Children of Violence (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Doris Lessing
- First Published: 1952
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Bildungsroman
- Time of Work: The late 1930’s to 1968, with an appendix dated as late as 1997
- Setting: Africa and London
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism, Bildungsroman, Apocalyptic and catastrophe fiction, Utopian fiction
- Subjects: 1950’s, Maturation or coming of age, 1960’s, 1970’s, Family or family life, Self-discovery, Africa or Africans, Communism or communists, Politics, Colonialism, Love or romance, Sex or sexuality, Gender roles, Marriage, 1940’s, World War II, 1930’s, 1980’s, Mental illness, Women’s issues, London, Ethics, 1990’s, Consciousness, Jews and Gentiles, Utopias
- Locales: London, England, Scotland, Zambesia, Africa
Characters Discussed
Martha Quest, 1952
Martha Quest, the protagonist. Her name is symbolic: “Martha” echoes the biblical character of that name, known for service, and “Quest” represents her search for meaning. the book begins when she is fifteen years old, imagining a “four-gated city” that will be the utopia where all can live happily. She wishes to avoid standard female roles but winds up in a traditional marriage.
May Quest, Martha’s mother, who represents what Martha does not want to become: a nagging old woman who tries to live...
[The entire page is 1048 words long]
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