Black Mischief: Analysis of Major Characters
"Black Mischief" is a satirical novel by Evelyn Waugh that explores the complexities of modernization and colonialism through its major characters in the fictional East African country of Azania. Central to the narrative is Seth, the young emperor, whose ambition to modernize his nation clashes with his tribal heritage and superstitions, leading to misguided and often comical efforts. The character of Basil Seal represents the opportunistic adventurer, blending charm and unscrupulousness as he navigates the political landscape of Azania in his role as high commissioner. Accompanying them is Sir Samson Courteney, the eccentric British minister, whose detachment from local turmoil highlights the absurdities of colonial diplomacy.
Other key figures include Prudence Courteney, whose shallow pursuits and doomed fate underscore the novel's dark humor, and General Connolly, a mercenary whose enigmatic background adds depth to the narrative. Krikor Youkoumian embodies the shrewdness of survival in a tumultuous environment, thriving amidst the political chaos. Additional characters, like William Bland and Dame Mildred Porch, provide further insights into the diverse perspectives and reactions to the absurdities of colonial life. Overall, "Black Mischief" presents a rich tapestry of characters grappling with the intersections of culture, power, and the folly of human ambition.
Black Mischief: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Evelyn Waugh
First published: 1932
Genre: Novel
Locale: The mythical empire of Azania, an island off Africa
Plot: Satire
Time: The early 1930's
Seth, the newly crowned emperor of Azania. He is the twenty-four-year-old grandson of Amurath, the first emperor of this polyglot East African country. He has a naïve faith in the future and in progress, and he is determined to modernize the country at all costs. His progressive impulses are constantly at war with his tribal background and superstitious nature. He acquired enough information while at Oxford to prove Alexander Pope's famous maxim that a little learning is a dangerous thing; his efforts are largely ineffectual. He gives boots to his barefoot army, and the soldiers eat them. He shows films on birth control all across the country, but they evoke only sympathy from the audiences for the unfortunate manonthescreenwhohassofewsons.
Basil Seal, an adventurer and one of the “Bright Young People.” He is handsome, charming, opportunistic, and unscrupulous. He once had Seth to lunch at Oxford. This tenuous association has lured him to Azania, where he finds himself high commissioner and comptroller general of the ministry of modernization.
Sir Samson Courteney, the British minister to Azania. He is eccentric, inattentive, and comparatively unsuccessful in diplomatic life. The interminable assassinations, coups, and wars that characterize Azanian political life never touch him. He regards the slightest request from any Azanian as a gross personal imposition.
Prudence Courteney, Sir Samson's daughter and Basil's mistress. She is a silly girl who has but two enthusiasms: sex and the Panorama of Life, a written collection of her callow observations. She is fated for an exotic demise, as the main course at a Wanda cannibal feast.
General Connolly, a mercenary in Seth's service. He has wide experience in the internecine wars of Africa. He is an enigmatic man with a mysterious past.
Krikor Youkoumian, Basil's financial secretary in the ministry of modernization. This shrewd, unprincipled, indefatigable Armenian entrepreneur is perfectly fitted for the political and economic life of Azania. While those around him are periodically assassinated or put to flight, he survives each change of regime and turns a nice profit.
William Bland, a junior member of the British legation. His surname is an apt representation of his personality. His tepid romance with Prudence is quickly terminated by Basil's charisma.
Dame Mildred Porch, a formidable Englishwoman who much prefers animals to people. Along with her friend Miss Sarah Tin, she is visiting Azania on behalf of the League of Dumb Chums. Upon discovering a family living with their goats in an abandoned truck, she observes that this arrangement cannot be healthy for the goats.