“Evolution
is a ladder, and our aim is to climb it as quickly as possible,” (Morgan
105). While reading The Sport of Kings I found myself thinking about this quote a
lot. One of the reasons for this is
because the theory of evolution plays such an important role throughout the novel. To Henry, it means everything when it comes
to horse breeding. He dedicates his
entire life to breeding the perfect thoroughbred that will not only win the
triple crown and represent the peak of equine evolution, but establish and
solidify the Forge’s family name and legacy.
To Henry, Hellsmouth is the physical representation of everything he has
ever worked for. The horse is also Henry’s
biggest act of rebellion against his father because it stands against
everything Henry’s father wanted for his son and family name. This is important
because I view the Forge family name as another ladder of evolution that,
throughout the book, Samuel, John, Henry and Henrietta try to climb.
Samuel
starts the evolution of the Forge family name by moving west into Kentucky and
building a family farm. From there, all
the way up to John Henry, the Forge’s are content with their way of life and
refuse to change anything about it in any way shape or form. However, Henry sees opportunity and potential
for greatness and decides he’s going to “evolve” and “climb the ladder” quicker
than anyone before him has done when it comes to establishing and advancing the
family’s legacy. And even though his
father is strictly against it, he does it anyways and begins to establish the
Forge name within the horseracing community.
This didn’t come as a surprise to me, especially when I related the
quote at the top of this post to a specific moment early in the story. On page 86, Henry helps his father remove a
mistletoe from a very important family tree by holding the ladder steady. When John Forge begins to climb the ladder,
he looks anxious and uncomfortable, which prompts Henry to ask “Father, are you
afraid of heights?” (86). This question
gets no reply but Henry quickly realizes that this is the case. He almost offers to climb the ladder for him
but ultimately doesn’t because he is too engrossed in what’s unfolding before
him. He is seeing his father scared for
the first time in his life and it is evident his father isn’t comfortable again
until both feet are on the ground. To
me, this scene is a perfect representation of the quote at the top of this
post, and both Henry and John’s thoughts on the “evolution” of their family
name. It is clear throughout John Henry’s
part in the novel that he isn’t comfortable with change or “scaling the ladder.” He believes that the Forge’s must continue
what they have always done in order to preserve and establish the family
name. Henry, on the other hand, isn’t
scared to “scale the ladder” and do something different because he knows it’s
something he must do if the “family tree” and family name will survive and
thrive.
Evolution plays a huge part in the novel The Sport of Kings. The quote, “Evolution is a ladder, and our aim is to climb it as quickly as possible” represents the mindset of Henry (Morgan 105). The top of the ladder is ultimately perfection, which is seen in Henry’s breeding of thoroughbreds and in Henry’s family lineage. It is not the science of evolution so much as it is the strive for perfection in breeding.
ReplyDeleteThere are multiple examples in the book where evolution is stressed. On page 13, we are introduced to the whole lineage of Forges. We are also introduced to genetics when it comes to horses, such as on page 95, with the recessive and dominant pairings for color. We are constantly familiarized with genetics playing a role in evolution.
Henry has a unique mindset when it comes to evolution, which is one of the things that makes this book so interesting. Henry’s philosophy is that if you breed perfect with perfect, you will create something perfect. This ideation is clearly flawed. Incest is not only seen between Henry Forge and his daughter, but also with his horses. Morgan writes about men, “They’ll even use their children to further their own ends.” (102). This is seen with Henry because he constantly uses his daughter for sexual purposes and eventually believes that they could create a perfect specimen. On page 149, Morgan includes a paragraph about Henry’s mentality for sex with his daughter, in creating a perfect, closed off gene pool. He wants the Forge family to be at the top of the ladder of evolution. Moreover, it is seen with Henry’s horses. He states, “Yes, you sometimes produce a genetically weak animal from inbreeding and linebreeding, but there’s no surer way to hit the jackpot. Breeding a line back to its own line can produce the perfect horse—and that’s worth every risk.” (134). Henry strives for perfection and does not care about any risks involved. Henry breeds his horses with their own lineage because of his desire for the perfect specimen. The quote about evolution being a ladder is the most accurate quote to show Henry’s ideology because he strives to reach the top of the ladder in everything he does.
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ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI agree that Henry’s perception of evolution is very closed off and exclusive, but I think it shifts towards the end. Henry often seems to deny that any new branch can be added to the evolutionary tree, viewing evolution as a ladder with no leeway for movement in any direction but up. This idea is first imposed on Henry’s mind by his father who states, “sanity begins with knowing your place” (22). His close-minded perception begins to shift when he realizes that his black grandson is his only family left, the only one able to continue the Forge family line.
Henry’s mind is further opened through his daughter’s diary, “natural selection isn’t everything. We still don’t understand the principles of organization. The mystery is intact” (487). Henry’s acceptance of Lou’s concept of evolution as bush with many diversifying branches leads to his understanding that his horse breeding program, which consistently parallels the Forge family line, was only damaging the legacy of the horse (489). This leads to his decision to pull Hellsmouth from racing and do things the way Henrietta would have, despite the criticism of others. Henry finds peace in knowing that his family name, which once would have caused an “end more permanent than actual death,” if ruined (476), is not dependent on a perfect lineage. He proudly brings Samuel along to Churchill Downs, no longer willing to hide the baby that would have once caused him shame, thanks to his new understanding of evolution.