Wentworth's White Rope

While reading Descent into Hell, one of the things that I was perhaps most disturbed by was Laurence Wentworth's descent into hell. The change in his character from the beginning of the novel to the end is quite striking--and it seemingly occurs with little provocation. When we are first introduced to Wentworth, we learn that he is having dreams that he is descending down a white rope knot by knot. He cannot see where the rope is attached to or where it ends. Even though it is a strange dream, Wentworth is not frightened by it. This seems to suggest that at this point, he is not even aware that he is steadily becoming more self-absorbed and that he feels as though he is in complete control of his life.

The turning point for Wentworth seems to occur when Hugh arrives at Wentworth's house with Adela. Wentworth "felt something jerk in him, as if a knot had been first tied and then suddenly pulled loose (p.39)." This is an interesting way of describing Wentworth's jealousy in regard to the rope dream. The knotted control that he thinks he has over his life is now loosened as he starts to rapidly slide down the white rope. If he had been at all unsure of his feelings for Adela, or "what he would give up for her," he can now have no doubts. As we can see later in the novel, Wentworth eventually gives up his soul for Adela. He creates his own version of her-a kind of succubus that draws him ever more into himself. His dreams now lead him to imagine a companion waiting for him at the end of the rope. As he learns at the end of the novel, he has allowed himself to be deceived. No companion waits at the end of the rope to satisfy him forever-only a black void steadily drawing him downward in endless circles.

In class we discussed whether or not Wentworth could get the rope back. It seems as though this would not be possible. He had numerous chances to turn away from his deception and at some point, it is only logical that his number of chances run out. The last of these occurs on his way to the dinner with Aston Moffatt. Though it is certainly not a healthy emotion, Wentworth's hatred for Moffatt is an emotion that focuses his attention on something other that himself. At this point of his descent, however, it is not enough to draw him completely out of himself. Part of him still believes that something waits for him at the end of the rope to satisfy his desires. It is not long after his last chance that Wentworth completely loses his grip on the rope. Only then does he realize that he really does want the rope, but it is out of his reach. "He could just remember when there had been one moment when a sudden bright flash had parted from him, fleeing swiftly across the sky into its source, and he wanted that moment back(p.220)." (I'm not really sure what this moment was in the book.) This implies that at some point, after a certain number of chances, there is no hope left for salvation. The control that we think we have over our life and the illusions that add to that control will be illuminated by the truth.