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Symbols
Bragdon Wood symbolizes the interconnectedness of nature and tradition. It is a place steeped in tradition and lore: the mythical wizard Merlin sleeps beneath the Wood, and characters throughout the novel note that Merlin himself is a symbol of the time when England was the noble kingdom of Logres. The Wood shelters the last vestiges of Logres, and people recognize and respond to its significance by designating the ancient well in the Wood “Merlin’s Well” and establishing ceremonial traditions around drinking from the well.
The fact that the story’s symbol of the ancient world is a forest draws attention to the villainous N.I.C.E.’s plan to separate humanity from organic life. When the N.I.C.E. purchase the Wood, they destroy much of its natural landscape. This highlights the idea that the N.I.C.E.’s aim of elevating human beings beyond nature cannot be achieved without the violent destruction not just of the natural world itself, but also of humanity’s traditional connections to nature (which the novel portrays as being universally positive and fulfilling). The destruction of Bragdon Wood suggests that industrialization and technological advancement is simply progress for the sake of progress, and that it serves no purpose except to sever the tangible ties people have to their traditions.
Bragdon Wood Quotes in That Hideous Strength
The That Hideous Strength quotes below all refer to the symbol of Bragdon Wood. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 1
Quotes
Before [Curry] sat down, nearly everyone in the room desired strongly to make the outer world understand that Bragdon Wood was the private property of Bracton College and that the outer world had better mind its own business. […] Then came a new voice from quite a different part of the Soler. Lord Feverstone had risen. […] A good many Fellows––Studdock was not one of them––imagined they were watching a revolt on Feverstone’s part against Curry and his gang and became intensely interested. […] gradually, one by one, the “outsiders” and “obstructionists,” the men not included in the Progressive Element, began coming into the debate.
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Bragdon Wood Symbol Timeline in That Hideous Strength
The timeline below shows where the symbol Bragdon Wood appears in That Hideous Strength. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
Bracton is home to ancient architecture and the walled-in Bragdon Wood. In the Wood is a centuries-old well shrouded with legend. It is known as...
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...back to the College Meeting, where the faculty of Bracton is debating the sale of Bragdon Wood to the National Institute of Co-ordinated Experiments (N.I.C.E.). The N.I.C.E is an influential research...
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...Mrs. Dimble reveals that Bracton is evicting the Dimbles as part of the sale of Bragdon Wood, and she refers to Mark as “one of the villains” of the scheme. Jane,...
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...will prove the legends true by unearthing Merlin’s still-living body when they dig up the Wood. Jane is disturbed at the similarities between the legends and her dream.
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Chapter 2
...the College bursar. They discuss the social politics of Bracton and the sale of the Wood. The bursar insists that bringing the N.I.C.E to Edgestow will not only bolster the University’s...
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Chapter 3
...for the N.I.C.E. Hingest tells Mark that the N.I.C.E. would have compelled Bracton to sell Bragdon Wood no matter what the Fellows decided at the College Meeting. He reveals that he...
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Chapter 4
...or whom he reports to, but he is instructed to survey a small village in Bragdon Wood and assess the “undesirable” people who live on it.
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Chapter 9
...at the heart of the ancient kingdom of Logres, and that Merlin is buried under Bragdon Wood. The N.I.C.E.’s interest in the Wood speaks to an eldilic influence on the organization....
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Chapter 10
...Merlin. They will need to enter a tunnel that begins outside the N.I.C.E.’s territory in Bragdon Wood, which Ransom speculates was a deliberate choice made by the prophetic Merlin. Ransom sends...
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Chapter 11
...leads Dimble and Denniston on a search for Merlin, and as they walk through the Wood in the rain, they all start to truly believe in Merlin for the first time....
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Chapter 13
Merlin promises to help Ransom, but he requests time to reacquaint himself with the Wood. Ransom tells Merlin that the land has changed, and that nature has lost its soul....
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