Between the Acts: Analysis of Major Characters
"Between the Acts" is a novel that explores the intricacies of human relationships and the layers of personal aspirations through a diverse cast of characters. At the center is Bartholomew Oliver, a retired civil servant and owner of Pointz Hall, who harbors resentment towards his life and surroundings. His son, Giles, struggles with his identity as a stockbroker while yearning to become a farmer, entangled in an affair with the vivacious Mrs. Manresa, who brings both chaos and vibrancy to the narrative. Isa, Giles's wife, is a secretly aspiring poet who suspects her husband's infidelity and finds herself drawn to Rupert Haines, a married farmer.
The story also features Mrs. Lucy Swithin, Bartholomew's imaginative sister, who romanticizes England's past, and Miss La Trobe, a frustrated writer and the pageant director, seeking purpose in her work amidst feelings of isolation. Other characters include the uninvited William Dodge, who resonates with Isa’s own experience of loneliness, and the younger generation represented by Bartholomew's grandchildren. Together, these characters navigate complex emotions, societal expectations, and personal desires during the course of a historical pageant, reflecting the themes of longing, betrayal, and the search for identity within a changing world.
Between the Acts: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Virginia Woolf
First published: 1941
Genre: Novel
Locale: England
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: June, 1939
Bartholomew Oliver, retired from civil service and the disgruntled owner of Pointz Hall, where a historical pageant is being held.
Giles Oliver, Bartholomew's son, a stockbroker who has longed to be a farmer. Recently on rather chilly terms with his wife, he is engaged in an affair with Mrs. Manresa.
Isa Oliver, Giles's wife, secretly a writer of poetry. She suspects her husband's unfaithfulness and fancies herself in love with Rupert Haines.
Mrs. Lucy Swithin, Bartholomew's widowed sister. In her imagination, she lives in England's historic past.
Mrs. Manresa, a cheerful, vulgar, and uninvited guest of the Olivers. She is carrying on an affair with Giles.
William Dodge, an uninvited and unwanted guest brought to the Olivers by Mrs. Manresa. Talking with Isa, he finds solace in his rejection and loneliness, as does she in hers.
Miss La Trobe, the lonely, frustrated writer and director of the historical pageant being presented at Pointz Hall.
Rupert Haines, a married gentleman farmer with whom Isa fancies herself in love.
George and Caro, grandchildren of Bartholomew.
Eliza Clark, Albert, Mrs. Otter, and Mr. Budge, villagers who act in the pageant.