G.P. Character Analysis in The Collector

G.P. is an artist in his 40s who Miranda falls in love with. His full name is George Paston. G.P. has strongly held feelings about art and politics, which impress Miranda. However, even he admits he is not a good person, and multiple times he warns Miranda to stay away from him. In particular, G.P. is a notorious philanderer and soon tries to get Miranda to go to bed with him even though she is only half his age. Additionally, G.P. has a nasty temper that arises when his artistic sensibilities are questioned. Miranda’s friends seem to think G.P. is a pretentious fake, though Miranda remains convinced he is a talented painter, even if he is a flawed man.

G.P. Quotes in The Collector

The The Collector quotes below are all either spoken by G.P. or refer to G.P.. 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:

I know what I am to him. A butterfly he has always wanted to catch. I remember (the very first time I met him) G.P. saying that collectors were the worst animals of all. He meant art collectors, of course. I didn’t really understand, I thought he was just trying to shock Caroline—and me. But of course, he is right. They’re anti-life, anti-art, anti-everything.

Related Characters: Miranda Grey (speaker), Frederick Clegg, G.P., Marian

Related Symbols: Clegg’s Butterfly Collection

Page Number and Citation: 129

Explanation and Analysis:

Upstairs, bedrooms, lovely rooms in themselves, but all fusty, unlived-in. A strange dead air about everything. Downstairs what he (he would) called “the lounge” is a beautiful room, much bigger than the other rooms, peculiarly square, you don’t expect it, with one huge crossbeam supported on three uprights in the middle of the room, and other crossbeams and nooks and delicious angles an architect wouldn’t think of once in a thousand years. All massacred, of course, by the furniture. China wild duck on a lovely old fireplace. I couldn’t stand it, I got him to retie my hands in front and then I unhooked the monsters and smashed them on the hearth.

That hurt him almost as much as when I slapped his face for not letting me escape.

Related Characters: Miranda Grey (speaker), Frederick Clegg, G.P.

Page Number and Citation: 134

Explanation and Analysis:

7. But you don’t compromise with your background. You cut off all the old you that gets in the way of the maker you. If you’re suburban (as I realize D and M are—their laughing at suburbia is just a blind), you throw away (cauterize) the suburbs. If you’re working class, you cauterize the working class in you. And the same, whatever class you are, because class is primitive and silly.

Related Characters: Miranda Grey (speaker), Frederick Clegg, G.P.

Page Number and Citation: 152

Explanation and Analysis:

Between them Caroline and M have every quality I hate in other women. I had a sort of despair for days afterwards, thinking how much of their rotten, pretentious blood I must have in me. Of course, there are times when I like Caroline. Her briskness. Her enthusiasm. Her kindness. And even all the pretentiousness that’s so horrid next to the real thing—well, it’s better than nothing. I used to think the world of her when she came to stay. I used to love staying with her. She backed me up when there was the great family war about my future. All that till I lived with her and saw through her. Grew up.

Related Characters: Miranda Grey (speaker), G.P.

Page Number and Citation: 161

Explanation and Analysis:

People like your bloody aunt think I’m a cynic, a wrecker of homes. A rake. I’ve never seduced a woman in my life. I like bed, I like the female body, I like the way even the shallowest of women become beautiful when their clothes are off and they think they’re taking a profound and wicked step. They always do, the first time. Do you know what is almost extinct in your sex?

He looked sideways at me, so I shook my head.

Innocence.

Related Characters: Miranda Grey (speaker), Frederick Clegg, G.P.

Page Number and Citation: 186-187

Explanation and Analysis:

G.P. Character Timeline in The Collector

The timeline below shows where the character G.P. appears in The Collector. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Additionally, Miranda thinks about an older artist she is infatuated with, who she calls “G.P.” Miranda appreciates G.P.’s mind and is impressed with how much of the world he has... (full context)

...the cellar. Then, Miranda changes the subject altogether and writes about her first meeting with G.P. Caroline, Miranda’s aunt, introduced her to G.P. on a shopping trip. Miranda does not like... (full context)

One week later, Miranda meets G.P. again by coincidence while taking the Tube. After a brief conversation, G.P. decides that he... (full context)

While out on the town, G.P. shows Miranda a Rembrandt and tells her that it moves him deeply. Miranda says that... (full context)

...must do the same in order to escape Clegg. At night, Miranda writes more about G.P. She describes the first time she brought some of her studio art for G.P. to... (full context)

G.P.’s comments hurt Miranda, though she appreciates his honesty. G.P. tells Miranda that a true artist... (full context)

...same place, she knows a good deal about his upbringing. For Miranda, who takes after G.P. in this regard, Clegg represents everything that is wrong with the new middle class. She... (full context)

...October 25th, Miranda writes about the time she took some of her friends to meet G.P. at his apartment. During the meeting, she feels G.P. goes out of his way to... (full context)

Miranda comes back after her friends have left to apologize to G.P. She expects an apology in return but does not get one. Instead, G.P. tells her... (full context)

...is trying to emotionally manipulate her. Miranda spends much of her day attempting to draw G.P. from memory, though she finds herself having a hard time. (full context)

On October 28th, Miranda thinks about G.P.’s faults as a person and artist. She believes that he hates many talented painters for... (full context)

On October 29th, Miranda writes more about G.P. She finds herself increasingly hurt by the many women he is sleeping with. When she... (full context)

After their conversation, Miranda and G.P. play chess and G.P. wins. Following this meeting, Miranda only saw G.P. a few more... (full context)

...the situation is bizarre. Miranda also writes about a time when she went over to G.P.’s house and was upset. G.P. puts on a record and lays next to Miranda while... (full context)

...fool him but does not find the nail. Miranda also writes about speaking to someone G.P. slept with in the past, who she calls the Nielsen woman. Nielsen is frank about... (full context)

...hours. One object, in particular, catches Clegg’s eye: Miranda wants a painting from George Paston (G.P.). When Clegg asks Miranda about G.P., Miranda says he is simply an old friend whom... (full context)

...various things she asked him to buy, including a painting of a young woman from G.P. Miranda thinks that G.P. has done far better work, but she appreciates its authenticity. Miranda... (full context)

Miranda thinks back to the past, two months ago, when G.P. had just returned from a trip to Spain. G.P. tells Miranda that he wishes she... (full context)

...is supposedly preparing a room upstairs for her, Miranda’s mind is filled with thoughts about G.P. She cannot decide whether she loves or hates him. (full context)

...she won’t die but is also growing delirious. She also attempts to write something to G.P. but does not have the strength to finish it. Her final journal entry sees her... (full context)

...up on his suicide altogether. He is also annoyed that Miranda was in love with G.P. for the entirety of her stay, making him feel like he was set up to... (full context)

G.P. Character Analysis

G.P. Quotes in The Collector

Part 2 Quotes

G.P. Character Timeline in The Collector