Nothing: Analysis of Major Characters
"Nothing: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the complex relationships and dynamics among a cast of characters navigating love, loss, and social expectations. Central to the narrative is John Pomfret, a widower marked by a history of social engagements and an ongoing affair with Liz Jennings, while also entangled in a past that almost jeopardized his marriage. Jane Weatherby, another central figure, presents a facade of vulnerability but subtly exerts control over her relationships, including thwarting her son Philip’s engagement to Mary Pomfret to maintain her own social standing. Mary, a bright young woman, grapples with familial expectations and her romantic aspirations amidst economic despair, ultimately facing the consequences of her mother’s manipulations.
Philip Weatherby, caught between his desires and his mother's influence, represents a generation struggling for identity against the backdrop of traditional values. Other characters, such as the devoted yet overlooked Liz and the loyal but conflicted Dick Abbot, add layers to the exploration of desire, loyalty, and societal norms. The character of Penelope, Jane's young daughter, serves as a poignant reminder of innocence amidst adult complexities. This interplay of personal ambition and social obligation creates a rich tapestry of human experience, inviting readers to reflect on the intricacies of relationships within this narrative landscape.
Nothing: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Henry Green
First published: 1950
Genre: Novel
Locale: London, England
Plot: Fiction of manners
Time: 1948
John Pomfret, a forty-five-year-old widower. He is a member of the older generation who made much of parties, socializing, and sex. He had a good war record, but his main interests presently seem to be his affair with Liz Jennings and his longtime friendship with Jane Weatherby. His affair with Jane in the past almost broke up his marriage to Julia. He is fond of his daughter Mary, but she is not at the center of his life. John usually laughs at things, maintaining an ironic stance.
Jane Weatherby, a widow with a twenty-year-old son, Philip, and a six-year-old daughter, Penelope. Jane, who has fat, white hands and plump, firm thighs, has been having an affair with Dick Abbot. On the surface, she seems flighty and helpless, but she manipulates the other characters in her indirect, “feminine” way. She prevents Philip's marriage to Mary Pomfret so that she can marry John, Mary's father, and not have her marriage look ridiculous to society. Jane makes much of her concern for her daughter Penelope, creating her image as a devoted mother, but she deprecates Philip to her friends, saying that he is not quite normal. Jane also seems tight with money, unwilling to help out the newly engaged couple, Philip and Mary.
Mary Pomfret, who is eighteen years old and striking in appearance. She is described as a bluestocking, taken up with her civil service job. She and Philip think that life is hopeless because of the national economy. Mary tells Philip that they should elope, but he worries that an elopement would upset his family. Mary not only loses Philip (as a result of Jane's machinations) but also loses her job when she obeys her father's request that she spend time in Italy and miss his wedding (another of Jane's ideas).
Philip Weatherby, who works in the same office as Mary and proposes to her on his twenty-first birthday party. He vacillates, however, when his mother covertly opposes the match. He does not care enough to fight for her, and he remains under his mother's thumb. Pompously, Philip says that his generation is making the country a fit place to live, unlike the older generation, who are like rabbits about sex. He worries that his biological father is really John Pomfret.
Elizabeth (Liz) Jennings, John Pomfret's lover. At twenty-nine years of age, she says that she is afraid that she will never have children, but John refuses to take the hint and propose. Liz is accused of having drunk too much at a party, a charge that Jane uses against her. Liz cultivates Dick Abbot when the two of them are neglected by John and Jane. Ultimately, they switch partners, with Liz claiming that Dick is the better man.
Richard (Dick) Abbot, who has choking fits and talks often about his war experiences in Italy. With doglike eyes, he looks at Jane and says that he would like to marry her. Dick has a sense of social propriety and loyalty to Jane, even when she spurns him. When Liz plays up to him, however, Dick starts an affair with her.
Penelope Weatherby, Jane's six-year-old daughter, who has copper curls and large eyes. Jane treats her as if she is neurotic, saying that Penelope is distressed by a make-believe wedding with John Pomfret, at seeing a one-armed man, and at hearing that John is diabetic. Philip thinks that his little sister knows how to get her own way.
Arthur Morris, a member of John and Jane's set who throughout the novel is dying by bits and pieces. His big toe is amputated, then his ankle, and then his knee. Finally, he dies; his funeral is a social occasion.