https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2014/aug/05/johnfowles

This article gives a good review about the 2 main characters Clegg and Miranda, and goes into slight detail about what goes on in their brains and why they think the way that they do. It explains Clegg’s obsession over certain types of butterflies and how it transitioned to something that is much greater and more serious. The writer talks about how although Clegg believes that his weirdness and obsessions aren’t his fault but rather the faults of not having a good enough education and being raised alone it is really the readers choice wether or not to see it his way.

Discussing how both sides are read this article shows just how creative John Fowls had to be in order to keep the suspense going. Most abductions are to gain the love of the victim however Clegg doesn’t want Miranda’s love but rather to just add her to his collection. He claims he loves her but he doesn’t really know what love is because he’s never experienced it as a child nor an adult, he puts Miranda up to these standards that she couldn't live up to. Then the article gives a short summary of Miranda’s part in the story which mainly consists of her discussing her love for another man as well as art. 

          Fredrick Clegg is a very methodical and detail oriented person.  He plans everything to perfection, he makes sure nothing can take him by surprise, he has control of the entire physical playing board but he sharpened every sense except his tongue.  His manner of speech, besides being uneducated, is very practical and leaves little room for emotion save sarcasm.  This allows Miranda a slight advantage.  She is able to find exactly what parts of himself Fredrick is hiding and make him question himself to the point of running from the question so he needn’t answer it.

          Both characters circle around the WHY of the situation and neither can really find a solid, reasonable answer.  The only given fact is that Fredrick wants Miranda, not to kill, nor to rape or harm in any way, simply to have her.  He speaks briefly in the beginning about them living together and having children so he was had the idea of, “I was kinda hoping you’d stay.”  Hoping that Miranda would fall in love with him and she would eventually CHOOSE to stay with Fredrick.  Miranda asks about this directly and claims it to be impossible for her to fall in love with him under those circumstances.  She then uses that to her advantage again, saying she’d like to know him better in the free world if he would only let her go.  He could never do that.

          Fredrick has no methodical approach to his goal to have Miranda after he physically has her.  His goal relies solely on this hope that somehow someway Miranda will see Fredrick for who he truly is.  How he can support her, how he’d do anything for her, and how she would have a better life.  Miranda has indeed seen all these things but unfortunately for Fredrick, Miranda does not want that kind of lifestyle as she is an emotional being that bases her decisions on how she feels about them, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Reading Questions

1. in what town does clegg buy a house?

2. what king of college is miranda attending?

3.what lie does clegg tell to lure miranda to his car?

4. where does clegg spot Miranda on the night he abducts her ?

5. what is the name of Mirandas aunt?

6. what does Clegg tell Miranda his name is ?

7. what do G.P’s initials stand for?

8.how much older older than miranda is G.P.?

9.what does mirandas sister call her?

10.what book does miranda try to convince clegg to read?

Reading Questions

1. what does miranda hate about Photographs?

2. what does clegg like about photographs?

3. how does being imprisoned change mirandas view of the world?

4. does money and power corrupt clegg?

5. what does clegg collect?

6. what is cleggs job at the beginning of the novel?

7.who raised clegg for most of his life?

8. how much money does clegg win?

9.how does clegg with the money?

10.what is the name of cleggs cousin?

I saw this while exploring tumblr a little bit and immediately wanted to talk about it in relation to the novel. I can see this as being Miranda. She’s Trapped. Miranda’s trapped both mentally and literally by Fredrick. There’s a fiery side to her that has the burning ambition to escape from the confinement her cell she’s been bound to but is trapped mentally because she realizes she’s fighting a fight she will never be able to win alone. She realizes that her fate is the same as the butterflies collected in his house. 

Quotes

“That’s the thing about money.  There are no obstacles.” (Fowles15)

  -Ferdinand is rich but not wealthy.  He hasn’t the mindset or mannerisms of a wealthy person but know what can be done with what he does have.  Most all his wishes can come true save all those involving the feelings or mindsets of others.  Ferdinand can set up all that he needs for the crimes he wants to commit and with his personality can do it without getting caught.

“...I thought of everything, just like I’d been doing it all my life.  Like I’d been a secret agent or a detective.” (Fowles 22)

  - Ferdinand’s personality is a very methodical and practical one.  He is capable of making huge plans and preparations in his head and has little room for emotion.  I can relate to this personality type and all his methods of planning though I haven’t the money nor the intention of doing anything to what Ferdinand does.  This is another of the many differences Ferdinand has to Miranda.  Miranda is much more spontaneous.

“’If I was a better person I’d be a vegetarian.’“ (Fowles 42)

  - Miranda claims she’d be a vegetarian IF she was a better person.  She’s wealthy and in an art school, she has no other reason to not choose to be vegetarian.  She’s trying to justify herself without even really thinking.  A talk first and think later kind of mentality that can actually be just as useful as Ferdinand’s methodical one.

“The truth was, she couldn’t do ugly things.  She was too beautiful.” (Fowles 66)

  - Much like the butterflies he collects, he doesn’t have any other reason to keep her either than the fact that she looks really pretty to him.  His love for her and unyielding willingness to do anything for her is based solely on her physical attractiveness.  No doubt there are many who have ‘crushes’ and feel the need to fulfill this crush’s needs but to have it at this level and this extreme is unhealthy.  Another butterfly analogy is the killing bottle and the room he’s locked her in.  He doesn’t want to kill her but he can’t capture her beauty in any other way besides photos.

“In the end I got the van out and drove down to the sea, real fast, I didn’t care what happened.” (Fowles 108)

  - Ferdinand does something out of anger.  Something that’s not necessarily in his nature.  This behaviour is dangerous for him and Miranda alike.  His controlled power was let loose.  This anger was caused by Miranda’s decision to become like all the other women.  Ferdinand no longer respects her and in greatly upset by this as it means he can’t continue loving her in the same way.

Reading Questions

-Why is Ferdinand rich?  Is he wealthy?

-What does Ferdinand first say when Miranda asks him why he did what he did?

-What does Miranda use to attack and injure Ferdinand?

-What is one of the many ways Miranda tried to escape?

-What kind of music does Miranda like?

-What are Miranda’s political views?

-What jewelry does Ferdinand buy for Miranda?

-Does Ferdinand believe in God?  Does Miranda?

-To what cause does Miranda donate to?

-Why does Miranda go to the cinema?

I really liked this article by V.M Simandan because he talks about some of the same things I noticed. One being the being the way John Fowles wrote Ferdinand and Miranda’s stories differently. I noticed quickly into reading it that he didn’t use quotation marks which immediately made me not think he was reliable character, and that he was of a lower class. Miranda’s story is told in a diary. She writes in a proper format and has a stronger vocabulary which indicates a higher class status. John Fowles really made sure we understood throughout the novel that they were from different backgrounds. 

The clash of class differences is a main theme of the novel. Fredrick lost his parents around the age of 2. His father died in a car crash and his mother left for another man, leaving him orphan. He was then taken in and raised by his aunt and uncle in a lower class area. Upon winning a large sum of money from a football lottery, he discovers what it’s like to live with the privilege of having money and thought that he could buy whatever he wanted. Miranda and her love and happiness being a couple of them. 

Reading Questions

1) What are the drawbacks that Miranda sees in the older person whom she is in love with?

2) What city does the storyline take place in? 

3) What does Miranda try to do in order to escape?

4) How does Ferdinand immobilize Miranda?

5) What is Ferdinand’s real full name?

6) What art school does Miranda attend?

7) What sickness does Miranda say she has to try getting Ferdinand to take her to the hospital and what does Ferdinand do instead?

8) Why does Ferdinand say that Miranda is so different from the other women?

9) How does Ferdinand compare Miranda to his collection of butterflies?

10) What happens with Miranda in the end?

Reading Questions

1) What is the name of the dog Miranda thought Ferdinand had ran over when he first approached her?

2) What is Miranda’s sisters name? 

3) How long do Miranda and Ferdinand agree to having her stay? 

4) Who raised Ferdinand?

5) What is Mirandas nickname for Ferdinand?

6) Who is the older person whom Miranda says she's had a relationship with?

7) What was Ferdinand’s reasoning that he told the relator as to why he was purchasing the house?

8) What is Miranda’s reaction when Ferdinand shows her his butterfly collection?

9) Why doesn’t Ferdinand allow Miranda to view t.v or listen to the radios?

10) Why does Miranda hate photographs?

Lyrics: 

I wanna be alone Alone with you - does that make sense? I wanna steal your soul And hide you in my treasure chest

I don't know what to do To do with your kiss on my neck I don't know what feels true But this feels right so stay a sec Yeah, you feel right so stay a sec

And let me crawl inside your veins I'll build a wall, give you a ball and chain It's not like me to be so mean You're all I wanted Just let me hold you

Like a hostage

Gold on your fingertips Fingertips against my cheek Gold leaf across your lips Kiss me until I can't speak

Gold chain beneath your shirt The shirt that you let me wear home Gold's fake and real love hurts And nothing hurts when I'm alone When you're with me and we're alone

And let me crawl inside your veins I'll build a wall, give you a ball and chain It's not like me to be so mean You're all I wanted Just let me hold you Hold you

Like a hostage Like a hostage

After I read this book, I heard this song and immediately thought of Ferdinand and his feelings towards Miranda. The beginning of the book starts with Ferdinand talking about how he knows Miranda and his feelings for her. He tells us early on that the first time he ever saw her, he knew she was the one. He dreamed of marrying and starting a family with her one day even though they had never spoken. Ferdinand talks about their class and education differences and thinks that she would never go for someone like him. He pondered everything he could do to talk to her, but ended up liking the idea of kidnapping her and keeping her captive “in a nice way”. He said “I cant ever get to know her in the ordinary way, but if she’s with me, she’ll see my good points, she’ll understand. There was always the idea she would understand”. 

“I wanna be alone Alone with you - does that make sense? I wanna steal your soul And hide you in my treasure chest”

“And let me crawl inside your veins I'll build a wall, give you a ball and chain It's not like me to be so mean You're all I wanted Just let me hold you

Like a hostage”

I feel as though these lyrics directly relate to what Ferdinand is feeling on the inside. He doesn’t realize that what he’s doing is wrong and only has good intentions, but doesn’t know how to properly express them. He loves her so much that he feels the only thing he could do about it, is to keep her a hostage. Another butterfly to his collection.