Baga: Analysis of Major Characters
"Baga: Analysis of Major Characters" provides an insightful exploration of the key figures within a fictional narrative centered around the kingdom of Fantoine and Agapa. The main character, Architruc, serves as the king and narrator, characterized by his physical flaws and a life marked by boredom and routine following his father's death. His unexpected affection for Baga—a figure initially portrayed as subservient—adds complexity to their relationship, as Baga assumes significant power in governance, effectively managing foreign and economic policies while Architruc retreats into a life of isolation.
Other notable characters include Queen Conegrund, a gluttonous ruler from a neighboring kingdom who attempts to seduce Architruc, and Corniflet, the royal barber, who provides comic relief yet also reflects the broader societal structure. Rara, Architruc's adopted heir, represents the kingdom's future, showcasing a keen intellect despite his frailty. The interplay between these characters reveals themes of power, identity, and the absurdities of royal life, offering a rich tapestry for readers interested in character-driven analysis within a satirical framework.
Baga: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Robert Pinget
First published: 1958 (English translation, 1967)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Fantoine and Agapa
Plot: Fantasy
Time: Unspecified
Architruc, the narrator. He is king of Fantoine and Agapa. He describes himself as fat, with varicose veins, a flat head, pimples, sandy-colored hair, a nose like a potato, and cauliflower ears. When Architruc is fifteen years old, his father is killed in a revolt, and his mother assumes the regency until the youth comes of age. He mopes about the palace, delighting only in a garden that he plants with lily of the valley and crowfoot. He falls in love with Baga, who is also the lover of Architruc's mother; as soon as Architruc becomes king, he names Baga as his prime minister. At first Architruc travels about his kingdom to dispense justice, but eventually he becomes bored with this practice and, like his father, cloisters himself within the palace. For him, each day is identical: He arises at noon, performs a few simple exercises, and examines his collections of pebbles, shells, leaves, eyeglasses, and watches. Then his barber arrives to shave him. Afterward, Architruc waters his plant, Ducky, and sponges its leaves. Dressed in white, the king next appears at lunch, his chief delight, and always eats beef, an omelette, and cheese before he retires to his room once more. War with Novocardia disrupts this pattern. Following his victory, he retires for a century to a hut in the forest. When he returns to the palace, a visit from Queen Conegrund again upsets his routine. While overseeing the construction of a castle in the valley of Rouget, he wanders off to join a small convent and becomes a woman for a time.
Baga, Architruc's prime minister. Baga appears subservient, bringing Architruc his morning tea and chamber pot, carrying the king's umbrella, planning the royal menu, and helping the monarch dress. Baga also conducts foreign and economic policy without consulting Architruc, converting his country into the world's leading exporter of rat pelts and building up an arsenal for eventual war with neighboring Novocardia.
Corniflet, the royal barber and part-time molecatcher. About thirty years old, he has red hair and blue eyes.
Piston and Vielle, the royal musicians. The cornetist once had long hair, but now he and the hurdy-gurdy player are both bald. One formerly had worked as overseer in a print shop, the other as a milkboy, but Architruc's father trained them to their present occupation. Although they are sixty years old, they look eighty. They live in the forest in a one-room house that formerly was a hunting lodge. Each day, the king sends a car to bring them to the palace to play the banquet overture.
Sister Louise, a godly woman who lives on prayer and vegetables. For a time, Architruc shares her house.
Mary, a pretty young woman who joins the convent of Architruc and Sister Louise. She and Architruc sleep together until he recovers his masculinity.
Queen Conegrund, the ruler of Doualia. Fat and red-faced, she wears a red wig and a diamond crown. A voracious eater and lover, she tries to bed Architruc, but she accepts a black dishwasher in his stead. Her visit to Architruc strains the treasury, but her purchase of the dishwasher for a thousand rupees helps replenish the coffers.
Rara, an orphan adopted by Architruc to become his heir. Between ten and twenty years old, Rara is pale, blue-eyed, tall, and frail. He is a voracious reader.
King Gnar, a cave dweller who receives the letters that Architruc writes while living in the forest. Gnar may be the real power behind the throne: When Gnar tosses a dirty sock in the direction of Architruc's palace, the king at once decides to open a sock shop. Gnar has a serpent for an adviser.
Mougre, Baga's predecessor as prime minister.