Explosion in a Cathedral: Analysis of Major Characters
"Explosion in a Cathedral" explores the complexities of revolutionary ideals through its major characters set against the backdrop of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Key figures include Victor Hugues, a self-made French entrepreneur and revolutionary who embodies the shifting tides of the French Revolution while navigating the Caribbean's sociopolitical landscape. Sofía, a spirited young woman influenced by Enlightenment ideals, experiences personal growth and disillusionment through her relationships with Victor and her family, culminating in her tragic fate during the Napoleonic massacre.
Esteban, Sofía's cousin, evolves from a frail boy to an enthusiastic revolutionary, ultimately facing disappointment as ideals crumble. Carlos, Sofía's brother, balances his responsibilities as a businessman with his commitment to revolutionary principles, piecing together his siblings’ fates. Supporting characters like Dr. Ogé, who represents a blend of traditional and progressive beliefs, and Don Cosme, a staunch monarchist, further illustrate the tensions between old and new ideologies. The narrative reflects the struggles of its characters against the backdrop of social change, highlighting their diverse perspectives and experiences.
Explosion in a Cathedral: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Alejo Carpentier
First published: El siglo de las luces, 1962 (English translation, 1963)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Caribbean islands and Europe
Plot: Social realism
Time: 1789–1808
Victor Hugues (ewg), a robust self-made French entrepreneur and revolutionary living in the Caribbean. He is a man of action who likes to be in charge, whether it is in the Havana household he enters on a trip from his home in Saint-Domingue (future Haiti) in 1789, or, later, as an agent of various French governments in Caribbean colonies. Victor helps organize the business of his recently orphaned young Cuban hosts and familiarizes them with the latest liberal ideas. An opportunist, he adapts to the successive stages of the French Revolution, from initial libertarianism through various phases of repression. He is modeled on the historical personage of the same name.
Sofía (soh-FEE-ah), a wealthy young woman brought up with her brother, Carlos, and male cousin Esteban in a wealthy Havana home situated next door to the retail establishment of her father, who has died just before the action of the novel begins. A spirited woman, she becomes imbued with Enlightenment ideals and stays loyal to them throughout. Sofía's maturation into womanhood is encouraged by Victor's advances, to which she eventually yields before he leaves Cuba. She breaks off their later intimate relationship in French Guiana because she is disgusted with Victor's repression of the black people there. Sofía finally goes to Spain to be near Esteban, who loves her and has been imprisoned there. At Sofía's urging, they join the revolutionary crowd on the day of the Napoleonic massacre in early May, 1808, and are not heard from again.
Esteban (ehs-TEH-bahn), the initially frail, asthmatic younger cousin of Sofía and Carlos who from early childhood has lived with them. He has a penchant for the imaginative and the fantastic. After his cure, Esteban blossoms into an inquisitive, intellectual young man who is, however, never as independent and self-willed as Sofía. In the Caribbean and in France, under Victor's tutelage, he becomes an enthusiast of the revolution. Later, he becomes disillusioned when the revolution and Victor lose their ideals. Esteban's experiences make up the longest part of the novel. He loves Sofía. He saves her when she is pursued because of her beliefs by the authorities in Cuba and is finally united with her in Madrid.
Carlos, Sofía's brother, a teenage boy when his father dies. His strongest boyhood interest is the flute. When he is orphaned, he is obliged to replace his father in the retail business, for which he initially has no taste. Carlos develops into a successful businessman and over the years retains his enthusiasm for the ideals of the French Revolution. It falls to him, traveling in Madrid, to piece together the fate of Sofía and Esteban from accounts of those who knew them there.
Dr. Ogé (oh-HEH), a broad-shouldered mulatto from Saint-Domingue who is a friend of Victor Hugues. Ogé combines traditional beliefs in biblical myths and mystical doctrines with the progressive liberal credo. He practices folk medicine and cures Esteban of his asthma. A freemason like Hugues, Ogé has to leave Cuba with him to escape monarchist repression. Returning to Port-au-Prince, Ogé learns that his brother Vincent (a historical figure) has been killed by the French in the 1789 rebellion there. Ogé encourages Hugues and Esteban to leave Saint-Domingue for their own safety, but his farewell embrace is stiffer than usual: White and black will no longer mix there.
Don Cosme (kohs-MEH), who is also called the Executor because of his role in looking after the financial affairs of Sofía and Carlos' deceased father. He initially acts as guardian for the orphaned young people but is effectively displaced in this surrogate father's role by Victor. Don Cosme is a conventional religionist and monarchist, opposed to Hugues's progressivism. When Carlos takes over the retail business, he dismisses Don Cosme, replacing him with Jorge.
Jorge (HOHR-heh), a slim, handsome Cuban of Irish descent, educated in England, who marries Sofía and works in the family business with Carlos. He brings some decorum into the hitherto disorderly household. Jorge falls ill in an epidemic and, despite his fragile constitution, fights desperately for weeks against fever and asphyxia, which finally kill him.
Caleb Dexter, a North American sea captain and master of the Arrow, a freemason and a friend of Hugues and Ogé. The captain is a realist: Against the lovesick Esteban's pleas, Dexter respects Sofía's wishes and agrees to take her from Cuba to French Guiana to be with Hugues after her husband dies.