Hannah Jarvis and Bernard Nightingale:
The Battle of Reason and Recklessness Two literary scholars go head to head in search of details from the Romantic era of 1809 in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia. They bicker over the truth, creating a clear sense of their dislike for one another. Hannah Jarvis is thorough in her research and focused on her goals, while Bernard Nightingale is overly confident in his findings and easily distracted. The two characters seem to have little in common, but time will reveal their many similarities. Hannah and Bernard argue throughout the entire play but are caught having a few moments that resemble the other. Their conflict may be strong, but I think that Hannah and Bernard are much more comparable than they appear.
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Literature and sex. Your conversation, left to itself, doesn’t have many places to go. Like two marbles rolling around a puddle basin. One of them is always sex” (67).
Hannah may get ridiculed for lack of interest in relationships, but this keeps her grounded and focused on her work. She is not afraid to tell it how it is, and she doesn’t put up with any of Bernard’s crap.
Hannah: Bernard. You did say Bernard, didn’t you?
Bernard: I did.
Hannah: I’m putting my shoes on again.
Bernard: Oh. You’re not going to go out?
Hannah: No, I’m going to kick you in the balls. (25)
Her stubborn and aggressive nature may be a façade, but she values the quest for knowledge above all else. Her feministic side and disregard for emotions are what will help her end up on top.
Hannah may be too skeptic about people and love, but Bernard’s carefree nature is just as tragic. It comes down to this: Hannah and Bernard are jealous of one another. Bernard wants to write and publish amazing pieces that will earn him rightful fame, and Hannah deep down wants a shot at love. If only the two could find a happy medium. Their dislike of criticism and excitement over history are common traits shared among scholars. Nevertheless, it is a proven argument that reason will always conquer