Characterisation of Alan

Alan is the narrator of the short story “After Caravaggio's Sacrifice of Isaac” by Rachel Cusk and its protagonist. His characterisation is conveyed through his thoughts, actions, and the way he relates to the other characters.

His outer characterisation only tells us that he is married to a woman named Sally with whom he has a son, that he has a job that he does not like, and that he develops a passion for art and takes an art history class.

Inner characterisation

Alan’s inner characterisation focuses on his relationship with his family, with art, and with Gerte, a woman he has an affair with.

From the beginning of the story and throughout, we get to know that Alan loves his son very much and that he feels guilty for not realising that his son needs him: “It sounds a funny thing to say, but it’s easy to forget how much children depend on you. It’s important for them that you don’t lose your authority.” (ll. 7-9)

Alan’s feelings of guilt towards his son are also conveyed through his dreams, as he mentions that he often dreams that he has lost or abandoned Ian.

Throughout the story, Alan declares his love for Ian. When Ian was born, he chose to take unpaid leave to stay with him, and later on, he constantly tells Gerte that he loves his son: “You love him, she said. Yes, I said. More than your wife? she said. Yes, I said. More than anything. (ll. 80-81)

However, when Gerte gives Ian an ultimatum, forcing him to choose between her and her soon, he is willing to choose Gerte and abandon Ian:

When I left Ian cried and ran out of the house after me and held on to my leg. (…) Go to your mum, I said, but he wouldn’t, I had to force him off me and shut the door on him.  (ll. 99-102)

Although he returns to his family, on Gerte’s advice, Alan still feels guilty because he thought about abandoning his boy: “When he looks at me now in that strange way, deep down I always think that it’s because he’s remembered that night.” (ll. 102-103)

Alan’s relationship with his wife suggests that he became frustrated with Sally’s attitude after Ian’s birth. After the boy’s birth, the woman rejected her son, probably because of post-partum depression (depression installed after giving birth). This also made Alan unhappy, choosing to spend time away from her: “…even if he was at the other end of the house she’d hear him crying and go mad. I didn’t know what to think: it was totally unlike her.” (ll. 31-32);

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