Narrative is a critical aspect of Ford's The Good Soldier. Since the narrator also serves as one of the main characters, his narrative perspective becomes even more interesting to the reader. One of the most fascinating aspects of Dowell's storytelling is that it is inconsistent, often incorrect, and sometimes quite passive. His perspectives and how he sees himself in his relationships create parallels with his narrative style and indeed become determining factors in his storytelling. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay John Dowell's relationships with women lack sexual passion or desire. He “did not show even the slightest tremor of sexual desire” (Levenson 378). His relationships with Florence and Nancy, which should have had the potential to be conventionally classified as “romantic,” are anything but. To even begin to interpret Dowell's relationships, it becomes necessary to first look at his overall vision of love. He makes it clear that he does not believe in the “permanence of the love of man or woman… [or] permanence of any early passion” (Ford 96). He also states that “there is no man who loves a woman who does not desire to come to her to renew his courage” (Ford 97) and that this, not a sexual passion, causes a man's desire for a woman. Dowell's views, applied to his life, show that the whole idea of ​​his relationship with Florence is nullified. Florence does not renew its courage in any way; if anything, it helps make him weaker and more oblivious as time goes on. Dowell's role in his relationship with Florence is, like his narrative, full of "inconsistency... passivity... [and] sexual abstention" (Levenson 378). The reader is still left somewhat in the dark regarding Dowell's relationship with his wife Florence, even after nearly three hundred pages of text. Love and passion aside, Dowell and Florence don't even have a stable line of communication. He doesn't realize the true essence of their relationship until it no longer matters after Florence's death. Dowell makes it clear that he does not know his own history and is essentially inactive in his relationships, merely conforming to whatever decisions his wife makes. He shows awareness that his inability to see situations and people clearly is a bad thing, saying that "the damned nuisance of this whole thing is... it never really gets deeper than an inch of the things I've catalogued." (Ford 37). Dowell's ignorance is perhaps the most obvious manifestation of his innocence. Indeed, Dowell's narrative is driven more by his perceptions than by the “evidence around him” (Hoffman 45). If the loss of innocence is the knowledge that one has a choice, then Dowell remains innocent throughout the novel. Yes, he hints that he will stay with Florence to serve as her nurse, perhaps subconsciously implying that there remains another option by mentioning that he will only stay to serve a specific purpose, but he never seems to realize that he may divorce her. What is clear to the reader, however, is that Dowell does not and does not even like his wife. At the beginning there is no evidence of any affection towards Florence. Indeed, his contempt for her is subtly displayed when he observes that during the conversation, “Leonora only nodded her head in a way that shook my poor wife pleasantly” (Ford 38). While Dowell cannot convincingly be described as a mischievous man, he clearly takes at least a little pleasure from his wife's annoyance and discomfort. One of the most important aspects of Dowell's relationship with Florence is the distance between the two of themmaintained by both characters. Florence cheats and lies to Dowell, and Dowell always remains detached from Florence. He has no desire to even change the dynamics of his relationship, which is evident when Florence's doctor says that the couple should "refrain from displays of affection" (Ford 74) and Dowell responds internally with "I was quite ready" (Ford 74 ). His sexuality is no longer talked about, in terms of women, men or himself. He remains ambiguous not only in his narrative, but also in his sexuality. His descriptions of the women around him tell more about his personality than the reality of his perceptions of women. That is to say, his interactions and reactions with the women around him show his personality and his thoughts more than they show the truth of the women around him, in part because he is such an unreliable narrator and the reader is almost forced to discount many things. of the things he says. He describes women as he sees fit, in terms of his relationship with them and how they fit into the gender structure in the society he considers good. Dowell “tries to preserve his idea of ​​true femininity by describing women like Maisie Maiden and Nancy as 'submissive' and innocent” (Hoffman 42). The above description is in tension with his description of “Leonora as transgressive and threatening” (Hoffman 42) when he feels fear or inadequacy towards her. Although Leonora has many differences with Nancy and Maisie, the real differences lie in the different ways Dowell represents them within his narrative. This sexual ambiguity leads to the discussion of Dowell's relationship with Edward. Dowell considers Edward to be the epitome of an English man and a social norm. In other words, “Dowell focuses on Edward as the pinnacle of stability” (Hoffman 35) amidst his gender confusion. Indeed, Dowell even uses his narration as “the autobiographical act of fully identifying with Edward… […] narration becomes for Dowell a means of enacting imperialistic crossings of identity boundaries” (Hoffman 46). His introspection regarding masculinity comes to the fore when his narrative concerns Edward, because Dowell uses Edward as a basis for comparison and definition of gender. Both subtly and explicitly, Dowell suggests that he sees Edward as the ultimate male. In describing Edward, Dowell states that the brick pink of his complexion, which coincided perfectly with the brick pink of the inside of his eyelids, gave them a curious and sinister expression... And that boy, entering a room, caught him look of every woman. in it, with the same dexterity of a magician who pockets billiard balls. It was truly amazing (Ford 30-31). This description, one of many, implies a certain perfection in Edward that Dowell considers the emblem of a male. Dowell's perceived role in his relationships with the people around him and with himself shapes his narrative. Furthermore, Dowell's roles in his relationships parallel his narrative style. His relationships are full of doubts, mistakes and distance. These three qualities run rampant in Dowell's narrative, right from the start. Dowell begins his narrative by stating “This is the saddest story I have ever heard” (Ford 13) instead of stating that it is the saddest story he has ever been involved in, perhaps, since he is one of the main characters. He chooses to distance himself from the people in his life in relationships and as a result he chooses to distance himself from the story in the way he tells it. In her article, Karen Hoffman writes that “Ford [emphasizes] narrative as a means of negotiating anxiety and ambivalence about identity” (Hoffman 31). Explore his masculinity through storytelling by exploring his.