Sex Outside Clegg Character Analysis

Miranda’s feelings about having sex change and mature during her captivity. Before her captivity “[Miranda] used to think it was messy” (265), but after several weeks of captivity and analysis of herself she comes to the conclusion that “love is beautiful, any love. Even just sex” (265). Miranda is sexually inexperienced, virginal in fact, before she tries to seduce Clegg. Seducing Clegg is something that she never thought she could do “[she] [shocked] [herself] as well as him” (259) when she did seduce him. She claims that she “was nervous” when she seduces Clegg. Miranda admits that she has felt “promiscuous” before. When she would see a boy she would “think [about] what [he would] be like in bed” (265). Miranda’s views about sex outside
He does not live an authentic life. He takes no control over his own life. He believes everything just happen to him without any foreshadowing. In the situation with Miranda he claims, “it all came unexpected” (283) he had no idea any of it would ever happen. Yet, he spent five months preparing to kidnap Miranda; “it” did not just happen. He had “everything … ready” (22), the house was set up, the van was prepared, and he had the route traced out that he would take. When he does kidnap Miranda everything went “as planned” (25). He keeps her captive for two months and six days, during which time she gives him good advice. She tries to teach him about artwork and how when you paint it lives; whereas, a photo freezes a particular point in time. She tries to make him realise that he needs to excise the lower class out of his life. The only things that change for Clegg is the way he sees and feels about Miranda, he does not love her any more nor does he respect her. He did learn what to do with the next girl, he knows “this time it [will not] be love, it would just be for the interest of the thing” (305). Clegg realises that he made a “mistake before, aiming to high” (304) for Miranda. Now, he wants “[s]omeone ordinary [he] could teach” (304). Clegg is now interested in collecting and comparing woman, the same way he used to collect butterflies. Clegg deceives himself and he is not willing to educate himself in order to change this results in him devolving into a sociopath. Some of Clegg’s interests have changed but none of his view on sex and class have changed. He does become an authentic character instead he turns into a