Miranda Grey and Frederick Clegg are the main characters that are interpreted in the text The Collector, by John Fowles.

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Miranda Grey and Frederick Clegg are the main characters that are interpreted in the text The Collector, by John Fowles. Both characters correspond to different classes in society. John Fowles uses the concept of the implied reader, in which he ‘speaks to’ a specific reader in mind in an attempt to have the story interpreted in a particular way. Fowles expects us to read Miranda as an intelligent, mentally independent being part of the upper class, but at the same time, an arrogant “…liberal humanist snob” (Radhakrishna Rao, ). The use and lack of several literary techniques, point of view, allusion, and Heraclitian philosophies encourages this intended response I hold towards Miranda. Fowles’ various writing techniques promoted the interpretation that Clegg is part of the lower class and as a result is a victim of the mind, unable to expand his thoughts or feelings. It is because of this that he finds it hard to see between what is morally correct, and what is not accepted. I found it difficult to respond to his character due to the fact that the protagonist in most novels is one easy to identify with, unlike the motives of Frederick Clegg.

Fowles’ uses several literary techniques to enhance the proposed analysis of Clegg. The first insights to Clegg’s mental restrictions are revealed as early as the first page.   However, “Instead of accepting everything that Clegg says at face value…we must question it” (The Collector: Wizard Study Notes pg. 11), and that is exactly how Fowles intends it. Clegg portrays his information as an informal account of events, perhaps similar to a description of his collection of butterflies “…sometimes I’d see her. In the evening I marked it in my observations diary, at first with X, and then when I knew her name with M” (pg. 9). He fails to use quotations around his dialogue, however he punctuates Miranda’s speech. “Perhaps this is meant to signify that he lives so much in his head that his thoughts are inseparable from his speech.” (Craig Clarke, ) This style of writing represents the lack of education in his life. As a result of this dispossession, he finds it difficult to explain himself. He is so limited to seeing beyond his own world that it is challenging for him to understand that his actions are morally wrong, as Miranda states, he “... spends all and every day staring at me. He doesn’t care what I say or how I feel – my feelings are meaningless to him - it’s the fact that he’s got me.” (Pg. 161) Due to this, he writes in past tense, as opposed to writing it as the events take place, in which case his final and true justifications (of his actions) would not be as prominent as they are.

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These justifications would not exist, or be as believable if it was not Clegg himself revealing them to the reader. Being exposed to the reasoning behind his actions puts forward a base to my interpretation of him, that his mental capacity is restricted due to his lack of education and deprivation of love (this information being conveyed through Clegg himself).  This is why “…he sees himself as morally superior: ‘I’m not the pushing sort…I always had higher aspirations’ (pg. 19)” (The Collector: Wizard Study Notes pg. 12), but the reader does not. However, Clegg’s point of view does not ...

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