Dividing by Zero: Mathematics, Irony and Dialectic in Carlyle's "Fraction of Life"‪.‬

Although Thomas Carlyle's correspondence often seems to dismount the effect of his mathematical training on his later literary career, (1) some of his most famous images in works such as Sartor Resartus rely heavily on mathematical ideas. Often, however, Carlyle's use of mathematical imagery has been overlooked in the scholarship, (2) and when addressed, his attitude toward mathematics in general and his own mathematical training in specific has inspired more quest ions than answers. As Carlisle Moore and Frank M. Turner have observed, Carlyle's position toward science in general, and mathematics in particular, is extremely problematic. Moore claims that Carlyle had "what might be called a love-hate interest in science" ("Torch" 4-5), while Turner points out that Carlyle--although he was opposed to many contemporary scientific theories--influenced many scientists and used scientific metaphors in an exact manner. One Carlylean passage in which the mathematical imagery is both particularly significant and complex is the famous "fraction of life" passage from Sartor Resartus. In this excerpt from "The Everlasting Yea," Teufelsdrockh, in discussing the "deserts" or "average terrestrial lot" that most people simply expect from life as their "wages," claims: