Postmodernism can be defined as “a reaction to the assumed certainty of scientific, or objective, efforts to explain reality. It stems from a recognition that reality is not simply mirrored in human understanding of it, but rather, is constructed as the mind tries to understand its own particular and personal reality” (http://www.pbs.org/faithandreason/gengloss/postm-body.html). From this definition, it can be concluded that postmodernists believe that one is unable to distinguish what is absolute truth. They also believe that reality is to be interpreted by the individual. Author, G.K Chesterton complicates the theory of postmodernism by the way his sleuth, Father Brown conducts his work. In many of Chesterton’s short stories, Father Brown uses his skills that he has acquired through his experiences of being a priest as well as his devotion to his religion to solve crimes. Due to the fact that religion is a possible explanation to the unknown, one may think that religion and postmodernism could not coexist. However, this notion becomes complicated as some postmodern ideologies actually seem to serve Father Brown in his work.
The plot of the short story, “The Secret Garden”, specifically exemplifies how Chesterton believes religion and postmodernism can indeed coexist, inferred by the fact that both are integral to Father Brown’s success as a detective. One way in which the story executes this is by portraying an apparent disapproval of science. “The Secret Garden” initiates with detective, and scientific advocate Valentin missing from his own dinner party. The story gives some background on those who were invited to the dinner party, but particularly emphasized Julius K
Brayne, and Valentin. It is apparent quite early on that these two men had contradicting beliefs, Valentin being a man of science and Brayne being a skeptic. “Nobody could quite make out whether Mr. Brayne was an atheist or a Mormon or a Christian scientist, but he was ready to pour money into any intellectual vessel” (pg. 2). It is important to note that Brayne’s habit of arguing can be viewed as postmodernist. Brayne is eager to question what he has been told (he is eager to question what someone else deems is true). Nonetheless, of the dichotomy between science and religion, Brayne still favors religion. The text shows this when it states that Brayne “believed in all religions” as opposed to Valentin “who believed in none” (pg. 3).
Moreover, once Valentin arrives late to his dinner party, the two men are quick to dispute about ‘science and religion’ (pg.3) Immediately, Chesterton is introducing a discrete tension between religion and science. Both of these metanarratives can be used to define truth, which contradicts postmodernists’ theory of the incapability of their coexistence. Additionally, Chesterton also sets up both of these characters to be disliked by the reader, as they both end up deceased by the end of the story. However, it is important to recognize that although Chesterton set up the reader to initially dislike Brayne, it is further emphasized to recognize that the reader is ultimately led to dislike Valentin. For the majority of the work, the reader is led on to believe that Brayne is the most obvious culprit of the gruesome murder (the story’s first villain); as he is the only man missing from the house “ with high walls and tall poplars almost overhanging the Seine; but the oddity — and perhaps the police value — of its architecture was this: that there was no ultimate exit at all except through this front door, which was guarded by Ivan and the armoury”(pg. 1) . Later on, Father Brown introduces the reader to the new reality that our detective, Valentin is actually a murderer. “ Aristide Valentin, was standing not an hour before
the murder. Oh, my friends, hear me a minute more before you tear me in pieces. Valentin is an honest man, if being mad for an arguable cause is honesty. But did you never see in that cold, grey eye of his that he is mad! He would do anything, anything, to break what he calls the superstition of the Cross”(pg.14). This is an exemplary moment of the postmodern concept that ‘things may not always appear as they seem to be’. In this moment, Father Brown makes it evident that Valentin’s devotion to science drove him to end Brayne’s life and ultimately his own life. It almost seems as if Valentin’s motive for the murder was derived from his hatred of those devoted to religion. Valentin’s rigidity causes the reader to have a lack of remorse for his death.
Another moment in this text where ‘things do not appear as they seem’ is when the head of the murder victim, did not belong to the body of the murder victim. “Yes,’ said the motionless priest, ‘it was done so as to make you assume exactly the one simple falsehood that you did assume. It was done to make you take for granted that the head belonged to the body (pg.13).” The text duped the reader into believing there had been two murders in this story. Yet, in actuality there had only been one murder. Valentin had killed Brayne and used his work privileges to find a decapitated head. Valentin did this because he wanted people to come up with a false reality, but Father Brown saw past this. Father Brown uses his ability to form his own interpretation off of the basis that ‘all is not what it seems’ to determine reality. The average “celibate” would not have been able to think out of the box, and associate two different elements together, to crack the case, for putting together abstract pieces of evidence to reach a different conclusion is a practice a postmodernist would condone.
As the story comes to a close, the reader learns that the only character in the entire story who has access to truth is Father Brown. The end of “The Secret Garden” entails Father Brown
being interrogated by Dr. Simon. Simon is introduced as, “a typical French scientist” (pg.1) who throughout the story is absolutely certain that Brayne is the murderer. “ I don’t doubt that Brayne did it” (pg.13). It is important to acknowledge that the story repetitiously associates Dr. Simon to science, via his creed and profession, lending the implication that Simon is both rational and logical. These qualities that are commonly related to science cause the other characters at the dinner party to flock to Simon for answers. Furthermore, Father Brown ends up having access to truth because he is the only character to doubt what seems to be obvious. “ Yet, you know, I doubt whether Brayne could have cut off this head” (pg.13). Father Brown ends up figuring out the case because he was able to question. Father Brown is aware that things aren’t always as they seem because of his religious worldview that allows him to speculate on the duality of morals in all individuals present. This is evident in many works by Chesterton but especially in “Two Beards.” It is clear when Father Brown States , “ You see, the Dark Ages tried to make a science about good people. But our own humane and enlightened age is only interested in a science about bad ones. Yet I think our general experience is that every conceivable sort of man has been a saint. And I suspect you will find, too, that every conceivable sort of man has been a murderer” (pg. 1). Here, Father Brown is stating that humanity is more overtly complex than most can comprehend. Similarly the specific repetitive diction choice of ‘science’ is purposeful. The word ‘science’ is associated to study on a particular subject, which implies structure and rigidity. Father Brown ends up being superior in the “Secret Garden” because he understands that humans are not easily labeled, as post modernism is also cautious to label. Likewise, Brown’s awareness of the multidimensional nature of people (which stems from his religion) allows him to understand that studying something scientifically does not always lead to the truth. This is what
causes the large disparity between religion and science in “The Secret Garden” and many other Chesterton’s works. Science is often characterized as being factually definitive through proven truths. While religion differs through individual or collective interpretations. Many vagaries plagues aspects of religion, that are often divisive. Particularly, Faith, be it of one man’s or that of the flock. Father Brown’s faith leads him to believe that people are capable of change. Through confession, and reverence of God, Brown believes that change is possible. It is very telling that Chesterton crafts his most evil villain Flambeau, as a changed man in his later stories. This signifies that even the most severe criminals can become vindicated. The significance in this proves that Father Brown believes that people are capable of determining their own truths. It is in this belief that Father Brown succeeds as he is quick not to condemn or dispense retribution solely dependant on exterior indicators.
In Chesterton’s “Two Beards”, Brown exemplifies this concept by stating that he believes in the bee keepers innocence. “T he priest shook his head. “I can’t explain it at all, just yet,” he said, simply. “I can see one or two odd things, but I don’t understand them. As yet I’ve nothing to go on to prove the man’s innocence, except the man. But I’m quite sure I’m right” (pg.12). Just as in the “Secret Garden” Father Brown’s skills acquired through his work have made him superior to his co-characters in this circumstance. Father Brown being a man of Faith believes in miracles and divine intervention. These skills make Father Brown skeptical of what others may accept as true.
Lastly it is noteworthy that many of Chesterton’s short stories initiate with the word ‘Secret’. By titling the story with this phrasing, Chesterton is emphasizing that the story is not
going to unfold in a predictable manner. The titling in itself it post modernistic because it is setting up the reader to be introduced to some sort of new reality.
Overall, Father Brown’s belief in the unexplainable quite ironically helps him to explain himself; It helps him come to grips with his own reality. Chesterton’s ability to see the relationship between postmodernism and religion is what created his exceptional sleuth. By doing this, Chesterton might be trying to explain that postmodernism in itself is a religion -it is the faith of skepticism. Postmodernism in actuality an oxymoron because it is merely another means of setting truth in what cannot be explain. Presenting both postmodernism and religion as merely equal paths in the search for truth, be it based in fact or faith. Thus allowing Father Brown to be a paragon of their coexistence.
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