The Tragedy and Drama of Human Soul ('the Black Prince')
Bradley Pearson is a central character of Iris Murdock’s novel “The Black Prince”, and from the first its page up to the last one we watch at the process of his soul’s degradation. It’s very similar to a film with a bad ending.
At the beginning of the story Bradley is shown as a man full of great hopes and strong will to realize his oldest dream – to write a really good book which could hold all of his life experience and become a masterpiece one day. There’s no doubt that he is tired from the city where he lives, from the people surrounding him, and from the way of existence he chose once. But he is still powerful enough to change the situation for the better.
The drama begins with the appearance of his former brother-in-law, Francis Marlow, who spoils Bradley’s perfect plan to escape from his past to his private heaven – a place where he could live, dream and create. At the mention of Christian and her home-coming Bradley’s armour splits. The memories of his ex-wife and all the negative moments of their marriage are revived from the ashes on the bottom of his heart. He tries to persuade himself and Francis that he doesn’t care about it, but deep in his subconsciousness he knows that it’s a lie. And this is his first step to the hellhole.
Then a kaleidoscope of circumstances occupies him. He becomes a post-witness of the quarrel between Rachel and Arnold. He has to listen to his sister’s plaint. He learns that her husband betrayed her. He is attacked by Julian who wants him to become her teacher. At least, Christian, his worst nightmare, insists on their meeting.
It seems that Bradley is locked in a cage with no exit. The impact for searching it shows up when Rachel makes some efforts to conquer Bradley, to tempt him and to turn him into her lover. To tell the truth, he resists. Not so zealously, but he does nevertheless. Unfortunately, such a weak rebellion can’t stop Rachel’s wave of wish. And little by little Bradley’s mind fails to sustain this pressure
At the beginning of the story Bradley is shown as a man full of great hopes and strong will to realize his oldest dream – to write a really good book which could hold all of his life experience and become a masterpiece one day. There’s no doubt that he is tired from the city where he lives, from the people surrounding him, and from the way of existence he chose once. But he is still powerful enough to change the situation for the better.
The drama begins with the appearance of his former brother-in-law, Francis Marlow, who spoils Bradley’s perfect plan to escape from his past to his private heaven – a place where he could live, dream and create. At the mention of Christian and her home-coming Bradley’s armour splits. The memories of his ex-wife and all the negative moments of their marriage are revived from the ashes on the bottom of his heart. He tries to persuade himself and Francis that he doesn’t care about it, but deep in his subconsciousness he knows that it’s a lie. And this is his first step to the hellhole.
Then a kaleidoscope of circumstances occupies him. He becomes a post-witness of the quarrel between Rachel and Arnold. He has to listen to his sister’s plaint. He learns that her husband betrayed her. He is attacked by Julian who wants him to become her teacher. At least, Christian, his worst nightmare, insists on their meeting.
It seems that Bradley is locked in a cage with no exit. The impact for searching it shows up when Rachel makes some efforts to conquer Bradley, to tempt him and to turn him into her lover. To tell the truth, he resists. Not so zealously, but he does nevertheless. Unfortunately, such a weak rebellion can’t stop Rachel’s wave of wish. And little by little Bradley’s mind fails to sustain this pressure