Teddy Bear Symbol Analysis

During his time as a student at Oxford, Sebastian is well-known on campus because he carries a large teddy bear named Aloysius around with him. The teddy bear symbolizes Sebastian’s youth and his reluctance to grow up. Sebastian is 19 at the time, and although he is too old for childish toys like teddy bears, he is afraid of responsibility and does not want to progress into adulthood. His attachment to the teddy bear thus represents his rejection of adult life and his desire to escape from it. Sebastian idealizes his childhood because it was the only time in his life when he felt happy. Although this is not immediately obvious to Charles, Sebastian’s best friend, who views his teddy as a harmless eccentricity, it becomes clear that Sebastian is deeply unhappy and self-destructive. Sebastian’s teddy is connected to the other symbols of childhood which Sebastian clings to in order to avoid the realities of his adult life: his nursery and his attachment to his Nanny, who he visits often. Sebastian tries to use his teddy as a protective device, like a magic amulet, to ward off age and prolong youth. However, as time goes on, it becomes clear that youth is impossible to hold onto, and “midwinter” creeps into the innocent warmth of Sebastian’s life. This is externally reflected by the fact that Sebastian begins to forget Aloysius and does not carry him around after his first year at university. This suggests that youth, beauty, and innocence are temporary things which cannot be prolonged, regardless of how hard one tries to preserve them.