The Widower’s Son (Masterplots II: British and Commonwealth Fiction Series)
At a glance:
- Author: Alan Sillitoe
- First Published: 1976
- Type of Work: Psychological realism/social criticism
- Time of Work: From the early twentieth century to the 1960’s
- Setting: Ashfield (near Nottingham), Europe, and Southern England
- Principal Characters: William Scorton, Charlie Scorton, Georgina Woods, Brigadier “Jacko” Woods, Harold Oxton
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction, Social realism
- Subjects: Self-discovery, Class conflict, Twentieth century, Europe or Europeans, World War II, Domestic violence, England or English people, World War I, Military life or service, Soldiers, Armed forces
- Locales: Europe, England, Ashfield, England
The Novel
The Widower’s Son is a three-part novel which spans the lifetime of two professional soldiers. Charlie Scorton, the widower of the title, serves for twenty-four years in the Royal Artillery, rises to the rank of sergeant, and is on active service during World War I. His son, William Scorton, serves in World War II and achieves the rank of colonel.
Part 1 starts with a tightly written account of Charlie’s career. Born in Ashfield, a small industrial town near Nottingham, he follows in his father’s footsteps as a miner but enlists in the army when...
[The entire page is 2132 words long]
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