Jill (Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Philip Larkin
- First Published: 1946
- Type of Work: Bildungsroman
- Time of Work: 1940
- Setting: Oxford
- Principal Characters: John Kemp, Christopher Warner, Elizabeth Dowling, Gillian (Jill)
- Genres: Long fiction, Bildungsroman
- Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, Self-discovery, Education or educators, 1940’s, Class consciousness, College life, England or English people, Working class, Ethics, Colleges or universities
- Locales: Oxford, England
The Novel
Jill is a novel of education, the familiar tale of a young man’s entrance into the world. The main character, John Kemp, is young, inexperienced, and working-class, the exact opposite of the stereotypical Oxford student. The novel begins with John setting out for the uncertain world of Oxford in the war year of 1940. He immediately displays his immaturity when he throws away his sandwiches because he does not wish the others on the train to see him eating; soon afterward, he sees the others break out their lunches, so he is forced to suffer hunger as well as...
[The entire page is 1938 words long]
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