News from Nowhere: Analysis of Major Characters
"News from Nowhere" is a novel by William Morris that explores a utopian vision through its major characters, primarily the narrator, Guest, who serves as a reflection of the author's own thoughts and ideals. Guest embarks on a journey, discontented with the grim realities of late nineteenth-century London, and finds himself in a dreamlike community where he encounters several key figures. Dick Hammond, the boatman, offers guidance and companionship, showcasing a blend of physical vigor and gentility. His great-grandfather, Old Hammond, provides wisdom and historical context, acting as a matchmaker and possibly a familial link to Guest himself. Clara, Dick's spontaneous fiancée, embodies the freedom and natural relationships that flourish in this utopia, while Ellen, Guest's romantic interest, represents a harmonious connection with nature and the joy of living in the moment. Together, these characters illustrate Morris's vision of a transformed society, highlighting themes of love, wisdom, and the pursuit of an ideal life. The interactions among them invite readers to consider the contrasts between their utopian existence and the industrialized world outside.
News from Nowhere: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: William Morris
First published: News from Nowhere: Or, An Epoch of Rest, Being Some Chapters from a Utopian Romance, 1891
Genre: Novel
Locale: London and along the Thames River
Plot: Utopian
Time: Late nineteenth century; twenty-first century
Guest, the narrator, a thinly disguised version of William Morris, the author. The reader first encounters him at the opening of the book, where he has just left a political meeting. He is annoyed with himself for his habit of losing his temper in these discussions, and he is discontented with the grimy surroundings of late nineteenth century London, through which he must travel to return to his suburban home. As he encounters people in his utopian dream vision, he reveals that he appears old and not well-dressed. The questions that he asks about the community to which he has been transported demonstrate his beliefs in an idealized world. He develops a romantic attachment to an attractive young woman named Ellen, whom he meets on his journey up the Thames River. Their relationship remains friendly and platonic.
Richard (Dick) Hammond, the boatman. He is the first person Guest encounters in “Nowhere.” Dick takes Guest in his boat to the Guest House in Hammersmith, which was the London suburb where William Morris lived, and he remains Guest's guide throughout the time he spends in the utopian Nowhere. Dick's tanned skin and developed physique indicate that he spends much time occupied outdoors. His simple but well-fitted dark blue garment with an ornamental belt buckle, reminiscent of a fourteenth century costume, gives him an appearance of gentility that his gracious manners reinforce. Dick takes Guest to visit Old Hammond, Dick's great-grandfather. The next day, they go on a four-day journey up the Thames to take part in the hay harvest in Oxfordshire, so that Guest can see the countryside. On this journey, they are accompanied by Clara, Dick's fiancée, to whom Dick was married earlier. They are happily reunited when Dick and Guest visit Old Hammond, who serves as a matchmaker for the couple.
Old Hammond, Dick's great-grandfather, who lives at the British Museum, where he was “custodian” of the books in the library. Dick tells Guest that Old Hammond is more than 105 years old. He is small but spry, and he is very knowledgeable. He is also an astute judge of human character and acts as matchmaker to reunite Dick and Clara, who previously had been married. Old Hammond may actually be Guest's grandson. Guest and Old Hammond spend most of the day sitting in Old Hammond's simply furnished living room. Old Hammond's experience and wisdom are evident from the lengthy answers that he gives to Guest's questions about the society and government of Nowhere and his explanation of how England was transformed into this new utopian state. Old Hammond, in effect, articulates the political philosophy of William Morris.
Clara, Dick's fiancée, who meets Dick at Old Hammond's apartment. Clara is described as a very beautiful young woman. The way Dick blushes at the mention of her name and the way that they look at each other indicate their mutual attraction. After they go upstairs, Old Hammond explains to Guest that Dick and Clara had been married and had two children. Clara had left Dick for another man, but when that relationship failed after a year, she realized that she wanted to return to Dick. Clara is very spontaneous. She lives for the present and does not want to be troubled with the unhappiness of the past. She is concerned with Guest's appearance and well-being. At her instigation, Guest is provided with a new set of clothes for the trip up the Thames. She demonstrates the freedom of natural relationships between the sexes that is found in the utopian society of Nowhere.
Ellen, Guest's romantic interest. She meets Guest, Dick, and Clara on the first evening of their journey up the Thames. The trio spend the evening at the cottage at Runnymede where Ellen and her grandfather live. Ellen is a natural beauty with fair skin, tanned from spending time outside. She is spontaneous in her expression of delight in the visitors and the world around her. Like Clara, she takes pleasure from living in the moment. When she later joins Guest, Dick, and Clara as they travel along the Thames, she displays curiosity about the history of the area as she and Guest converse. She and Guest share an attraction to each other, which they express by sharing their thoughts in conversation. She represents a love of life in harmony with nature and the pure ideal of the utopian world that Morris envisions.