Brideshead Revisited

1. Brideshead Revisited By Evelyn Waugh Katherine

2. Author Information • Born in London in 1903 • Brideshead Revisited was written in 1945 • Rossetti and Decline and Fall (1928) • Vile Bodies (1930) • Black Mischief (1932) • Scoop (1937) • Sword of Honor (1952-1961) • The Loved One (1948)- About Hollywood • The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold (1957)- Written about his hallucionations while drunk and on pills • April 10,1966 he collapsed and died in a toliet • Despite being married twice and having six children he was thought to be homosexual

3. Setting • Takes place in Oxford during the late 1920s • Brideshead and Marchmain house are two important locations in the book • Begins and Ends in the 1940s during WWII

4. Characters • Charles Ryder • Narrator • Main character • Catholic turned Agnostic turned Catholic • Becomes a commander in the army • Attends school at Oxford, but drops out early to become an artist • Paints architecture • Goes to Central America to find a new painting subject • Marries Celia Mulcastor • Has an affair with Julia Flyte • Good friends with Sebastian Flyte (may have had a gay relationship)

5. Characters • Sebastian Flyte • Eccentric, naïve, and charming in the beginning of the book • Depressed and a drunkard (but still charming) at the end of the book • Enjoys beauty and affluent things • Considers everything (including people) in terms of possessions • Childish • Carries around a Teddy Bear named Aloysius (named after Saint Aloysius, the patron of youth) • Takes care of Kurt later in the book

6. Characters • Julia Flyte • Sebastian's sister • A female version of Sebastian in looks and the way she talks • Beautiful • Cold to affection; keeps people at a distance • Not a typical woman; she has many male qualities • Marries Rex Mottram • On a boat back to England from America she and Charles begin an affair • Divorces Rex in order to marry Charles • Religion gets in the way of her engagement to Charles and they break up • Inherits Brideshead

7. Characters • Lady Marchmain • Brideshead, Sebastian, Julia, and Cordelia’s mother • Catholic • On first appearance seems nice, but then is found to be manipulative • Represents God and suffering to her children • Lord Marchmain • Lady Marchmain’s ex-husband • Now lives with Cara • Sebastian is the only one of his children who still visits • Returns to Brideshead to die • Leaves Brideshead to Julia because of her beauty • Accepts the Last Sacrament before he dies

8. Characters • Mr. Ryder • Charles’s father • A source of comedy in the book • Distant from his son and the rest of humanity • Drove both Charles’s Aunt and Cousin abroad • A hermit

9. Characters • Anthony Blanche • Colorful, hilarious, judgmental, and flamboyantly gay • Speaks with a self-taught stutter • A friend of Sebastian • Gives the first account of the Flytes and has disparaging things to say about them all • Calls Sebastian charming and insipid; compares his speech to bubbles • Tries to turn Charles against Sebastian and warns him of charm • Is the only one to notice the flaw in Charles’s paintings as "British charm playing tigers." Which Charles agrees is correct

10. Characters • The Earl of Brideshead • Doesn’t fit in either within the religious sect or outside of it • Marries an over-the-hill widow with children of her own • Has his own way of speaking and thinking that distances him from people • Has no people skills • CordeliaFlyte • The youngest Flyte • Wise beyond her years • Grows up quite plain • Works on as a nurse • Loves unconditionally particularly in regards to Sebastian

11. Characters • Rex Mottram • Julia’s husband • A politician • A non-person • Canadian • Celia Mulcastor • Charles’s wife • Has the dreaded English charm • Unfaithful; has an affair with Robin • Boy Mulcastor’s sister

12. Characters • Kurt • An unattractive German • Was in the Foreign Legion but got out buy shooting his big toe off • A drunkard and leech • Is taken care of by Sebastian and provides him with a purpose • Becomes a Nazi, but does not buy all the hype and tries to leave • Is sent to work in a concentration camp and hangs himself • Upon hearing this Sebastian leaves Europe and never returns

13. Characters • Nanny • One of Sebastian’s healthy relationships • Still lives at Brideshead even though the children are all grown up • A link to Sebastian’s childhood • Aloysius • Named after Saint Aloysius, the patron of youth • A snarky teddy bear • Sebastian constant companion at Oxford • Another link to Sebastian’s childhood

14. Literary Elements • Tone- nostalgic • Allusions and metaphors up the wazoo • A first-person narrative • ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;LOTS OF SEMI-COLONS;;;;;;;;;;;;

15. Plot summary • Charles and Sebastian meet at Oxford • Charles meets the Flytes • Charles and Sebastian drop out of Oxford and drift apart • Sebastian becomes an alcoholic • Julia’s marriage to Rex is on the rocks and Charles hates his wife • The affair between Charles and Julia begins. • Charles and Julia eventually break up • Lord Marchmaindies • Charles eventually becomes a Catholic • Charles joins the Army and returns to Brideshead Castle as a base in the war

16. Critique • I thought this was a wonderful book • The characters were interesting and well developed • The plot had enough twists and turns to keep you interested • I would recommend the book to a friend • The PBS series based on the book was good in a different way • It was faithful to the book • However, it emphasized the homosexual themes much more than the book • The actor who played Anthony Blanche was perfect and I laughed so hard every time he was on screen