Catherine Carmier: Analysis of Major Characters
"Catherine Carmier" is a novel that delves into the complex relationships and individual struggles of its main characters, set against the backdrop of rural Louisiana. Central to the narrative is Jackson Bradley, who, after studying in California, feels alienated from his hometown and grapples with his identity. Catherine Carmier, a pivotal character, embodies a conflict between her quest for personal fulfillment and her deep familial bonds, particularly with her father, Raoul. Raoul is portrayed as a stern and isolated figure, marked by his lighter skin and a rigid attitude towards his family and the community, which reflects his internal struggles with identity and belonging.
Other significant characters include Charlotte, Jackson's aunt, who holds high hopes for him, often overlooking his individual needs due to her emotional investment. Della, Raoul's wife, experiences estrangement from her husband following the birth of their son, leading to tension as she recognizes Raoul's fixation on Catherine. Lastly, Madame Bayonne, Jackson's former teacher, serves as a wise observer who understands his journey while providing insight into the emotional dynamics of the community. Together, these characters weave a narrative rich in themes of family, identity, and the search for self amid societal pressures.
Catherine Carmier: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Ernest J. Gaines
First published: 1964
Genre: Novel
Locale: Southern Louisiana
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: The early 1960's
Jackson Bradley, a searcher who measures people, places, and events by whether they will contribute to his search or impede it. Returning to Louisiana after completing his college education in California, he no longer feels at home in the rural community of his origins.
Catherine Carmier, a woman divided between her need to fulfill herself as an individual and her powerful attachment to her family, especially to her father. Her relationship with her father has a troubling intensity; she is not sure that she could love any other man as much as she loves him.
Raoul Carmier, a hard, determined man. His extremely light skin has created in him a sense of distance from his darker-skinned neighbors without creating any compensatory sense of closeness to white people. He lives in a kind of self-imposed isolation from the community and insists that his wife and daughter share it with him. His hardness is seen in a more positive light when he stands up to the Cajuns after almost everyone else has surrendered.
Charlotte, Jackson's aunt, sees in him not only the young man she has helped to rear but also the main hope for the future of the community. Her emotional investment in him blinds her to his needs as a separate human being.
Della, Raoul's wife, emotionally estranged from her husband ever since the birth of her son Mark, whose dark skin revealed that Raoul could not be the father. Recognizing her husband's obsession with Catherine, Della waits for her moment, when she can take her rightful place as Raoul's true wife.
Madame Bayonne, Jackson's former schoolteacher, who has a freedom of mind that allows her to understand Jack-son's questing nature at the same time that she sees deeply into the powerful emotional entanglements of the local community. Her role is that of confidante to Jackson and of ironic and compassionate commentator on the action.