The Good Soldier: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Good Soldier" is a novel by Ford Madox Ford that intricately explores the lives and relationships of its central characters, revealing themes of deception, morality, and the complexities of love. At the heart of the story is John Dowell, an American man who, despite his wealth and education, remains oblivious to the emotional and moral turmoil surrounding him, particularly the infidelities of his wife, Florence, and their close friends, the Ashburnhams. Edward Ashburnham, the titular "good soldier," presents himself as a model gentleman but struggles with his personal vices, leading to catastrophic consequences for those he loves, including his tragic affair with his ward, Nancy Rufford.
Leonora Ashburnham, Edward's steadfast wife, embodies a strong yet controlling presence, ultimately holding significant responsibility for the tragic outcomes of their lives due to her knowledge of their hidden affairs and her high expectations of Edward. Florence Dowell, on the other hand, marries John for security while concealing her past, engaging in a long-term affair with Edward, which culminates in her tragic end. Lastly, Nancy Rufford, portrayed as innocent and vulnerable, becomes a victim of the adults' misdeeds and suffers deeply from her infatuation with Edward, leading to her own psychological unraveling. The novel paints a poignant picture of how appearances can be deceiving and the far-reaching effects of emotional entanglements.
The Good Soldier: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Ford Madox Ford
First published: 1915
Genre: Novel
Locale: England, Germany, and the United States
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: The 1890's through 1913
John Dowell, an independently wealthy American who has spent most of his adult life in Europe taking his weak wife from spa to spa. Dowell is so intellectually confused and morally obtuse that for nine years he has been unaware of the duplicity of his closest friends, the Ashburnhams, and his wife. Without passion himself, he fails to realize its power in the lives of others. Dowell assumes surface manners to be the defining characteristics of people; whenever anybody behaves erratically, Dowell is mystified. Not until after the deaths of his wife and Leonora's husband, when Leonora Ashburnham tells him of their adulteries and the accompanying deceits, does Dowell have any inkling of the truths of their relationships.
Edward Ashburnham, the good soldier of the title, an English gentleman who inherited large estates. On the surface, Ashburnham is the model of the English officer and administrator, meticulous in his manners and kind to his tenants. He is, however, unable to control either his financial or his sexual affairs. In public, he and his wife behave so well together that they appear to have a perfect marriage; in private, they rarely speak to each other. Although initiated with the best of intentions, his sexual affairs have drastic consequences for the women involved. This series of failures of the code of the gentleman culminates in his passion for his ward, Nancy Rufford, and his subsequent suicide.
Leonora Ashburnham, the good wife of Edward. Catholic and with a strong will, Leonora does not leave her husband even though they have no conjugal relations and no children. She assumes control of their finances and, to a large extent, their lives. They save money by living in India and on the continent. She is responsible for the subterfuge of Edward's weak heart, and she contributes to his suicide by maintaining her high expectations of him. Because she is the only person in the story who knows what is going on most of the time, perhaps she is most responsible for the tragic results.
Florence Dowell, Dowell's self-indulgent wife. She marries him for his money and his willingness to live in Europe, where nobody will tell him of her past. To prevent his knowing that she is sexually experienced, she fakes a weak heart as an excuse for not having marital relations with him on the ship to Europe. She has a nine-year affair with Ashburnham and kills herself when she discovers that he is falling in love with Nancy Rufford.
Nancy Rufford, an adolescent girl who has been left in the charge of Ashburnham by her father in India. She is a lovely, vulnerable young woman. Even Dowell fancies that he loves her and that, at Florence's death, he is now free to marry her. She learns of Ashburnham's suicide while she is on the ship returning to India, where Ashburnham is sending her in self-defense. Hopelessly infatuated with Ashburnham, she loses her mind. Thus, she becomes another helpless female for Dowell to nurse.