The Comedians: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Comedians" is a novel that explores complex character dynamics against the backdrop of Haiti's political turmoil during the dictatorship of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier. The story is narrated by Brown, a cynical part-Englishman who owns a hotel in Haiti and returns to the country out of a sense of detachment and lack of belonging. His relationships reveal a tapestry of human emotion, notably with "Major" Jones, a likable yet flawed figure who seeks to find purpose and ultimately sacrifices himself for a greater cause.
Other key characters include William Abel Smith and his wife, who embody idealism and a desire for social justice, albeit with limited success in navigating the dangers of the regime. Martha Pineda, Brown's mistress, grapples with her loyalties and personal conflicts, reflecting the emotional upheaval of lovers caught in political strife. The narrative also introduces Dr. Magiot, a compassionate physician driven by his commitment to humanity, and Captain Concasseur, a menacing figure who symbolizes the oppressive force of the ruling regime. Through these characters, the novel delves into themes of betrayal, sacrifice, and the struggle for identity within a fearful society, ultimately painting a poignant picture of life in a repressive environment.
The Comedians: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Graham Greene
First published: 1966
Genre: Novel
Locale: Haiti and the Dominican Republic
Plot: Tragicomedy
Time: The early 1960's
Brown, the narrator, a part-Englishman from Monaco who has inherited a hotel in Haiti. Jaded, cynical, and detached, Brown has returned to Haiti in his late fifties because he has no real home and the hotel is all he owns. After run-ins with François “Papa Doc” Duvalier's secret police and after he has betrayed his friend Jones and his mistress Martha through his misplaced suspicion of them, he escapes from the fear-ridden country to the Dominican Republic, where he becomes a partner in a mortician's concern.
“Major” Jones, a former theater manager in his late forties who pretends to have been a war hero. A man sought by the police in several countries, he is nevertheless very likable, because he has a kindness about him and always makes people laugh. Tricked by Brown into joining the cause of the resistance against Papa Doc, he dies heroically in an effort to allow his fellow rebels to escape.
William Abel Smith, an elderly, idealistic vegetarian who has come to Haiti because he believes that avoidance of meat will neutralize destructive passions and because he wishes to start a Haitian vegetarian institute. Having run on the vegetarian ticket in the 1948 election, he is accepted as a former presidential candidate by the naïve authorities and even granted some credibility. His attempts to help people usually backfire disastrously, as when he gives beggars money that is immediately snatched by the secret police, but he is instrumental several times in helping Brown.
Mrs. Smith, Smith's wife, as idealistic as her husband. She is devoted to Smith and is even more likely than he to take immediate, direct action when she perceives injustice.
Martha Pineda (pih-NAY-dah), Brown's mistress. Married to a South American diplomat who knows about the affair and tolerates it, she is torn between her love for Brown and her attachment to her son Angel. As emotional and committed as Brown is restrained and detached, Martha is pulled back and forth between commitments until the end of the novel, when it becomes clear that she will follow her husband, who has been transferred, and will no longer see Brown.
Dr. Magiot, an elderly Communist doctor who is committed to people rather than causes. He reappears throughout the action to do what he can to alleviate suffering, but at the end he too is betrayed and killed by the supporters of Papa Doc. His last letter, received by Smith after Magiot's death, urges Smith to join the committed, not to “abandon all faith.”
Captain Concasseur, an officer in the Tonton Macoute, Papa Doc's secret police. Like his colleagues, he wears black sunglasses to maximize his effect of terror. Concasseur enjoys torturing and destroying, but his fun terrorizing Brown is broken up by the Smiths. Concasseur eventually is killed by the rebels, before they are killed by other members of the Tonton Macoute.
Henri Philipot, the young nephew of a slain Haitian minister. He gives up his writing of obscure verse to join the rebels. He survives to tell of the death of Jones and the others.