The Last Puritan (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: George Santayana
- First Published: 1935
- Type of Work: Novel
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: Early twentieth century
- Setting: Connecticut, Massachusetts, and England
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: Family or family life, Suicide, Twentieth century, Marriage, Alienation, New England, College life, Conservatism, Duty, Illegitimacy, World War I, Soldiers
- Locales: Connecticut, Boston, MA, New England
Characters Discussed
Oliver Alden, a young man who despises human weakness. He is a puritan in spite of himself. He is not prudish or a prig; he simply and truly believes that one must do one’s duty, whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. He does not really believe in love, because it is illogical and unreasonable at times; for this reason, he is rejected by the two women to whom, out of a sense of duty, he proposes. At the end of his life, he provides in his will for all the people to whom he feels responsible, but he leaves the largest sum to his mother because he feels it...
[The entire page is 644 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
