Lieutenant Brigge Character Analysis

An English naval officer. The narrator uses Brigge’s personal diary to piece together the events of Orlando’s party in Constantinople, after which Orlando inexplicably transforms into a woman. Brigge’s diary entry tells of a large and lavish party, and he speaks of a popular rumor that claims “some kind of miracle” will be performed there. A miracle is never performed at the party, and the crowd begins to riot; however, the novel implies that the miracle occurs after the party, when Orlando changes gender. Diaries like Brigge’s are of particular interest to modernist biographers; not only do diaries serve as official records of events, they also lend a bit of subjectivity to history, which Orlando argues is paramount in biographical writing.