Barry
Unsworth on Lord Nelson
Most British people, if asked to name the national hero,
would unhesitatingly say Lord Nelson. A large part of
the reason for this lies in the manner of his death.
He was shot on the quarterdeck of his flagship, HMS
Victory, by a French sniper at the height of
the battle of Trafalgar. The issue of the battle was
in doubt when he received the wound, but he was still
alive when they brought him the news of the greatest
British naval victory since the defeat of the Spanish
Armada two centuries earlier—a victory that destroyed
French naval power, removed the threat of invasion by
Napoleon, and gave Britain total supremacy in the Mediterranean
for a century to come. When the news arrived in London,
instead of rejoicing at the victory, people wept—
a measure of the love that was generally felt for Nelson.
They gave him a state funeral unrivaled in pomp and
ceremony, but they did not honor his dying wish—the
only thing he asked of his country—that provision
be made for his mistress, Lady Hamilton. She died in
France, completely destitute, ten years later.
Discussion
Questions
1. What sort of narrator is Charles Cleasby? Can we
trust him? How do we learn about Charles's possible
deficiencies as a narrator?
2. What is the role of Miss Lily
in the story? How does she function to give us more
information about our two protagonists (Charles and
Nelson)? How does her growing friendship affect Charles?
3. Charles considers Lord Nelson
to be the greatest hero England has ever seen. Does
Charles think heroes are born or made? What do you
think? Charles also refers to Nelson as an "angel."
What are the qualities of an angel, as Charles describes
them? Is Nelson more hero or angel?
4. Think about heroism, as it functions
in history. Some historians organize history around
certain "heroic" figures; some organize history around
the events themselves. For example: some might consider
the French Revolution to be solely the outcome of
social and economic pressures placed on the French
populace. Others might consider it primarily the work
of a charismatic leader like Robespierre. Obviously,
Charles follows the "heroic" theory of history, rather
than the "event-driven" theory. What are the dangers
and falsehoods inherent in each theory?
5. Think about the role of the
hero. What does being a hero mean for Charles? How
does Miss Lily's idea of the hero differ from Charles's?
How does fame affect the hero? Does Charles think
there are any heroes in the world today? (Consider
his remarks on both Hugo's David Bowie and Winston
Churchill.)
6. There is a great emphasis in
the book on parallelism. Think of the parallels that
Charles constructs: between Nelson and himself, within
Nelson's life, between the varying historical accounts
of Nelson's life and actions. Are these parallels
maintained? What happens when they are not? How does
the final scene of the book affect Charles's ideas
of parallelism?
7. Try interpreting some of Charles's
dreams. What do you think they indicate about Charles's
feelings and anxieties?
8. What is the relation between
Charles's relationship to his father and his father's
death, and his obsession with Nelson? How does Charles
view the relationship between his father and mother?
9. Consider the denouement of the
book. Was an ending of this sort inevitable for Charles?
What did Charles achieve with this action? Remember
the scene with Charles's father and the rabbit. What
was the lesson learned in that scene, and how is it
demonstrated in this final act?
10. Finally, is Losing Nelson
a historical novel? What are your biases and expectations
regarding historical fiction? Does Losing Nelson
fulfill those expectations, or defy them?
Also
by Barry Unsworth
The Partnership
The Greeks Have a Word for It
The
Hide
Mooncranker's
Gift
The Big Day
Pascali's
Island
The
Rage of the Vulture
Stone
Virgin
Sugar
and Rum
Sacred
Hunger
Morality
Play
After
Hannibal
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