The Collector//John Fowles

The title to a novel should always relate to the plot or story in some way. John Fowles’ “The Collector” is an excellent representation of how the title of the novel can tell you so much about the plot and story and how the title alone can be linked directly and indirectly to actions and events in the story. “The Collector” is a name best suited for the main character Clegg. The title can be related to his personality as well as his actions. You learn that Clegg is indeed a collector of insects as well as another interesting specimen, the human female.

Within the first pages of the novel, you discover that Clegg has a collection of some sort. “She drew pictures and I looked after my collection” (Fowles, Pg. 4). Clegg speaks of how he would go “off collecting” (Fowles, Pg. 6) while out with his Uncle Dick. Clegg’s father died when he was just a little boy, and was raised by his aunt and uncle. His uncle acted as a role-model as Clegg grew up and he “would always stick up” (Fowles, Pg. 6) for Clegg when his aunt and cousin would make fun of his collection.

Early on in the novel you get an idea of what Clegg collects. He speaks of his “entomological observations diary” (Fowles, Pg. 5), and later states exactly what his collection is. “I’m an entomologist. I collect butterflies.” (Fowles, Pg. 42). Entomology is the study of insects in a scientific field, so when he mentions his “entomological observations” (Fowles, Pg. 5), you are given the information that he collects insects, then you are further led to believe that it is butterflies when he mentions his “Aunt Annie and Mabel used to despise my butterflies” (Fowles, Pg. 6).

Further into the novel, Clegg’s collection extends to another species, that of the human female. You read of Miranda in the first pages of the novel when Clegg talks of how he would “have daydreams about her” (Fowles, Pg. 4). Miranda is considered to be one of his collections. He becomes obsessed with Miranda like someone would with a collection, to the point where he literally collects her.

“I had a special plastic bag sewn in my mac pocket, in which I put some of the chloroform and CTC and the pad so it was soaked and fresh.” (Fowles, Pg. 23). With these tools at his disposal as well as a carefully thought out plan, Clegg had an opportunity to begin his new collection. You relate these tools to that of what he would need to capture a butterfly. He would need a net and a jar to capture a butterfly to add to his collection. For the capture of Miranda, his chloroform was his net, and his van was his jar. Clegg tricked Miranda into thinking he had hit a dog, and had her come around and take a look. “I got the pad I’d been holding in my pocket right across her mouth and nose...then suddenly she went limp...” (Fowles, Pg. 24). He had now finally collected Miranda and was ready to add her to his collection.

Clegg did not capture Miranda to torture or torment her, rather to admire her. He claims “she was my guest at last and was all I cared about.”(Fowles, Pg. 27). This tells you that the act of keeping her there was not to upset her, rather fulfill his own wants. Clegg kept her in captivity with the intensions of having her fall in love with him; he would even give up his most prized possession, his collection of butterflies. “I said, if you asked me to stop collecting butterflies, I’d do it. I’d do anything you asked me.” (Fowles, Pg. 43)

Clegg collects both Miranda and butterflies to fulfill his desires, but those desires are in different aspects of his life. Collecting butterflies was a form of entertainment for Clegg, where as the desire to collect Miranda was for what he perceives as “love”. Clegg will not set Miranda free because he has a strange “love” for her, and this “love” does not exist between the both of them. This separates Miranda from his collection of butterflies.

Miranda is also able to comprehend that she is just another one of Clegg’s collections. She sees herself as another one of his collections, something for him to keep shackled up and view as an object. “Literally. You’ve pinned me in this little room and you can come gloat over me.” (Fowles, Pg. 42). Clegg even states himself that “Seeing her always made me feel like I was catching a rarity, going up to it very careful...” (Fowles, Pg. 3). He is referring to her as an object rather than a person. Miranda would also refer to the butterflies as her “fellow victims” (Fowles, Pg. 54) as if she was trapped just as they were.

At the end of the novel, Clegg shows no remorse for his actions because his obsession begins for an addition to his collection. After putting forth an extraordinary amount of effort into this piece of his collection, he ultimately leads to Miranda’s demise. After Miranda’s death, Clegg recognizes the wasted time he put into Miranda’s kidnapping, and moves on to another subject where this collection will continue to grow.