The Characters
The only complete character in Islands in the Stream is Thomas Hudson—although readers never learn very much about him either. All the other characters are either reflections of Hudson (his sons, Roger Davis) or antagonists (women and some of his crew, such as Willie). Hudson stands in the direct line of Hemingway heroes, from Jake Barnes in The Sun Also Rises (1926) through Frederic Henry in A Farewell to Arms (1929) to Robert Jordan in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940). All of these characters have lost something crucial and stand in imminent danger of losing much more. There is a tension in all of them, both because the surface of life may explode at any moment (as it does in the end for Thomas Hudson) and because the characters themselves are often in the process of repressing thoughts and feelings (as Thomas Hudson does throughout the last two parts).
In part 1, Hudson has built a secure life through work: “He knew he must keep working now or he would lose the security he had built for himself with work.” In parts 2 and 3, he holds to the concept of “duty” to keep himself intact: “Duty is a wonderful thing. I do not know what I would have done without duty since young Tom died.” Yet there is always the danger that he may come apart or give in to drink. By the end of part 3, Hudson can barely cover up “all the hollownesses in him.”
Thomas Hudson resembles Hemingway even more than the author’s earlier heroes did, and it is easy to understand why the book was unfinished at his death: It is too close to Hemingway’s own experiences—and to his fears and fantasies. (When George C. Scott played Hudson in the film version of the novel, he resembled the grizzled, older Hemingway.) Readers who know the details of Hemingway’s life will find many parallels in the novel: the children from previous marriages, the early artistic life in Paris (Hudson and young Tom reminisce about Pablo Picasso, Ezra Pound, and others they knew in the 1920’s), the fishing off Florida, the finca in Cuba, and the search for German submarines (although Hemingway, in the refitted “Pilar,” never actually encountered one). Unfortunately, these materials of Hemingway’s own life have not been sufficiently transformed into the stuff of fiction, and much of the novel reads as barely disguised autobiography and/or as romantic melodrama.
Other characters are nominal. Roger Davis seems Hudson’s alter ego, a writer who has been “misusing his talent” and has sold out to Hollywood, and who may not be able “to write straight and simple and good now.” Hudson’s sons are rich and precocious and talk like characters out of the short stories of J. D. Salinger. “ You’re damn right I was a friend of Mr. Joyce,’ young Tom said. He was one of the best friends I ever had.’” The characterization of women is best summed up by “Tom’s mother,” who has no other name, and “beat-up Honest Lil,” the Havana whore-with-the-heart-of-gold.
Characters Discussed
Thomas Hudson
Thomas Hudson, a successful American painter living in Bimini, a big man, well proportioned and tanned, with hair faded and streaked by the sun. He is twice divorced and still in love with his first wife. Generally a casual person, Hudson is intense and private in his love for his sons, yet he allows them space to be themselves and to grow. Some might see him as a permissive parent, allowing this as the normal behavior of a divorced parent who sees his children sporadically throughout...
(This entire section contains 935 words.)
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a year, but Hudson appears to grant these same measures to all whom he encounters. His is a quiet strength, almost passive; he lives by remembering rather than by pursuing. Long ago, he ceased to worry about things in general, replacing guilt with work. In fact, his work has replaced almost everything but his three sons. Although he cares little for success, he has been successful in almost every way except marriage. Women are welcomed in his life, but he is always glad to see them go, and most important, he has learned how not to get married. He is resolved to be selfish only for his painting and ruthless only for his work; once sorely lacking discipline, he now enjoys life within the limits of a self-imposed discipline and hard work.
Tom
Tom, the only child of Hudson’s first marriage. He has attended an expensive school and has good, “expensive” manners; he is free and easy, quiet and polite. Long and dark, he has his father’s neck and shoulders, as well as long swimmer’s legs and big feet. His is a rather Indian face that looks almost tragic when in deep thought or simple repose yet light and full of life at other times. He remembers when he and his parents lived in Paris and often recounts certain episodes to his brothers, who urge him to do so. He is thoughtful, serious, and dutiful; he lives long enough to die in action during World War II.
Tom’s mother
Tom’s mother, a beautiful woman, a film actress, and the first and only woman that Hudson admits to having “really” loved. He still loves her and she him. She visits him in Cuba during the war.
David
David, the middle son, the older child of Hudson’s second marriage. His hair has both the color and the texture of an otter’s fur, and he is tanned to a dark gold. Not the athletic type, he has a solid but slight build. To his father, David resembles “the sort of animal that has a sound and humorous life by itself.” He is smart and affectionate, has a good sense of justice, and is generally good company. A “Cartesian doubter,” David is a zealous arguer. He takes teasing well but sometimes teases roughly, yet he is not mean. Like his brothers, he is well mannered and respectful with adults.
Andrew (Andy)
Andrew (Andy), the youngest of Hudson’s sons, also born in the second marriage; he is fair and “built like a pocket battleship.” Of the three, he is the one most like his father, physically a copy of Hudson, reduced in scale and widened and shortened. Although he is a quiet child, he has a dark side and is “mean” by certain standards. Andy is a precocious child and an excellent, determined athlete with a cold, mature professionalism. His “wickedness” transmuted into a teasing gaiety, Andy displays a sense of a badness growing inside him. Hudson knows, understands, and respects this dark side of his youngest son.
Roger Davis
Roger Davis, a writer, Hudson’s friend, also living on the island. He is casual and solid in appearance. Though prone to bouts of depression, Roger is not opposed to the “pleasure” of a good fight. Hudson determines that Roger “runs with a pretty seedy lot.” Roger’s poor luck with women rivals Hudson’s. He enjoys the three boys, and they him. With advice and moral support from Hudson, Roger embarks on a renaissance in his writing career.
Honest Lil
Honest Lil, a Havana prostitute, an aging, fading beauty. Her dark face is still lovely; she has a beautiful smile and wonderful dark eyes, but a gross fatness has overtaken her body and her lovely dark hair is maintained with dye purchased with money from Hudson. She has been around a while, and all the men have been in love with her at one time or another. She urges Hudson to tell happy stories while they sit and reminisce. As he relates episodes about Paris when Tom was an infant and about an event in Hong Kong, she comments and complains about unhappiness and lack of love. Her observations and questions are insightful and sensitive and allow a view of Hudson that considers and, to some extent, evaluates his past. Hudson is talking to her when his first former wife enters the bar in Havana.
Henry Wood
Henry Wood, one of the crew on Hudson’s boat, a big, handsome man with good manners. Henry is as delicate on the boat as he is rough with a machine gun.
Willie
Willie, another of the crew on Hudson’s boat, a dark boy with short, clipped, curly black hair and an artificial left eye with a slightly droopy lid. He is mature and sensitive. On land, he watches after Henry; on the boat, Hudson. Dependable, strong, and constant, Willie takes command when Hudson is wounded but reports to him in such a way as to seem always under the direction of the dying man.
