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The Root of His Evil
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Wikipedia article
'The Root of His Evil' is a novel by James M. Cain published in paperback by Avon in 1951.Skenazy, 1989 p. 13, p. 103
Though Cain routinely employed the first-person narrative to tell his stories, 'The Root of His Evil' is the only novel published in his lifetime in which Cain writes through the voice of a woman. (His 1941 novel 'Mildred Pierce' is written in the third-person).Skenazy, 1989 p. 103: Cains only work published during his lifetime in which he writes through the voice of a woman.
The work was originally written in the form of a serial entitled A Modern Cinderella in 1938, but was never purchased by any literary magazine.Madden, 1970 p. 47
The story was adapted to film by Universal Pictures in 1939 and released as When Tomorrow Comes, starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer in 1939. Another version, Interlude was released in 1957 and directed by Douglas Sirk.Hoopes, 1982 p. 650-651
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Cain published three paperback fictions that involve divorce and provide upbeat endings. 'The Root of His Evil' surpasses in quality his other two works: Sinful Woman (1947) and 'Jealous Woman' (1950).Skenazy, 1989 p. 87, p. 99, p. 103: The Root of His Evil is better in every way than the short 'Woman' novels.
Plot
Publication history
The 1951 Avon paperback edition entitled The Root of His Evil had its origins in an exchange between Cain and Colliers literary editor Kenneth Littauer in 1938. Littaurer suggested that Cain write a contemporary version of the fairytale Cinderella, famously recorded by the Brothers Grimm.Madden, 1970 p. 47: Several of Cains novels had their conceptions in story-conference situations. The Root of His Evil was conceived in a luncheon conversation with Kenneth Littauer of Colliers who wanted a modern Cinderella story. The original drafts were titled A Modern Cinderella while Cain was developing the narrative in the late 1930s.Skenazy, 1989 p. 103
Written at a period of widespread labor unrest in the later years of the Great Depression, the story features a conflict between a millionaire industrialist and a union organizer, serving as a backdrop for Cains central theme: the struggle of a young woman to achieve control over her personal and professional life in a mans world.Madden, 1970 p. 66, p. 73: A womans ability to survive in a mans world, a world which often defeats the man, is suggested in Cains handling ofThe Root of His Evilwhich focuses on the female protagonist.Skenazy, 1989 p. 13: Cain wrote a novel combining issues of labor unrest with the story of a waitress who married a Harvard man Cains literary posture towards labor unions was largely informed by his commitment to individualism belies his positive descriptions of collective struggle in the story.Skenazy, 1989 p. 14: There is no indication that Cain was a union supporterEven the sympathetic references to unions in his novels are undercut by the ardent individualism in his work.Hoopes, 1982 p. 293: Cain put the work in the first-person voice of his heroinethe love story was almost secondary to the complex plot involving labor difficulties and a strike.
Cain completed A Modern Cinderella in November 1938, dictating the work to stenographer Sarah Goodwin, his only story recorded in this manner.Madden, 1970 p. 47: In 1938Cain dictated the story- the only one he ever dictated to a secretary. Colliers turned it down
Despite his high expectations for the serial, the major magazines in the country declined to purchase it.Hoopes, 1982 p. 296: Cain finished A Modern Cinderella on November 2, 1938, and sent [the serial] to Colliersbut Colliers rejected it, a deep disappointment after all the work that Cain had put in on the serial and given his high expectations. And: p. 301-302: A Modern Cinderella had been rejected by every major magazine in the countryMadden, 1970 p. 47: ...Colliers turned it down... Cain had been cautioned by his spouse Elina Tyszecka that unflattering portrayals of organized labor and its leadership would hurt prospects for the sale of work in an era of high union membership.Hoopes, 1982 p. 292, p. 302: On wife Elinas warning not to make any disparaging remarks about unions in the serial Otherwise the magazines wont buy it. And: Elina...had been right; Cain should have been more careful about how he [portrayed] the unions; apparently his handling of organized labor in the story was preventing its sales. Even after Cain made a number of revisions A Modern Cinderella, it was never published by any literary journal.Hoopes, 1982 p. 301
The fortunes for Cains work changed abruptly when his agent James Geller sold the property to Universal Pictures for $17,500 in November.Hoopes, 1982 p. 296: A Modern Cinderella suddenly sold to Universal Pictures for $17,500 [in November, 1938, by his agent James Geller].Madden, 1970 p. 47: James Geller had sold the story for $17,500. (titled The Modern Cinderella in manuscript) to Universal for $17,500.
Not until 1951 did Cain see his work published in print, when Avon press agreed to offer it as a paperback as a novel, with the title changed to 'The Root of His Evil'.Madden, 1970 p. 47: ...it was not published as a novel until 1951, when Avon presented it under the title The Root of His Evil.
Structure and theme
Cains female protagonist, Carrie Selden, presents an interesting variation on the leading character in his 1941 novel 'Mildred Pierce'.Madden, 1970 p. 63: ...interesting variation of the Mildred character.Skenazy, 1989 p. 103-104: Carrie is like many other heroines in Cains books, especially 'Mildred Pierce'. Significantly, Cain tells her story through the voice of Carrie, distinguishing it from his third-person portrayal of Mildred Pierce.Madden, 1970 p. 133: How Mildred [in Mildred Pierce might have told her own story is suggested in Carries narration in The Root of His EvilSkenazy, 1989 p. 103: Cains only work published during his lifetime in which he writes through the voice of a woman.
Like protagonist Mildred Pierce, Carrie Selden rises from waitress to that of a high-functioning entrepreneur with tremendous business acumen. In this sphere, she surpasses her husband and his male associates. Literary critic and novelist David Madden observes: Both are waitresses for a time, both have weak husbands and are pursued by seemingly strong lovers. They are forced, because of male weakness or insufficiency, to make good in the male world, even to best the man.Madden, 1970 p. 73 Cains Cinderella bears some resemblance to the Carrie Meeber in Theodore Dreisers Sister Carrie (1900)the identical name was not accidentalin their mutual desire for wealth and recognition.Skenazy, 1989 p. 107: Like Carrie Meeber in Theodore Dreisers Sister Carrie (year) (the identical names are surely more than coincidental) Carrie Selden feels her sense of completeness as a person when she is on display. David Madden comments on the fairy tale theme:
Cain also introduces an Oedipal element into the story concerning the relationship between Grant and his mother, the still youthful Agnes, who exerts a powerful, quasi-sexual control over her son.Skenazy, 1989 p. 103: Oedipal territory And p. 105: ...Agness strange youth complex makes her vie for Grant as both son and lover...
The evil in the books title is a reference to Grants thralldom to his mother, a spell that is broken by Carrie, when she emerges victorious in a vicious verbal combat with Grants mother over which woman will possess Grant. Liberated from his mother Grant shifts his loyalty to Carrie, his redeemer.Skenazy, 1989 p. 105-106: Grants oppression - the evil of the titleis his acquiescence to beautiful, domineering mother Agnes.Madden, 1970 p. 130: Even Cains bad novels have redeeming moments.: the confrontations in The Root of His Evil between Carrie and Grants sisters and Carrie and Grants mother Paul Skenazy writes:
Film adaption: 'When Tomorrow Comes' (1939)
A Modern Cinderella was adapted to film in 1939 by Universal Pictures and released as When Tomorrow ComesHoopes, 1982 p. 650-651
When screen star Irene Dunne was selected to play protagonist Carrie Selden, the actress insisted that she play opposite Charles Boyer. Cain commented that Boyer, who often played sophisticated European lovers, was ill-suited for the role of the Harvard WASP Grant Harris. Universal altered the story to make the male protagonist a concert pianist. Dunnes contract also stipulated that she sing at least one song in the picture. Cain, who had endeavored to become an opera singer in his youth, remarked that this was satisfactory, because if his heroine Carrie had been a vocalist she would have had a voice about as bad as Miss Dunnes.Hoopes, 1982 p. 300: Note: quote is Roy Hoopes paraphrase of Cains comment, not quoting Cain directly.
The screenplay proved to be challenging for the director John M. Stahl, who conferred with the author. Cain sympathized with Stahl, acknowledging that making that guy [Grant Harris] into a hero was more than I could do after plenty of time of trying.Hoopes, 1982 p. 300-301 Screenwriter Dwight Taylor, who wrote the final script for the picture, approached Cain as well, reporting that he was having unspecified conflicts with Stahl.Hoopes, 1982 p. 301-302 'When Tomorrow Comes' opened at the Pantages Theatre in August 1939. Cain, who was in attendance, recognized immediately that the film had virtually nothing in common with his original story.Hoopes, 1982 p. 302 One notable scene, however, did resemble a sensasional episode from Cains 1937 novel 'Serenade', which depicts a sexual encounter in a Catholic church during a sub-tropical rainstorm in Mexico.Hoopes, 1982 p. 302, p. 310: ...strikingly similar... to Cains earlier novel.
Cain reluctantly initiated a plagiarism lawsuit against Universal that would work its way through the courts over the next three years. In 1942, the court ruled that the similarity between the literary scene in Serenade and the cinematic scene in 'When Tomorrow Comes' were not self-evident. Cain, doubting the validity of his own case after hearing the testimony, declined to appeal.Hoopes, 1982 p. 310-311, p. 325-327Madden, 1970 p. 47: The movie, called When Tomorrow Comes, with Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer, appeared in the same year; but it was not published as a novel until 1951, when Avon presented it under the title 'The Root of His Evil'.
References
Sources
*Hoopes, Roy. 1982. 'Cain.' Holt, Reinhart and Winston. New York.
*Madden, David. 1970. 'James M. Cain'. Twayne Publishers, Inc. Library Catalog Card Number: 78-120011.
*Skenazy, Paul. 1989. James M. Cain. Continuum Publishing Company. New York.
Category:1951 novels
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