Caught: Analysis of Major Characters
"Caught: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the complex dynamics among a diverse cast of characters set against the backdrop of the London Auxiliary Fire Service during a tumultuous time. Central to the narrative is Richard Roe, a widower grappling with the trauma of losing his wife, whose experiences as a fireman reveal the stark realities of working-class life. His relationship with his son Christopher becomes increasingly strained as his sister-in-law Dy, a sharp-tongued woman from an upper-class background, assumes parental duties.
Other key characters include Albert Pye, a troubled sub-officer haunted by his past, and Hilly, a fire service driver whose pragmatic love brings comfort to Roe. The narrative is further enriched by contrasting figures like Prudence, Pye’s upper-class lover, who only engages with the working class superficially, and Arthur Piper, the elderly fireman who seeks approval from superiors. The story also features Shiner Wright, a heroic figure who sacrifices himself in the line of duty, and Mary Howells, a worker known for her gossip. Through these characters, the text delves into themes of class, loss, and the human condition, reflecting a society in flux.
Caught: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Henry Green
First published: 1943
Genre: Novel
Locale: London and the English countryside
Plot: Social morality
Time: 1939–1940
Richard Roe, a widower in his mid-thirties who volunteers for duty in the London Auxiliary Fire Service. He was badly hurt by the death of his wife. Roe, a product of an affluent, cultured home, learns what life holds in store for members of the working class when he signs on as a fireman and lives among them. In his detached way, he loves his son, Christopher, but their relationship grows distant after Roe's sister Dy takes over his duty as parent. In Roe's absence, Christopher is abducted for a short time by the sister of his superior officer, Albert Pye.
Albert Pye, a sub-officer of the London Auxiliary Fire Service station and Roe's superior officer. Pye, a rough man from humble origins, is tormented by memories and represses the fact that when young, he made love to his own sister, an act that propelled her into madness and eventually leads to his suicide in a gas oven.
Dy, Roe's sister-in-law, who cares for his young son, Christopher, when his fire duties call him away from home. Sharp-tempered and snobbish, she detests the fire service personnel and their mean surroundings.
Christopher Roe, Richard's son, who falls under the care and tutelage of Dy. A five-year-old at the novel's outset, Christopher gradually loses interest in his father as a result of his prolonged separation from him. He increasingly adopts the upper-class attitudes of Dy at the same time his father is shedding his preconceived notions about people of “lower station in life.”
Hilly, a fire service driver for Pye who becomes romantically involved with Roe. Hilly's love helps Roe move away from the pain of his wife's death, and he admires her frank, commonsense approach to life.
Prudence, the upper-class lover of Pye who eventually tires of him and dismisses him from her thoughts. She is Hilly's opposite in many ways: She is rich and cultivated, though narrow and bigoted. Her interest in the British working class extends only to brief romantic adventures with firemen.
Arthur Piper, the oldest fireman with London's fire service. He saw duty in World War I. He constantly plays up to his superior officers in an absurd, wheedling fashion.
Shiner Wright, a heroic, rugged fire service veteran who is killed fighting a huge conflagration in the area around London's docks, a blaze set by Nazi bombs.
Trant, Roe and Pye's commanding officer, a stern, rule-bound man with little interest in the men and women in his command.
Mary Howells, a menial worker at the fire service station known for her interest in passing along information about others.