Futility · Character

Sir Hugo

An Englishman whose arrival stirs the narrator into a midnight frenzy of matchmaking, rearranging lovers, divorces, and fortunes as if the whole cast were his to sort.

supporting

Also known as Whereon, old Hugo, Whereon Sir Hugo

First appearance: i

As a supporting figure in Futility, Sir Hugo is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Serves Fanny Ivanovna ice cream, talks to young girls, and is described as nervous and constantly saying 'Splendid!'

In the storyIIIOpen this moment free

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Sir Hugo's presence in the story provokes the narrator into a comic bout of Napoleonic scheming, drawing columns, arrows, and circles to pair off Nina, Sonia, Nicholas, Fanny, and the rest. He is the catalyst for the novel's most revealing set piece: a would-be puppet-master deciding who should marry whom and who should support the multitudinous dependents. His arrival exposes how much of the book's comedy lies in the gap between tidy plans and ungovernable Russian lives.

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See Sir Hugo in i

Character Web

17 connections

A slice of how Sir Hugo sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Minor Aristocratic Figures
Siberian Intervention Characters

+12 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because the protagonist reaches an emotional and psychological peak of des…

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In the story

Sir Hugo appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

III
Serves Fanny Ivanovna ice cream, talks to young girls, and is described as nervous and constantly saying 'Splendid!'
IV
Listens to Fanny Ivanovna's autobiography; reacts with a look suggesting 'damned bad staff work.'
V
Observes the Admiral's pig-hunting with approval, calling it 'splendid'.
VII
Writing a letter to apologize for misspelling a name, then reviewing old minutes during the coup; criticized for his love of detail and exactitude.
The Spring Dinner and the Waiting Game
Engages in a heckling debate with Captain Larkin about discipline and diplomacy.
Chapter XI
Attempts to clarify the Allied mission, reveals Kniaz's full name.
II
Travels with the narrator as far as Colombo, then departs for Singapore on a mission of advice.

Chapter companion notes

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See Sir Hugo in i

See Sir Hugo in III