Shikasta: Analysis of Major Characters

Author: Doris Lessing

First published: 1979

Genre: Novel

Locale: Shikasta (Earth) and surrounding planes or zones

Plot: Science fiction

Time: c. 35,000 b.c.e. to c. a.d. 2000, but mainly the twentieth century

Johor, incarnated as George Sherban, a representative of the galactic empire Canopus to the planet Earth, which is named Shikasta in the novel. Shikasta is Johor's worst assignment, for he must watch its decline from the golden age when it was named Rohanda to its low point in the twentieth century. Rohanda/Shikasta/Earth once had two races: the Giants, who live twelve to fifteen thousand years and are sixteen to eighteen feet tall, and the Natives, who live five hundred years and are half the height of the Giants, with the former acting as benevolent guides and teachers to the latter. Johor witnesses and reports on the degeneration of both races as a mystical flow of goodwill called “the Lock” between Canopus and Shikasta breaks down and chaos replaces an idyllic pastoral life. He travels about in various incarnations, including that of a “shaggy” Native, attempting to salvage what he can and opposing the influence of Shammat, a criminal planet allied with the evil empire Puttioria. Johor ultimately resurfaces as George Sherban, a young man tutored by a remarkable series of Canopean influences as he lives with his family in Nigeria, Kenya, Morocco, and Tunisia. George, though basically Scotch-Irish, has an Indian grandfather; he is tall, with ivory skin, black hair, and black eyes, easily passing for an Indian or an Arab. He becomes an international youth leader, helping to organize both Children's Camps, for refugees and orphans, and Youth Armies, which attempt to maintain civilization under the Chinese socialist overlordship now controlling Europe. George's greatest achievement is in his role as prosecutor at the Mock Trial of the white race sponsored by the Combined Youth Armies of the World. George's artful defusing of the hostility against the whites by admitting their culpability for colonial and other misdeeds circumvents a planned genocide of all remaining Europeans by the newly resurgent black, brown, and “golden” races. After the trial, George continues his work for human betterment, developing geometrically organized cities in the Andes in South America and siring his family. When his work is finished, he dies.

Benjamin Sherban, George's fraternal twin, who is always contrasted to George. Benjamin is heavy, tending toward fat, with curly brown hair, blue-gray eyes, and reddish-brown skin, the result of perpetual sunburn in the North African climate. As an adolescent, he is cynical, sarcastic, surly, and in constant conflict with his sister, Rachel. Benjamin, as a boy, clearly is made to feel inferior by the near perfection of Johor/George; as he grows up, he comes to accept his second-class status, takes on the supervision of the Children's Camps, and makes his peace with George and Rachel. He acts as an assistant to defense counsel Taufiq/John Brent-Oxford in the Mock Trial of the white race. He ends up on a remote Pacific island in a settlement committed to starting life anew.

Rachel Sherban, George and Benjamin's younger sister. Her journal, which composes a substantial part of the middle of the book, gives a quirky, rather earthy perspective on George and Benjamin through the eyes of a somewhat spoiled and petulant teenage sister. Like Benjamin, Rachel is intimidated by George's casual success in all of his many endeavors and by his enormous influence on all around him. Rachel's jealousy is complicated by her schoolgirl crush on George, but she learns tolerance and responsibility, finally sacrificing herself for her brother. Rachel's rich description of life in a tenement in Morocco is a high point in the novel.

Taufiq, like Johor a secret agent of Canopus, born on Earth as John Brent-Oxford. He attains success as a lawyer and politician but is corrupted by the malign influences of Earth/Shikasta and begins to live only for his own pleasure, in complete contradiction to the Canopean ideal of service. His neglect of his duties leads to failure and disaster for a number of people, whose unhappy stories are listed by Johor. Taufiq/John Brent-Oxford, at the end a frail, white-haired old man, redeems himself at the Mock Trial by acting as defense counsel for the white race and behaving with wisdom and decency. He is killed by a falling rock when an unidentified airplane bombs the Greek amphitheater where the trial is held.