Write a short note on The character of Cliff Lewis

Write a short note on The character of Cliff Lewis

          Cliff Lewis is a close friend of Jimmy’s. He is living in the same house with Jimmy and Jimmy’s wife and is boarding with them. The most striking characteristic of cliff is his great attachment to both Jimmy and Jimmy’s wife. But Cliff certainly does not like the way Jimmy is always persecuting and harassing Alison. In the very beginning, when questions Alison in a rather troublesome manner, Cliff says to him,

“Leave the poor girlie alone. She’s busy.’

          In fact, Cliff is all the time trying to defend Alison against Jimmy. His constant effort is to make peace between them. It is noteworthy that he is very informal in his relations with Alison. He can fondle her; he can emorace her, and he can even kiss her without in any suspicion in Jimmy’s mind. It is also noteworthy that it is to Cliff that Alison reveals her pregnancy thus showing her great confidence in him.

          In the play, Cliff’s role is that of a peace-maker in the Porter household. When Helena scolds Cliff for not doing something about Jimmy’s insulting remarks to Alison, Cliff says that he is not a police office. He bluntly tells Helena that he does not approve of Jimmy’s hostile attitude to Helena. He goes not to describe his own role in this house in following manner,

“It’s simply a very narrow

strip of plain hell. But where

I come from, we’re used to

brawling and excitement.

Perhaps I even enjoy being

in the thick of it. I love these

two people very much.”

          This speech of cliff’s clearly state Cliff’s position with regard to Jimmy and Alison. He is a true well-wisher of both, and a real friend to them.

          Cliff’s reaction to Alison’s decision to leave Jimmy is one of great disappointment and regret. He feels really grieved on account of the break-up. He would like Alison to wait till Jimmy come back from London, but she has made her mind to go without delay. When she hands over a note to Cliff to be delivered to Jimmy, Cliff says that it would have been much better if she had herself told Jimmy of her decision. He then tells her that this house will lose much of its charm for him when she is gone. He “The place is going to be really cock-eyed now.”

          The character of Cliff is marked with modesty and humility. On one occasion when Cliff is reading a newspaper, he modestly says that he is trying to better himself. When he has decided to leave Jimmy, he frankly admits that Jimmy is a highly educated man, thus implying that he himself is intellectual inferior to Jimmy. His reason for leaving Jimmy is that he would like to try his hand on something other than a sweet-stall, and it is difficult for Helena to look after tow men in the house. Cliff also admits at this time that he is stupid enough to marry the wrong kind of woman who will dominate and bully him.

          Cliff’s character is aptly summed up by Jimmy’ when he describes Cliff as a loyal, generous and good friend. To Helena, Jimmy thus describes his friend:

“He’s a sloppy, irritating

bastard, but he’s got a

big heart. You can forgive

somebody almost anything for that.” 

          As has been pointed out by a critic, the principal virtue in Cliff is a sense of ‘solidarity’ which is a working classes virtue and which Jimmy misses in both Alison and Helena.

To summing up, we are greatly attracted by Cliff’s nature and temperament. He is a very amiable sort of person. Loyalty and fidelity is his cardinal quality. He further endears himself to us by his humility. He is perfectly frank and candid, with nothing secretive or tricky about him. He has a very simple nature as compared with Jimmy who is a very complex character. Although he plays no part in the action the play, he serves a useful purpose by furnishing a contrast to Jimmy.