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Andy Clay A buyer's market is a market in which the price of a particular commodity or set of commodities is very low, encouraging buyers to buy before the supply decreases and prices are raised. In Anthony Powell's A Buyer's Market there is one particular commodity each character is looking to "buy" - love. The many parties during the novel serve as vehicles to obtain this desire. However, by the end of the novel, two weddings have taken place and the market for love no longer favors the buyer. It instead favors the seller, as all of the goods have been bought. Nick and Widmerpool both miss the prime opportunity and are left with little to nothing. The parties throughout the novel serve as the "marketplace" for men and women interested in the opposite sex or, in the case of Max Pilgrim, the same sex. According to Nick, the party at the Walpole-Wilsons "provided not only the foundation, but the immediate locality…for my association with Barbara, whom I used to meet fairly often at dances" (ABM, 23). At the party at Milly Andriadis' place, Nick surveys the crowd and sees two women, whose "beauty was irresistible, causing a kind of involuntary pang, as if for a split-second I loved both of them passionately" (ABM, 112). Furthermore, at the Stourwater party Nick desires above all else to spend time with Jean. While touring the dungeons, he says, "I was anxious to escape from the group and look for Jean, because I thought it probable that we would not stay for tea, and all chance of seeing her again would be lost" (ABM, 213). Finally, at Mr. Deacon's birthday party, Nick is upset when he sees that the party is made up of "mostly married couples, middle-aged to elderly" and "young men" (ABM, 236-37). Therefore, Nick's single purpose in going to these parties is to find a woman to love. However, as in all markets, Nick faces constant competition from other "buyers," who are also looking for the same commodity. Up until the sugar incident at the Huntercombs' dance, Nick, Widmerpool, and Tompsitt are competing for the same girl - Barbara. Angered by this competition, Nick says, "Widmerpool had really no right to fall in love at all, far less have any success with girls - least of all a girl like Barbara" (ABM, 80). Nick also claims "that Tompsitt's attitude towards Barbara posed, from my own point of view, a dilemma as to what, short of his own bodily removal, would constitute a change for the better" (ABM, 38). While Nick and Widmerpool's active love for Barbara mostly dissipates after she accidentally pours sugar over Widmerpool's head, both characters remain emotionally attached to her. While Nick is dining at the Widmerpool's in the final chapter, they learn from Miss Walpole-Wilson that Barbara has married Johnny Pardoe. Both characters are bitter that Barbara did not pick either of them. Nick comments that he "could see from Widmerpool's pursed lips and glassy eyes that he was as astonished as myself…I was myself conscious of a faint sense of bitterness" (ABM, 267). Nick faces competition of a different sort in the market for Jean, whom he meets at the Stourwater party. While it is not entirely clear whether Nick and Jean were placed next to each another by accident or by Jean's doing, both characters are interested in one another. While conversing with Jean, Nick is "aware of an unexpected shift towards intimacy" (ABM, 193). However, Jean has already been "bought" or taken off the market by Bob Duport, her husband. Nick's only advantage, it appears, is Jean's interest in him. Jean invites him to dinner at her place and, more importantly, the final paragraph of the novel suggests that the relationship between Jean and Nick will develop further in the future. Nick and Widmerpool are the biggest losers in the market for love, which is no longer full of goods by the end of the novel. Nick, however, appears slightly better off because of his reinvigorated relationship with Jean. Regardless, at the end of the novel, Barbara and Jean both appear to be taken. As a result, Widmerpool and Nick, both desperate to find love in life, resort to relationships with Gypsy Jones, a sluttish woman whom Nick had previously frowned upon. As one can assume from Gypsy's apathetic character, both find little satisfaction in such a relationship. After having sex with Gypsy, Nick "could not help admitting, in due course, the awareness of a sense of inadequacy" (ABM, 257). Widmerpool shows his affection for Gypsy by paying for her abortion. In return, Gypsy merely says, "somebody had to cough up" (ABM, 249). By the end of the novel, two main characters have succeeded in finding a spouse - Stringham and Barbara. Most of the other characters, though, are still in the market for a partner. As a result, the competition that takes place between characters in ABM is only a precursor to a contest Nick and Widmerpool will face of finding a permanent partner that will take place later in their lives. This contest will have more long-lasting repercussions where, as Nick describes in the metaphor of Russian billiards, "all scoring is doubled" and "events begin suddenly to take on a significance previously unsuspected" (ABM, 274). |
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Nicole Lee In A Buyer's Market, Nick Jenkins attends five parties, one of which is a ballroom dance hosted by the Huntercombe's. After dinner at the Walpole-Wilson's, the party-goers all gather into taxis and travel to the dance in Belgrave Square. Although Jenkins provides a clear description of the outing, I decided to further explore the details of these early 20th century social functions. The word "ball" derives from the Latin "ballare," which means "to dance." Many of the dances seen at ballroom dances in the early 1900s were universally known and all the dancers were able to follow the predictable steps. Examples of these are the tango, waltz, foxtrot and quickstep. All of the dances vary in rhythm and tempo. For example, the tango involves sharp, catlike steps while the foxtrot is a combination of slow and quick beats in 4/4 rhythm. The quickstep, which requires high energy, a quick pace, and uses a combination of steps from various other dances, emerged out of England in the 1920s. Another dance, the waltz, is the most elegant of all ballroom dances. Widmerpool mentions in the novel, "'The Merry Widow Waltz' ... I always like that, don't you?"(65) While there are many variations on the waltz, it is easy for anyone to learn. The actual dancing of a ballroom dance is much more complicated than the book seems. Jenkins simply states that "the ball took its course; dance-tune following dance-tune, and partner following partner."(60) While the songs have different rhythms and tempos, the proper way to dance to all of these is using the "Closed Hold," which originated from the ballroom dancing in the royal courts of Europe. The hold consists of three hand contacts: the man's left hand holding the lady's right hand, the lady's left hand resting on the top of the man's right upper arm, and the man's right hand placed on the left shoulder blade on the back of the lady. In addition, the lady's left elbow rests on the man's right elbow and the right area of the chest of each person touches the other. This makes it comfortable for the woman to follow the man's lead. The resting of the lady's elbow on the man's elbow most likely developed from the days when women were not allowed to make advances to a man. As he would offer his right arm for support, women accepted by laying theirs on top. This also helps a man keep his right shoulder over his right hip and not twist at the waist. To begin a dance, a man offers his hand palm up, and a lady accepts by placing hers palm down in his. He then leads her onto the dance floor. This general etiquette all ties into the idea that a man should lead and lady should follow. The attire at ballroom dances in England in the early 20th century varied depending on how formal the dance. Many small details in the book imply that the particular dance at the Huntercombe's is most likely that of white tie occasion, the most formal. A white tie event requires that men wear a black tailcoat with matching trousers trimmed by ribbon. A vest is also necessary with a white tuxedo shirt. In "A Buyer's Market", Archie Gilbert fits this description when described as wearing "an armour of black-and-white steel that encased him" and being "clad in a white tie"(56). At white tie events, women appear in ball gowns, which are evening dresses with a full skirt. In the novel, it is implied the women were in this attire as Powell stated that "Pardoe's sport-model two-seater was not specially convenient for a girl in a ball dress." (54) Elbow length gloves are also common, just as "Eleanor, who, in a purposeful manner, was pulling on a pair of long gloves." (58) Other types of dance events include black tie occasions, which are one step less formal than white tie, but very similar. Black tie optional requires that ladies wear dinner dresses and gentlemen can wear a suit and tie. Less formal than these are a formal, semi-formal and dressy casual event. Ballroom dancing in England in the early 1900s primarily served as an excuse to get together to meet and socialize. Due to the social setting, however, people did not always get to dance with their favorite, ideal partner. For example, Tompsitt wants to dance with Barbara, but she explains, "I can't, really I can't. I must have made a muddle. I am dancing with Mr. Widmerpool. I have put him off till now, and I really must."(64) At the end of a dance, it is tradition that gentlemen give his arm to his lady and quickly take her back to her seat so they can look for their next partner in line. At the Huntercombes, Jenkins was obliged to do this and abruptly end his conversation with Eleanor, as he says "I did not hear Eleanor's views on Mrs. Widmerpool, because at that moment the music ceased; and after clapping had died down and couples round us dispersed, the subject ... was quickly forgotten."(60) In these dances, women would go through numerous partners, rarely dancing with the same man twice in a row. Although ballroom dancing only occupies a small portion of this novel, it still plays a large role in Jenkins' social life. Technically speaking, human beings are psychologically constructed to achieve fulfillment and happiness in being a couple. Ballroom dancing provides an environment in which couples can socialize together while others can dance with various partners. Powell successfully incorporates small details of the actual history of ballroom dancing into Jenkins' life in A Dance To The Music Of Time. |
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Corey Simpson If Nick's role as a detached observer is first established in A Question of Upbringing, it is further realized in A Buyer's Market, becoming clear both to the reader and to Nick himself. His previous interactions were understandably limited by their academic context, but when Nick begins to attend social functions it becomes obvious that his lack of experience and driving ambition makes him a misfit among his peers. This new awareness of his outsider status disturbs Nick's self-confidence and causes him to see the accomplishments and qualities of his acquaintances in a new light; where he used to feel only curiosity about interesting individuals, he now envies their apparent success, and dwells on his inability to understand a culture that the others navigate with ease. Nick's tendency to over-analyze people, stumble headfirst into completely one-sided romances, and pick up on the subtleties of any situation set him apart in a society that is built on shallow interactions. Surrounded by people marrying for convenience, Nick spends months dreaming about Barbara; of his rivals, Widmerpool is the only one who seems equally serious about winning her affections, as Tompsitt shows a "relative lack of enthusiasm"(38) and, as Nick observes during the dance card episode, behaves "as if taking Barbara away from her rightful partner would give him even more pleasure than that to be derived from dancing with her himself."(64) Although Nick considers Tompsitt the most threatening of his rivals for Barbara's favor, Tompsitt seems to regard the winning of Barbara as nothing more than a triumph over her other suitors-and Pardoe, her future fiancé, interacts with her barely at all. Nick's emotional involvement in what is seen by others as merely a contest puts him on the same level as Widmerpool, who has been presented as the epitome of social awkwardness since the first few pages of the novel. Nick's actions are rarely determined by a desire to compete with others, and he sees his job in publishing as a temporary step on the way to his dream of someday becoming a writer, rather than as a successful career in itself. He has none of the specific goals that drive the rest of his acquaintances, and does not understand their preoccupation with power. Widmerpool, who gathers connections wherever he goes, likewise cannot understand Nick's indifference to advancement; upon hearing details of Nick's job, he "seemed rather disapproving of the nature of the business" (78) and, when he remarks "I can't see it leading to much," (79) Nick replies "What ought it to lead to?" (79). Nick is perfectly content in a job that Widmerpool thinks is a horrifying dead end, and the fact that he enjoys the job for itself rather than for its potential is a completely alien idea to his goal-driven friends. However, while it may be easy to ignore Widmerpool's disapproval of a field that he, after all, knows nothing about, it is much more difficult for Nick to dismiss the feelings of inadequacy brought forth by his encounter with Quiggin and Mark Members. Nick, not being a jealous person, does not grudge his former schoolmates their literary successes-he "was rather impressed to hear that in the unfamiliar form of `J.G. Quiggin' this former acquaintance was already known as a `writer,'" (239) and "had, indeed, read, with decided respect, some of the pieces there written by [Members]." (242) But although Nick admires their accomplishments, they still serve to remind him of his own failings in that area; being a writer is his only clearly stated goal for the future, and he has done little to achieve it. He says, "speaking of reviews written by Members, Short used to say: `Mark handles his material with remarkable facility,' and, not without envy, I had to agree with that judgment; for this matter of writing was beginning to occupy an increasing amount of attention in my own mind." (242) He then admits, in the most tentative phrasing possible, that he "had even toyed with the idea of attempting myself to begin work on a novel," (242) which could not be farther from the clear-cut ambitions of his friends. Nick certainly does not possess the drive needed to go into business, but even in the literary world it is possible to establish oneself and make connections, and Quiggin and Members have already begun to do so. No matter his role in any situation, the reader never gets the impression that Nick is fully involved in the action. The behavior of his Society friends makes Nick seem comparatively eccentric in his attitude towards love and power, and even his accurate observations are shadowed by a sense of confusion about how they see the world. Perhaps in later books Nick will conform to Society's standards, or perhaps remain a relative outsider; but for now, he seems out of place in a world that is simultaneously frivolous and controlled by hidden motivations. |
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Nick Anschuetz The Seven Deadly Sins -- greed, gluttony, wrath, lust, sloth, envy, and pride -- are the basic vices to which the Christian church believes common men are susceptible. With these as guidelines, seemingly only a perfect man could live a life without sinning. In fact, committing at least one deadly sin is a necessary condition for a character to be interesting. However, Anthony Powell's A Buyer's Market has the distinction of having at least one instance of each sin within its pages. AVARITA (GREED) Mrs. Walpole-Wilson hosts the first party of the novel to which Nick and Widmerpool are both invited. Also at the party is Barbara Goring, the object of both Nick's and Widmerpool's desire. However, they are not the only men at the party with designs on Barbara. She has prepared to dance with all the men but has accidentally slotted Nick, Widmerpool, and another man, Tompsitt, for the same dance and, rather than dancing with all of them, decides to have supper with them. Widmerpool takes this especially hard and starts to complain. "Widmerpool was by no means prepared to give in at once, though his struggles to keep Barbara to himself were feeble enough, and quite ineffectual." (66) Widmerpool is greedily trying to keep Barbara all to himself. IRA (WRATH) After Barbara finally begins to leave the trio of suitors, Widmerpool suddenly gets up and snatches her wrist. "[His] act was a vigorous and instantaneous assertion of the will..." (69) Widmerpool's reaction to Barbara's exit is one of anger brought on by his sole desire to be alone with her. It seems as though one sin generally brings about another. LUXURIA (LUST) Lust is by far the most prevalent sin in A Buyer's Market. The eponymous "market" references the supply and demand of women/wives at all the parties Nick attends. Nick notices women differently in this novel than in the previous one: "The taller of the two girls was largely built, with china-blue eyes and yellow hair, holding herself in a somewhat conventionally languorous style: the other, dark, with small, pointed breasts and a neat supple figure. The combined effect of their beauty was irresistible ... for a split-second I loved both of them passionately ..." (112) "Lust" is embodied in the novel by a tapestry hanging in Stourwater titled Luxuria, which depicts many images of lust. Soon after looking at it, Nick meets again Jean Templer, his crush from A Question of Upbringing. While talking with her, Nick becomes "aware of an unexpected drift towards intimacy..." (193) Finally, in Nick's desperation, he finally has intercourse with Gypsy Jones, possible the loosest woman at any of the parties Nick attends throughout the novel. This sin certainly leaves an impression on Nick, who says, "I could not help being struck ,,, by a kind of wonder ..." (258) GULA (GLUTTONY) Gluttony is possibly the least noticed, yet (except for lust) the most prevalent sin in A Buyer's Market. At all the parties, huge feasts are served. One example of overindulgence is when Barbara refuses to dance with the three men and instead invites them to supper. Nevertheless, all of the characters "have all had supper." (65) Tompsitt even tries to deny the fact that he had already eaten, yet Nick "was fairly sure he had seen him leaving the supper-room earlier that night." (66) ACEDIA (SLOTH) There is really only one instance of sloth in A Buyer's Market, as everyone is constantly running around at parties looking for mates. However, after Nick and Gypsy have intercourse, they lie together, and Nick notices that Gypsy looks "a little bit like Goya's Maja nude-or possibly ... Manet's Olympia." (258) The paintings each depict a nude woman lazily lying on a divan. This is another example of how one sin, in this case lust, can lead to another sin. SUPERBIA (PRIDE) While Gypsy lies on the divan, Nick says "she glanced down, with satisfaction, at her own extremities." (258) While the novel is chock full of people trying to look their best for hope of finding a spouse, this is the most clear example of a character taking pride in what they were born with. Gypsy is a pregnant woman, but still looks at her naked self with satisfaction. INVIDIA (ENVY) Nick had always been the least accomplished in the ways of love of his group of friends at Eton and Oxford. Templer was the first to be deflowered, and Stringham never arrives at parties without a date. Every girl Nick tries to woo scorns him eventually and Nick lacks the skills to consummate the deal. Nick is even envious of Bob DuPort, Jean's husband, as he was the man who took his first love away from him. Nick is a boy in a man's world when it comes to the world of love and sex, and even though he finally does have sex with Gypsy Jones, he still never finds anyone to love him. The sins in the novel draw us into the realistic world Powell creates even though the situations are so different from the present culture. These sins, however, are not the result of evil but of simple human imperfection. By creating imperfect characters, Powell creates a realistic atmosphere in which the reader can perfectly understand and empathize with the characters emotions, and at the same time appeals to our own voyeuristic tendencies to draw us into the drama of the narrative. |
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John Bukawyn Owen Wilson once said, "True love is the soul's recognition of its counterpoint in another," in the film, Wedding Crashers. Love, or rather the search for it, is an ever-present theme in A Buyer's Market, by Anthony Powell, and Wilson's notion of true love is hard to find. Characters, such as Stringham do not bother to discover it, but rather artificially create it through different means. His experiences in Kenya, his affair with Milly Andriadis, and his current marriage to Peggy Stepney are his relationships that are based not on love. True love is a sparse resource in A Buyer's Market, and thus Stringham is willing to substitute this ideal for three different commodities: lust, beauty, and social status. Stringham is one of the most promiscuous characters, behind Peter Templer, that have been introduced in Powell's epic. When conversing with Nick about the playful dealings between Lady McReith and Peter Templer, Stringham states plainly that, "that sort of thing is not as difficult as all that," (172, QU). At this point Stringham appears older to Nick, suggesting that Stringham's experiences in Kenya had changed him and given him a wider attitude on the notion of relationships. Nick learns that in Kenya, "he spent the night with the divorced wife of a coffee planter in Nairobi," (172, QU). Stringham, however, has not changed since his days at Eton when he would converse with Peter Templer about women. In Kenya, Stringham, motivated by lust, he simply uses this woman for his own pleasure. He has a "one night stand" with this woman, only to leave her behind for Milly Andriadis in A Buyer's Market. While in London, Stringham's outlook on relationships seems to remain constant. A few years after Oxford University, at Milly Andriadis's party, Stringham indirectly reveals his sexual affairs with Milly to Nick. Although Milly is about ten older than Stringham, her distinguished physical beauty attracts Stringham. In a playful and very suggestive manner the two engage in a dialogue: "'Darling…' she said, throwing an arm around his neck and kissing him energetically. `Why so disgustingly late?' `Overslept.' `Milly ought to have been there. `Why wasn't she?'" (105 BM). Milly's last comment, as she refers to herself in the third person, and Stringham's reply entail that either Milly should have been present to wake Stringham up, or, more likely, she should have been there to have sex with Stringham. Although there relationship seems, to Nick, to have a sturdy foundation and to have been going on for months, near the end of the party, Stringham becomes frustrated with Milly and simply throws her away, as if her purpose was no longer convenient. At the end of A Buyer's Market, Stringham has found a better product to use. Even though, from his past behavior, it seems that Stringham, like Peter Templer, will never settle down. Nick is completely taken aback, however, when Stringham tells him of his wedding plans with Peggy Stepney at Stourwater. In his narration, Nick says, "I had certainly accepted as obvious the implication that nothing was more distant that marriage from Stringham's intentions when I had seen him so violently abandon Mrs. Andriasdis's house," (188 BM). Stringham and Peggy's union is not one of love, but rather of social status. Although Stringham insisted that the wedding take place, the bride's family raised objections to the marriage. The Bridgenorths, however, were finally convinced to let there daughter go, stating, "that it was high time for their elder daughter to get married…and they could well have decided, in the circumstances, that she might easily pick on a husband less presentable than Stringham," (226, A Buyer's Market). Allowing their daughter to get married was a question of whether Stringham was worthy or valuable enough, rather than if he cared for or loved their daughter enough. The parents completely disregarded this fact, which also suggests that the couple also ignored it. In his narration, Nick observes that, "she had let her hand rest on a table in such a way…he placed his own hand over hers, upon which she had jerked her fingers away, almost angrily," (198, BM). The fact that the two are not comfortable showing affection around others implies that their relationship is premature and not ready for marriage. Lust, beauty, and social status are the main factors that are considered in A Buyer's Market when Stringham's relationships are formed. Whether his marriage works out with a foundation of social status, or not, only time will tell. It is likely, however, just as he did with Milly and the Nigerian woman, he will throw Peggy away for some other, better woman. |
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Michael Donelan Jenkins is a reserved individual who we get to know in the first novel, A Question of Upbringing. In A Buyer's Market, our narrator's first name is revealed: "If I were you Nicholas - I hope, by the way, you will call me Kenneth in future." (272 BM) Although this is revealed at the end of the novel, we observe a noted transformation in Jenkins throughout, leading up to this point. One change is his relaxed social demeanor at parties cajoling and flirting with young women, a sharp contrast from the reserved Jenkins we are used to from the first novel. Upon entering Sillery's party in A Question of Upbringing, he does not utter one word, a marked difference from his actions at the parties he frequents in A Buyer's Market. His new social habits go hand in hand with his increased interest in women and the idea of love. The change in reference from Jenkins to Nick marks an important turning point in our narrator. The title A Buyer's Market suggests there is an open market for those men and women seeking companionship and all should take advantage. There are five major parties that Jenkins visits in this novel, all of which act as a vehicle for possible romances and relationships to begin or evolve. This holds true for Jenkins as we find him focusing his efforts to win the heart of Barbara Goring: "When I said good-bye [to Barbara] at the gates I experienced a sense of unaccountable loss..." (18 BM) Furthermore he says: "...dances seemed pointless unless Barbara was present." (24 BM) Despite the fact that he shows interest in Barbara, he approaches the first party with caution in respect to his feelings for her because "She seemed to exist merely to disturb my rest..." (25 BM) There are still traces of insecurity in his relations with women, which is most evident in the infamous scene where Barbara decides it would be wise to give Widmerpool "some sweetening." (70 BM) After she empties an entire castor of sugar over the head of Widmerpool, Jenkins's decides resolutely "that I had made an egregious mistake in falling in love with Barbara." (73 BM) After exhibiting such behavior, Jenkins knows she is not, never was, and never will be the right woman for him. There is a long hiatus between Barbara and his next serious interaction with a woman. When we finally learn of his next encounter, there is little doubt he has allowed himself to change his perspective, albeit momentarily, regarding women. Jenkins sexual encounter in the back of Mr. Deacon's shop with Gypsy Jones was a spontaneous event which he would have been too timid to have done himself before. A previous unplanned encounter with women, although markedly different, but with similar sexual implications occurred in A Question of Upbringing. Peter Templer picks up two girls on the side of the road while taking a quick spin in his car. Jenkins admits he "could not help feeling interest - and some slight excitement - to see how matters would develop." (195 QU) Jenkins excitement is false because he hardly approves of a similarly situation where Templer had a prostitute in London. Jenkins's escapade with Gypsy can be discussed in parallel with this incident because she is a promiscuous woman herself, although not to the ends of Templer's tart. After this brief sexual relation with Gypsy, Jenkins grows closer to becoming Nick when he meets Jean Templer, or rather, Jean Duport at the last party he visits. "I was ... conscious suddenly that being on love with Barbara ... now seemed a rather amateurish affair." (192 BM) When Jenkins meets Jean again for the first time since meeting her with Peter, he is on the cusp of becoming Nick. He is mature enough to look back on his obsession with Barbara and see it was not an advanced form of love or affection he felt for her. "... not exactly a `beauty'; but, all the same, still in some way mysterious and absorbing to me, and certainly pretty enough..." (191 BM) is how Jenkins describes Jean. In the pages after our introduction to Nick, he subtly alludes to the fact that he is going to have some interaction with her later. "Certain stages of experience might be compared with the game of Russian billiards, played (as I used to play with Jean, when the time came)..." (274 BM) It is my belief that Nick will have a relationship further along in a subsequent novel, one that will, for a change, have some meaning. Nick may after all have be able to capitalize on A Buyer's Market. |
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Nicole Duddy In Anthony Powell's second Dance book, A Buyer's Market, Nick Jenkins witnesses the development of his friend Charles Stringham from the boy he was in the first book, A Question of Upbringing, to the young man Stringham becomes as they make their way into adulthood. After many years without seeing each other, Nick is surprised to hear his old companion referred to as "one of Peggy's pompous friends" (BM, 44), never having before associated Stringham with pomposity, an ostentatious display of dignity or importance. Nick feels "uncertain whether, in fact, Anne Stepney had not used the term 'pompous' in the usual, and not some specialized sense" (BM, 102). In some ways, Stringham has maintained his usual manner of behavior, though at times his motives are a mystery. However, Nick continues to disagree with a drastic change in Stringham. In their years at Eton, Nick knew Stringham as "an excellent mimic" (QU, 9), usually copying the awkward stride of Widmerpool, and the friend who drew faces on the notice-board as if to "protest against the voice of authority" (QU, 8). One of Nick's strongest memories of Stringham was the Braddock alias Thorne incident. To Nick's surprise, Stringham had called the police on their housemaster, Le Bas, reporting of his whereabouts as if he was an escaped convict. Initially, Stringham seemed excited at the commotion which he had caused; however afterwards he showed no signs of pleasure in the prank, saying, "I am afraid it was all in rather doubtful taste. In some ways I regret having been concerned in it. One is such a creature of impulse," thus indicating his return to his state of indifference as his "cheeks lost the flush they had taken on during the excitement" (QU, 49, 50). Such a turnaround in behavior was most likely due to Stringham's noted "fits of melancholy' (QU, 9). However, during their years in university, Stringham unexpectedly bailed on dinner plans with Nick for a party with the Bridgnorths. He said to Nick, "The fact is I am cutting your date ... I've been asked to a rather good party at short notice" (QU, 226). His abrupt nature of doing things reflects poorly on his consideration for others and leaves Nick taken aback and annoyed. When Nick was ditched for dinner, he begins to recognize that "considerable changes had indeed been taking place" (QU, 227) in Stringham. Nick and Stringham had not seen each other for many years after the dinner incident. When Nick chances upon him in a café, it is his chance to reacquaint with Stringham and see who he has become. Stringham's impulsiveness has certainly followed him into adulthood, indicating straight off his affair with an older woman, Mrs. Andriadis since his "name is rather intimately linked with hers at the moment" (BM, 94). This relationship turns out to be short lived since Stringham leaves the party after an argument, insisting that he must go out, saying "I am at the moment looking into my soul to examine the interesting question of where exactly I do want to go" (BM, 145). Nick deduces that "Their connexion, on his part at least, seemed no more than a whim" (BM, 160) and perhaps Stringham had simply been suffering some sort of restlessness, though Stringham never supplies details about his relationships. Similar to the boy Nick used to know, Stringham still find pleasure through various pranks or remarks. At the Stourwater party, Stringham instigates trouble by inquiring, "Would it be an occasion for the dungeons?" (BM, 199), knowing Sir Magnus Donners would lead an adventurous tour of the castle. Nick, realizing this inside joke, says, "It stuck me, at this moment, that such occasions, the enjoyment of secret laughter, remained for him the peak of pleasure, for he looked suddenly happier" (BM, 202). Though Stringham has retained some of his humorous nature, his comments are often ill-received. After stating he wants to go to a place of vice, Mrs. Andriadis mumbles, "Do tell him not to be such an ass" (BM, 146). Similarly at Stourwater, "Mrs. Wentworth seemed not greatly amused by [his] facetiousness" (BM, 190). Despite these moments of witty remarks and opportunities for jokes, his depressive and reticent states are more prevalent. For instance, Stringham conveys "vagueness in speaking of his own employment" (BM, 132) and considers himself "still to be seen passing from time to time through the Donners-Brebner Building. It might be hard to establish my precise status there" (BM, 104). His comments convey a lack of interest in his career, similar to the way he shows a false yet "elaborate friendliness" (BM, 102) when in conversation with Nick. During his argument with Mrs. Andriadis, Stringham complains, "The fact is I am much too boring to stay at a party. That is exactly how I feel myself... I cast a gloom over the merry scene. 'Who is that corpse at the feast?' people ask, and the reply is 'Poor old Stringham'" (BM, 144). What puzzles Nick most about Stringham is his engagement to Peggy Stepney. He says, "I found it impossible to guess whether he was getting married because he was in love, because he hoped by taking this step to find a more settled life, or because he as curious to experiment with a new set of circumstances" (BM, 197). The motives for such a decision are questionable since it could possibly be yet another impulsive act between the "fits of melancholy" or as he dryly puts it "It comes to us sooner of later" (BM, 212). The interactions between the two hardly ever seem warm and affectionate, including a moment when Stringham "had placed his own hand over hers, upon which she had jerked her fingers away, almost angrily... His first movement had been mad, so it had appeared, almost automatically, not even very specifically as a mark of affection" (BM 198). Whatever the circumstances may be, Nick cannot determine what could "possibly be equated with that state of mind ['turning over a new leaf']" (BM, 213). Stringham's personality apparently still contains some wit and impulsiveness but is accompanied by states depression and unconcern. His actions in most cases are indifferent of the feelings of others, still, having known Stringham during his adolescence accustoms Nick to Stringham's sense of humor and persona, though not entirely. In the midst of the book, Powell introduces the idea that the "persons we see most are not necessarily those we know best" (BM, 193). Inversely, if we are so close to persons, we may not see them for who they really are. If Nick is friends with Stringham, he would fail to see the faults that others condemn him for. For the time being, Nick is simply assuming that "the detachment [Stringham] had always seemed to possess was now more marked than ever before" (BM, 102) or perhaps Stringham is just having another case of the doldrums. On the other hand, Nick has seen first hand that "there could be no doubt that he possessed a personal remoteness, a kind of preoccupation with his own affairs, that gave at least some prima facie excuse for using the epithet [pompous]" (BM, 102). On rare occasions is Stringham actually pompous by definition, but as he develops into a negative character, Nick and others may find it hard to call Stringham a "good friend." |