil n ltr sty in Lonon mirrors thm, ing withrwn s it wr rom th vulgr gz lik n iniviul who h known highr ortuns’ (p. ). Bois, spilly yil’s, omin with uilings to imply th xistn o  soul, or ivin ssn, within rhittur. is prsums n ount o physiognomy tht viws ois s n inx to truth, suh s tht provi y Crlyl in On Heroes. Crlyl ss in Dnt’s portrit ] so thrl soul looking out . . .] s rom imprisonmnt o thik-ri i!’, n quots ovlis, or whom t]hr is ut on tmpl in th nivrs . . .] n tht is th Boy o n. othing is Holir thn tht high orm.’ Comining ois with uilings, spifilly tmpls, hr rinors th sns tht oth ontin somthing holy. In Sybil this onntion is lso in oprtion, supporting th imprssion o pr-xistnt uthority whih rhi-txtul struturs prou. Arhi-txtul struturs r o prtiulr importn in th mily story o th Grrs, plying  ky rol in stlishing thir noility. n xmpl o this is th Grrs’ onntion to th ruin rny Ay, first vint r ltr, yil, n tphn orly mt Egrmont t th y, whn yil tlks o rgining our rights’ (p. ) n our lns’ (p. ). yil rvls tht th lst ot’s tom’ rs hr thr’s nm (p. ), stlishing  link twn ltr Grr n th y tht mks ltr th rightul stwr o Lor rny’s ln.  uthority o th shr nm lis t th sis o this lim, rinor y its insription on th tom,  strutur tht mrks oth n n (th th o th ot) n  ginning (o th Grrs’ lim). is tom, n rhitturl oumnt, lns th uthority o truth to two othr oumnts, th first ing  ook ltr mntions to tphn orly: whn you m th othr y, n show m in th ook tht th lst Aot o rny ws  ltr Grr, th ol ling o ispossssion] stirr gin; n I oul not hlp tlling you tht my thrs ought t Azinourt, though I ws only th ovrlookr t r. rffor’s mill. (p. )  Ii., spilly pp. – On Heroes, pp. , . n – . Disraeli and the Archi-Textual  son, n mor importnt, is  st o pprs’ tht sm to provi lgl proo o ltr’s thr’s noility n rights’, ut hv sin n lost. ltr sris his thr’s osssion with ths pprs in trms tht ntiipt ihr Crston’s prouption in Bleak House with th rihs promis y th Jrny n Jrny ourt s:  pprs] wr my thr’s; n h ws jlous o ll intrrn. H ws  smll yomn, who h risn in th wr tim, wll-to-o in th worl, ut lwys hnkring r th ol trition tht th lns wr ours. is Bptist] Htton got hol o him; h i his work wll, I hv hr;rtin it is, my thr spr nothing. It is twnty-fiv yrs om rtinms sin h rought his writ o right; n though ffl, h ws not tn. But thn h i; his ffirs wr in grt onusion; h h mortgg his ln or his writ, n th wr pris wr gon. (p. ) s pprs, insuffiint to prov th mily’s noility, r givn  uthority y th nm on th tom. For lrih, this grvston is  sort o historil oumnt, mrking inontrovrtily (n inlily) th noility o Grr’s nstrl ling’. t th tom rmins uslss without th lost pprs. As lrih osrvs: hil th tomston rors this historil t, it os not rry ny lgl uthority; tht uthority xists lswhr, on paper, in th orm o ln s n othr oumnts.’ lrih is prhps too quik, howvr, to sprt out historil t n lgl uthority hr, sistpping thir intrpnny. in his thr’s th, ltr hs thought o ths pprs only with isgust, s th us o my ruin’ (p. ). H hs, in, n ruin’ twi ovr, on y his mily’s ispossssion n on y his thr’s osssion with ovrturning tht ispossssion. Grr’s ruin rpts th ruin o th y, th sit on whih his nm pprs, with only th union o ppr oumnt n ston rhittur sming to offr th possiility o rising his ortuns. is is prisly wht th Egrmont mily hiv y uiling  grn hous n insriing  nw nm in th ptnt o prgthough not unprolmtilly, sin Chrls Egrmont rmins hunt y th ruin o th originl y. It is lr rom this piso tht th rights’ o th Grr mily pn on thr orms o vin: nms, rhittur, n oumnts, o whih th missing lmnt is th thir. For this rson, th story o th pprs, only vr sri oliquly s th  o ’ ’ (p. ), oms vitl to th Grrs’ prospts, n n  tr throughout th rst o th novl s  ountrnrrtiv to Chrls Egrmont’s progrss. I Egrmont’s trjtory is th mrgn o th iniviul Crlyln hro, th story o th pprs is th r-mrgn o  lost ristorti n milil uthority. Cntrl to this sonry nrrtiv is Htton, who took th pprs ollowing ltr’s thr’s  Chrls Dikns, Bleak House (Lonon: nguin, lrih, pp. , . ), spilly Chptr . th t tht mrgs in Book r Htton is lot n qustion y tphn orly n ltr Grr. Following ths nountrs, Htton rflts: os inrnl pprs! y m my ortun; n yt, I know not how it is, th  hs ost m mny  png. t it sm innoxious; th ol mn , insolvnt; mysl strving; his son ignornt o ll, to whom too thy oul  o no us, or it rquir thousns to work thm, and even with thousands they could only be worked by myself . H I not on it, I shoul r this proly hv n swpt rom th sur o th rth, worn out with pnury, iss n hrt-h. An now I m Bptist Htton, with  ortun lmost lrg nough to uy owry itsl, n with knowlg tht n mk th proust trml. (p.  , mphsis )  pprs r hr rvl s th ountion o Bptist Htton’s m, ortun, n powr. Evn llowing or  rtin mount o sl-justiying hyprol, it sms th pprs, sol to Lor  owry s  prottion ginst lgl hllng, m Htton’s nm, s th phrs now I m Bptist Htton’ rognizs. Htton’s uthority is pr-minntly txtul, mrging not only rom th pprs, ut lso nothr lgl oumnt: th rony y writ o summons’ whih, oring to th journlist nountr y orly, h prov s gnuin in th lnmrk llory s’ (p. ). For th journlist, Htton hs no known origin outsi th ourts: H my   vritl sujt o th kingom o Cokign or ught I know’ (p. ). nlik th Grrs or Egrmont, his uthority os not riv rom ristorti hritg, unlss prhps rom th noility’ o his Ctholiism; it is, s in th s o th y n th yw tr, not root ut irulr.  pprs whih ruin ltr r th ountion o Htton’s powr, n yt Htton is th only on’ who oul work’ thm, so tht thir lgitimy pns on him lon. Htton’s uthority rivs rom th pprs, n th pprs’ uthority rivs rom Htton: oth lgitimt th othr, rnring th origins o lgl uthority uttrly riprol. ht th novl hints t, ut nnot mit t th risk o unrmining th noility o yil n ltr, is tht Bptist Htton’s uthority is no lss ritrry thn tht o his rothr, Bishop’ Htton. hn sk why o you ll him th Bishop?’, umms,  rsint o ogt, rplis: t’s his nm n uthority; or h’s th govrnor hr ovr ll o us’ (p. ).  uthority rivs rom th nm, n th nm rom th uthority: thr is no othr sis, no hurh or symoli strutur whih grouns Bishop Htton’s powr. Bptist Htton’s influn oprts in th sm wy: his nm is his uthority, ut lso  signifir tht ils to tth to ny finit signifi. As th journlist puts it: who h is no on knows, n wht h is no on n sri’ (p. ). Cthrin Gllghr rsss this qustion o th ritrry origin o uthority in rltion to th  owry mily, whos nol titl is, lik th Disraeli and the Archi-Textual Egrmonts’, lsly quir, n who possss ln tht rightully’ longs to th Grrs. For Gllghr, th irony surrouning th  owrys’ lims to noility rts  sir or th rstortion o th lgitimt hirs, or rtthing titl n nm to thir propr signifis, yil n ltr Grr’. h rgus, though, tht this rstortion o propr nms nvr ls to n origin, in  prgrph whih is lso importnt to lrih’s rgumnt: is pross o stiliztion o lgitimt origins], morovr, ours rptly s th nrrtor flts th prtnsions o on ristorti mily r nothr. In, lmost ll ristorti mily historis in Sybil r vlutions. y r xplortions tht l rom th t o th nm k to its momnt o quisition, whih turns out to , not n originry momnt o mning, ut  momnt whn mning is ispl through usurption. ost importntly, s long s on inhits th rlm o history, on nountrs nothing ut isplmnt n usurption; on nvr rhs th origins tht onr lgitimy. In Sybil history n isplmnt r synonymous. Linguisti origins, th momnt whn  nm is quir, r vulnrl in Sybil, prptully unrmin y  sris o isplmnts. r n, in t,  no propr nms in th novlnon whih rr to on thing only n thry onr  sns o originl truth. is is vint rom th long list o uplits in th txt: th two rny Ays, th two Httons, th two ltr Grrs. Evn Chrls Egrmont untions s his lr rothr’s oul, sin his rothr took his pl in mrrying th womn h lov (p.  ). Elswhr, propr nms r tkn up t will, lik msks, s whn Egrmont opts th nm r Frnklin to onl his ristorti kgroun (p. ). Frnklin’ lso sris ltr Grr’s lss positionI ws  Frnklin’s son mysl ’ (p. )so tht Egrmont is ltr’s oul too. Dvilsust,  working-lss ril in th town o owry who tks his nm rom  trm or otton wst, lso uss nms in this wy. His nm, lry  niknm, is hng whn h oms  pitlist t th n o th novl: Dvilsust . . .] thought it ut  u homg to th soil nis to ssum  orous pplltion, n h ll himsl y th nm o th town whr h ws orn’ (p. ). In  rvrsl o th nming o rffor n rny r thir ounrs, Dvilsust tks his nm rom  town, oming r owry. lrih opposs Gllghr’s lim tht no origins xist in Sybil, sying sh ollpss th pst n th historiogrphil rprsnttion o th pst into  singl tgory’, whrs, h points out, Disrli istinguish twn thm, intiying  misrprsnt history n  tru history yon isplmnts, whih might  rovr through its rul rwriting. uh n pproh to history is highly Crlyln, istinguishing twn suprfiil mln’ n  gnuin truth whih lis hin or yon it. In mking this istinGllghr, p. . lrih, p. . Crlyl, Past and Present, p. . tion, lrih urtly intifis th wy Disrli privs history, ut os not lrly iffrntit twn uthoril intntion n th oprtions o th txt, whih hv th pity to unrmin Disrli’s own istintions. lrih is onrn t this point (lik Disrli) with th ronstrution o wht hs n lostin this s Disrli’s viw o history’whrs Gllghr is onrn with th unonsious ontritions within Disrli’s txt, prtiulrly th wy Sybil prsnts ironilly t on point wht is trt sriously lswhr. Gllghr intifis  isjuntion twn th ook’s mjor litrry mo o rprsnttion, irony, n Disrli’s sir systm o politil rprsnttion’. As muh s Disrli might hv wnt to rovr th pst, or to rtiult  nw orm o politis, th nrrtiv mo h uss mks this impossil, unoing his sir to sprt n ironi n  tru history. In this sns, wht lrih fins prolmti in Gllghrollpsing th pst n its historiogrphyis wht or Gllghr tks pl unonsiously within Sybil. Elswhr, though, lrih is ritil o Disrli’s lls or  tru’ history, suggsting tht whil th txt simults  nturl orrsponn twn th prsnt n th pst, twn th lrs n th popl, twn mn n womn’, this is just  tool to sur hgmoni onsnt or ristorti rul. is lim tht th txt promots  hgmoni politis is los to Dikns’s ritiqu, in Bleak House, o Disrli n th British Govrnmnt. Dikns rws ttntion to th illusory, iologil, n insulr ntur o Disrlin politisturs Sybil onls y pling th sours o politil uthority yon qustion. n th prtis hl y ir Listr n Ly Dlok, Dikns writs: r AE t Chsny ol this Jnury wk som lis n gntlmn o th nwst shion, who hv st up  nyismin rligion, or instn. ho in mr lkisil wnt o n motion hv gr upon  littl ny tlk out th vulgr wnting ith in things in gnrl, mning in th things tht hv n tri n oun wnting, s though  low llow shoul unountly los ith in   shilling r fining it out! ho woul mk th vulgr vry pitursqu n ithul y putting k th hns upon th lok o tim n nlling  w hunr yrs o history. Disrli ws  mous ny in his youth, on on osion ining t Ewr Bulwr-Lytton’s hous in grn vlvt trousrs,  nry olour wistot, low shos, silvr ukls, l t his wrists, n his hir in ringlts’.  uh nyism is onnt y Dikns to Disrli’s mivlism, n ri s  mns o rsing th working lsss y rnring thm mrly pitursqu’. Disrli is us o viwing th ommon popl s Lor rny viws  Gllghr, p. . lrih, p. . Bleak House, p. . onypnny n Bukl, quot in ’Kll, p. . Disraeli and the Archi-Textual th villg o rny, rpling thir rlity with n illusory img. In  , whn Dikns ws writing this prt o Bleak House, Disrli srv rifly s Chnllor o th Exhqur n Lr o th Hous o Commons, or th govrnmnt ws t ovr his ugt in Dmr. ogthr with Disrli’s Jwish kgroun, this hs l som ritis to onnt Disrli with Dikns’s figur o Jool’, givn th Hom Dprtmnt n th lrship o th Hous o Common’ in n ministrtion tht lso inlus Bool, Cool, Dool, Fool, n Gool. hthr or not this spifi figur stns or Disrli, Dikns’s pition o rlimnt is highly ritil t  tim whn Disrli ws  mjor politil or t th hrt o govrnmnt, portrying it s  sl-justiying systm struturlly inpl o sing yon its own orrs.  Bools, Cools, n Jools ll sustitut or on nothr, intrhngl trms in  systm with no uthnti uthority. In Lurn Gool’s wors, Dikns ss rlimnt s prt o  systmi ysuntion to whih thr is hrly ny outsi’, whil or Disrli it is  vhil through whih hroi politiins might sustntivly improv th ntion’s govrnn’. hr Disrli ss hroism, Dikns ss  systm tht mintins n pprn o oviousnss n nturlnss in orr to prptut itsl n xlu th popl or whom it lims to spk: it is prtly lr to th rillint n istinguish irl, ll roun, tht nooy is in qustion ut Bool n his rtinu, n Buffy n HI rtinu. s r th grt tors or whom th stg is rsrv. A opl thr r, no out rtin lrg numr o suprnumrris, who r to  osionlly rss, n rli upon or shouts n horuss, s on th thtril stg; ut Bool n Buffy, thir ollowrs n milis, thir hirs, xutors, ministrtors, n ssigns, r th orn first-tors, mngrs, n lrs, n no othrs n ppr upon th sn or vr n vr. r is  proi ho o Crlyl’s hmpioning o Grt n’ hr, in th rrn to grt tors or whom th stg is rsrv’. Dspit holing iffring ritil positions, ymon illims n tthw Bvis oth s th rhtori in this stion o Bleak House s n intrrogtion o lss position, illims suggsting tht wht pprs s suprfiil, rnting prjui’ in Dikns’s writing in t offrs  nw wy o sing  systm. ot hr  For  hronology o this prio s Bnjmin Disrli, Letters, . y . G. i n othrs, vols (oronto: nivrsity o oronto rss, – ), : – ( ), pp. xxviii–xxxiii.  Introution’, in Letters, : – , pp. ix–xxv (p. xv), n Frrik hwitzr, Disrli’s Boomrng Efforts to Comt Antismitism’, in Maven in Blue Jeans: A Festschri in Honor of Zev Garber, . y tvn Jos (st Lytt: uru nivrsity rss, ), pp. – (p. ). Lurn Gool, rlimnt n th tt’, in e Oxford History of the Novel in English, : e Nineteenth-Century Novel – , . y John Kuih n Jnny Bourn ylor (xor: xor nivrsity rss, ), pp. – (p. ). Bleak House, pp. – .  nw systm, ut n ol systm sn rom  nw point o viw’. is systm, whih is tht o English prlimntry politis, is m to ppr s  los loop, possssing no gnuin mnt outsi its own irl. ht tks pl in Sybil is n ttmpt to stlish n uthorittiv origin or suh  politis. As I hv rgu, howvr, th wy in whih this tks pl is itsl irulr n supplmntry. e Parchment of an Estate I rhittur, nms, n oumnts r suppos to sur uthority in Sybil, th novl’s noumnt illustrts thir intrpnny. o s this rquirs  rturn to th Grrs’ lost pprs, n  onvrstion twn Bptist Htton n Lor  owry in Book , Chptr , whr Htton lrns th pprs r hl in th munimnt room o th grt towr o owry Cstl’ (p. ).  oumnts must  rully gur, not us thy provi owry with uthority, ut us thy signiy its lk, rvling tht th uiling n its ownr r, lik ussur’s signifir n signifi, not ssntilly ut only ritrrily onnt. y r hl in n iron ox in  upor (p. ), t th ntr o  sris o lyrs (ox–upor–stl) whih inorports thm into th strutur o th uiling, mking thm  signiying sn t its hrt. Dspit th ngr thy prsnt to Lor  owry, thy r nvr stroy, Htton hving prsu him thy r vitl to his wish to om  ron (p. ). ough it rmins unlr whthr this is tru, s r s  owry is onrn th oumnts tht thrtn his ruin r lso th rout to his utur lvtion. H thus ns in th sm position s Grr’s thr, unon y th pprs whih promis to ris him to  highr sttus. is omplx o pprs n stl is n img o how uthority untions in Sybil: uilings n only stn s sits o uthority whn oumnts or nms r inorport into thir strutur, lik rny Ay’s motto or th tom o ltr Grr. is xplins why, r th oumnts r finlly rmov rom  owry stl, it is urnt own. In Ly Brol ’s sription o  owry’s th, it is impossil to sprt th isovry o th pprs n th strution o th uiling: y sy th writ o right kill poor Lor  owry, ut to my min h nvr rovr th urning o th stl’ (p. ). It nnot  i whih vnt kill  owry, sin oth stl n txt wr inorport into th rhi-txtul uthority whih mintin his powr n position. or unmntlly, th pprs offr th ulfilmnt o n impossil sir, th rturn to  unifi stt whih n only  imgin in n inssil  ymon illims, Writing in Society (Lonon: rso, ), p. . Disraeli and the Archi-Textual pst, nlogous to th rlm o vrlsting ustn’ posit y Crlyl. As Htton sys: I hv n o som o ths pprs with rspt to n nint titl,  lim to whih y  prson in whom I m intrst thy woul sustntit’ (p. ). is nint titl’ stns s  Crlyln origin, or imgin unmntl unity twn th sujt n tru’ uthority. Htton’s pronounmnt pplis most lrly to yil, ut oul lso pply to Lor  owry, sin Htton hs tol him to prsrv th pprs or  lim r whih  Fitz-rns Lors ln will yil to non in ntiquity’ (p. ). In ithr s, th pprs r th only mns to sustntit’ th lim o th intrst’ prson, whos nint titl’ promiss ss to th sphr o propr nms othrwis ni in th txt. As symoli ojt o sir, th pprs r lign with yil Grr, pursu y oth Egrmont n tphn orly (who ttks Egrmont r  momnt o intimy with yil (pp. – )), s wll s Bptist Htton (p. ). is onntion is rinor y th ttk on owry Cstl, nginr y Bptist Htton n orly, whih provis th opportunity or orly n Dvilsust to rtriv th hin pprs.  ttmpt to tk th pprs y or monstrts thir position s ojt o sir, thir sizur oprting lik  violnt sxul onqust. is is vint in th srh: om o th ss wr vry p, n thy h hithrto in gnrl, in orr to sv tim, prov thir ontnts with n iron ro. ow orly with  sprt ir mounting on som stps tht wr in th room, ommn ormlly rifling th ss n throwing thir ontnts on th floor. (p. )  mn tk th ggrssiv, msulin rol o proving’ th miniz ss n ints with  phlli iron ro, pursuing th pprs in  sxully hrg hunt.  srh limxs with orly fining th pprs in  int: h pull out with triumphnt xulttion th ox, pint lu n mlzon with th rms o ln’ (p. ). It is importnt tht it is orly, on o th mn who sirs yil, who rtrivs th ox: it srvs s  surrogt or hr, th sir ojt h nnot ttin. orly issus orrs to Dny ik: I will throw this ox r you. ow min; tk it to th onvnt t owry, n livr it yoursl rom m to yil Grr’ (p. ). nl to ttin possssion o yil, orly isplys his sir y sizing th pprs whih ply  omprl rol in th nrrtiv, sning thm to hr s  sign o his votion n sxul rustrtion. yil’s oy is losly ssoit with th stl t this point, in nothr xmpl o uilings n ois omining, s sh fins hrsl in ngr o th rp it symolilly suffrs. Ar yil is sprt rom hr rins, sh is or to lv th stl grn, upon whih: unly  n o runkn ruffins, with shouts n oths, surroun hr; sh shrik in rnti trror; Hrol  og] sprung t th throt o th ormost; nothr vn, Hrol l his prsnt pry n ttk th nw ssilnt. . . .] n ruffin h grsp th rm o yil, nothr h lnh hr grmnts, whn n offir, ovr with ust n gor, sr in hn, jump rom th trr, n hurri to th rsu. (p. )  offir is Egrmont, who protts yil s th stl n its loks hv il to prott th pprs. yil’s oy is lik oth stl n pprs; oth  ortrss to  onqur n n ojt to  siz. In holing this position, hr oy rinors th sns tht somthing yon ithr uiling or oumnt is t stk, whih nithr thy nor hr oy lon n sussully symoliz. yil n th pprs r oth sujt to ggrssiv msulin ttmpts to possss thm, on o whih is pprov n on plor y th nrrtiv. Egrmont, th Crlyln hro, is th only hrtr prmitt to possss oth simultnously. Although ik ollows orly’s instrutions, livring th ox to yil, w fin tht yil ws too gitt t th momnt to priv ll its import, ut sh livr th ox into th ustoy o Egrmont’ (p. ), in whos r sh lso rsis. is ntsy o ristorti ml ulfilmnt with whih th novl ns omins th two min nrrtivs: iniviul msulin hroism (Egrmont) n th rstortion o milil uthority (th pprs n th Grrs). ms n uilings r on gin ruil, s yil is tkn to rny Ay nvr gin to quit it until hr ril y’ (p. ). is is th y hr nm is hng to mth tht o th y, s sh n Egrmont mrg s th Erl n Countss o rny’ (p. ), ining hr to th uiling in  nw n prmnnt wy unr th uthority o  husn. A trm tht xprsss th oprtions I hv n sriing is offr y ltr Grr in Book , Chptr : I you wnt to unrstn th ups n owns o li, thr’s nothing lik th prhmnt o n stt. ow mstr, now mn! H who srv in th hll now lors in it; n vry on th sorn hng thir livris or oronts, whil gntl loo hs nothing l utrms. (p. ) Grr’s phrs th prhmnt o n stt’ suggsts tht stts r uilt out o prhmnt n prhmnts m rom stts, h riprolly prouing th othr. is rhi-txtul mtphor units prhmnt, th mtril o oumnts, n stts,  trm ssoit with oth nms n houss (Ly t Julins rrs to th owry stt’ (p. )). It is signifint tht ltr rturns to rms’ to xplin his point. As with ltr’s rm o rfighting th Bttl o Hstings, this pssg irts us towrs oth th pst (whr gntl loo’ origint) n th utur (whr it might  rstor s mstr’); gin, th origin is th npoint. In this momnt, th txt givs us th img o its own onstrution. It shows tht Sybil os not just ply out th srh or  symoli origin o vlus, ut tivly sks to prou Disraeli and the Archi-Textual its own origin, projting it into th utur s  rm. roughout th novl, nms, txts, n uilings r pl in supplmntry rltionships, lik th pprs’ n owry Cstl, or Bishop Htton n th oumnts h lon onstituts s uthorittiv. s rhi-txtul onstruts om Drrin supplmnts thmslvs, implying th pr-xistn o n origin, whthr historil, milil, or ivin, whih thy in t onstitut. uh origins, to whih th novl sks to rturn, n only  imgin s lost ojts, lik th Grr mily’s noility or th pprs tkn y Htton. It is is only in ing lost tht ths origins r stlish s sits o uthority. ht th novl stgs, thn, is th rm o thir rovry,  rm in whih pst n utur r impossily unit n tru uthority oms sl-vint.   B 