ABSTRACT
Applying the canons of the Cambridge School directly to the novel, Mayhead claims at least half of it for salvage: the real distinction of the first half stems from something quite different, something unique in Scott. To begin with, Mayhead is obviously right to point out that the interest in Scott's description of the Porteous riots depends more on the issues seen to be arising from the disturbances than on the actual description of events. The aesthetic beauty of the mob's organisation and its restraint in carrying out a sentence which has certainly been commuted for political reasons is countered by Butler's final, horrific glimpse back at Porteous, when he sees him being cruelly strung up and mutilated in the most bestial manner. Davie's inability to come to terms with the real world in this way – his total immersion in memories, ideals, and points of dogma which fill his head – bequeaches to Jeanie crucial moral responsibility for action.
