Running in the Family

by

Michael Ondaatje

Archer Jayawardene Character Analysis

Archer is one of Mervyn’s closest friends in his later years, and often visits Mervyn when he is in the depths of his depression. In the year that he dies, Mervyn tells Archer and his wife the full truth of his depression and anxiety, which is the only time Mervyn admits his psychological pain to anyone at all.
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Archer Jayawardene Character Timeline in Running in the Family

The timeline below shows where the character Archer Jayawardene appears in Running in the Family. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Final Days Father Tongue
Memory, History, and Story Theme Icon
Alcoholism Theme Icon
...leaves Mervyn in 1947, V.C. de Silva lives with Mervyn for a month. De Silva, Archer, and Mervyn become close friends, but Archer and de Silva never drink with him. In... (full context)
Memory, History, and Story Theme Icon
Alcoholism Theme Icon
Ancestry, Homeland, and Identity Theme Icon
Archer Jayawardene remembers that Mervyn loved organizing things, even in his old age. Before his death,... (full context)
Memory, History, and Story Theme Icon
Alcoholism Theme Icon
Ancestry, Homeland, and Identity Theme Icon
...the nursing home and returns to Rock Hill, he finally explains his mental state to Archer and his wife. Mervyn imagines that he sees poison gas surrounding Archer. Archer walks through... (full context)