Freddy's Book: Analysis of Major Characters
"Freddy's Book: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the intricate dynamics between the characters in a narrative that weaves personal struggles with broader historical themes. The story is narrated by Jack Winesap, who, while visiting a college, becomes fascinated with Freddy Agaard, the son of Professor Sten Agaard. Freddy is depicted as a physically imposing yet gentle individual, grappling with emotional challenges and confined to his father's home, where he expresses his creativity through writing and art. His magnum opus, "Freddy's Book," delves into the tumultuous era of Gustav Vasa's rise to power in Sweden.
Gustav Vasa, a central character in Freddy’s narrative, is portrayed as a determined leader seeking independence from Danish rule, often navigating moral complexities through his interactions with the enigmatic figure of the Devil. The Devil, a master manipulator, symbolizes the darker aspects of human nature, while Lars-Goren Bergquist serves as Vasa's moral anchor, embodying justice and steadfastness. The cynical Bishop Hans Brask adds depth to the exploration of belief and doubt, showcasing the struggle between intellect and faith. Through these characters, the work examines fundamental questions about good, evil, and the essence of human existence, inviting readers to reflect on their own values and choices.
Freddy's Book: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: John Gardner
First published: 1980
Genre: Novel
Locale: The United States and Sweden
Plot: Symbolic realism
Time: The 1970's and the sixteenth century
Jack Winesap, the first-person narrator of the realistic part of the text. Visiting a college, Winesap accepts a dinner invitation from Professor Agaard. Winesap endures Agaard's testy behavior and takes an interest in the book that his son, Freddy, is rumored to be writing. Freddy secretly shows Winesap his book; it is this “book within the book” that constitutes the remainder of the novel.
Sten Agaard, a professor of Scandinavian history and father of Freddy. Agaard is a wizened, older man of vinegary disposition and considerable social awkwardness. Despite these drawbacks, he often has keen insights into the fallacies of academia and its politics, and he is a devoted father. His embittered cynicism makes him an outcast among his peers and a problematic parent for Freddy.
Freddy Agaard, a semi-invalid and the only child of Professor Agaard. A young adult, Freddy is more than eight feet tall, obese, and extremely strong. He has childlike facial features and an extremely gentle, retiring nature. Freddy also has a predisposition toward sudden and largely unpredictable tantrums, during which he is capable of inflicting considerable damage. Freddy, therefore, has jailed himself in his father's house, where he pursues his remarkable but unshared talents in art and prose. The greatest of his achievements is “Freddy's Book,” a tale of the turbulent and violent times surrounding Gustav Vasa's accession to the Swedish throne in the early 1520's. Crafted as a symbolic realist saga, Freddy's book is a sensitive and insightful investigation into the nature of the human heart, of good and evil, and of existence itself.
Gustav Vasa, the king of Sweden and one of the main characters of Freddy's book. Vasa and his friend Lars-Goren Bergquist are committed to regaining Sweden's independence by throwing off the yoke of their Danish overlords. In the process, Vasa is confronted by the Devil, who inspires the would-be king with plans for revolt and conquest. Although headstrong and often hotheaded, Vasa is neither greedy nor deceitful; rather, one ally characterizes him as being so utilitarian and driven by purpose that he is not really a human but an animal, a creature that has no inclination for contemplation of ideals or ideas. Vasa does have values: Although he accepts the Devil's counsel, he hates the demon and plans to slay the Devil once Sweden has been stabilized.
The Devil, a creature of infinite shapes and illusions. One of the most unusual characters in the book, he is able to assume any shape and uses this power to sow discord. Although never violent himself, he preys on the fears, desires, and lusts of humans, using these drives to encourage them into acts of destruction, betrayal, and degradation. Although he is a master of lies and rhetoric, the Devil has one weakness: He has a short attention span when it comes to the petty and inane conversations and plots of human beings. Ultimately, this proves to be his downfall, because such “inane” thoughts motivate and compel those who are sent to kill him.
Lars-Goren Bergquist, a knight known throughout Sweden as a just and fair man; he is Vasa's primary assistant. Lars-Goren thinks slowly but very well and clearly, and he fears nothing except the Devil. Consequently, when the Devil approaches Vasa and begins to influence the king-to-be, Lars-Goren is mute with fear. He continues to serve as Vasa's moral compass and also exerts a gradual but powerful influence over the cynical Bishop Brask. Most of Freddy's book follows the affairs and thoughts of Lars-Goren, the one character who is happy in his station, gladly accepting his lot in life and his pastoral existence.
Hans Brask, a cynical bishop and unreliable ally of Vasa and Lars-Goren. He is blessed with a gift for rhetoric and intellectual accomplishment. These strengths become the bishop's greatest weaknesses. Brask's ability to pierce façades, expose self-delusion, and investigate the disparities between idealistic dreams and the grim realities whereby people pursue them makes it impossible for him to believe in anything. Ironically, Brask is paralyzed by his own intellect. Condemning Lars-Goren at first, Brask eventually begins to gravitate toward the knight, uncertain of what is drawing him in that direction. It is fairly clear that Brask is drawn by Lars-Goren's steady dedication to justice and the intelligent faith that undergirds it.