10 Best Literary Character Duos
Submitted by mwatts13 on Tue, 12/24/2002 - 12:22
Tags:
- 10) Winston Smith and Julia (1984)
- 9) Jim Casy and Tom Joad (The Grapes of Wrath)
- 8) Phineas and Gene (A Separate Peace)
- 7) Falstaff and Prince Hal (Henry IV, Part I)
- 6) Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley (The Sun Also Rises)
- 5) Lenny and George (Of Mice and Men)
- 4) Holden Caulfield and Jane Gallagher ( The Catcher in the Rye)
- 3) Iago and Othello (Othello)
- 2) Jay Gatsby and Nick Carraway (The Great Gatsby)
- 1) R.P. McMurphy and Nurse Ratched (One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest)
Cloned From:
This list is not based on one particular type of relationship (i.e. conflict, romance, friendship, etc.) but on the interesting dynamics that exist between the characters. For example, the realtionship between holden Caulfield and jane in "Catcher" exists only in Holden's flashbacks: however, these flashbacks work to show Holden's ideal vison of what a normal relationship with a woman of his own age could be like. Also, the flashback where Jane's tear "plopped down" on the checkerboard and she "rubbed it into the board with her finger" is still one of the most touching scenes in Literature.
As to my choice for number one, the conflict between McMurphy and the "Big Nurse" in "One Flew" perfectly symbolized the generational sturggle of the mid to late sixties in America- the "Big Nurse" is repersentive of the more conservative, WWII generation in conflict with the more liberal, open minded "Hippie" generation represented by the "Bull Goose Looney" McMurphy. Ultamently, in seems that the "Big Nurse" wins the battle because of McMurphy's death, but it can be argued that his message lived on with the other characters.