• 1.
    "I caught him," (the thief) "with an unseen hook and an invisible line which is long enough to let him wander to the ends of the world, and still to bring him back with a twitch upon the thread."---Chesterton, Father Brown
    --Why is the last chapter called A Twitch Upon the Thread? Who do we see in the book recalled, and to what?
  • 2. "The end was not for me. As you can imagine my heart was in my mouth all through the deathbed scene, hoping against hope that the old man would not give way, that is, take the course he eventually did."---Henry Yorke, a fellow novelist, in a letter to Waugh, ----What is the significance of Lord Marchmain's manner of death? Why do you think he did what he did? Were you disappointed, too?
  • 3. "I said a prayer, an ancient, newly-learned form of words, and left, turning towards the camp…" --What does this mean?
  • 4.
    "I can't marry you, Charles. I can't be with you ever again."
    "I know."
    …."Now we shall both be alone, and I shall have no way of making you understand."
    "I don't want to make it easier for you, " I said; "I hope your heart may break; but I do understand."
    --What is going on here? What appears to be Julia's reasoning? Why does she feel she can't marry him? What is ironic about this situation?
  • 5. What struck you the most in this last section?

  • 6.
    "Lord Marchmain, I felt at though it was I who was leading in the bride." It was said with great indelicacy. I have not yet quite fathomed her meaning. Was she making a play on my son's name , or was she, do you think, referring this undoubted virginity? I fancy the latter….. I don't think she would be quite in her proper element here, do you? Who shall I leave it to? The entail ended with me, you know.---Lord Marchmain
    ---What do you think Beryl meant? Do you think Lord Brideshead is being fair to Bridey or Beryl? What does it mean the entail ended with me? Why would he refer to Bridey and Beryl as "why should that uncouth pair sit childless while the place crumbles about their ears?" Quis (Who?) in fact do you side with in this?
  • 7. Who is the focus on at the end of the book and why? Where is Sebastian, where Anthony Blanche? Who is left? Why?
  • 8. When you consider all of the characters in this book, which one do you feel most sorry for? And who do you have the least use for? And why? Have they all been let down by somebody?
  • Most: Bridey/ Least: Julia----ginny
  • Most: Cordelia/ Most Admired: Nanny/ Least: Waugh---Jackie
  • Most: Cordelia---Carolyn
  • Most: Bridey/ Least: Charles Margaret
  • Most: Julia/ Least: Cordelia Mippy
  • Most Liked: Anthony Blanche Babi
  • Most Liked: Nanny/ Least: Charles Hats
  • Most Liked: Anthony Blanche/ Cordelia; Least: Julia/ 'Mummy'---Gumtree
  • Most Liked: Cordelia/ Least: Momma---Stephanie
  • 9. "With BR, Waugh the satirist , tries desperately to write a serious book about the need for religion in life, and, for him, the true Catholic Church. It seems a stretch to say he succeeds." ---Daytripper ------Do you agree? Do you think Waugh suceeded?
  • 10. "I would like to know how his life unfolded after his conversion in the chapel. Can any one predict?"---Margaret --- How do you see ALL of these characters in, say, 20 or 30 years?
  • 11.I think Julia is giving Charles up as a form of penance for her sins. Charles is the one thing she really wants. So she's going to give him up. Her guilt from leaving the church has caught up with her at the end. I think she is sincere about her penance and devotion.--Marni ----Do you agree or disagree?
  • 12. Why are all the characters experiencing a religious conversion or reconciliation? Is it all the suffering and death they have seen? ---Marni
  • 13.
    "Charm is the great English blight. It does not exist outside these damp islands. It spots and kills anything it touches. It kills love; it kills art; I greatly fear, my dear Charles, it has killed you."
    I have missed something about "charm." Why is charm so murderous? Why is it, in Anthony's eyes, unique to the English? Is Anthony just over exaggerating? Are his words full of truth or without truth?---- Hats ----- What do you think?
    It was charm again, my dear, simple, creamy English charm, playing tigers."
    ---What does "playing tigers" mean?
  • 14. "I dislike most Waugh himself who is like an evil puppet master, sadistically manipulating his helpless inventions."---Jackie ---How do you feel about Waugh?
  • 15. " Charles is a mystery to me. At the very end he was smiling and seemed happy, does that mean he is ready to put the past and pretension to rest and get on with his own life in the present? " --Margaret ---Why is Charles smiling at the end, he's been in tears just a moment before?
  • 16. What is the climax of the book, do you think? Is it Lord Marchmain's deathbed conversion? Is it when Julia says "I can't marry you, Charles?" or is it Charles' smile at the end? OR is it something else?
  • 17.
    So, as we find out, Alex did leave the estate to Julia. And, of course, Julia has her conversion, is pulled back to her religion by the twitch of the thread, and rejects marriage to Charles. What would Alex have done if he had lived a bit longer? But, then, if Alex had lived longer, had not "converted" himself at the very end of his life, perhaps Julia would have married Charles. In that case, what would have happened? Would she have always had guilt feelings? Would that have ruined her marriage with Charles?
    ----Marni
  • 18." Poor Mummy. She really was a femme fatale, wasn't she. She killed at a touch."---Sebastian
    Poor Sebastian. He's still mad at God. Or he's being misogynistic. Perhaps it's an author's slip of the tongue. It's detestable. Lady M didn't deserve that! ---Daytripper -----Do you think Lady Marchmain deserved that? If Sebastian had BEEN well, do you think he would have gone to her deathbed? Why or why not?
    The End: Not With a Bang, But a Whimper?
    It would seem the Great War (The War to End All Wars- WWI) made a significant difference on the world, in ways which were not foreseen, and many writers echoed the longings of people for something, some purpose or meaning in life. You can see it in many of the War poets (of both WWI and WWII) and I think Brideshead is the same theme, just not in verse, showing how this sense of needing a purpose managed to even invade what I guess most British took for granted as a given: the very aristocracy and grand houses and lifestyle of the beautiful people, thought so far removed from the battlefield. I THINK, this is my opinion, this is what Waugh set out to do. What do you think he did? What did you think Brideshead would be? Are you disappointed in it? In your opinion did he succeed? Is it just a fluffy romance, a beautiful piece about the beautiful people? What's the main theme that you see? Was it wrong of Waugh to include what he felt was the answer, what he felt that Eliot despaired of finding in the rubble: hope? What are your last thoughts in the final days? Did Waugh succeed?     Questions Week 1 || Questions Week 2 || Questions Week 3