Brideshead Revisited

Shortly after summer term exams, Charles receives a visit from his cousin Jasper. Jasper laments Charles’s friendship with Sebastian, citing the Flytes’ Catholicism. He also dislikes Anthony and implies that Anthony is gay. Jasper criticizes Charles’s profligate spending and suggests he doesn’t study enough and drinks too much. Charles cheerfully admits to all these shortcomings. Jasper leaves. Charles spent the term break writing to Sebastian and traveling with another classmate, Collins, whose academic career Charles thinks he might have followed if not for his growing closeness with Sebastian. Older Charles looks back on his youthful choices without regret.

The following day, Anthony visits and invites Charles to dinner. At dinner, Anthony discomfits Charles by speaking close to him as he relays meandering stories that refer openly to being “inverted,” a contemporary, derogatory term for being gay, which Anthony uses playfully. His tone remains lighthearted as he tells a story of being threatened with anti-gay violence, a situation he diffused by citing sexual enjoyment in being “manhandled.” The next day, Anthony recounts, he visited Sebastian, whom he found visiting with Anthony’s assailants. He cites Sebastian’s “charm” as the thing protecting him from potential anti-gay violence.

Anthony recalls attending Eton with Sebastian, mentioning how Sebastian lived a charmed life and implying that Sebastian contributed to Anthony’s expulsion, alluding that this was due to his sexuality. He offers Charles a veiled warning that Sebastian is too self-absorbed to appreciate Charles. He describes the Flytes as “gruesome” and grandiose. He relays how Lord Marchmain is ridiculed in society for his affair with a dancer, even though Lady Marchmain’s refusal to divorce him might have made him a sympathetic figure. He likens Lady Marchmain to a vampire, who “sucks [the] blood” of the artists she keeps in her orbit for her personal entertainment (56). He urges Charles not to blame Sebastian for being “a little insipid” (56), given this family history. Anthony says he knows Charles will tell Sebastian of their conversation but warns him that Sebastian won’t care and will merely begin talking about his teddy bear. Charles spends a sleepless night recalling Anthony’s words, face, and tone of voice.

The next day, Charles has a solitary breakfast in the unusually quiet Oxford. He walks to Sebastian’s rooms, noting the different religious signifiers of those out and about. When Sebastian returns after mass, Charles attempts to determine how much of Anthony’s speech was true; Sebastian confirms little of what Anthony said, though he is dismissive of details. As Anthony predicted, however, Sebastian is unperturbed by Anthony’s words and immediately begins to speak about his bear.

Charles returns home for Long Vacation without any money, having out-spent his allowance, which will not be repaid until October. He feels some regret for his profligate spending. Sebastian alludes to similar financial difficulties, though he vaguely mentions that his mother will give him whatever he wishes. Insolvent, Charles meanders around at home, waiting for his father, Edward, to see him. Edward Ryder is eccentric and scholarly. When Charles mentions his lack of funds, Edward offers no aid.

For a week, Charles and Edward see each other only in passing. Their dinner conversations are terse, with Edward unfavorably comparing Charles to his cousin Melchior. They eat multiple courses out of a self-conscious nod to middle-class values, though Edward confesses he would prefer simpler meals. Charles believes his father hopes to irritate him into leaving. Charles, meanwhile, hopes to irritate his father into giving him money so he can leave. He invites a school friend, Jorkins, to dinner, and Edward retaliates by pretending he believes the English Jorkins to be American and explaining English-isms to him, to Jorkins’s bafflement. Several nights later, Edward hosts a party designed to bore Charles. Their unspoken battle continues over several weeks.

Charles receives a letter from Sebastian, who misses him and reports that he is soon traveling to Venice. Charles broods over Sebastian’s self-absorption. He forgets his irritation when, several days later, Sebastian sends a telegram saying that he is “gravely injured.” Charles hurries to Brideshead, terrified for his friend. When he arrives, Julia reports that Sebastian has merely fractured a small bone in his ankle and overstated the injury to make Charles come.

Julia strongly resembles Sebastian, and this resemblance makes Charles acutely aware of the differences between the siblings, particularly their different genders. Charles lights a cigarette for her at her request, finding a note of sexual tension in the act. She chastises Charles for always following Sebastian’s whims. Sebastian is unrepentant over the fear he caused Charles. Julia departs, leaving Charles certain she dislikes him.

Older Charles’s narrative voice interjects to praise “the languor of Youth” (77). He then returns to the narrative of “those languid days at Brideshead” (77), noting that he prefers to remember Sebastian via memories from that summer. He and Sebastian explore the grounds; Charles admires the art and architecture of the house, even as Sebastian laments Charles’s curiosity about the building’s history. Charles draws, gathering an appreciation for Baroque styles.

They discover a tin of oil paints, a relic of one of Lady Marchmain’s abandoned hobbies. Charles and Sebastian pass the time painting the office walls and learning about wine by sampling from Lord Marchmain’s neglected wine cellars. This nightly activity begins seriously but typically devolves into nonsense as they grow more inebriated.

Every Sunday, a priest visits for breakfast. Sebastian attends mass, leading Charles to be blandly curious about Catholicism. Charles himself is not observant, though 1940s Charles reports that he would, later in life, grow more invested in religion. When they do discuss religion, Charles is astonished at the depth of Sebastian’s faith. Sebastian’s brother, Brideshead, arrives (he is known by his title). Brideshead once wished to be a priest; Sebastian suspects he still does, though the profession is frowned upon for the heir to a title.

Sebastian speaks admiringly of his father and cites the complexities of being in a “mixed” family in terms of religion. He calls himself and Julia “semi-heathens” who have trouble fitting in with other Catholics. Cordelia, the youngest Flyte sibling, hails them, urging them to come talk to Brideshead, whom Charles finds solemn but unassuming. Brideshead reports that their small chapel may be closed by the bishop, which all the Flytes find alarming for different reasons. Charles dithers when pressed to say whether the chapel is “Good Art.”

After dinner, Sebastian and Brideshead retreat to discuss business, and Cordelia quizzes Charles about his agnosticism. She offers to pray for Charles and describes a missionary practice wherein, for a fee, nuns practicing in Africa will christen a local child after the donor. Charles tells both Sebastian and Cordelia how puzzling he finds their religion.

When Sebastian’s ankle heals, he invites Charles to Venice, where Lord Marchmain lives. They trade in Sebastian’s first-class ticket for two third-class tickets and undertake a long, uncomfortable journey. In Venice, they travel by gondola to a grand house. They greet Lord Marchmain, who has a “studied” normalcy. Charles is shocked by the rapport between father and son and the casual references to Marchmain’s mistress, though he later considers that Marchmain intended to shock him.

The following day, Marchmain’s mistress, Cara, returns from her trip to America. Charles is fairly disappointed to find her not at all scandalous in appearance or manner. Despite Marchmain’s reluctance, Cara, Sebastian, and Charles “become tourists,” seeing the sights of Venice, and they pass two idyllic weeks. Shortly before departing, Charles has a conversation with Cara, who approves of the “romantic” friendship between Charles and Sebastian (implying they have a romantic, if not overtly sexual, connection) but cautions that these relationships must have an endpoint. She explains that having an attachment to a member of the same sex can prevent one from excessive attachment to one’s ultimate romantic partner; she cites the love between Lord and Lady Marchmain, turned to hate. She warns him that Sebastian drinks too much and that this will become a problem if it continues. Charles and Sebastian return to England for the new term at Oxford.

On the first Sunday of fall term, Sebastian complains that various tutors have said that he will be “sent down,” or expelled, if he does not improve his performance at school. Anthony Blanche has left Oxford for Munich, where he is in a relationship with a policeman. As the weeks continue, the two fall deeper into their poor moods. Charles resolves, after his conversation with Cara and his dismal weeks with his father, to be more responsible, both with alcohol and with his finances. He begins taking art classes, though he does not give up his enrollment in the History School. Though he is not impressed with any of his drawings, he enjoys his turn toward respectability. Sebastian, meanwhile, grows increasingly morose, feeling trapped.

Sebastian and Charles increasingly keep to themselves, neglecting their other friends. Charles is surprised to find he misses Anthony, who had proven the unlikely glue binding together their larger group of friends. Lady Marchmain comes to Oxford for a week to meet with a history don, Mr. Samgrass, who is helping her write a book commemorating her brother, who died in the Great War. Sebastian suspects an affair between the patronizing intellectual and Lady Marchmain. Lady Marchmain charms Charles, making him promise to spend his next vacation at Brideshead.

Several weeks later, Julia visits with Rex Mottram (whom she will later marry), a Canadian who is approximately 10 years older than Charles and Sebastian and very well-connected within the British aristocracy. Julia hosts a party for Rex, and Charles and Sebastian attend with their friend “Boy” Mulcaster. They drink copiously at the party and Mulcaster urges them to join him at the “Old Hundredth” club, where two sex workers assume Charles and Sebastian to be gay. Sebastian, however, asks the women to leave with them; Sebastian’s erratic driving (and his admission of frequenting a club that sold unlicensed alcohol) lands the men in jail. Sebastian suggests calling Rex, who secures their release, takes them to his home, and ensures they look neat for their court appearance.

Rex advises them not to challenge the police, as this could lead to greater scandal. Charles and Mulcaster will merely face a small fine for public intoxication; Sebastian’s crime of driving under the influence bears a greater punishment. Rex urges them to ask Samgrass to speak in their defense. Sebastian wants to flee the country to avoid the “bother” of being “given a talking-to” (117), which Charles considers an excessive reaction. When they rejoin Julia, they find her impressed with their adventurous night out. Lady Marchmain similarly takes the incident in stride, lamenting only that she will have to explain the event to the rest of the family.

At the trial, Sebastian is fined 10 pounds. The magistrate swears he is not showing deference to Sebastian’s social position, though he clearly is. Charles considers Samgrass’s disappointed comments the worst consequence of the incident. When Samgrass visits Brideshead over the Christmas holiday, Charles and the Flytes grow weary of Samgrass’s self-importance. Lady Marchmain attempts to convert Charles to Catholicism, despite Sebastian’s protests. Charles finds the break restful, but Sebastian, who wishes to be left alone, finds the company taxing. He asks to return to Charles’s house; Edward finds Sebastian very amusing.

The two friends return to Oxford. Sebastian continues to suffer poor moods, only seeming happy when drunk, which Charles increasingly sees as a dangerous habit. Julia sees Sebastian’s alcohol misuse as unfortunate but unavoidable; Charles disagrees. Over Easter Week, which Charles and Sebastian spend at Brideshead, Charles notes that Sebastian has begun to hide his alcohol misuse, a contrast to his previous habit of doing so openly. When Charles tries to stop him, Sebastian reacts angrily, saying that his alcohol misuse is none of Charles’s business. Despite Charles’s attempt to blame Sebastian’s absence on a cold, the whole Flyte family soon learns he is drunk. Sebastian erratically apologizes for his anger, accuses Charles of siding with the Flytes against him, and insists they leave for London in the early hours of the morning. Charles refuses.

Charles meets with Lady Marchmain, who laments that Sebastian seems miserable when misusing alcohol. Lady Marchmain, who has seen the same pattern in her husband, fears where Sebastian’s alcohol misuse will lead. She urges Charles to help Sebastian, claiming he is the only one who can do so. The practiced nature of her speech makes him realize that she is attempting to manipulate him, but he finds he is not offended. He travels to London, reading the book Lady Marchmain and Samgrass compiled from her brother’s papers. Older Charles’s narrative voice interjects, commenting that chivalrous soldiers like Lady Marchmain’s brother were sacrificed so “that things might be safe for the traveling salesman” (134). In the main timeline, Charles wonders if Lady Marchmain sees the world of the aristocracy declining. Charles reunites with Sebastian in London, assuring him they are together against all.

Charles and Sebastian return to Oxford, and Sebastian’s mental health continues to decline. They plan to live together, but Samgrass warns Charles to make certain that Sebastian will actually return to Oxford before securing lodging. Sebastian reveals that his mother wants him to live with a monsignor, but he is unwilling to do so. Lady Marchmain visits, asking Charles if Sebastian’s alcohol misuse is still excessive; Charles replies that it isn’t, but that night Sebastian gets drunk and Charles learns that Sebastian has been hiding his alcohol misuse. Lady Marchmain tells Charles that Sebastian will only be permitted to remain at Oxford if he lives with the monsignor. Charles thinks this is a terrible idea; feeling constantly observed, he asserts, will worsen Sebastian’s alcohol misuse. That night, Charles and Sebastian get drunk together.

When Lady Marchmain leaves Oxford, she takes Sebastian with her. Charles talks with Brideshead about Sebastian’s alcohol misuse, and Charles blames religion for Sebastian’s alcohol use disorder. Lonely without Sebastian, Charles makes halfhearted attempts to reconnect with old friends. He returns to his father’s house, where he announces his plan to become a painter; Edward is unusually receptive to the idea, though he urges Charles to study painting far from home. Charles receives a letter from Lady Marchmain telling him that Sebastian has traveled to see his father, and will subsequently go to the Levant (a name for French-colonized Syria and Lebanon) with Samgrass. Sebastian will be permitted to return to Oxford after one term if he agrees to live with the monsignor.