The Rebel Generation: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Rebel Generation: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the dynamics within the Cornvelt family, focusing on the conflicts between tradition and personal aspiration. At the center is Louis Cornvelt, a staunchly conservative patriarch whose rigid expectations dominate his children's lives. His children—Katie, Nicholas, Sarah, and David—struggle with their father's authority; after moments of youthful rebellion, they ultimately succumb to his control. The arrival of Marie Elizabeth (Lysbeth) Sylvain, Louis' niece, introduces new ideas that briefly inspire the siblings to challenge familial norms, but her own journey leads her to France in search of independence and later back to Holland to advocate for women's rights.
Katie's marriage to Doctor William Wiseman, despite her reluctance, illustrates the theme of obedience to paternal expectations, while their daughter, Doctor Eliza Wiseman, shocks her family with aspirations of becoming a doctor, supported by Lysbeth. Meanwhile, David's son, a political radical, and Clara, his socially conscious daughter, reflect the varying degrees of rebellion and conformity that characterize the next generation. The narrative also touches on the struggles faced by later family members, such as Stephen and Dorothy Cornvelt, whose marriage is strained by infidelity and societal pressures, highlighting the ongoing impact of Louis Cornvelt's legacy on their lives. This exploration of character interactions presents a nuanced view of rebellion, submission, and the pursuit of identity within a constrained familial structure.
The Rebel Generation: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Johanna van Ammers-Küller
First published: De opstandigen, 1925 (English translation, 1928)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Leyden, the Netherlands
Plot: Social
Time: Early eighteenth century
Louis Cornvelt, an upper-middle-class Hollander. An ultra-conservative, orthodox Calvinist, he expects from his family complete adherence to his way of life and submission to his will.
Katie Cornvelt, Nicholas Cornvelt, Sarah Cornvelt, and David Cornvelt, Louis Cornvelt's children. After a brief youthful rebellion, each finds himself or herself too accustomed to parental domination to break the habit of obedience and finally bows submissively to the father's will.
Marie Elizabeth (Lysbeth) Sylvain, sometimes called Sylvia, Louis Cornvelt's orphaned niece, who comes to live in her uncle's home. She brings new ideas that inspire Louis' children to a brief rebellion. When her uncle refuses to allow her to earn a living, she runs away to France. Later, with an inherited fortune, she returns to Holland to work for the emancipation of women.
Doctor William Wiseman, Katie Cornvelt's husband, whom she marries in obedience to her father's will, even though the young doctor is repugnant to her.
Doctor Eliza Wiseman, the daughter of Katie Cornvelt and William Wiseman. She scandalizes her parents by wishing to become a doctor and receives help and encouragement from Marie Elizabeth Sylvain.
Louis Cornvelt, David Cornvelt's rebellious son, a political radical.
Clara Cornvelt, David Cornvelt's daughter, who gives in to her father in matters of love, though she persists in continuing as a social worker among the lowest classes.
Stephen Cornvelt, Dr. Eliza Wiseman's nephew. Infatuated with Millicent Cornvelt, he asks his wife Dorothy for a divorce.
Dorothy Cornvelt, Stephen Cornvelt's wife, a lawyer and member of Parliament. Her life is empty because of her family's indifference to her success and her husband's infatuation with Millicent Cornvelt.
Millicent Cornvelt, the great-granddaughter of Louis Cornvelt, Sr.
Kitty and Puck Cornvelt, the daughters of Stephen and Dorothy Cornvelt. They are unhappy in the insecurity of their unstable home.