Bruno's Dream: Analysis of Major Characters
"Bruno's Dream" is a poignant exploration of familial relationships, regret, and the complexities of love through its major characters, each grappling with their personal struggles and desires. Bruno Greensleave, the terminally ill protagonist, embodies a deep sense of regret for past decisions, particularly his estrangement from his son Miles and the missed opportunity to comfort his dying wife. Miles, a minor civil servant and aspiring poet, wrestles with his emotions as he navigates his complicated relationships with his wife Diana and her sister Lisa, whom he idealizes.
Diana, who provides a nurturing space for Miles, is caught in the emotional turmoil of being second to Parvati, Miles's first love. Her own romantic entanglement with Danby Odell, Bruno's son-in-law, adds layers to the narrative as Danby, who idolized his deceased wife Gwen, finds himself drawn to both Diana and Lisa. Meanwhile, Lisa, the intellectually accomplished sister, chooses not to engage in an affair with Miles despite their mutual feelings, opting instead for a more hedonistic relationship with Danby to challenge his idealization of her.
The character of Adelaide de Crecy, Danby’s housekeeper and mistress, further complicates the web of relationships, as her love for Danby contrasts with her eventual heartbreak when he falls for Lisa. Overall, "Bruno's Dream" intricately weaves the characters' journeys of love, loss, and redemption, reflecting on the profound impact of their choices and connections over time.
Bruno's Dream: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Iris Murdoch
First published: 1969
Genre: Novel
Locale: London, England
Plot: Farce
Time: The mid-1960's
Bruno Greensleave, a terminally ill old man. Bruno's illness has disfigured him, so that he looks somewhat like the arachnids he studies; his head seems bulbous and enlarged, but his limbs are wasted and thin. Aware that he is dying, Bruno wishes to make amends for the missteps he has made along the way. He wants to reunite with his estranged son, Miles, and regrets that he did not go to his dying wife when she called for him.
Miles Greensleave, Bruno's son. He has been estranged from Bruno since his first marriage, to an Indian woman, Parvati. He works as a minor civil servant but considers his vocation to be poetry. He married Diana several years after Parvati's death and lives a quiet, contemplative life. He realizes that he loves Lisa, Diana's sister, who lives with them. He idealizes Lisa, and the loss of her enables him again to write poetry.
Danby Odell, Bruno's son-in-law. He has managed Bruno's printing business since his marriage to Gwen, Bruno's daughter, who has been dead for many years. Danby idolized Gwen, to whom he always felt slightly inferior. Danby takes care of Bruno, who lives in Danby's house. Women find Danby charming, and he has been having an affair with Adelaide for some time before he flirts with Diana and then falls in love with Lisa.
Diana Greensleave, Miles's second wife. She first saw Miles in the market and fantasized that she could assuage his pain. Upon their marriage, she creates for Miles a safe haven and does ease his anguish. She accepts her second place in Miles's heart, Parvati being his great love. She returns Danby's flirtation and is greatly hurt when both Miles and Danby fall in love with Lisa. She tends and loves Bruno at the end of his life. By the end of the novel, she becomes a kind of divine figure, bearing others' pain and watching over them benevolently.
Lisa Watkin, Diana's sister. Lisa had a varied career before coming to live with Miles and Diana. After receiving a first-class degree at the University of Oxford, she taught in Yorkshire and joined the Communist Party. Later, she converted to Catholicism and joined the Order of Poor Clares. After leaving the order, she went to Paris and came down with tuberculosis. She teaches school in the East End of London. Lisa always has been considered the emotionally fragile sister, an image belied by her career. She returns Miles's love but refuses to have an affair with him. To shatter Miles's idealization of her, she has a happy, hedonistic affair with Danby.
Adelaide de Crecy, Danby's housekeeper and mistress. She greatly loves Danby and at first would have agreed to an affair even had he not promised to support her. She is devastated when Danby falls in love with Lisa, and eventually she marries her cousin, Will Boase, amid floods of tears.
Will Boase, Adelaide's cousin. Will is a temperamental, out-of-work actor who is given to violent passions. He loves Adelaide but tries to use her position in Danby's household to acquire money. He eventually becomes a great actor.
Nigel Boase, Adelaide's cousin and Will's twin. He works as a nurse to Bruno and is very tender with him. He believes himself godlike and spies on others to acquire knowledge about them. He informs Will of Danby's affair with Adelaide and tells Diana that she will watch over others benevolently.