The Judas Tree

The Judas Tree is a 1961 novel by A. J. Cronin. It begins with the story of David Moray, his early career as an ambitious young doctor away on business. He has promised to return to marry a woman he loves, Mary Douglas. Early on in the story he is introduced to successful people and is invited to accompany a prominent family on their ship as their personal physician. In doing so he breaks his promise to Mary and goes in another direction. Instead he briefly marries and divorces Doris, the daughter of the wealthy family he has befriended, whom he indicates was unsound mentally.

Later in David's life he is a wealthy, retired Scottish doctor living in Switzerland, who is haunted by the memory of Mary. Attempting to go back to an earlier time, and too late, he returns home to seek her out and make amends. He learns that she has died.

Instead, he encounters her young, penniless daughter, Kathy, and indulges in a friendship which evolves into more. Logically doubtful and not believing he can have a life with Kathy, David marries Frida, a countess, whom he does not love. Not reading a letter Kathy sent, he is unaware Kathy believes they are soon to reunite. Awaiting their departure for a honeymoon cruise his ruminations are interrupted by a brief thought of the unopened letter. He then overhears his butler speaking to Kathy downstairs, who has just made a difficult journey to reach him. Overwhelmed that he could have been with her on his own terms at this location and not the mission, he is at a loss for words - David cannot explain that he has just married someone.

Frida asks to speak to Kathy alone, explaining that David found her by seeking her mother whom he failed to return for, and that David would never have returned to help her in her mission as a doctor. He needed a woman who would be strong enough to master him. Underestimating the reaction, Kathy, runs out into the night to her accidental death.

Kathy was betrayed more by David's cynicism, doubt and lack of courage than by the ambition that detoured him years earlier, although that is still evidently present in his choosing a countess for social advantages.

In the end, distraught in his loss, David looks outward toward the garden. Dramatically he has not only failed his first love, but her daughter resulting in her death. It is not so much ironic as it is illustrative of the span of time in which he has made similar choices with consequences. David looks out toward the garden and a Judas tree comes into focus - an unhappy ending is clear.

Previously in the book, a Judas tree was referred to as "The Tree of Lost Souls". Some might assume David has realized at the end that he is a lost soul after having caused such sadness due to his lack of morality. Others might infer the character is moral and has clearly a suffering conscience, and upon looking back, merely took small steps in the wrong direction, to which the writer has dramatically illustrated.

Film versions

The 1975 Hindi film, Mausam, directed by Gulzar and starring Sharmila Tagore and Sanjeev Kumar, is loosely based on Cronin's novel.

External links

• Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database

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