Lucinda Brayford: Analysis of Major Characters
"Lucinda Brayford: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the lives and complexities of the central figures in the novel "Lucinda Brayford," which follows the eponymous character, a wealthy Anglo-Australian woman from Melbourne. The narrative tracks Lucinda's transformation from a naive young woman captivated by the allure of English aristocracy to a pragmatic individual shaped by the realities of her life and the societal pressures surrounding her. Her husband, Hugo Brayford, epitomizes the shallow British gentleman archetype, whose superficiality and infidelity deeply influence Lucinda's outlook.
Supporting characters include her father, Frederick Vane, whose obsession with wealth and status shapes Lucinda's values, and her mother, Julie, a social climber who encourages Lucinda's misguided aspirations. The Brayford brothers, Arthur and Paul, represent contrasting perspectives on responsibility and aristocratic ideals, highlighting Lucinda's moral struggles. Additionally, figures such as Tony, Lucinda's early admirer, and Pat, her lover, further complicate her journey as they embody various societal expectations and personal disappointments. The novel poignantly depicts Lucinda's challenges in navigating her identity and the impact of her choices on her family, particularly through her sensitive son Stephen, whose tragic fate underscores her ultimate disillusionment.
Lucinda Brayford: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Martin Boyd
First published: 1946
Genre: Novel
Locale: Melbourne, London, and southern France
Plot: Family
Time: The late 1800's to the 1940's
Lucinda Brayford, a rich “Anglo-Australian” from Melbourne. Lucinda's story begins when, as a beautiful and fatuous young woman in snobbish Melbourne society, she ensnares and marries an English nobleman. As the years pass and the events of the twentieth century bear on her, Lucinda evolves from a foolish romantic into a pragmatist but loses none of the snobbishness and false values that have shaped her pointless life. Lucinda's doings form the core of the novel, and all the other characters revolve around her.
Hugo Brayford, Lucinda's husband, an English gentleman. Hugo emerges as a stereotypical British aristocrat: handsome and gallant, shallow and idle, doing nothing except hunting and socializing. His long-standing affair with another woman and the war injury that leaves his face deformed strongly affect the way Lucinda's outlook on life develops.
Frederick Vane, Lucinda's father, a successful Australian businessman. The brusque, middle-aged, nondescript Vane typifies upstart colonials as seen through British eyes. His obsession with money and social climbing help to determine not only Lucinda's loveless marriage but also her questionable values.
Julie Vane, Frederick's wife and Lucinda's mother. A social climber who doggedly sets out to re-create British social life in Australia, Julie is an attractive, likable, and sometimes comic woman as she exhibits her Anglo-Australian snobbery and pretensions. She helps to send her daughter on a false course that leaves Lucinda unfulfilled as a woman.
Arthur Brayford, Hugo's eldest brother. Although he holds the family title, Arthur lacks his brother's surface charm and looks. He develops into one of the few characters to appear sure of himself, seem satisfied with what he has made of his life, and assume responsibility for others—all in opposition to Lucinda's selfishness and disillusionment.
Paul Brayford, Hugo's elder brother. Paul, eccentric and tedious as a young man, even more so when older, is generally undistinguished and somewhat crabbed in appearance. His interminable pronouncements on the superiority of the British aristocracy, on art, and on the downfall of Western civilization serve to highlight Lucinda's moral and spiritual disintegration.
Marian Brayford, Arthur's wife. Like her husband, she typifies the British gentry who live anachronistic lives on their decaying estates. Marian, a plain woman in appearance, is solid, outspoken, and confident of her place as the lady of the manor. She is the antithesis to the would-be aristocrat Lucinda.
Tony, an early admirer of Lucinda. In his twenties when Lucinda develops a crush on him, Tony—pretentious, arty, frivolous, and almost pretty in appearance—is soon banished by her parents, who consider him unsuitable as a potential husband. Years later, he reappears in Lucinda's life, an aging and feckless provincial from Australia on the grand tour of Europe.
Pat Lanfranc, Lucinda's lover. He is a good-looking young army officer from an Irish family and is far more sensitive than Lucinda's husband. When Hugo dies, Pat refuses to marry Lucinda, thus all but extinguishing her illusions.
Stephen, Lucinda's son. Possessing a romantic sensibility and a delicate nature, he can face neither the failure of his marriage nor the rigors of service in World War II. He mopes about, fades, then dies in his early twenties. Although devastated by his death, Lucinda manages to rekindle—at least for the moment—her own flagging sense of life as she listens to the King's Chapel choir that her son loved.