Philosophical Reviews: An Accidental Man

 

This novel narrates the life of a contemporary family who lives in a chaotic London. The members of this family are egoistic, where there is a lack of redemption, this is a family who lives in the wild, they do not have an ideal, they do not have a common goal, the result is the destruction of their humanity with the exception of one character Ludwig.

Ludwig, an American boy who lives in Oxford after having obtained a scholarship, wants to remain in the UK and to marry Gracie, in order to avoid being drafted as a soldier and leaving for the war in Vietnam.

He is not a selfish or a  cowardly person, his existence is devoured by dilemmas and his staunch determination not to become an instrument of death, these are noble principles, but is also true that he lives in a community, with precise rules in order to safeguard its existence, freedom and wellbeing.

Sir Matthew Gibson Grey, Austin's brother is a moral agent, a man of principle and solidarity toward the good.

His brother Austin is a devil figure, he is the right opposite of his brother, he is a failed man full of hatred and resentment, he does not assume any kind of responsibility, he firmly believes that he is a victim of fate for this reason he is not responsible for his actions, but the others.