The House with the Green Shutters: Analysis of Major Characters
"The House with the Green Shutters" presents a compelling exploration of its major characters, primarily focusing on the Gourlay family and their tragic dynamics. John Gourlay, the patriarch, is a proud and ambitious Scots merchant whose relentless quest for wealth leads to his downfall. His character is marked by greed and a disdain for those he views as inferior, ultimately culminating in madness and isolation. His wife, Mrs. Gourlay, once beautiful and vibrant, becomes a shadow of herself, pouring her affections into their son while suffering from her husband's neglect. Their son, Young John Gourlay, embodies cowardice and ambition thwarted by his father's oppressive expectations, leading to a violent confrontation that ends in tragedy for both father and son. The narrative also includes James Wilson, a rival merchant whose ethical approach to business highlights Gourlay's moral failings and contributes to the family's decline. The somber fate of the characters, including multiple suicides, underscores themes of despair, familial conflict, and the corrosive effects of pride and ambition. This analysis provides a nuanced look at the complex interplay of human relationships and societal pressures within the story.
The House with the Green Shutters: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: George Douglas
First published: 1901
Genre: Novel
Locale: Rural Scotland
Plot: Regional
Time: Late nineteenth century
John Gourlay, a Scots merchant. He works hard to become rich and is proud of his house with the green shutters and his other possessions. His pride is insolent; he simply wants more than other people and to be acknowledged as superior. While he works hard, he is also mean, stingy, boastful, and evil. He is ashamed of his weakling son and his slovenly wife. He goes mad and, in his madness, goads his son into murdering him. He dies with no friends and with his wealth all but gone.
Mrs. Gourlay, Gourlay's wife. She was once a pretty woman, but she has become slatternly, having been denied love by her husband. She lavishes all her affection upon her son, who is her only reason for living. She is both a slattern and a bore. After her son's death, she commits suicide, knowing she is consumed by cancer.
Janet Gourlay, their daughter. She also commits suicide after her brother's death.
Young John Gourlay, Gourlay's weak, cowardly, but boastful son. He is unambitious, and only his father's influence keeps him in school. His father wants him to become a minister, but he cannot do the required work at college and is finally expelled for drunkenness and insubordination. Tortured at home by his father, he finally kills him with a poker. After the murder, he commits suicide by taking poison.
James Wilson, a man who returns to Gourlay's village with sufficient money to become the merchant's competitor. By honest, friendly dealing with his customers he expands his business and drives Gourlay into financial ruin.