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Fiction

Notes become the embodiment of evil and humanity, in his mind. When Dr. Holmes pushes into his
home to see him, Septimus throws himself out the window to his death.

Lucrezia Warren Smith

Septimus’ wife, Lucrezia lived in Italy before marrying and made hats with her sister. She is
young and fun loving, but becomes seriously humiliated and sad when Septimus starts slipping
into insanity. She wanted a normal marriage with children, not a man who talks to himself.
When they first met, he had introduced her to Shakespeare and listened to her. Rezia tries to
protect her husband from the doctors, but, in the end, she cannot.

Maisie Johnson
A young woman fresh from Scotland, she is frightened by the Smiths in Regent’s Park and
wonders if she should have come to London after all.

Carrie Dempster
An older, lower class woman in Regent’s Park, who imagines the future life of Maisie Johnson
based on Maisie’s appearance while evaluating her own life.

Lady Bruton
The daughter of a general, she is an older woman much more concerned with the British
Empire than relationships or society. She invited Richard, but not Clarissa, to lunch causing
Clarissa to question her own purpose. She and Clarissa have little in common.

Dr. Holmes

The overbearing doctor who first treats Septimus, he insists that nothing is wrong with Septimus
and commands that Rezia try to keep his mind on other things. Septimus views him with
hatred, feeling that the doctor represents the evils of human kind trying to stifle him. It is
Holmes rushing up the stairs past Rezia that persuades Septimus to kill himself.

Sir William Bradshaw

The esteemed psychologist who treats Septimus after Dr. Holmes, Bradshaw recommends rest
in the country for Septimus so he can be reoriented to Bradshaw’s strict ideal of proportion.
He recognizes that Septimus is seriously suffering from post-war anguish. He is hated by
Septimus because he represents humanity along with Holmes, by Rezia because he tries to
separate the couple, and by Clarissa because he makes the lives of his patients intolerable.

Lady Bradshaw

The doctor’s upstanding wife, the Lady tells Clarissa of Septimus’ death, bringing unwanted
death into Clarissa’s party. The Lady is a very good amateur photographer, but, ironically,
had a mental breakdown years ago.

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