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Part 1
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Real Thing, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Reality, Artifice, and Art
Class in England at the End of the 19th Century
Money, Identity, and Class
Summary
Analysis
The artist considers them. He notices with surprise that he is very sure of the Monarchs’ past, even though they haven’t told him their story. He pictures them in country estates, surrounded by lush furnishings and clothing. He assumes that they were generally liked, but no one wanted to support them, so they are now looking for work. He likes them—they strike him as simple people—but he is still hesitant. Not only does the artist not like amateurs, but he cares far more about the illustrations he creates than about the real people who serve as models for those illustrations. He also already employs several models with whom he is perfectly satisfied.
The fact that the artist can imagine the Monarchs’ lives so easily suggests the uniformity and deeply rooted tradition of the aristocratic experience. The symbol of clothing further solidifies and simplifies the Monarch’s identity as gentility. Because of their class, the artist can deduce how they would be dressed—as aristocrats. Their affable simplicity further suggests that the Monarchs are one-dimensional. While polite and likeable, they are not particularly intelligent or interesting people. By extrapolation, the English aristocracy is similarly shallow. But the artist’s hesitation to hire the Monarchs goes deeper than this. Not only would it be unnecessary to hire them (he already has enough models who work well), the artist’s thoughts make clear that art isn’t about recreating in paint or ink the real subjects who are his models. So when the artist is depicting upper-class characters in his drawings, it doesn’t matter if the model is an aristocrat or not. All that matters is if the model can suggest the feeling or idea of gentility. In this way, “the real thing” is not necessary for the artist to create art.
Active
Themes
Major and Mrs. Monarch do not, however, get discouraged. They tell the artist that Claude Rivet (a landscape painter who is an acquaintance of the artist’s) had informed them of the artist’s upcoming project for which they think that they would be perfect. The project is an opportunity to create illustrations for a special edition of several novels by Philip Vincent, an aging novelist who is at last receiving recognition for his works and of whom the artist is envious. The publishers employed the artist to create illustrations for the first book in this series, with the potential of being hired for the following works depending on whether the artist’s work is satisfactory.
The Monarchs have their sights set on a very particular project: the Philip Vincent books. If the artist succeeds in impressing the publishers and is granted the full set of books, the project would guarantee plenty of work—for both the artist and his models. The artist’s connection to this project goes a bit deeper; he is envious of Philip Vincent’s artistic success. As an artist who wishes to be recognized for his portraits (and not his bill-paying side-job of illustrator), he dreams of having the same good fortune of Philip Vincent; that is, of being eventually widely accepted as a great artist. Instead of being able to paint portraits, however, the artist’s financial situation has him illustrating instead.
Active
Themes
Major and Mrs. Monarch are concerned when the artist informs them that they would have to wear “special clothes,” or costumes, that he has all of his models use. They respond that, instead, they could bring their own clothing and be used for contemporary scenes, specifically with aristocratic characters. Again the artist hesitates, as he already has enough suitable models. Major Monarch, very awkwardly and with hesitation, asks if it wouldn’t be helpful for the artist to have as models “The real thing; a gentleman, you know, or a lady,” which the artist concedes. At this, Mrs. Monarch begins to cry and confesses that she has applied to countless positions, for posts from secretary to postman, but she is invariably turned away. The artist, embarrassed, does his best to comfort her and they begin to set up a day and time for the Monarchs to model for him.
They are interrupted by Miss Churm, who arrives in the studio looking splashed and dirty from the rain. Miss Churm is one of the artist’s favorite models. Although unattractive, uneducated, lower-class, and not particularly respectable, she is very clever in her ability to pose and has a knack for being able to “represent everything.” After the artist sends her to a separate room to get dressed as a Russian princess, the Monarchs reveal their incredulity and ask the artist if he thinks that Miss Churm looks like a princess. He responds that she does when he draws her, which comforts his wealthy guests. The become only more confident as they watch Miss Churm pose. The artist, however, is enchanted at how she successfully inspires the feeling of a Russian princess. After they leave, Miss Churm mocks their plan to model, even stressing that Mrs. Monarch’s lady-like manners will be detrimental.
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