Brideshead Revisited

by

Evelyn Waugh

Brideshead Revisited Symbols

Brideshead

The house in Brideshead Revisited, known as Brideshead Castle, represents the Catholic Church. The house itself invokes Catholic imagery, as its domed roof resembles the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Its grand, aesthetic style also…

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Fountain

Fountains are associated with the Catholic sacrament of baptism throughout Brideshead Revisited, and thus represent the characters’ spiritual proximity to God. Baptism is a Catholic practice in which infant children are anointed with water…

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Teddy Bear

During his time as a student at Oxford, Sebastian is well-known on campus because he carries a large teddy bear named Aloysius around with him. The teddy bear symbolizes Sebastian’s youth and his reluctance to…

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Skull

In his first year at university, during his friendship with Sebastian, Charles buys a skull with the words “Et in Arcadia Ego” engraved on its brow. This is Latin for “and in…

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