Introduction Rationale (Felix De Lacey)

I chose to begin Felix’s introduction with a sentence describing his roles concerning the people in his life, since his relationships with those who are close to him are a significant part of his identity. His actions are often motivated or influenced by these characters, so I thought it was important to start by mentioning who he is to others.

I also decided to use the footnote on page 83, which says that the name Felix means “fortunate.” This presents a striking contrast to Felix’s current situation in the novel, which indicated to me that it would be worthwhile to closely examine the events that marked Felix’s transition from “fortunate” to who he is now. Some noteworthy characteristics I found in the account of his life in Paris were his “horror and indignation” at the Turk’s unjust sentence, how he “rejected his offers [of reward and wealth] with contempt” and “the impression that [the Turk’s] daughter had made on the heart of Felix” (92). These descriptions show his commitment to justice, his disregard for material gain, and Safie’s effect on his emotions.

Another important aspect of Felix’s character is his reaction to learning De Lacey and Agatha had been imprisoned. “This idea was torture to him” (94), and he immediately seeks to free them, regardless of the cost to himself. This shows that Felix is strongly motivated to protect his family, which definitely comes into play by the end of his story. I want to use this more in later moves, because I think it’s quite plausible to say that potentially dramatic reactions could be the result of his desire to defend those he loves. It would make sense to infer that this quality has increased after Felix’s family left Paris, because he obviously feels guilty about the role he played in their losses.

The final qualities I wanted to emphasize are Felix’s misery at the loss of Safie, and the effort he makes to conceal it, particularly from De Lacey. I took this primarily from the following: “He was always the saddest of the groupe; and, even to my unpracticed senses, he appeared to have suffered more deeply than his friends. But if his countenance was more sorrowful, his voice was more cheerful than that of his sister, especially when he addressed the old man” (84). This shows not only how deeply Felix cares for Safie, but also how his misery has been somewhat confined to his own mind. Although it’s clear to De Lacey and Agatha that Felix suffers, they may not be fully aware of the degree to which he has been changed by his experiences. Since Felix tries to limit his outward signs of sadness, it causes me to wonder what other thoughts and emotions else he could potentially be hiding.

Through further exploration of Felix’s reactions in the context of the creation’s limited perspective, the reader can gain a deeper understanding of the flaws in Felix’s character. This can be used to analyze the cause-and-effect relationship between his implicit motivations and their resulting actions.