The Life Progression of Charles Ryder (Brideshead Revisited)

The Life Progression of Charles Ryder Young men and women become adults through experience. As people age, they lose their innocence by living and encountering new aspects of life. Charles Ryder, from the novel Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh, displays this archetypal loss of innocence. Throughout the story, Charles undergoes the classic cycle of separation, transformation, and return, which leads him into becoming a mature adult. Early in the novel, Charles seems sure of himself, …

…through life, the more wisdom he gains, but he never leaves the past behind him. The archetypal transformation includes a return. Charles's return is symbolic and literal when he returns to Brideshead and reflects upon his yesteryear. Finally, at the age of 39, he completes his journey to understanding his life and the lives of people close to him. Charles has reached his point of self-satisfaction, just as we all hope to do someday in life.