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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.
Teddy Bear Quotes in Brideshead Revisited
The Brideshead Revisited quotes below all refer to the symbol of Teddy Bear. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Part 1, Chapter 5 Quotes
“This is no way to start a new year,” said Sebastian; but this somber October evening seemed to breathe its chill, moist air over the succeeding weeks. All that term and all that year Sebastian and I lived more and more in the shadows and, like a fetish, hidden first from the missionary and at length forgotten, the toy bear, Aloysius, sat unregarded on the chest-of-drawers in Sebastian’s bedroom.
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Charles and Sebastian return to Oxford after the summer term and find themselves in low spirits after the excitement of the holiday. Sebastian attempts to be cheerful, but it is clear that both he and Charles have lost their enthusiasm for student life. The progression of their relationship follows the progression of the seasons. It begins in spring, reaches its peak in summer, and as time wears on, begins to fade in autumn. Although Charles and Sebastian still love each other, the arrival of autumn suggests the beginning of old age. Of course, the boys are literally still very young, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam q
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Teddy Bear Symbol Timeline in Brideshead Revisited
The timeline below shows where the symbol Teddy Bear appears in Brideshead Revisited. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1, Chapter 1
...his father is a “social leper.” The pair set out in Hardcastle’s car with Sebastian’s teddy bear, Aloysius, propped up between them.
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...He thinks Sebastian is very beautiful but very eccentric, and notices that he carries a teddy bear everywhere with him.
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Charles first sees Sebastian, and his teddy, outside the college barber shop. When Charles goes inside to get his hair cut, the...
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