Brideshead Revisited Essay

660 Words2 Pages

In Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, marriage is a prevalent theme that Waugh utilizes to convey the different roles marriage serves in the past and the present. The protagonist Charles Ryder becomes acquainted with the Flytes, a family of wealthy Catholics, and he eventually forms a relationship with Julia, despite both being married. Therefore, they plan to divorce their respective spouses to marry each other.. Charles and Julia’s affair displays how marriage serves to pursue personal interests and how religious views can unwillingly impact of a relationship in Brideshead Revisited. Marriage in Brideshead Revisited is forged with greedy intentions to fulfill self-interests. In Charles and Julia’s respective marriages, it is apparent that …show more content…

This difference in beliefs leads to the lack of success in Charles and Julia’s relationship. As Charles and Julia’s affair progresses, Julia advises that they get married because of “’War . . . this year, next year, sometime soon’” (Waugh, 320). Although Julia is literally talking about the impending World War II, this “war” is also a metaphor for each other’s struggle to view Catholicism under the same light. Julia’s suggestion also foreshadows a growing gap, which eventually happens when Julia expresses her guilt about constantly living in sin. Charles, who is watching Julia throughout the rant, feels as if “[he] was adrift in a strange sea and…[he] was as far from her in spirit” (Waugh, 331). Though Charles attempts to understand Catholicism throughout the book, his shortcomings to understand is shown through his incapability to connect when Julia brings up religion. This lack of understanding makes it difficult for Charles to sympathize with her when she was crying. Charles later comforts her by calling religion “bosh,” but Julia says, “’How I wish it was’” (Waugh, 333). While Charles thinks that religion is preposterous, Julia strongly praises her beliefs. This difference in religious views causes the downfall of the two’s relationship, showing that successful marriages depend on similar religious

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