Narrative, Identity, and the Map of Cultural Policy by DeVereaux Constance; Griffin Martin; & Martin Griffin

Author:DeVereaux, Constance; Griffin, Martin; & Martin Griffin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Published: 2013-08-10T16:00:00+00:00

The Mouse that Roared

Our final case example revisits the story presented in the introductory chapter, that of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick. Our one truly fictional example, it features some of the very issues of cultural policy, though absurdly portrayed, that are objects of analysis in real-world settings. The Duchy is the creation of Irish-American writer Leonard Wibberly, whose novel The Mouse that Roared was based on an idea that occurred to him after reading the 1951 treaty between the United States and Japan. “The more I read it,” Wibberly said about the treaty in an interview with critic Clifford Bendau in 1979, “the more I realized that few things are more profitable than going to war with the United States.” Reflecting upon the extensive technical and monetary aid directed to Japan after World War II, which helped foster that country’s later prosperity, Wibberly commented on how little sense it made for the Irish to be fighting the English for 800 years with nothing of material value to show for it. He proposed, instead, that if Ireland declared war on the United States “on Monday,” and quickly surrendered, “the rehabilitation of Ireland would begin on Friday.” Since Ireland failed to take his advice, Wibberly decided instead to write a satirical novel in which the smallest country in the world makes war on the United States, and unexpectedly wins. The book never enjoyed a huge readership, but the film version, starring Peter Sellers and Jean Seberg, propelled its unlikely premise into the popular imagination. As noted above, despite its fictionality, it has all the elements of a good case example for a narrative framework.

“The Duchy of Grand Fenwick lies in a precipitous fold of the northern Alps …” Its ruler, as the novel opens, is the descendent of Roger Fenwick, the first Duke of Grand Fenwick, who founded his dynasty in 1370. Roger is the sort of enterprising fellow who realizes early in life the need to make his own way in the world. The seventh son of an English knight, he has no fortune. He is sent to Oxford University but leaves soon after, at the age of fourteen. His inability to secure adequate employment there puts him at risk of starvation. Fortunately, he finds work as a longbow man with Edward III’s army, but not before learning a number of valuable lessons at Oxford:

The first, on which he placed the greatest value, was that “Yea” might be turned into “Nay” and vice versa if a sufficient quantity of wordage was applied to the matter. The second was that in any argument, the victor is always right, and the third that though the pen is mightier than the sword, the sword speaks louder and stronger at any given moment. (Wibberly 1955: 7)

After many adventures, Roger Fenwick forms his own company of men and joins Charles the Wise of France who ultimately proves less than wise when he places his trust in Roger. Commissioned to take a castle on Charles’s behalf, Roger storms the castle and instead takes it for himself.

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