The Sacred Fount: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Sacred Fount" is a novel centered around a narrator, an unnamed novelist, who embarks on a weekend retreat with a group of friends at Newmarch, a country resort near London. As an astute observer of human behavior, he becomes intrigued by the noticeable changes in his companions: Grace Brissenden appears rejuvenated, while her husband Guy seems aged; Gilbert Long has become more lively, and May Server appears worn and withdrawn. The narrator becomes fixated on discovering the reasons behind these transformations, theorizing that love could be the source of rejuvenation or deterioration.
Key characters include Grace Brissenden, who is caught between her youthful appearance and her middle-aged reality, and Guy Brissenden, a young man seemingly aged by his marriage to Grace. Gilbert Long, initially perceived as dull, exhibits newfound vitality, raising suspicions of an affair, particularly with the emotionally drained May Server. May remains enigmatic, revealing little about her personal struggles, while Ford Obert, an artist in the group, provides philosophical insights into human nature and the difficulty of understanding people's true motives. Lastly, Lady John’s brief interactions with the narrator add complexity, as her relationship with Gilbert leads to further speculation about romantic entanglements within the group. This intricate web of relationships and observations invites deeper exploration of the themes of love, aging, and perception.
The Sacred Fount: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Henry James
First published: 1901
Genre: Novel
Locale: Newmarch, a British country estate, and on board a train
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: The 1890's
The narrator, a novelist who goes with a group of friends for a weekend to Newmarch, a country resort outside London. He is not named in the novel. Naturally inquisitive and an astute observer of human nature, he notices changes in several of his friends for which he can find no immediate explanation: Grace Brissenden seems younger than when they last met, Guy Brissenden older, Gilbert Long more lively, and May Server more withdrawn and worn. He becomes determined to observe everyone carefully, looking for clues that will explain why these character changes have taken place. Over the course of the weekend, he formulates an elaborate theory that the power of love is the source for rejuvenation in some and deterioration in others. He is especially interested in confirming his notion that May and Gilbert are lovers, and he enlists the aid of Grace Brissenden and Ford Obert to help gather evidence in support of his idea. He is devastated when, at the end of the weekend, Grace disabuses him of his notions and pokes holes in his carefully constructed theory about these people's relationships.
Grace Brissenden, a woman of middle age who has been married to a younger man for some time. In the view of the narrator, her marriage seems to have made her younger. Throughout the weekend, she schemes with the narrator to determine if Gilbert Long and May Server are lovers. Eventually, however, she turns on her coconspirator and accuses him of being needlessly inquisitive. She finally offers him an explanation for everyone's behavior that does not match his interpretation of the events and insinuations he has witnessed or overheard during the weekend.
Guy Brissenden, a young man who married an older woman. He seems to have aged considerably during the years of his marriage, so much so that the narrator becomes convinced there must be some cause for this physical change. He befriends May Server and is generally pleasant with other members of the company, especially Lady John, though it is never clear that they have any more than a platonic relationship.
Gilbert Long, a friend of the Brissendens and the narrator, long thought to be rather dull by those who know him. His rejuvenation with no apparent cause sets the narrator to thinking that he must be having an affair. His conversations with May Server, seen from afar by the narrator, give some indication to others that she may be the woman who has made him seem younger and more aesthetically sensitive.
May Server, a woman who seems to be especially drained emotionally by some recent experience, but who keeps her own counsel, sharing little information about her private life with the narrator. She spends time with Gilbert Long and with Guy Brissenden, piquing the narrator's curiosity and causing him to believe that a secret affair with Long has led to her physical deterioration.
Ford Obert, an artist who travels to Newmarch with the narrator and the Brissendens. Like the narrator, he is a student of human nature, and he has tried to capture the human spirit in his paintings. His portrait of a figure holding a mask catches the attention of the entire group at Newmarch, setting them to discussing the difficulty of interpreting character from outward appearance. He engages the narrator in long conversations about the difficulty of reading motive into the actions of others.
Lady John, a guest at Newmarch who spends time with Gilbert Long. Her association with him leads the narrator to surmise that they are more than casual acquaintances, and for some time he entertains the notion that they are lovers. Lady John has only brief contacts with the narrator, whom she seems not to trust.