Brideshead Revisited

by Evelyn Waugh

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Places Discussed

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Brideshead Manor

Brideshead Manor. Imposing English country estate of the Marchmain family where troops are to be quartered in the early days of World War II and the location where this frame novel opens. The bulk of the novel comprises flashback memories of the house and its family of Charles Ryder, an army captain when the novel begins. Earlier, while a student at Oxford University, he befriends Sebastian Flyte, the younger son of Brideshead’s Lord Marchmain. From Charles’s first visit to Brideshead as a young man he senses the place’s importance to the Marchmains as he is drawn into their family circle. In addition to the home’s strong family associations, Charles comes to realize that it and its art nouveau chapel are emblematic of the strong Roman Catholic faith that guides the family even when their behavior is anything but exemplary.

*Oxford University

*Oxford University. Historic English university that is novel’s second great anchor. There Charles meets Sebastian and most of the friends he retains through the rest of his life. The heady charm of Oxford’s dreaming spires and intense friendships of youth influence Charles more than the university’s intellectual opportunities. The unimaginably wealthy and charming Sebastian introduces Charles to a new world of art and pleasure. Although Charles leaves Oxford without taking a degree and becomes a successful artist, Oxford continues to inspire him and remain a touchstone of his youth.

Ryder family home

Ryder family home. Charles’s childhood home and his life there with his widower father serve as a counterpoint to the glamour of Brideshead and Oxford. After blowing his allowance too quickly at Oxford, Charles returns to a dull life with his father. Eventually it becomes clear his father’s bemused detachment is the model for his son’s inability to attach to his own wife and children, as the glamour of the Marchmains becomes his only reality.

*Venice

*Venice. Italian city in which Lord Marchmain has lived with his mistress, Cara, for years. After Charles escapes the tedium of his family home, he and Sebastian decamp to Venice, where he finds that Sebastian’s father and mistress are a sedate middle-aged couple who are received in the best homes. The wise Cara is a counterpoint to the manipulative and devoutly religious Lady Marchmain at Brideshead. Charles’s Venice sojourn, like his earlier experiences at Oxford and Brideshead, are important learning experiences. Moreover, the lush beauty of all three places helps form Charles’s sensibilities as an artist.

*London

*London. Capital of Great Britain and cultural and commercial center of the British Empire. Charles spends much of his adult life in London, where his Oxford contacts help advance his artistic career. Evelyn Waugh depicts London and Charles’s friends there as stagnant and without the allure of Brideshead, Oxford, Venice, and exotic places on which Charles bases his art. The chief characters of Brideshead Revisited do not thrive in London.

Ocean liner

Ocean liner. Ship on which Charles and Sebastian’s sister Julia are reunited during a transatlantic voyage. At sea, attached to no firm ground, Charles begins an affair with Julia while his seasick wife is confined to her cabin.

*North Africa

*North Africa. After Sebastian becomes a confirmed alcoholic, he roams around North Africa, supported by family funds. He gains a sense of purpose caring for a German boy fleeing conscription by the Nazis but continues to drink. He finally turns up on the doorstep of a monastery in Tunis. Although he appears to be at the point of death, the monks nurse him back to life. He joins the remote monastery as a lay brother. The monks tolerate his alcoholism...

(This entire section contains 652 words.)

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and come to believe him a holy man. Sebastian’s final fate and home in Tunis force Charles to ponder anew the connections between charm, religious faith, and a love of beautiful places in the Marchmain family.

Historical Context

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The Pre-War Years and World War II
The book's events unfold between 1922 and the outbreak of World War II. Charles Ryder's generation at Oxford was too young to participate in the First World War but well into their thirties by the advent of the Second World War. Throughout Brideshead Revisited, Waugh hints that unrest is brewing beyond the confines of the stately homes and colleges where much of the novel's action occurs. Europe, during the interwar period, experienced both significant prosperity and severe poverty, alongside social innovations and political chaos.

As an adult, Cordelia becomes a nurse during the Spanish Civil War, which spanned from 1936 to 1939. This conflict was between the Nationalists, supported by the Italian and German governments, and the Loyalists, backed by thousands of volunteers from various countries. The war resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, and a fascist regime took control of Spain. Observing the reluctance of other European governments to intervene, the Nazis in Germany inferred that Europe might not oppose their ambitions for global domination.

Germany faced immense losses during the First World War and was left in political and economic turmoil afterward. By the early 1930s, under Adolf Hitler's leadership, Germany's military and economic strength began to recover. By the mid-1930s, the Nazi Party had solidified its control. In the late 1930s, Germany started making territorial claims in Europe. Eager to avoid another global conflict, European leaders, including those of England, conceded to Germany's demands. British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Pact, hoping Germany would honor its promise that the Sudetenland, part of Czechoslovakia, would be its final territorial claim. This attempt at appeasement failed, and Germany continued its invasions. In September 1939, Germany invaded Poland, prompting Great Britain and France to declare war on Germany. The conflict soon spread worldwide, involving nations such as the United States, Russia, Japan, and Italy. By the war's end in 1945, a year after Waugh completed Brideshead Revisited, the United Kingdom had suffered over nine hundred thousand military and civilian casualties.

Economic Depression
Following World War I, England experienced significant economic decline, yet the upper classes continued their extravagant lifestyles. The Flytes are depicted as an extremely wealthy family, though by the late 1920s, Rex mentions that they are encountering some financial difficulties.

By the mid-1920s, England's coal, steel, cotton, and shipping industries were facing severe financial difficulties. In 1925, coal miners began staging strikes to demand better working conditions. The following year, England experienced the General Strike, involving around six million union workers. This event prompted Charles and several fellow English art students to return from Paris to see how they could assist. However, the strike lasted only six days. Despite this, the economic woes persisted, culminating in the stock market crash of 1929. The crash and the ensuing Great Depression had worldwide repercussions, contributing to the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany.

Literature
From World War I to 1944, when Waugh completed Brideshead Revisited, English and American literature was highly diverse. Writers explored various forms and styles and tackled topics once deemed taboo, such as sex; D. H. Lawrence's novel, Lady Chatterley's Lover, is a notable example. The horrors of World War I and the Great Depression led writers to envision a world where traditional rules had failed, and many longstanding religious, political, and social institutions no longer held their former authority. American authors like Ernest Hemingway and John Steinbeck captured this sense of disillusionment. In 1932, British writer Aldous Huxley published Brave New World, a futuristic novel expressing deep mistrust of totalitarian regimes and societal conformity.

In Brideshead Revisited, Anthony Blanche, an Oxford student, recites a passage from T. S. Eliot's poem, "The Waste Land." Published in 1922, this work focused on the loss of faith and the collapse of previously understood civilization. It resonated deeply with the post-World War I generation, who had witnessed the depths to which human nature could sink. The poem challenges the idea of civilization's progress. So significant was this work that college students everywhere, like Anthony Blanche, memorized its lines.

Literary Style

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Point of ViewBrideshead Revisited is entirely narrated from the first-person perspective, specifically through the eyes of Charles Ryder. Charles is the sole storyteller, so readers must determine whether he is a reliable or unreliable narrator. Are his perceptions of the events and characters credible?

Generally, Charles is a dependable narrator. He does not overtly exaggerate or provide implausible information. However, with only one person recounting the story, their background and experiences inevitably influence the narrative. In Charles' case, his childhood was somber, with little joy. His mother passed away when he was young, and his father showed him minimal attention. This lack of family presence may have facilitated his deep involvement with the Flyte family, potentially blinding him to some of their flaws. Several times, other characters mention the less-than-ideal traits of the Flytes, including Sebastian, which either perplexes or disturbs Charles.

Charles recounts his relationship with the Flytes and Sebastian with the advantage of hindsight. He has had fifteen to twenty years to reassess events. The story is framed by the present, featuring a Prologue and an Epilogue, but primarily unfolds in the past.

Satire
Waugh is renowned for his satirical novels, which mock social customs and the people who adhere to them. While Brideshead Revisited is not a true satirical work and signifies a shift in Waugh's writing style, he does not completely abandon this favored technique. Satire is present in the book, especially concerning religion. Portrayals of priests are not always flattering. For instance, the priest who visits Brideshead during Charles and Sebastian's summer vacation fails to grasp that the two friends know nothing about cricket, despite their repeated explanations. Additionally, Rex Mottram's ambition to become a significant political figure is subtly mocked, and he is made to appear foolish when taking classes to convert to Catholicism. When discussing Catholic doctrine, such as the appropriate way to administer the final rites to Lord Marchmain, the Flyte family displays a range of confused and differing opinions.

Romance
Romantic settings and events are abundant in Brideshead Revisited. Romantic technique in fiction involves using elaborate language or depicting characters and events in an idealized manner. Waugh employs what critic James F. Carens describes as "purple" language and creates almost fantastical images of several characters.

Charles's two most significant relationships, with Sebastian and his sister Julia, unfold in idyllic countryside settings. Early in their relationship, Charles and Sebastian enjoy a picnic, and they spend a summer at Brideshead described as "near heaven." Charles and Julia also move to Brideshead to continue their romantic affair in the pastoral setting. In book two, chapter three, one evening at Brideshead is recalled as "tranquil, lime-scented," with Julia depicted "in a tight little gold tunic and a white gown, one hand in the water, idly turning an emerald ring to catch the fire of the sunset." Waugh's language here evokes a dreamlike quality.

Setting in Time
The novel's central events occur in England between World War I and World War II. Although global events scarcely affect the plot, Waugh includes numerous subtle hints in the narrative to inform the reader about the broader context outside the characters' immediate environment.

The Prologue and Epilogue are set in a wartime encampment in the English countryside. When women attend an event at Oxford early in the novel, Charles's servant notes that such an occurrence would have been unheard of before World War I. Various clues suggest that war with Germany and Italy is imminent. When Rex returns to Brideshead with his political associates, their conversation is filled with references to encountering fake tanks in the Black Forest and mentions of leaders like Franco and Chamberlain. One of the reasons Lord Marchmain cites for returning to England is the "international situation."

Simile
Enhancing the richly descriptive language in Brideshead Revisited, Waugh occasionally employs similes, comparing two seemingly dissimilar things. For instance, in book one, chapter five, Charles likens Sebastian to "a Polynesian," content when left alone but feeling threatened when "the big ship dropped anchor beyond the coral reef." In book two, chapter one, Charles observes that bats in a cave "hung in the dome like dry seedpods." These images contribute to the novel's nostalgic and lush tone.

Literary Techniques

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Brideshead Revisited skillfully employs the techniques of close observation and parodic brilliance that are so notable in Decline and Fall. However, it also introduces a new stylistic element to Waugh's literary repertoire. The rich, elegiac passages where Charles Ryder reminisces about his time at Oxford and his romance with Julia Flyte often teeter on the edge of sentimentalism. Readers find themselves eagerly awaiting Waugh's return to his earlier, more concise style. These romantic sections also exhibit an overuse of metaphor, frequently resorting to clichéd expressions, which is uncharacteristic of Waugh's prior works.

Given that sentimentality and metaphorical excess are also absent from Waugh's post-Brideshead Revisited writings, one might speculate that he experimented with these elements to explore more serious themes and foster a deeper emotional connection between the main characters. Waugh viewed Brideshead Revisited as a significant departure from his previous works and perhaps believed that a more traditionally weighty style would convey this shift to his readers. Despite many of his friends’ negative comments on this unexpected romanticism, Waugh defended it as essential to his artistic intentions. However, his abandonment of this style in later works suggests that he too recognized its unsuitability for a literary approach that thrives on sharpness and clarity rather than decorative prose.

Social Concerns

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Brideshead Revisited in many ways continues the cynical depiction of English society that Waugh masterfully showcased in Decline and Fall. The estate of Brideshead, a magnificent property belonging to an ancient and noble family, stands as a symbol of grandeur in the early 1920s. This splendor starkly contrasts with the decline of both the family and their home over the following two decades. However, in the seventeen years between writing the two novels, Waugh's perspective on the aristocracy's misfortunes had shifted: while Decline and Fall uses these misfortunes as fodder for satirical comedy, Brideshead Revisited portrays them as a poignant tragedy marking the end of a glorious chapter in English history.

Counterbalancing this romanticized view of the upper class, Waugh delivers harsh critiques of both the nouveau riche and the rising middle class. Two characters embody Waugh's elitist social perspective: Rex Mottram, a colonial entrepreneur whose brash and energetic vulgarity has thrust him into the political arena, and a young officer known only as "Mr. Hooper," who symbolizes the ignorance and incompetence of a bourgeoisie unprepared for the responsibilities they are attempting to assume. Although some of Waugh's criticisms are humorously articulated, he more frequently adopts a ruthlessly scathing tone towards these symbols of the sweeping societal changes in England. Nonetheless, there remains one force that offers hope against this detrimental leveling of values: the potential salvation through religion, which emerges as the central theme of Brideshead Revisited.

Compare and Contrast

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  • 1920s and 1930s: African-American singer and dancer Josephine Baker becomes a sensation in Paris with her daring nightclub performance, featuring an outfit made mostly of feathers. When Anthony and Charles visit a jazz club in London, Charles hints at having frequented similar clubs in Paris, where such entertainment is more widely accepted than in London.

    Today: African American Queen Latifah is one of the world's most renowned performers. She has starred in a television series, hosted her own talk show, appeared in commercials, and produced top-selling albums.

  • 1920s and 1930s: Art Deco emerges as the dominant artistic style. The name originates from a 1925 exhibition of decorative and industrial arts in Paris. Art Deco features straight lines and symmetry, utilizing manufactured materials rather than natural ones. Charles's art remains untouched by this modern style, as he prefers more traditional subjects and techniques.

    Today: Art Deco is now considered a "retro" style but remains highly appreciated and collected. Hundreds of websites dedicated to preserving and studying Art Deco buildings and objects exist worldwide, from New Zealand to Washington, D.C., to Miami.

  • 1920s and 1930s: The era between World War I and World War II sees both prosperity and economic crisis globally. European countries are rebuilding after the First World War. Following the 1929 stock market crash, much of the industrialized world experiences unprecedented unemployment and inflation. Wealthy families like the Flytes are somewhat shielded from this devastation by their inherited land and wealth.

    Today: Most of the industrialized world has experienced at least four years of exceptional economic prosperity. The wealthiest individuals are often those who founded innovative companies in the high-technology sector, which is driving global economies.

Literary Precedents

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The scope of Brideshead Revisited's depiction of a family in decline and an individual's quest for spiritual conviction mirrors Waugh's enduring fascination with Thackeray. Thackeray's novel, The History of Henry Esmond (1852), similarly presents a wide array of incidents and characters. Though both Thackeray and Waugh have been criticized for perceived snobbery, leading some to label them as elitist, it might be more accurate to say that they are aware of the upper classes' flaws while also being irresistibly drawn to them as subjects.

More broadly, Brideshead Revisited's focus on Catholic themes owes a debt to the works of Graham Greene. Greene's novels, such as Brighton Rock (1938) and The Power and the Glory (1940), had already demonstrated that such topics could be the foundation of serious literature.

Adaptations

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Brideshead Revisited was transformed into an eleven-episode television series by Granada Television in the UK in 1982. John Mortimer handled the adaptation, with Jeremy Irons starring as Charles Ryder, Diana Quick as Julia Flyte, and Anthony Andrews as her brother Sebastian. The series boasted a strong supporting cast, including Claire Bloom, John Gielgud, and Laurence Olivier. Premiering in the United States in January 1982, the series was highly praised by both audiences and critics, leading to a repeat broadcast later that year.

Media Adaptations

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  • Brideshead Revisited was transformed into a television miniseries in 1982, featuring Anthony Andrews, Jeremy Irons, Diana Quick, and Laurence Olivier, and produced by Granada Television. A six-volume VHS tape collection of the series is available through Anchor Bay Entertainment.
  • Harper Audio has created a cassette version of Brideshead Revisited, while Chivers Audio Books has produced a compact disc recording of the unabridged novel. Both editions, narrated by Jeremy Irons, were released in 2000.
  • In 1994, Roger Parsley adapted the novel into a stage play titled Brideshead Revisited: A Play.

Bibliography and Further Reading

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Sources
Burdett, Paul S., Jr. "Author Evelyn Waugh Served Honorably in the British Army as an SAS Commando." In World War II, Vol. 14, No. 1, May 1999, p. 16.

Carens, James F. The Satiric Art of Evelyn Waugh. University of Washington Press, 1966, pp. 98-110.

Fussell, Paul. "The Genesis of a Snob." In New Republic, Vol. 187, No. 3542, December 6, 1982, pp. 38-39.

Hutchens, John K. "Evelyn Waugh's Finest Novel." In New York Times, December 30, 1945.

Kermode, Frank. "Mr. Waugh's Cities." In Encounter, Vol. 15, No. 5, November 1960, pp. 63-66, 68-70.

Lynch, Richard P. "Evelyn Waugh's Early Novels: the Limits of Fiction." In Papers on Language and Literature, Vol. 30, No. 4, Fall 1994, pp. 373-86.

Ulanov, Barry. "The Ordeal of Evelyn Waugh." In The Vision Obscured: Perceptions of Some Twentieth-Century Catholic Novelists, edited by Melvin J. Friedman. Fordham University Press, 1970, pp. 79-93.

Further Reading
Allitt, Patrick. Catholic Converts. Cornell University Press, 2000. Waugh is part of a notable group of British and American intellectuals who converted to Catholicism during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This book, published recently, examines the influence these converts had on the Catholic Church.

Cannadine, David. The Decline and Fall of the British Aristocracy. Vintage Books, 1999. This book documents the British aristocracy's peak in the 1870s through its decline by the 1930s, highlighting the loss of a generation of sons in World War I and a significant portion of their wealth.

Stannard, Martin, ed. Evelyn Waugh. Routledge, 1997. This biography is a comprehensive account of Waugh's life from the 1920s until his death.

Wykes, David. Evelyn Waugh: A Literary Life. St. Martin's Press, 1999. Wykes's book delves into how Waugh's personal experiences influenced his writing, focusing more on literary criticism than biographical details.

Bibliography

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Sources for Further Study

Cook, William J., Jr. Masks, Modes, and Morals: The Art of Evelyn Waugh. Rutherford, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1971. A valuable source because Cook analyzes the point of view employed in each of the novels. It is a commonplace observation that Waugh’s style changed in mid-career (just before publication of Brideshead Revisited); Cook argues that the altered point of view accounts for the stylistic change.

Davis, Robert Murray. Brideshead Revisited: The Past Redeemed. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1990. Summarizes the novel’s historical context, importance, and critical reactions, analyzing Waugh’s style and narrative technique. Includes chronology of Waugh’s life, bibliographical references, index.

Davis, Robert Murray. “Imagined Space in Brideshead Revisited.” In Evelyn Waugh: New Directions, edited by Alain Blayac. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1992. This essay confronts the problem of a sometimes unlikable narrator who is at the center of the entire novel.

Ker, Ian. “Evelyn Waugh: The Priest as Craftsman.” The Catholic Revival in English Literature, 1845-1961. Notre Dame, Ind.: University of Notre Dame Press, 2003. Discusses Waugh’s practical understanding of Catholic life, including the portrayal of Catholicism as a lived faith in Brideshead Revisited. Includes index.

Lygon, Lady Dorothy. “Madresfield and Brideshead.” In Evelyn Waugh and His World, edited by David Pryce-Jones. Boston: Little, Brown, 1973. An essay by one of Waugh’s intimate friends. Discusses the country house that was the model for the fictional Brideshead.

McCartney, George. Confused Roaring: Evelyn Waugh and the Modernist Tradition. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1987. Explores Waugh’s place among authors of the modernist tradition, discussing metaphysical, aesthetic, epistemological, and other themes in Waugh’s collected works. Includes bibliographical references, index.

Patey, Douglas Lane. “Brideshead Revisited.” In The Life of Evelyn Waugh: A Critical Biography. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell, 1998. A concise study that addresses the novel’s autobiographical aspect as well as its Catholic and aesthetic themes. Includes bibliographical references, index.

Quennell, Peter. “A Kingdom of Cokayne.” In Evelyn Waugh and His World, edited by David Pryce-Jones. Boston: Little, Brown, 1973. A reminiscence of the Waugh whom the author knew at Oxford. Provides excellent background information for the Oxford segment of Brideshead Revisited.

Wilson, Edmund. “Splendors and Miseries of Evelyn Waugh.” In Critical Essays on Evelyn Waugh, edited by James F. Carens. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1987. After having praised the young Evelyn Waugh as a comic genius, Wilson in this essay reflects his disappointment with Brideshead Revisited.

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