The Collector John Fowles

1. The Collector John Fowles

2. John Fowles

John Robert Fowles, (born March 31, 1926-November 5, 2005),
English novelist, whose allusive and descriptive works combine
psychological probings—chiefly of sex and love—with an interest
in social and philosophical issues.

3.

• Graduated from the University of
Oxford in 1950
• Taught English at a school on
the Greek island of Spetses
• His first novel, The Collector
(1963) was an immediate success
• Fowles' books have been
translated into many languages
• Several books have been adapted
as films

4. The main characters

Frederick Clegg
Frederick is an amateur entomologist who
loves to collect butterflies. He is an
antisocial and awkward young man in his
mid-20s. He was raised by his Aunt Annie
and grew up alongside Annie's daughter,
his disabled cousin Mabel. Yet he
eventually wins a prize of over 70,000
pounds in a football (soccer) pool, and
uses this money to buy a country house two
hours away from London, where he sets up
the basement to be used as a cell for a
captive. Clegg then travels in London,
stalks a beautiful art student named
Miranda Grey, captures her, and takes her
back to his house. He tries, and fails, to
make her fall in love with him. Yet he
succeeds in lying about his name to
Miranda; she thinks he is called
Ferdinand.

5. The main characters

Miranda Grey
Miranda is a 20 year-old art student
at the Slade School of Fine Art in
London. She grew up in a privileged
middle-class household. Her father, a
doctor, was much older than her
mother and their marriage was
generally dysfunctional. Miranda is
very close to her sister Carmen, whom
she calls Minny. She also fell in
love with George Paston (or, as she
calls him, G.P.) a middle-aged artist
who influenced her while she was an
art student. At the beginning of the
novel, Miranda is kidnapped by
Frederick Clegg and is held captive
in the basement of his country home.

6. The plot

Part 1 of the novel is told from Clegg's
perspective, first as he prepares to abduct
Miranda and then once he has her in his power.
Clegg drives Miranda to his house after
chloroforming her to subdue her. He forces her
into the basement.

7. The plot

For the next month, the two engage in a battle of wills,
with Miranda frequently attempting to escape and Clegg
explaining that all he wants is for her to love him.
Miranda comes from a higher social class and has had a
better education than Clegg; she frequently tries to
educate him, though at other times she subjects him to
her contempt. Clegg promises to free Miranda after a
month of captivity, but goes back on his promise when
Miranda tells him she does not love him. She tries to
escape after Clegg extends her term of captivity, and
for the first time since Miranda's abduction Clegg must
chloroform her to keep her in his grasp.

8. The plot

Eventually Miranda tries the last thing she thinks might
free her: seducing Clegg. After a disastrous sexual
encounter, Clegg loses all respect for her, revealing
the extent of his neurotic mentality in the process. Yet
he begins to force Miranda to pose for nude photographs
for him; these offer the only sexual gratification he
can experience.

9. The plot

Soon Miranda catches cold which becomes a severe chest
infection, probably pneumonia. Clegg refuses to get a
doctor, fearing discovery, and Miranda's condition
worsens. Clegg keeps repeating that what eventually
happened to Miranda is not his fault.

10. To be continued…

Made by Yulia D.