The Second Man: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Second Man: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the intricate dynamics among four central figures: Clark Storey, Mrs. Kendall Frayne, Austin Lowe, and Monica Grey. Clark Storey, a thirty-one-year-old writer, grapples with his self-proclaimed lack of passion and talent, masking his inner emptiness with a facade of wit and cynicism. Despite his shortcomings, he displays genuine affection and loyalty, particularly towards Mrs. Frayne, a thirty-five-year-old wealthy widow who admires Storey's intelligence and charm. In contrast, Austin Lowe, a twenty-nine-year-old chemist, struggles with his feelings for the young and naïve Monica Grey, whose capricious nature complicates their relationship. Grey, at just twenty, embodies youthful charm but also naivety, leading to a reckless lie about a pregnancy that ultimately forces her to confront her inexperience. The interplay of these characters highlights themes of love, self-deception, and the search for authenticity, offering a rich tapestry of human relationships and emotional complexities. This analysis invites readers to delve deeper into how these characters navigate their desires and fears within their social landscape.
The Second Man: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: S. N. Behrman
First published: 1927
Genre: Play
Locale: New York City
Plot: Comedy of manners
Time: The 1920's
Clark Storey, a struggling writer of fiction and poetry. At the age of thirty-one, he is a cosmopolitan master of the bon mot who cheerfully admits to being selfish and devoid of passion and genuine talent. His self-deprecation, however, is more the posturing of a wit than a reflection of his true nature or creative ability. An early, ill-fated marriage has left him distrustful of love, and he assumes the role of foppish cad to avoid facing his inner emptiness, or his lack, as Monica Grey puts it, of soul. Fundamentally, he is a decent fellow who, if short on love, is long on affection, loyalty, and kindness. Because he values the lifestyle that wealth affords, he unblushingly accepts money from Mrs. Frayne and, further, despite not loving her, plans to wed her. Although Storey's dormant passion is rekindled momentarily by Grey, his cynical self, the second and stronger man within, represses it. As the decent thing to do, with a studied, ironic detachment, Storey does his best to foster the relationship of Austin Lowe and Grey.
Mrs. Kendall Frayne, a wealthy widow who is a friend of Storey. She is a charming, sophisticated, and extremely gracious lady who, temperamentally, seems ideally suited to the writer. At the age of thirty-five, she is a bit older than Storey and considerably more experienced and cultured than the effusive and ingenuous Grey. She is also handsome and stylish. She has a keen intelligence and a good sense of humor, both of which Storey values greatly. She, in turn, is in love with him, perceiving the man's fundamental generosity of spirit behind his selfish mask. She is no fool and senses that Storey, despite his disavowals, has a good heart. Her faith in him is only momentarily tested by Grey's deceitful claim that she is pregnant with Storey's child.
Austin Lowe, a wealthy chemist and friend of Storey. Lowe is twenty-nine years old and on the fat side, a stolid and basically humorless and plodding fellow, in notable contrast to Storey. Although a genius in matters scientific, he lacks the facile wit of Storey and Mrs. Frayne, who finds him a bore. Lowe is a man of feeling, however, and is painfully in love with Grey, whose flighty and capricious behavior leaves him morose and tongue-tied. Despite Lowe's inarticulateness, Storey admires his genius and does his best to convince Grey of Lowe's promise as a husband. Believing Grey's lie about her pregnancy, Lowe makes a comic attempt on Storey's life.
Monica Grey, a friend of Storey and Lowe. At the age of twenty, she is something of an ingenue. She is radiant and charming but very poor, which, for Storey, is worse than a character flaw. He claims that she is as “shallow as a platter,” but in truth she is simply inexperienced and uncertain of what she wants. She is drawn to Storey by his urbane style and, at first, attempts to discourage the sincere but clumsy advances of Lowe. Her reckless lie about being pregnant, however, results in some sobering and maturing reappraisals when Storey forces her to face the mordant side of his nature.