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Xan Lyppiatt
One of the members of The Five Fishes, Julian is compassionate and driven by a desire for social justice. She wants to secure civil rights for Sojourners (immigrants forced into a kind of indentured servitude), put an end to the Quietus (which involves putting to death the elderly), and end the compulsory, invasive examinations of healthy young men and women. Because of a deformity in one of her hands, Julian is exempt from the twice-yearly examinations to which all healthy young women are subjected. Later in the novel, Julian is revealed to be pregnant—the first pregnant woman on earth, as far as anyone knows, in twenty-five years. Though married to the ambitious, hotheaded Rolf, the pious priest Luke is the true father of her child. When Theo absconds with The Five Fishes at Julian’s behest, the two of them slowly begin to develop feelings for one another. Julian ultimately gives birth to a healthy baby boy, the first birth in a quarter-century. Julian’s story arc ties in with the novel’s themes of hope and action, redemption and renewal, and global thinking towards a greater good. And yet, the novel ends with her nervously wondering why Theo has put on Xan’s Coronation Ring, and so her own story of redemption and renewal of the human race (through this first birth in 25 years) is tainted with the “renewal” of despotic rule suggested by Theo taking over Xan’s role as dictator.
Julian Quotes in The Children of Men
The The Children of Men quotes below are all either spoken by Julian or refer to Julian. 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:
).
Chapter 14
Quotes
“Holding up the Cross of Christ before the savages, as the missionaries did in South America. Like them, get yourselves butchered on the beaches? Don’t you read any history? There are only two reasons for that kind of folly. One is that you have a yearning for martyrdom. What is new is that your martyrdom won’t even be commemorated, won’t be noticed. In seventy years it will have no value because there will be no one left on earth to give it value. The second reason is more ignoble and Xan would understand it very well. If you did succeed, what an intoxication of power! The Isle of Man pacified, the redeemed kissing the hands of the living saint who made it all possible. Then you’ll know what the Warden feels, what he enjoys, what he can’t do without. Absolute power in your little kingdom.”
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Chapter 33
Quotes
Julian looked up at him. For the first time she noticed the ring. She said: “That wasn’t made for your finger.”
For a second, no more, he felt something close to irritation. It must be for him to decide when he would take it off. He said: “It’s useful for the present. I shall take it off in time.”
She seemed for the moment content, and it might have been his imagination that there was a shadow in her eyes.
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Julian Quotes in The Children of Men
The The Children of Men quotes below are all either spoken by Julian or refer to Julian. 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:
).
Chapter 14
Quotes
“Holding up the Cross of Christ before the savages, as the missionaries did in South America. Like them, get yourselves butchered on the beaches? Don’t you read any history? There are only two reasons for that kind of folly. One is that you have a yearning for martyrdom. What is new is that your martyrdom won’t even be commemorated, won’t be noticed. In seventy years it will have no value because there will be no one left on earth to give it value. The second reason is more ignoble and Xan would understand it very well. If you did succeed, what an intoxication of power! The Isle of Man pacified, the redeemed kissing the hands of the living saint who made it all possible. Then you’ll know what the Warden feels, what he enjoys, what he can’t do without. Absolute power in your little kingdom.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 33
Quotes
Julian looked up at him. For the first time she noticed the ring. She said: “That wasn’t made for your finger.”
For a second, no more, he felt something close to irritation. It must be for him to decide when he would take it off. He said: “It’s useful for the present. I shall take it off in time.”
She seemed for the moment content, and it might have been his imagination that there was a shadow in her eyes.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
