The Waves...

 So we’ve just been talking about character development so far. I guess I’ll continue with that. As far as the characters go, I think it’s important to see the characters as there seem to be dichotomies in sets of characters. I think Susan and Jinny contrast one another because Susan is more concerned with developing a family life while Jinny is more concerned with the life of a social mistress. Susan wants to be a slave to traditional life at home while Jinny is a slave to traditional social life. This shows both their similarities and differences. This is so interesting because while they seem different, they are actually two sides of the same coin. They are both victims of tradition. Neville and Rhoda also seem very different yet similar to me.
 Neville is weak while Rhoda seems strong, physically. Neville however does seems to have a good sense of self. Rhoda on the other hand is lost in the world in which she resides. Instead of developing her own perspective on life, she becomes lost in everyone else’s shadow. Another reason they are similar is because of their sexuality. However, the difference in their manifestation of their homosexuality truly makes them opposites. While Neville seems comfortable with his sexuality, Rhoda instead goes through the motions of heterosexuality before she develops a better sense of self.  
 Bernard and Louis function as opposites because of their existence in England. Bernard represents the typical male. He is dominant and observant while Louis is not the typical British male. He is an outsider. While Bernard is comfortable being around everyone, Louis doesn’t exist the same way. However, people are drawn to him, because of his exotic nature. The dichotomies between the characters serve as a way to bring them together and develop a plot that exists between the characters. The text becomes a plot about characters now about actual conflicts.