BABEŞ-BOLYAI UNIVERSITY, CLUJ-NAPOCA

FACULTY OF LETTERS

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

THOMAS CROMWELL: FRIEND OR FOE?

THE FICTIONALISATION OF HISTORY

STUDENT: PAPER ADVISER:

TUNYOGI ANDREA CONF. DR. ADRIAN RADU

MA BRITISH CULTURAL STUDIES

1ST YEAR

CLUJ NAPOCA JANUARY 2015

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INTRODUCTION

The concept of history is introduced to children since fourth grade. They start to acknowledge

the origins of certain nations, significant battles, outstanding historical figures and the social and

political life of a certain age. Later on, if students mention these key concepts during a history

exam, they are likely to pass the exam and to be seen as people who know something about

history. Further on, they can cultivate their skills and become PhDs in History. At this level one

may justly claim that he/she is an expert in history. But can anybody claim that? Who knows in

fact something about history? To answer these questions, it is essential to discuss about the

concept of history.

The definition of this concept is so vast and multidimensional that this paper could not

attempt to cover it up. However, it tries to highlight some aspects of history that serves as a basis

to its hypotheses, which is the following idea: history is subjective. In order to support this idea,

I’ve chosen a long forgotten historical age together with its long forgotten historical figure, who

has resurrected in Hilary Mantel’s novel. Who is Thomas Cromwell? Is he a friend or a foe?

How can the man of today know somebody who lived centuries ago? Does the expert in history

really know Cromwell? Before trying to answer these questions, let us reflect upon the concept

of history.

It is often said that yesterday is history. Everything that happened on that day survives

only in one’s memory. It becomes a copy of the real events. As time passes, this copy goes

through many changes. It is highly possible that somebody who had experience something, may

not be able to recall it exactly how it happened. In order to fill the missing gaps, he/she tends to

invent those information to make the story round and coherent. If this can happen to one’s own

experience, what is the probability of knowing such events and characters who lived centuries

ago and who had no direct connection with us? “How do we seize the past? Can we ever do so?”

(qtd in Berce, 2012: 101).

History may seem objective, because it is said to be built on facts. But what happens to

these facts? They go through a process becoming more and more subjective. Let us take for

example the Siege of Boulogne. If we want to know what happened in that battle, we might read

an article on the internet. That article is written by somebody, therefore it is subjective. It was

also inspired from another work, again written by somebody, who based his/her work on another

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source, and the chain may continue until we lose the trace of the information. Consequently, the

Siege of Boulogne appears to us as a result of many reinterpretations, adding one more, namely

our own one.

So who is Thomas Cromwell? Based on the ideas mention above, let us try to depict him,

starting from Hilary Mantel’s novel entitled Wolf Hall. Cromwell’s character serves as an

example to highlight the subjectivity, therefore the fictionalization of history.

CROMWELL IN THE 21ST CENTURY

“And if we can’t dispose of it, we can alter it. The dead don’t shout.” (Winterson, 1996: 92)

Thomas Cromwell is dead. What is the purpose of his resurrection? Everybody heard of the

ruthless King Henry the VIII. Most people associate his name with the Tudor dynasty, because

of his striking behaviour and mostly because of his wives1. He is the main character in nearly

every piece of writing concerning his era. No wonder, he was the king and he supposed to be the

most important person in England. But what did Hilary Mantel do? She has chosen a man, a

blacksmith’s son, a man who became very close to the king and wrote a novel putting this person

in the centre of attention, making him the main character and presenting the events through his

experiences: “I wanted to revisit2, and see what happens if you place him dead centre in the

familiar narrative, and look through his eyes.”(Mantel, 2014, online interview)

If we have a closer look on the term revisit we may conclude that it refers to an action

which had already been done before and now it is happening again. Based on the quotation

above, this revisit is an experimental act, because she wants to see what happens if. This

conditional sentence shows that she herself is curious about the outcome of this strategy. So

practically, she revisits history, a long forgotten era, picks up a character, brings him to the

present, places him in the centre of attention and creates a new interpretation of that era,

consequently of history. Before we continue to demonstrate that history is subjective through

Cromwell’s character, let us look at some other examples where history is revisited therefore

fictionalized.

1 Out of his six wives, two were banished and two were decapitated in the Tower of London. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/henry_viii/) 2 My italics

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‘ENGLAND, ENGLAND’ SAYS HAWKSMOOR ‘AND YOUR CITY OF THE MIND’!

Mantel is not the only one who revisits history. There is a tendency among the contemporary

British writers to represent England and Englishness in several ways. These three novel whose

titles are contracted in the subtitle represent Englishness and history in such unique ways, yet

again their starting point is very similar: the reinterpretation of history.

How does Julian Barnes revisit history in England, England? His technique is very

suggestive. Past is brought to the present by models which replace the real things. This

replacement is partly because the original no longer exists, or because the model can easily be

regarded as the original, so the original is not necessary any more.3 Consequently, past or history

is brought to the present meaning to create exactly the same situation. So the aim of revisiting

history was to create exactly the same atmosphere regardless of space and time. However as it

has been highlighted before, history cannot be brought to the present without undergoing some

changes. Pitman’s final project is a failure not only for England but also for the island itself.4

Further on, how does Peter Ackroyd revisit history in his novel entitled Hawksmoor? His

technique is also unique and worth much attention. He does not bring past into present the same

way as we have seen in England, England, but presents the two timespans simultaneously. His

technique is also very complex. Past and present are not just simultaneous but also

interconnected. The lines are deliberately blurred causing sometimes a confusion between the

time shifts, but not a chaos. So at the same time, past and present confront and complete each

other. Consequently, history is revisited and also distorted, in other words, it is changed, which

again leads us to the conclusion that history is subjective therefore fictionalized.

Penelope Lively revisits history and creates the City of the Mind. London is presented in a

peculiar way: the present day London has such an effect on the main character’s imagination,

that he inevitably recalls the past image of the same city, creating the city of the mind. Whereas

3 In the case of historical characters such as Robin Hood or Dr. Samuel Johnson, the model or the replica was necessary because the original was no longer available, whereas in the case of the Royal Family, the replica was still created even if they were alive, causing the destruction of the original in favor of the replica. 4 See the behavior of Dr. Samuel Johnson or Robin Hood, who at a certain moment started to act as their real characters causing their banishment from the island which demonstrates that history is no longer tolerated in the present in its authentic form. (Barnes, 1998: 207-208)

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in Hawksmoor a past cause has a present effect5, in the City of the Mind a present stimulus such

as a building or an advertisement recalls the image of the past. Yet again we have the two time

spans coexisting in the mind of Halland. The fictionalization of history appears in Halland’s own

interpretation and imagination based on present stimulus.

Starting from Hilary Mantel’s revisit in history, we have seen that many contemporary

British novels are based on the same idea, although presented with different techniques. These

examples meant to highlight the basic idea of this paper, namely that history cannot be treated

objectively because it is much more complex than the mere existence of historical facts. After

this brief presentation on revisiting history, let us continue with the character of Thomas

Cromwell and see how he becomes a man of the 21st century.

CROMWELL OR CROMWELLS?

The question of identity is very significant in the postmodern era. Phrases such as multiple self,

the crisis of the self are often associated with the perception of present times. There is a big gap

between the 16th and the 21st century. Can we manage to fill this gap in case of Cromwell’s

character? Let us start by having a closer look on a letter he had sent to the king before his

execution. This should be a good starting point considering that these are his own words,

therefore the closest to his person.

Prostrate at your Majesty’s feet, I have heard your pleasure by your Controller, viz., that I should

write such things as I thought meet concerning my most miserable state. And where I have been

accused of treason, I never in all my life thought to displease your Majesty; much less to do or

say “that thing which of itself is so high and abominable offence.” Your Grace knows my

accusers, God forgive them. (Thomas Cromwell’s letter to Henry VIII, 12 th June 1540, online

article)

In this letter we see a desperate man who begs for mercy. He is humble and pleads for

forgiveness even for his accusers. It is also obvious that he loves and respects the king very

much. Based on this letter, we imagine a suffering and repenting Cromwell who deserves all the

pity. But let us look at other sequences of his life. Hilary Mantel begins his novel with a rather

crude image of the little boy named Cromwell:

5 The murder cases. It seems that the crimes committed in the past have a strong connection with those committed in the present.

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Felled, dazed, silent, he has fallen; knocked full length on the cobbles of the yard. His head turns

sideways; his eyes are turned towards the gate, as if someone might arrive to help him out. One

blow, properly placed, could kill him now. Blood from the gash on his head – which was his

father's first effort – is trickling across his face. Add to this, his left eye is blinded; but if he

squints sideways, with his right eye he can see that the stitching of his father's boot is unravelling.

(Mantel, 2009: 14)

The reader doesn’t even know who this person is, but he/she already pities him. This kind of

beginning also suggests the way Mantel approaches her main character. She could not possibly

look at him as an enemy if she begins the novel by raising pity for him. Consequently, the very

beginning of the novel demonstrates the fictionalization of history, by ‘manipulating’ the reader

to feel pity for that person who is maltreated by his father. Further on, we cannot pass through

those scenes of his life, which are presented with such details, that it is impossible not to think

that they are the author’s pure imagination. As it has been mentioned before, the gap between the

past and present is so big, that there is a need to fill it by using different methods. For example

let us look at a dialogue between Cromwell and his wife: “‘Forget where you lived?’ He sighs.

‘How was Yorkshire?’ He shrugs. ‘The cardinal?’ He nods. ‘Eaten?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Tired?’ ‘Not really.’

‘Drink?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Rhenish?’ ‘Why not.’” (Mantel, 2009: 23). It is highly improbable that this

conversation really happened between the two in the same way. This conversation is put into the

mouth of two 16th century people by a 21st century writer. It is this very technique that brings

Cromwell to the present days and demonstrates that history revisited equals history rewritten.

“Thomas Cromwell’s private life is largely off-the-record. So yes, there’s imaginative

reconstruction.” (Mantel: 2014, online interview).

Who is Thomas Cromwell? According to the Catholic Herald, he was cruel:” Cromwell

is separated from us by half a millennium, which is a safe distance. He is not going to hurt us

now, and we are safe from his capricious cruelty6.” (Lucie-Smith, 2015, online article). Are we

safe? Wasn’t he brought to the present and put in the centre of attention in Wolf Hall? In a

review by Lucy Hughes-Hallett about Tracy Borman’s book entitle Thomas Cromwell: The

Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant she claims that “History can give the reader

reliable information…” (Hughes-Hallett, 2014, online article). Which is the reliable information?

Nothing that was told so far can be considered reliable. All is a matter of interpretation,

6 My italics.

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speculation and imagination. She goes further and says that Cromwell was “a professional, a

lawyer. […]. He was an excellent manager. He was generous to his protégés…” (Hughes-Hallett,

2014, online article).

Continuing the idea of history’s reliability proposed by Hughes-Hallett, let us examine

what do we know about the birth of Cromwell? Here is an interesting fact that questions this

reliability: Thomas Cromwell “born probably not later than 1485 and possibly a year or two

earlier…”7 (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1910. 501, online article). The words probably and

possibly are not at all connected to reliability.

Further on, let us look at three more interpretations about the figure of Thomas Cromwell

before we draw the final conclusion. The next quotation also bears the mark of changeability

because it draws a contrast between how Cromwell was perceived in the past and how he is seen

today: “Thomas Cromwell had been, for many, a rather shadowy, sinister figure […]. Now, he is

acclaimed as the architect of the English Reformation….” (Wilson, 2012, online article). The

next quotation enforces the inseparable relationship between fact and fiction, as it has already

been highlighted, and also demonstrates that history cannot be treated as a mere assembling of

facts: “Thomas Cromwell is a good subject for fact and fiction. He was and remains somewhat of

an enigma…” (Horowitz, 2011, online article). Finally the next quotation is probably the best

illustration of this chapter’s subtitle: “As my research progressed, I was forced to relinquish

some of the more endearing characteristics with which “my” Cromwell was imbued.” (Borman,

2014, online article). If there is a “my” Cromwell, then there should be a “your”, “our” or “their”

Cromwell as well. Consequently, as an answer to the subtitle, we can declare that the plural form

is the most suitable in this case.

CONCLUSION

The aim of this paper was to demonstrate that history is subjective, therefore fictionalized. In

order to support this idea, I’ve chosen the character of Thomas Cromwell, starting from Hilary

Mantel’s novel entitled Wolf Hall. Mantel claimed in her interview that she had revisited history

and brought a rather shadowy person to the present, putting him in the centre of attention.

Starting from the idea of revisiting history, I have highlighted other examples of contemporary

7 My italics.

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British novels that are based on the same idea: England, England, Hawksmoor and City of the

Mind. These novels revisit history, but they do this by using different techniques. However, the

final conclusion is the same: history cannot be revisited and brought to the present without being

changed. To continue this idea, I have attempted to mention a few interpretations about the

character of Thomas Cromwell to demonstrate that there are many Cromwells, so a historical

figure therefore history is subjective and depends on our own interpretation, where we add our

own experiences and our own personality. So who is Thomas Cromwell? Is he a friend or a foe?

I consider that everyone has his/her own personal Cromwell, who is uniquely shaped in one’s

mind.

History is similar to this image. It is up to

us whether we see the old woman or the

young lady.

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WORKS CITED

Alter, Alexandra, WSJ Book Club: Hilary Mantel Answers Questions on ‘Wolf Hall’. The Wall

Street Journal, 26. Feb. 2014, online interview. Accessed on 01. Feb. 2015.

<http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/02/26/wsj-book-club-hilary-mantel-answers-questions-on-

wolf-hall/>

Barnes, Julian, England, England. London, Jonathan Cape, 1998.

BBC History, King Henry the VIII, online article. Accessed on 01. Feb. 2015.

<http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/people/henry_viii/>

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globalization: writing region and nation. Cluj Napoca, Presa Universitară Clujeană, 2012.

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2014, online article. Accessed on 01. Feb. 2015.

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Horowitz, Mark, The many faces of Thomas Cromwell. Reviews in History, University of

Illinois, Nov. 2011, online article. Accessed on 01. Feb. 2015.

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Hughes-Hallett, Lucy, Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful

Servant review. The Guardian, 21. Sept. 2014, online article. Accessed on 01. Feb. 2015.

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Lucie-Smith, Alexander, Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall propagates the myth that Britain became

great once it had ditched Catholicism. Catholic Herald, 20. Jan. 2015, online article. Accessed

on 01. Feb. 2015.

<http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2015/01/20/admiring-thomas-cromwell-is-

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Mantel, Hilary, Wolf Hall. Harper Collins e-books. Fourth Estate, Great Britain, 2009.

Thomas Cromwell, Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th Ed. Vol VII. Cambridge: Cambridge

University Press, 1910. 501. 10. Oct. 2006. Online article. Accessed on 01. Feb. 2015.

<http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedia/cromwell.htm>

Thomas Cromwell’s Letter to Henry VIII, 12 th June 1540, online article, 12. Jun. 2012. Accessed

on 01. Feb. 2015. <http://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/12th-june-1540-thomas-cromwells-

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Wilson, Derek, Thomas Cromwell: Brewer’s Boy Made Good. History Today Volume 62 Issue

12 December 2012, online article. Accessed on 01. Feb. 2015.

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good>

Winterson, Jeanette, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit. London, Vintage Press, 1996.

Image from: https://answersto.wordpress.com/2010/07/16/use-you-illusion-p1-double-meaning/

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