The Apple of the Eye: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Apple of the Eye: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the intertwined lives of several key figures in a narrative marked by love, loss, and societal expectations. Central to the story is Hannah Madoc, a young woman whose tragic circumstances lead her from innocence to a life marked by hardship and despair. Orphaned and vulnerable, she experiences unrequited love for Jule Bier, a farmhand whose loyalty to his wealthy father's wishes results in a marriage that complicates their relationship.
Jule, despite his initial affection for Hannah, marries Selma Duncan, who raises their daughter with a fear of love that ultimately leads to devastating consequences. Their daughter, Rosalia, struggles with guilt and societal pressures, which culminate in her tragic fate. Other characters, like Mike Byron and Dan Strane, grapple with their own conflicts about love and sexuality, influenced by the rigid expectations of their upbringing.
The narrative delves into themes of social class, the consequences of repression, and the pursuit of genuine human connections, reflecting on the complexities of life and values. Through the characters' journeys, the story highlights the often tragic results of societal pressures and personal choices, inviting readers to reflect on the stark contrasts between societal expectations and individual desires.
The Apple of the Eye: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Glenway Wescott
First published: 1924
Genre: Novel
Locale: Rural Wisconsin
Plot: Regional
Time: Twentieth century
Hannah Madoc, a natural, primitive young woman. Orphaned and penniless after her drunken father dies from a fall occasioned by Hannah's pushing him off a porch in self-defense, Hannah goes to work in a store. Falling in love with Jule Bier, she rejects the attentions of others. Jule's father wants him to marry someone else, however, and the grief-stricken Hannah goes away and becomes a prostitute. Jule goes to bring her home at last. The prematurely broken and bitter Hannah dies as the result of a fall.
Jule Bier, a young farmhand. In love with Hannah, he nevertheless follows his father's orders and marries a wealthy girl. He acquires a wonderful understanding of life, and as an old man advises his wife's nephew to accept the simple values, like Hannah's, rather than the warped, false values of people whose religion masks a fear of life.
Selma Duncan, Jule's wife, daughter of a wealthy farmer. She brings up her daughter to fear love and sex, with disastrous results. When the daughter's body is found, the news is kept from the ailing Selma.
Rosalia Bier, the daughter of Jule and Selma. Seduced, she is tormented by feelings of guilt, though she hides her fear from her lover. After her lover leaves, she is convinced that a baby is her inevitable punishment. She runs away in a snowstorm; her body is found the following spring in a swamp and quietly buried there by Jule, his nephew, and a neighbor.
Mike Byron, a robust, zestful young man who works on Jule's farm. He loves Rosalia and becomes her lover. Jule tells him that he would not object to the marriage, but Mike feels trapped and leaves.
Dan Strane, Selma's nephew. A frustrated adolescent brought up in ignorance of sex by his tight-lipped mother, he is torn between curiosity and feelings of shame. Mike instructs Dan, telling him that life's processes are not obscene but wonderful. Mike is Dan's idol, but after Rosalia's desertion and death, Dan hates the memory of Mike. A talk with the understanding Jule reconciles the conflicts Dan feels. At the story's close, Dan is preparing to enter the state university.
Mrs. Strane, Selma's sister, Dan's straitlaced mother.
Mr. Bier, Jule's father, cold and calculating. He orders his sontocourtSelma.
Mrs. Boyle, in whose store the orphaned Hannah works.
Mr. Boyle, her husband. Hannah leaves the store to go to work on a farm near Jule's home after Mr. Boyle tries to make love to her.