Herself Surprised: Analysis of Major Characters
"Herself Surprised" is a novel that intricately explores the lives of its main characters, particularly focusing on the complexities of human relationships and self-discovery. At the center is Sara Monday, an open-hearted cook whose vulnerability and impulsive nature lead her into precarious situations, including imprisonment. Throughout her journey, Sara confronts her flaws and strives for personal redemption, seeking to reclaim her identity after her time in jail. Her husband, Matthew Monday, represents a contrasting character; he is ineffectual and overshadowed by familial pressures, but his marriage to Sara offers him a brief sense of liberation until his jealousy complicates their dynamic.
Gulley Jimson, an artist, plays a pivotal role in Sara's life, initially alluring her but ultimately causing her downfall due to his manipulative nature and unwillingness to commit. The story is further enriched by supporting characters like Mr. Hickson, an art collector, and Mr. Wilcher, who offers Sara love and stability but is thwarted by her legal troubles. The interactions among these characters reveal themes of ambition, sacrifice, and the search for authenticity in relationships. Overall, "Herself Surprised" presents a nuanced portrayal of how personal choices and external influences shape individual destinies.
Herself Surprised: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Joyce Cary
First published: 1941
Genre: Novel
Locale: England
Plot: Social
Time: First quarter of the twentieth century
Sara Monday, an open-hearted, self-indulgent cook whose thoughtless behavior has a way of getting her in trouble. Finally landing in jail, she looks at herself, examines her weaknesses, and resolves, with the help of her newly found self-knowledge, to regain her “character” and keep it when her sentence is over.
Matthew (Matt) Monday, Sara Monday's husband, an ineffectual man dominated by his family. His marriage to Sara emancipates him until his jealousy of Gulley Jimson destroys the self-confidence he has achieved.
Gulley Jimson, an artist who persuades the widowed Sara Monday to live with him after she learns that he has a legal wife and cannot marry her. He mistreats Sara, who leaves him, but he never loses his hold over her, and eventually he is the cause of her arrest and imprisonment for the indiscretions she commits to support him.
Mr. Hickson, an art collector and a friend of Sara and Matt Monday.
Mr. Wilcher, the employer and, later, the lover of Sara Monday. His plans to marry Sara are interrupted by her arrest and imprisonment.
Nina, the supposed wife of Gulley Jimson.
Blanche Wilcher, Mr. Wilcher's niece by marriage.
Clarissa Hipper, Blanche Wilcher's sister.