Analysis Of John Jakes's 'The Bastard'

In his novel The Bastard, John Jakes tells the story of a young Frenchman named Phillipe Charboneau- the illegitimate son of the Duke of Kentland. Upon the death of the Duke, Phillipe is entitled to receive half of his estate, sharing it with the Duke’s legitimate son, Roger. When the Duke passes, Phillipe is denied his birthright by his father’s wife, Lady Jane Amberly. He is chased out of England and forced to go to London. While in London, it becomes apparent that he and his mother cannot stay for too long as it is not safe. He flees London for the New World- America. Phillipe Charbonneau sheds his old identity and changes his name to Philip Kent. Many themes arise in this novel, but the one that I find most prevalent is Phillipe Charboneau searching for a sense of belonging.

Phillipe Charboneau seems to be out of place everywhere he goes, and he eventually begins to realize this. He does not affiliate well with people in France as some of them (like August and Bertam) make fun of him for being a “little lord” (Jakes 19). When he believes that he has a place in England, he is rudely rejected by the

I feel like the novel gave me a good, accurate insight of what it would have been like to be a fly on the wall in those secret meetings. The novel captures a good picture of what it may have been like to be a member of royalty or a simple commoner trying to make a change. Most of the political figures/groups in the novel were given distinct personality traits that made the reader aware of how important status and power were to those who lived in the 1700s. I also enjoyed characters like Benjamin Franklin and Sam Adams- to me, they were portrayed very accurately and both of their characters possessed most of the same qualities that they had in real-life. In the novel, for example, Franklin is (accurately) represented as a creator, a womanizer, and- most importantly- a