# Felix Taverner — Armed with Madness character guide > Felix Taverner in Armed with Madness by Mary Butts. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Felix, Mr. Felix **First appearance:** 0002-armed-with-madness ## Snapshot Felix Taverner, Scylla's young brother, hides behind a fashionable mask while longing for focus, fame, and a self he can actually believe in. ## Who they are In Paris, Felix watches a glittering party he cannot enter, nursing homesickness and the conviction that he could be happy nowhere. Back among the others he sobs in a chair while Ross listens, raging that they came looking for the Sanc-Grail and that Scylla has ended up in bed with old Tracy's son. His fear and petulance expose the group's fault lines, and his need to be someone makes him both pitiable and volatile. ## Relationships ### [Dudley Carston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/dudley_carston) _friendship_ Dudley and Felix share a bond of mutual respect and camaraderie, often acting as allies in their chaotic social circle. ### [Boris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/boris) _friendship_ Boris and Felix are close friends, often engaging in lively debates and shared escapades. ### [Ross](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/ross) _friendship_ Felix and Ross are easygoing friends, frequently collaborating and joking together. ### [Picus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/picus) _friendship_ Felix and Picus are friendly but sometimes strained, with Felix acting as a grounding influence on Picus's obsessions. ### [Scylla Taverner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/scylla_taverner) _family_ Felix and Scylla are siblings, sharing a close but occasionally contentious bond as brother and sister. ### [Picus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/picus) _friendship_ Felix and Picus are friendly but sometimes strained, with Felix acting as a grounding influence on Picus's obsessions. ### [Ross](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/ross) _friendship_ Felix and Ross are easygoing friends, frequently collaborating and joking together. ### [Dudley Carston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/dudley_carston) _friendship_ Dudley and Felix share a bond of mutual respect and camaraderie, often acting as allies in their chaotic social circle. ### [Dudley Carston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/dudley_carston) _friendship_ Dudley and Felix share a bond of mutual respect and camaraderie, often acting as allies in their chaotic social circle. ### [Ross](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/ross) _friendship_ Felix and Ross are easygoing friends, frequently collaborating and joking together. ### [Boris](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/boris) _friendship_ Boris and Felix are close friends, often engaging in lively debates and shared escapades. ### [Scylla Taverner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/scylla_taverner) _family_ Felix and Scylla are siblings, sharing a close but occasionally contentious bond as brother and sister. ## In the story ### [Armed with Madness](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/armed-with-madness) Present in the household, involved in the group's discussions and events. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/i) Brother of Scylla; swims out into the sea; wears pretty clothes; part of the trio that owns the house. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/ii) Felix is scared, brittle, angry, and unjust; Scylla tells him to collect mushrooms and not allow Ross to experiment. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/iii) Scylla's brother, who tells the story of finding the cup in the well. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/iv) Explains the Grail and spear symbolism, expresses fear of his sister Scylla and Picus, and reveals his desire for fashionable routine over vision. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/vi) Cues the doctor to talk; expresses hatred for the Celtic Twilight and Tennyson's treatment of the Grail. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/viii) Felix puts his foot down on antiquities and is mentioned as part of the group; he is asleep during Ross and Scylla's conversation. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/ix) Complains about the walk, collects a plant for Ross, shrieks at a snake, and expresses a desire for a more reasonable life at Biarritz. ### [The Search for the Cup](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/x) Searches in the attic; his room contains leopard skins. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/xii) Suggests big magic is cooking and later goes to see about dinner fish. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/xiii) Cleaning fish in the scullery, he shares a moment of understanding and love with Scylla, expressing his lack of faith. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/xiv) Sends Carston a farewell message along with Scylla and Ross. ### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/xv) Mentioned in Carston's reflections on the group; his bookplate is referenced. ### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/xvi) Burns the book, hides Carston in the attic, confronts Picus about the cup. ### [XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/xvii) Breaks down sobbing, expresses his postwar disillusionment and selfishness, and confronts Ross. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/xviii) Feels alone and damns the scene; retrieves the charred book from the fire; comments on the situation as 'Thoroughly Rum'. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/xix) Mentioned in Scylla's thoughts regarding the meat problem. ### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/xx) Deeply affected by seeing the drowned sailors, he confronts the group about their illusions and his own sense of emptiness. ### [Felix](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/felix) Felix experiences a mix of exhilaration and alienation in Paris, grappling with his inferiority complex and longing for acceptance among a sophisticated crowd. ### [When We Were Very Young](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/when-we-were-very-young) Drunk and euphoric in a Paris taxi, Felix decides that Boris is the companion he came to find, feeling a romantic and purposeful connection. ### [Scylla](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/scylla) Mentioned as Scylla's brother and chaperone. ### [Felix](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/felix) Drunk and hysterical, he cries about damnation and love-death unity, breaks a taxi window, and is carried home by Boris and the American. ### [In and Out](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/in-and-out) Wakes in Paris feeling healthy and determined to find Boris; searches through hotels for him. ### [Clarence and Scylla](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/chapters/clarence-and-scylla) Felix is mentioned as being partial to raspberry jam, which Nanna is making. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters/felix_taverner - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/armed_with_madness_se/characters