How does the author John Fowles depict the main character, Frederick Clegg within the novel, The Collector, failing his existential goals?
John Fowles proves to the reader in a number of ways that the main character fails his existential goals. One way that he shows the failure is through the duel views. The duel view’s purpose is clear because the reader can see that Frederick Clegg’s intentions and goals are completely different to the kidnapped Miranda. Another way that John Fowles shows the failure of Clegg’s existential goals is through allusions to other pieces of literature. Some of these allusions include deep roots to Beauty and the Beast and Bluebeard. Although the fairy tale allusions have little roots, the main allusion John Fowles uses within the book is Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
To start off answering the original question of how Fowles proves that Clegg fails his existential goals, the reader needs to understand fully what are Frederick Clegg’s existential goals. The main character Clegg’s first goal is to kidnap Miranda and keep her in his cellar as if she was one of his butterflies in his collection. His main existential goal is for her to eventually start loving him because of his surplus of kindness and gifts given. He tries his best to accomplish his goals however fails of making her love him because she dies at the end and she does not feel the same. Within the novel his existential goals are what drives Clegg. He wins a lottery ultimately leading him to buy a house in which would be perfect and prime condition for kidnapping Miranda. All long Clegg plans his goal of kidnapping Miranda and does what he can to make this occur. He stalks Miranda and becomes obsessed with her. With kidnapping Miranda in mind as one of his “collections” he gathers a lot of information about her. The proper research allows him to commit the act and ultimately lead him on the path towards failure. The reader can see this fiasco through the dual views.
John Fowles shows the disappointment of the kidnapping of Miranda clearly through the dual views of both characters. John Fowles writes the book with duel views to show that the main character has a motive for the kidnapped Miranda, which is ultimately for Miranda to fall in love with himself. However the reader sees through both lenses and writings from both characters that the kidnapper does not get his way. The author writes the book where first Clegg the kidnapper is telling his side of the story. Then after he has kidnapped Miranda, the book shifts to Miranda’s side, where she is writing within her journal about her experience in the cellar. The reader noticeably identifies through both sides that each character is not on the same page.
The book begins with Clegg’s point of view. Clegg’s collection of butterflies is what he finds the most happiness in his life at the moment. This is very important for the reader to recognize as a little strange because the collection of butterflies is not fully satisfying Clegg’s fulfillment of a better collection. This is a foreshadowing of what is going to happen with Miranda. As the book continues the reader starts to understand that Clegg is an outsider because he has trouble connecting to other people not just on a social level but on an intimate one. He really wants to be normal and loved by another person. He keeps telling himself that his thoughts about becoming an ordinary man and strange motives are sincere. As he continues with his abnormal thoughts he comes up with idea to kidnap Miranda. This plan he came up with became his ultimate obsession and existential goal. He eventually goes through with his plan and succeeds in kidnapping Miranda. Fowles does an excellent job of setting up the background of the character Clegg and his inevitable failure. The importance of showing his background and goals makes the reader fully understand all the possible things that can go wrong. After Clegg is done telling the first part of his story it Miranda begins her point of view in the cellar. After Miranda’s death the point of view shifts back to Clegg. Clegg is very distraught and feels deeply disappointed. He admits his failure and is angry with himself. The book ends with him saying he wants to kidnap again. This ending leaves two options. One, he has failed his existential goal of Miranda ultimately falling in love with him and now he has a new goal. Two, he has not yet failed completely, because his existential goal of a different collection continues. As a reader, one must ask if Clegg is a reliable source. Clegg tell his own side of his story and thoughts, which clearly shows that he is delusional and abnormal. However, Miranda goes on with her part of her story and shows that Clegg was never going to get what he wanted.
After Clegg tells his point of view, John Fowles writes Miranda’s point of view in the cellar as a the kidnaped. Miranda begins with her being completely frightened and hysterical. She is very nervous that Clegg is going to molest her. However, as we see Clegg’s intentions, Miranda begins to see that he is not going to doing anything to hurt her as long as she’s stay in the cellar. As Clegg treats Miranda with gift and compassion, Miranda becomes confused. She tells the reader that she has her own plan of pretending to be kind back but secretly plans to kill Clegg and escape. She eventually begins to feel bad for Clegg because she feels he is just crazy and mentally ill. Unfortunately for Clegg towards the end she falls ill and dies. This is the true flop of his goal of making her love and care for him. This is very important to the plot and understanding the ultimate failure of Clegg’s existential goals because we see that she never does fall in love with Clegg. By reading her diary the reader notices that she in fact never even tries to like or care for Clegg. So, reading her point of view through her diary, John Fowles shows the reader the epic fail of an attempt of forcing someone to fall in love. As well as John Fowles presenting the failure of Clegg’s existential goals through dual point of views, the author explains his failures through allusions to other literature.
Within the novel The Collector there many allusions to other books but the main allusion is to Shakespeare The Tempest. In The Tempest there is a similar character to Clegg named Caliban who is also an outsider to everyone else in the story. Caliban wants for the woman character also named Miranda to like him. However the contrasting characters Clegg and Caliban shines because Clegg is a more impactful while, Caliban was weak. Clegg wishes to become The Tempest character Ferdinand who gets the girl and is a charming guy. However, Clegg’s approach totally backfires because kidnaping is not the way Ferdinand would win Miranda’s heart. So this important allusion to Shakespeare’s work shows that Clegg conclusively fails at becoming Ferdinand and leans more to the character Caliban. The metaphorical story of The Tempest plays an important role for Clegg, even though he fails at his existential goals. Fowles allusions within The Collector express to the audience a very recognizable failure of goals for Clegg. The allusions further help portray his existential goals to the reader.
As seen in the book there are many a couple of ways the author John Fowles exposes the failure of the main character Frederick Clegg’s failure of love within the novel The Collector. Duel views or the point of view of the characters ultimately becomes an excellent tool for the audience to step inside the mind of the main characters in the novel. As seen in the book the reader through Clegg’s mind sees his existential goals and his thoughts about himself. Through Miranda’s diary the audience can also see how frightened and disturbed she is by Clegg. The reader also sees that she has no intention of even trying to love or care for Clegg. The only feeling she experiences towards Clegg is sympathy. The exposure of the minds of these characters shows the failure of Clegg’s goals. The writing tool of allusions in the novel does a tremendous job of explaining to a mirror story where one of the main outside character fails his lover goals. As well as the allusion to a failing character, the allusion to another main character that actually does get a woman to fall in love him makes Clegg wish he was him. The dual views and allusions help John Fowles ultimately explain what Clegg’s existential goal are and how they inevitably fail.
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