The Fox: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Fox: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the intricate dynamics between the key figures within the narrative, primarily set on Bailey Farm. Central to the story is Ellen (Nellie) March, a strong and authoritative co-owner of the farm, whose life is disrupted by the arrival of both a fox, which symbolizes raw masculinity, and Henry Grenfel, a young soldier seeking to marry her. Nellie's established partnership with Jill Banford, the more delicate co-owner, faces turmoil as Jill becomes increasingly alarmed by Nellie’s potential marriage to Henry.
Jill's character is marked by warmth but also vulnerability, and her attempts to thwart Nellie’s union with Henry ultimately culminate in tragedy when she dies in an accident involving a tree being felled by Henry. Meanwhile, Henry is portrayed as cunning and predatory, paralleling the aggressive nature of the fox, as he seeks both to eliminate competition and win Nellie's affection. The fox itself serves as a metaphor for the unrestrained masculine ego, exerting control over both women indirectly. The story raises themes of power, desire, and the complexities of relationships, inviting readers to reflect on the impact of these characters' choices within their rural setting.
The Fox: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: D. H. Lawrence
First published: 1923
Genre: Novella
Locale: The Midlands of England
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: During World War I
Ellen (Nellie) March, a co-owner of a Berkshire farm. Strong, authoritative, and almost masculine, Nellie is the decision maker on Bailey Farm, where she does most of the outdoor work. The stability on the farm between Nellie and Jill, the farm's vaguely fragile co-owner, is upset by two events in the story. The first is the appearance of a fox that frequently disturbs the quietude by stealing and murdering chickens. The second is the appearance of Henry Grenfel, a young soldier who soon decides to marry Nellie. The woman is thereafter torn between her desire for stability with Jill Banford and her attraction to the prospects of marrying Henry and going to Canada. In the end, she is left with Henry, but there is little hope for joy in this union.
Jill Banford, the other owner of Bailey Farm and best of friends to Nellie March. Nerve-worn and delicate, but warm-hearted, Jill functions in the novella as the losing vortex of the love triangle. Jill is taken aback by Nellie's prospects of marriage to Henry Grenfel, and she works constantly to thwart this outcome. At the end of the story, however, in what is seemingly a convenient accident, she dies when a tree being felled by Henry strikes her on the head. Her death ensures that Nellie will marry Henry.
Henry Grenfel, a young soldier who used to live on Bailey Farm with his grandfather. Henry, about twenty years old, is foxlike in every respect: He has ruddy, fair, and sharp features, and his mannerisms, which are quick, cunning, and animal-like, are becoming to a fox. He returns to the farm only to discover his grandfather gone; however, he quickly ingratiates himself with the two owners by doing odd chores and bringing home game for food. As a human animal, he predatorily kills the fox that is robbing the henhouse, pursues Nellie with operant male aggression, and works to effect the death of Jill so he can conquer Nellie.
The fox, the robber of the henhouse. An aggressive predator that simply takes what it wants, the fox is the symbol of the unleashed and unvarnished masculine ego at its worst. It plunders, rapes, robs, and murders at will. In so doing, it holds a domineering control over Nellie and Jill, although an indirect one. The fox appears in Nellie's dreams until it is shot by Henry, who then assumes the same predatory role more clearly.
Captain Berryman, Henry's commanding officer. Another figure of masculinity, Berryman gives Henry a twenty-four-hour leave after he realizes that the young soldier must be excused because of “problems with a woman.”
Mr. Banford, Jill's father. Old and ineffectual, Banford stands in direct contrast to Henry. When Henry returns to the farm on leave, he discovers Banford attempting to cut down a tree, vaguely rendered as a phallic symbol. Henry immediately fells the tree, killing Banford's daughter in front of him.