The Solid Mandala: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Solid Mandala" explores the complex dynamics between fraternal twins Arthur and Waldo Brown, delving into their contrasting personalities and the impact of their upbringing. Arthur is depicted as a gentle, kind-hearted man who lives by intuition and forms deep, platonic relationships, particularly with women like Mrs. Poulter and Dulcie Feinstein. He finds joy in simple pleasures, cherishing his collection of glass marbles, which symbolize his desire for connection and wholeness. In contrast, Waldo is self-absorbed, intellectual, and harbors a deep resentment towards Arthur, viewing him as a source of shame and frustration. This tension escalates as Waldo grapples with his own inadequacies and inability to form meaningful relationships. Mrs. Poulter, their neighbor, serves as a maternal figure to Arthur and finds solace in his presence, while Dulcie Feinstein navigates her own complex identity amidst familial and cultural tensions. The narrative is set against the backdrop of the Browns' less-than-ideal suburban life in Sarsaparilla, which shapes the brothers' experiences and relationships. Through these character interactions, the novel examines themes of love, rejection, and the search for identity within familial bonds.
The Solid Mandala: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Patrick White
First published: 1966
Genre: Novel
Locale: Sarsaparilla, Australia, and its suburbs
Plot: Psychological
Time: c. 1900–1960
Arthur Brown, the fraternal twin brother of Waldo Brown. Arthur is a huge, simpleminded, kindly man who is entirely devoted to his brother Waldo. He considers himself Waldo's protector, although Waldo is always trying to dissociate himself from his dull-witted brother. Arthur lives by intuition and instinct; he is a noble primitive who sees into the essence of people and things. He is also capable of building meaningful, platonic relationships with women such as Mrs. Poulter and Dulcie Feinstein, both of whom value his innate wisdom. Despite his apparent handicap, Arthur proves himself capable of reading classics such as Fyodor Dostoevski's The Brothers Karamazov and of writing symbolic poetry. Although he loves dogs and simple things such as tables and chairs, Arthur prizes his collection of glass marbles most of all. In particular, he considers four to be his solid mandalas, or symbols of totality and wholeness. Arthur keeps these with him always, until he decides to give them to the people who mean the most to him: Waldo, Dulcie, and Mrs. Poulter. Waldo refuses his mandala, a rejection that makes Arthur ineffably sad. In the end, though, it is Arthur who endures.
Waldo Brown, the fraternal twin brother of Arthur. Waldo is Arthur's opposite in every way. Thin, moody, and self-centered, Waldo is capable of great anger and cruelty toward his well-meaning sibling. Arthur is an embarrassment to Waldo, and Waldo is burdened with him throughout their lives. Waldo considers himself an intellectual: He has some schooling and works for years in the local library. He also has literary ambitions and actually starts work on a novel. Waldo's writing is uninspired because his mind is so disconnected from his emotions. He remains half a man, and that is why Arthur's unwitting successes so infuriate him. Waldo, like Arthur, pursues both Dulcie and Mrs. Poulter, not because he loves them but because he believes that they should love him. Waldo never succeeds in getting close to another human being; he cannot even enjoy the dogs that he and his brother adopt. Waldo's resentment of his twin increases as the two of them grow up and grow old together in their parents' house. He is particularly incensed because Arthur always seems to know so much about him: Waldo despairs that he can never have secrets from his blundering, perceptive brother. Finally, Waldo's murderous resentment builds to the point where it explodes.
Mrs. Poulter, the Browns' neighbor from across the street. Mrs. Poulter and her husband move into the suburb of Sarsaparilla shortly after the Browns become residents. An uneducated, nosey sort, she is well-meaning enough to take an interest in Waldo and Arthur after their parents die. Having lost a baby herself, she bonds with Arthur in a maternal way. He spends a good amount of time with her, until her husband objects, after which Arthur and Mrs. Poulter see each other only infrequently. In the end, it is Mrs. Poulter who takes Arthur in; because of his simplicity, goodness, and innocence, he comes to seem a kind of savior to her, and she comforts him in his misery. She also remains a keeper of one of his solid mandalas.
Dulcie Feinstein, a Jewish girl, a friend to both Arthur and Waldo. Despite Arthur's eccentricities, the Feinsteins invite him into their home and enjoy his surprising insights. Waldo meets Dulcie by chance at a party and is most annoyed to find his brother already ensconced in her home the first time he goes to call on her there. The Feinsteins are a cultured family but somewhat adrift emotionally because Dulcie's father rejects Judaism. Eventually, World War II has a profound effect on the Feinsteins. Dulcie ends up marrying a Jewish carpet merchant named Leonard Saporta and having two children, one of whom she names for Arthur. Dulcie is also a keeper of one of Arthur's solid mandalas.
George Brown and Anne Brown, the father and mother of Waldo and Arthur. Anne marries below herself when she chooses George. They set out from England for Australia with their two boys and end up in an ugly house in a drab suburb named Sarsaparilla. They still possess ideas of grandeur; for example, George has a classical pediment built onto the front of the house. The incongruous addition makes the domicile something of a curiosity on Terminus Road and keeps others at a distance from the Brown family. George works in a bank. It is said that he is sadly disappointed in Arthur, the son for whom he had high hopes. Anne stays on in the house following her husband's death, frequently indulging in flights into the past and declining into an alcoholic end.