God on the Rocks: Analysis of Major Characters
"God on the Rocks" features a rich tapestry of characters, primarily centered around the precocious eight-year-old Margaret Marsh. Margaret is characterized by her inquisitive nature and a surprising depth of biblical knowledge, shaped by her fervently religious father, Kenneth. Despite her understanding of scripture, she grapples with profound questions about life and God through candid observations of the adult world. Her mother, Elinor, seeks a nurturing relationship with Margaret but struggles with her own vulnerabilities, particularly after leaving Kenneth due to his infidelity. Kenneth Marsh, a devout yet flawed man, faces the consequences of his actions, leading to tragic events that impact his family. Other notable characters include Charles Frayling, Elinor's former love, and Binkie, his practical sister, both of whom navigate their complex familial relationships and personal aspirations. Lydia, the Marsh family's maid, adds another layer, embodying both affection for Margaret and disillusionment with Kenneth’s hypocrisy. Together, these characters weave a narrative that explores themes of faith, betrayal, and the search for identity amidst personal and societal struggles.
God on the Rocks: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Jane Gardam
First published: 1978
Genre: Novel
Locale: Northeastern England
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: The 1930's and after World War II
Margaret Marsh, an eight-year-old girl. Precocious, inquisitive, and outspoken, Margaret enjoys climbing trees and exploring the grounds of the big manor house on her outings with Lydia, a servant. Her surprisingly exhaustive knowledge of biblical texts (inculcated by her fundamentalist father) is of limited help in answering her larger questions about God and life. Her candid observations of an adult world she only partially understands provide the novel's primary point of view.
Elinor Marsh, Margaret's mother, aged thirty-six. Large and maternal, she nevertheless retains her youthful beauty. She is eager to be a friend to Margaret and tries (rather unsuccessfully) not to let her new baby boy distract her attention from her daughter. Initially attracted to Kenneth Marsh because of the intensely religious “goodness” he exudes, she leaves him when she discovers him in the arms of Lydia. She flees to a former fiancé, Charles Frayling, whose acquaintance she has recently renewed; from this union, she bears a son. Eventually, she marries the local vicar, Father Carter.
Kenneth Marsh, Margaret's father, who works in a bank. A neat, controlled, fervently religious man, Marsh belongs to a denomination called the Primal Saints. Marsh denounces sin energetically, but the attractions of the serving girl Lydia, who he initially argues has been sent to them by God that they may redeem her, prove too tempting for him. He is discovered by both Margaret and Elinor attempting to seduce Lydia. Later that day, Kenneth drowns trying to save Margaret after she is caught by the tide far from shore during a storm.
Charles Frayling, a local schoolmaster. Elinor's childhood love, Charles rather neglected her after he went away to Queen's College, Cambridge, but at his graduation he proposed to her. He lacked, however, the will to resist his domineering mother's determined efforts to break off the match with Elinor, who she felt was a social inferior. Now, he lives as a bachelor with his unmarried sister, Binkie. He is a quiet, introverted man whose easy, understanding manner at first makes Margaret suspicious but soon comes to appeal to her greatly. When Elinor flees to him after discovering Kenneth's infidelity, he is taken aback at finding himself in the role of the pursued. He ends up living in Australia, alone.
Binkie Frayling, Charles's unmarried sister. Plain, practical, and studious, she studied economic theory with some distinction at Girton College, Cambridge. She is very active in the local parish, perhaps because she is romantically interested in the vicar, Father Carter. She claims to have had plenty of offers of marriage in her time, but these opportunities, like Charles's, were somehow thwarted by her strong-willed mother. In a painful moment of self-realization, she admits to Father Carter that she hates her mother and, indeed, hates everyone. Even so, she continues to be sensible, understanding, andkindtoeveryone.
Rosalie Frayling, Charles and Binkie's mother. In her youth, she accepted the proposal of Edwin Frayling, many years her senior. Secretly, she desperately wanted her mother to forbid the marriage, but her mother allowed her to decide for herself. As a consequence of this unwelcome freedom and the resulting unhappy marriage, she completely dominates her own children. She once loved a wounded captain who convalesced at the family manor during World War I; although his wife soon came to fetch the incapacitated captain home, she continues to dream of him. Toward the end of her life, she allows her house to be converted to a lunatic asylum, and now, bedridden, arthritic, and near death, she lives there, cared for by the nurses and sharing a love of painting with Drinkwater, one of the residents.
Beezer-Iremonger, one of the Primal Saints. Gassed at the Somme during World War I, Beezer-Iremonger is not entirely sane. He eventually is revealed to be the wounded captain of Rosalie's youth. He returned north from his home in Surrey, presumably seeking her, but they were never reunited. He drowns trying to save Margaret during the storm.
Lydia, the Marshes' attractive maid. About seventeen years old, Lydia is garish, plump, and coarse, but she has a genuinely caring and affectionate nature and is a real friend to Margaret. Cheerful and brazen, Lydia flirts openly with the young men at the seaside and trysts with the gamekeeper of the manor while Margaret goes off exploring during their outings. She is nevertheless disillusioned and angry when Marsh makes his pass at her. She finds his transgression particularly painful because the evangelistic Marsh, who in fact had her nearly converted to Primal Sainthood, has shattered her budding belief in religion and higher values.