Venusberg: Analysis of Major Characters
The "Venusberg: Analysis of Major Characters" explores the intricate relationships and emotional dynamics among a group of individuals in a politically charged Baltic setting. The narrative centers on Lushington, a young British journalist whose detachment from the unfolding political crisis reflects his inner turmoil and romantic entanglements. His affair with Ortrud Mavrin, a dissatisfied and flirtatious woman, complicates his feelings as he grapples with his love for Lucy, his mistress back home. Lucy, though initially indifferent to men, finds herself drawn to Lushington and da Costa, whose tragic fate prompts her to reevaluate her relationships. Da Costa, Lushington's friend, embodies a livelier spirit yet shares a similar disengagement from the world around him. Meanwhile, Ortrud’s husband, Panteleimon Mavrin, remains oblivious to her restlessness, while Count Scherbatcheff's unrequited affections for Ortrud add another layer of complexity. The characters navigate themes of love, loss, and self-awareness against a backdrop of political upheaval, ultimately leading to a profound transformation in Lushington’s outlook by the story's end.
Venusberg: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Anthony Powell
First published: 1932
Genre: Novel
Locale: London and an unnamed Scandinavian country
Plot: Love
Time: The mid-1920's
Lushington, a young British journalist, intelligent but inexperienced, assigned to a nameless Baltic country on the eve of its political upheaval, which may result in revolution. He is sorry to leave Lucy, with whom he is in love, but he is nevertheless vulnerable to the attractions of Ortrud Mavrin, whom he meets on the boat. He and Ortrud begin an affair that lasts throughout his stay in the Baltic. Lushington's approach to life is detached and uninvolved, which may explain why he is always at the furthest edges of the news stories he would like to cover. The deaths of Ortrud and his friend da Costa seem to jolt him into consciousness, and, at the novel's end, he may be ready to court Lucy more actively.
Lucy, Lushington's attractive young mistress, a sometime actress. Although Lucy has been married twice, she is not particularly interested in men until, as Lushington's mistress, she meets da Costa, whom she finds attractive. Most of her letters to Lushington urge him to remind da Costa of her existence. Her disengagement is fully as great as Lushington's, however, and, at da Costa's death, she seems passive but willing to accept Lushington as a substitute.
da Costa, Lushington's friend and Oxford schoolmate. Somewhat livelier and more social than Lushington but no less disengaged, da Costa is an honorary attaché at the British legation of the Baltic state where Lushington is assigned. His death as a bystander during an assassination attempt on a military leader leaves Lushington and Lucy once more together.
Ortrud Mavrin, the beautiful and coolly flirtatious woman with whom Lushington falls in love during his foreign assignment. Dissatisfied in her marriage to a distinguished professor of psychology many years her senior, Ortrud has had a series of lovers. She is perfectly aware, however, that she will never leave her husband and child.
Panteleimon Mavrin, Ortrud's complacent but likable husband. Mavrin's knowledge of psychology has done little to attune him to his wife's restless state of mind; when he imagines that she may be in love with someone else, he confides to Lushington that he suspects da Costa.
Count Scherbatcheff, a Russian émigré who is vaguely in love with Ortrud. The numerous maladies from which he suffers at first seem only one more level of agony in an already painful life, but at last those illnesses cause his death, an event that begins to make Lushington and da Costa confront the reality of pain and loss.
Count Michel Bobel, a fraudulent Russian count. He surfaces at every turn, accompanied by disreputable women, borrowing money, and constantly trying to insinuate himself into society. Ironically, Lushington must share a cabin with him on his return voyage to England.
Pope, a valet shared by da Costa and Lushington. Pope is talkative, self-centered, and fond of platitudes. He uses his employers as a captive audience for his dull reminiscences. After da Costa's death, he goes to work for Cortney.
Curtis Cortney, the third secretary at the American legation. Cortney has a puppyish enthusiasm for what he conceives to be the “old world” and an adolescent eagerness to believe every cliché concerning Europe and its quaintness; he thus contrasts with his blasé friends Lushington and da Costa.