Sometimes a Great Notion: Analysis of Major Characters
"Sometimes a Great Notion" is a novel that delves into the complexities of a family-run logging operation in Oregon, focusing on the interactions and conflicts among its major characters. The protagonist, Hank Stamper, embodies traditional heroic qualities such as self-reliance and physical strength but also struggles with independence, leading to tensions with his family and the local community. His younger half-brother, Leland "Lee" Stamper, returns from Yale burdened by feelings of alienation and seeks to undermine Hank while grappling with his own initiation into the logging business. The narrative also explores the role of the family patriarch, Henry Stamper, who represents stubbornness and the pioneer spirit, ultimately facing tragic consequences that influence Hank's character development.
Hank's wife, Vivian "Viv," is portrayed as a spirited woman seeking her own identity amidst her relationships with both men, highlighting themes of love and personal fulfillment. Other characters, including Joe Ben Stamper, Hank's optimistic cousin, and Jonathon Draeger, the union president, add layers of conflict and camaraderie to the story, particularly regarding the strike against Hank's logging efforts. Through these relationships, the novel examines themes of independence, community, and the personal struggles tied to familial legacies.
Sometimes a Great Notion: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Ken Kesey
First published: 1964
Genre: Novel
Locale: The coast of southwestern Oregon
Plot: Realism
Time: 1961
Hank Stamper, the head of a small family logging operation in Oregon. He has all the virtues of the traditional hero: self-reliance, physical strength, endurance, courage, determination, and the ability to do the job. His strength of character, in particular his emphasis on independence, creates conflicts not only with the local community but also within his family, especially with his wife and younger half brother. He lives by the motto his father nailed over his bed: “Never Give an Inch.” His independence has been fostered by his lifelong struggle with nature, which he sees as his principal opponent. An element of rivalry is present in all of his relations with people as well. Hank's determination to fulfill the contract to deliver logs to the mill in spite of a strike by local loggers puts him at odds with the town. Time is running out: The river is rising, not enough men are available to cut the trees, and the machinery is breaking down, as usual. Moreover, dissension from a variety of sources breaks out within the family. Hank perseveres.
Leland (Lee) Stamper, a graduate student at Yale who returns to help the family fulfill the logging contract. Lee is Hank's younger half brother, the son of Hank's father's second wife, who took Lee to the East after having an affair with Hank. Moody, apprehensive, self-destructive, self-conscious, and willing to play on his own weakness, Lee returns to Oregon with hopes of getting revenge on Hank, on whom he blames his sense of alienation. Lee seduces Hank's wife. In the meantime, he is initiated into the logging business. He has to prove himself as a logger. The rivalry with Hank is conducted in the woods and in the house.
Henry Stamper, the patriarch of the Stamper family. An independent, stubborn old man, he is the living link with the pioneer spirit of the Stamper past. When Henry's father, Jonas, gave up the battle with nature in Oregon and abandoned the family, Henry dug in his heels and made the family business a success. His toughness is his heritage to Hank; however, his intolerance of the weakness of others contributes to Lee's alienation. Only age defeats Henry Stamper. He loses his arm in the desperate attempt to deliver the logs and dies in the hospital. His death is a major source of suffering for Hank and thereby a contributing factor to Hank's development of tolerance.
Vivian (Viv) Stamper, Hank's attractive, spirited wife, a woman with a will of her own, a great capacity for love, dreams of her own self-realization, and the ability to manage the houseful of cantankerous men. Viv's vulnerability to Lee derives from their mutual sense of alienation. Hank brought her to Oregon from Colorado, and she has never felt at home. Their inability to have children contributes to her lack of fulfillment. She believes that Lee needs her more than Hank does, because Hank is unable to express his needs and is unable to see that she has needs of her own. After the two men fight over her, she leaves them both, in spite of her love for them, to seek an identity of her own.
Joe Ben Stamper, Hank's cousin and fellow logger, Hank's friend since childhood. Joe Ben's spirit is one of the positive aspects of the family struggles. He is cocky, optimistic, and full of humor and fun. Married, with two young children, Joe Ben remains Hank's principal ally amid all the controversies and problems in the woods. His accidental death by drowning during the fight to fill the contract is another strong blow to Hank's spirit.
Jonathon Draeger, the union president, an outsider sent to direct the local strike. Draeger believes in communal action and values. He thinks that any man will give up his principles to protect someone he loves. He cannot understand the independent values of Hank but eventually comes to appreciate him. Draeger is in conflict with Hank because if Hank delivers the logs, the strike will be jeopardized.
Floyd Evenwrite, the local union representative. Floyd fancies himself a rival of Hank and resents Draeger's presence. Unlike the rationalist Draeger, Floyd operates by his emotions. He is ambivalent about Hank's success because that means Draeger's failure. In the face of Hank's determined independence, Floyd—and with him the strikers—is finally reduced to passivity.