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On Liberty · Character

George Barnwell

Fictional character from a moralizing play, used as an example of societal pressure.

minor

First appearance: iii of individuality as one of the elements of well being

George Barnwell's tie to Thomas Carlyle is one of the pressures that moves On Liberty—worth meeting in the text, not only on a cast list.

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With Thomas Carlyle (psychological): George Barnwell is used by Mill as a literary example of a misguided individual, contrasted with Carlyle's hero-worship ideas. With Wilhelm von Humboldt (psychological): Barnwell and…

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See George Barnwell in iii of individuality as one of the elements of well being

Character Web

2 connections

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TCThomas CarlyleWVWilhelm von Hu…GBGeorge Barnwell

Relationship types

  • Psychological

Character groups

  • Influences on Liberty

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.

SetupEscalationClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because Mill finally crystallizes the two maxims that form "the entire doc…

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Relationships

Relationship notes

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See George Barnwell in iii of individuality as one of the elements of well being
Who is George Barnwell in On Liberty?