Just wrapped up The Collector by John Fowles, and my mind is a mess of conflicting thoughts—especially after reading Miranda’s diary. On the surface, she’s clearly the victim: kidnapped, imprisoned, and ultimately left to die by the cold, calculating Frederick Clegg. But once we get into her own words… things get murky.
In her diary—which Clegg reads after she dies—Miranda reveals a lot more than just her fear. She writes with raw honesty about her past, including her complicated relationship with GP (her older artist mentor), her sexual encounters with other men, her manipulations, and her open contempt for Clegg. She paints herself as cultured, enlightened, and superior—sometimes painfully so.
This got me thinking: Does Miranda’s arrogance, elitism, or even promiscuity (as Clegg would judge it) make her any less of a victim? Absolutely not. But Fowles doesn’t let us off easy. He forces us to grapple with uncomfortable layers.
Miranda isn't a pure damsel—she’s flawed, sharp, sometimes cruel. Clegg isn’t just a monster—he’s socially stunted, emotionally hollow, but disturbingly rational. So the question is: How does Miranda’s diary after death reshape our sympathy? Are we supposed to see Clegg’s growing detachment as a reaction to her revelations—or was that always his nature?
Would love to hear your take. Did Fowles blur the line between victim and villain to challenge us?
by Feeling_Twist5547