The Late George Apley: A Novel in the Form of a Memoir: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Late George Apley: A Novel in the Form of a Memoir" presents a nuanced exploration of its protagonist, George William Apley, a member of Boston's Brahmin society. From a young age, George is groomed to uphold the values of propriety and social standing, yet his journey reveals complexities beneath this polished exterior. Throughout his life, he grapples with expectations, family pride, and the dynamics of wealth, ultimately passing these values onto his children, John and Eleanor, each of whom takes distinct paths that influence George's perception of success and fulfillment.
Key characters include George's supportive yet unexciting wife, Catharine, whose family dynamics dominate their marriage; John, whose military service instills pride in George but whose choices provoke mixed feelings; and Eleanor, whose marriage to a journalist disappoints her father. The narrative also features Mr. Willing, George’s biographer, who reflects the same snobbish tendencies of the Brahmin class while attempting to portray George’s life with a blend of commendation and critical insight.
Other notable figures include George’s philanthropic uncle, William, and his sister, Amelia, who is characterized by her independence. The novel intricately weaves these relationships to illuminate themes of societal expectation, individual identity, and the complexities of familial love within the confines of a privileged upbringing.
The Late George Apley: A Novel in the Form of a Memoir: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: John P. Marquand
First published: 1937
Genre: Novel
Locale: Boston, Massachusetts
Plot: Naturalism
Time: Late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
George William Apley, a proper Bostonian carefully trained since childhood to be a respectable member of Boston Brahmin society. Though as a college student he belittled the Brahmin pride of family, he acquired it himself as he matured, and later he attempted to pass it on to his children. Un-distinguished academically at Harvard, he had been active in campus affairs and a member of a select club. Unfit for active business, he derived his income from investments and from his father's substantial legacy. Though he admired Ralph Waldo Emerson's writings, he never became an Emersonian nonconformist; in fact, he believed that the individual in society must submit to the common will. Like his father and his Uncle William, he was a generous giver to worthy causes.
John Apley, his son, who stirred George's heart with pride over his war service, including a wound, and who later married a woman of good family. It was John who requested the writing of his father's life story.
Eleanor Apley, George's daughter. She greatly disappointed George by marrying a journalist.
Catharine Bosworth Apley, his wife, whose marriage to George was unexciting but successful. According to his sister Amelia, George simply let Catherine and her family dominate him.
Mr. Willing, George Apley's biographer, staid, polished, and politely dull. Like George himself, Mr. Willing is snobbish, for he is also a Brahmin. In accordance with John's request, he includes along with George's commendable characteristics and actions some derogatory and unsavory details in his life, but he attempts to excuse these as minor aberrations in an essentially admirable man.
Mary Monahan, an attractive girl whose love affair with George ended when George's parents removed him from such a lower-class association.
William Apley, George's uncle, a wealthy businessman who spent little on himself and scorned ostentation but who was secretly a generous philanthropist. He controlled the Apley mills and opposed labor unions. When he was more than eighty years old, he shocked the family by marrying his nurse.
Amelia Apley, George's sister. She was more independent and forceful than George.
O'Reilly, a lawyer who tricked George into a scandal.
Horatio Apley, holder of a diplomatic post in Rome.
Thomas Apley and Elizabeth Hancock Apley, George's parents.
Miss Prentiss, the young nurse whom Uncle William married.
Newcomb Simmings, Amelia Apley's husband.
Louise Hogarth Apley, John's wife. She is a divorcee, but when George learns that she is from a fine family, he is satisfied with her.
William Budd, Eleanor's husband.