Mason & Dixon - Part 1 - Chapter 2: Humble Preludes
Analysis of Mason & Dixon, Part 1 - Chapter 2: Dixon's Letter to Mason, Mason's Response
Mason and Dixon’s portion of the story begins with introductions. Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon had never met before. The former worked as the Assistant to James Bradley, the Astronomer Royale1, from 1756-1760 in Greenwich — an area of South-East London. The latter, though we don’t know all that much about him, studied under the mathematician William Emerson in Durham at John Kipling’s Academy — County Durham being well in the North of England, and was both the place of his birth and where he still resided. They lived over 250 miles (~150 kilometers) apart. Both were recommended to travel to Sumatra, the largest island in Indonesia, in order to observe the 1761 Transit of Venus, an event that occurred at varying intervals2 in which the planet Venus would pass directly between the Earth and Sun. Despite Mason & Dixon being tasked with the Sumatran observation, a series of other observations would be occurring around the world at the same time in order to observe and calculate the differences based on ‘parallax,’— i.e. the minor differences of observation resulting from a varied location. These parallaxes would thus further enhance humanity’s understanding of planetary bodies, their location and distance from us, their orbital path around the sun, and so on.
This type of observation has clear implications for the themes going forward, though I will refrain from waxing on too much here about them since much of Part 1 will be in regard to the Transit and other chapters are better suited for that. However, keep in mind the difference between astronomical observations that instill a sense of wonder and those that heavily utilize mathematics in order to simply ‘use the stars and planets as a tool.’ Also, the idea of parallax — in that observations from different locations can produce different ‘stories’ and can be compiled together to get a fuller picture — also has large historical implications.
Dixon’s letter to Mason bears a sense of subservience, almost bowing at Mason’s feet. He states that in his own work, he has “recourse[d] much more often to the Needle, than to the Stars,” (12) meaning, while Mason is an expert in the what-many-would-consider the superior and more mystical Science of Astronomy, Dixon is a lowly surveyor and cartographer of the land, using the Needle (the compass) instead of the mysterious stars as his guiding marker. In other words, he was bound to mere earthly tools. Similarly, in this humbling manner, he presents his references to assure that Mason takes him seriously — Mr. William Emerson, the mathematician whom Dixon studied under, and Mr. John Bird, famous maker of telescopes. Both are well regarded in their field, so he hopes that they will suffice. Finally, he states that through this partnership, not only would they be able to successfully observe this Transit and contribute to the furtherance of science, but that Dixon himself would come out better from it, having learned and refined his technique from a master. This will in fact be the case, but it does not mean that Dixon will not have an equal impact, in a different way, on Mason, as well.
A narrative makes its way between the two letters, moving on into the future and showing Dixon’s mental turmoil in the composition of this letter. Clearly, he did find himself at least somewhat inferior, though as stated, when they finally met in person, “it [was] no longer necessary to pretend as much as they expected they’d have to” (12). Mason very well may have been the superior astronomer at first, but their meeting proved to be something that did not so much hold to the tradition of seniority or rank and instead proceeded on as a real and true respect and friendship. Mason himself admitted to feeling unworthy of receiving such a letter. While professionalism and politeness have made their way into the world as the necessary precursor to capitalist bureaucracy and power structures, these two men will overcome the need for such futilities and platitudes and instead will proceed as partners or coworkers should — as men or women or people who are being used by the system, as workers in the same situation, as friends.
Finally, Mason’s response to Dixon’s original letter provides a similar reassurance as the above narrative. Mason, despite being so highly regarded in his expertise, does not want to appear as such. He has “never taught anyone, upon any Subject, nor may [he] prove much skill’d at it” (13). What he does assure him of is that despite his own lack of certain qualifications, the two of them will have the very best gear available at the time so to make their partnership all the more successful. And the gear will certainly help, but the true thing that made their partnership as successful as it was, was them.
Short one this week and I hope you will forgive that there’s not a whole ton to analyze here from the typical implications I use but remember that a large part of this novel will be observing the friendship between the two and how a friendship as such can lead to revelations or potential change. So, it is important to see how their friendship breaks the tradition of pure professionalism and allows them to see past the system they are working for. Anyway —
Up Next: Part 1, Chapter 3
The Astronomer Royale would be the chosen astronomer “in charge of celestial observation” for the British Royalty, given that “naval navigation was essential for maintaining and extending military power and for forwarding commercial and trade interests” (Biebel, 15). This is a highly sought after post, and thus Mason serving under the Astronomer Royale of the time would make him one of the most highly qualified astronomers of the era (though, given the AR is also a heavily political position, Mason very well may have been ‘just as good’ but less desirable as a political entity).
Biebel, Brett. A Mason & Dixon Companion. The University of Georgia Press, 2024.
The transit occurs in the following intervals: after it occurs, it will return in 8 years, then 105.5 years, then 8 years, then 121.5 years, then 8 years, then 105.5 years, then 8 years, then 121.5 years, and so on. Every major cycle, it will advance by a few days since the trajectory of the cosmos obviously does not line up perfectly with Earth’s own solar cycle, similar to how our leap years don’t occur on a perfect 365-day cycle and thus need to be adjusted for every so often.
The Transit that they are going to be observing in 1761 is first that has been seen since 1639 (meaning this is occurring 121.5 years since the last, and the next will be occurring 8 years later in 1769, though that will be the last any living being will ever see since the following will not occur until 1874, 105.5 years later). This will be explained in slightly less detail, though more impressively written, in the novel, but I thought it would be important to understand going forward since the Transit of Venus is quite an important motif.