The Acolyte: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Acolyte" explores the intricate dynamics between its major characters, centered around the life of Jack Holberg, a blind musician who rises to prominence as Australia’s leading composer. Holberg is depicted as a complex figure, possessing both remarkable talent and a troubling obsession, which shapes the lives of those around him. Paul Vesper, the story's narrator and Holberg’s "acolyte," presents himself as ordinary, yet his narrative reveals a witty and sensitive character who endures the challenges of serving under Holberg's formidable genius. Sadie, Holberg's lively aunt, stands out as an individual who maintains her own identity despite her nephew's overwhelming presence, adding a layer of humor and depth to the narrative.
The character of Jamie, Holberg’s young son, navigates his search for identity amidst a chaotic family environment, complicated by his father's emotional distance. Hilda, Holberg's wife, embodies loyalty at a high cost, sacrificing her own identity and happiness for her husband's work while enduring his neglect and infidelities. In contrast, Ilse, Hilda's sister and Jamie's mother, mirrors this servitude, showcasing the pervasive impact of Holberg’s genius on the lives of those around him. Together, these characters paint a multifaceted picture of ambition, sacrifice, and the quest for personal identity in the shadows of a towering artistic figure.
The Acolyte: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Thea Astley
First published: 1972
Genre: Novel
Locale: Australia
Plot: Allegory
Time: The early 1950's to late 1960's
Jack Holberg, a blind musician who becomes Australia's major composer. In his early forties by the time the novel concludes, Holberg is a handsome, powerfully built man whose blindness seems to enhance his presence. A complex character, he is both gifted and obsessed, both kind and cruel. The novel's events and the other characters' lives revolve around his rise from an itinerant pianist in country towns to a composer of international reputation.
Paul Vesper, the “acolyte” to Holberg. In his twenties when he meets Holberg, the novel's first-person narrator subordinates his own personality to focus on the composer's story. He insists on portraying himself as an ordinary and dull-witted man, fit only to serve the extraordinary and brilliant Holberg. Through the narrative's ironic stance, however, Vesper emerges as witty, likable, and sensitive in his own right, even as he bears the insults and humiliation of serving as an “acolyte” before the dubious altar of artistic genius.
Sadie, Holberg's aunt and former guardian. Sadie is a lively seventy-year-old woman who, in a red wig and outlandish clothes, gambles and frolics at Australia's noted resort, Surfer's Paradise. Although she is a comic character to an extent, her relation to Holberg assumes significance, for, unlike the others, she does not forgo her individuality to feed his egotism.
Jamie, Holberg's young son, actually the child of his wife's sister. A sensitive and handsome boy, he struggles to discover his identity amid the members of the odd household, the conflicting family relationships, and his father's coldness.
Hilda, Holberg's wife. A colorless and unattractive woman in her thirties, she devotes herself entirely to Holberg and his work, even though she understands neither the man nor the art he produces. She patiently bears his cruelty and indifference, along with his frequent infidelities, and remains humble and servile, even to the point of feigning blindness at times.
Ilse, Hilda's sister and Jamie's mother. Common in appearance and personality like her sister, and generally inept as well, Ilse takes a perverse delight in suffering at the hands of Holberg. Like the others, she has let her own life fall into a kind of paralysis so that Holberg's genius might flourish.