Those Barren Leaves · Character

Mr. Falx

A white-bearded former Labour leader who would have been a minor prophet in another age, revered by the young Lord Hovenden as an oracle.

supporting

Also known as old Mr. Falx

First appearance: part i an evening at mrs aldwinkle s

As a supporting figure in Those Barren Leaves, Mr. Falx is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Argues for the importance of practical work like coal-mining over art; speaks with a deep, prophetical voice.

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Mr. Falx presides at Mrs. Aldwinkle's table with the air of a minor prophet — flowing white hair, aquiline nose, dark liquid eyes — and Lord Hovenden hangs on his every word. Born mid-century and briefly destined for engine-driving, he became a Labour leader instead, and now lends his patriarchal gravity to a household of aesthetes and idlers. His earnest socialism, filtered through Hovenden's youthful ardour, gives the villa's talk of art and appetite a political counterpoint it never quite takes seriously.

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See Mr. Falx in part i an evening at mrs aldwinkle s

Character Web

15 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Villa guests and romantics

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Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

In this passage, the protagonist’s intellectual reverie about democratic ideals and his own unworthiness is vi…

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In the story

Mr. Falx appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

VI
Argues for the importance of practical work like coal-mining over art; speaks with a deep, prophetical voice.
VII
Accompanies Mrs. Aldwinkle upstairs; argues with her about tyrants and the past.
Part II: Fragments from the Autobiography of Francis Chelifer
An elderly poet and regular at Mrs. Chelifer's gatherings, representing the old guard of literary pretension.
II
Expresses disapproval of the moral laxity in the house, worries about Hovenden's surroundings, and later passionately speaks about the working classes.
IV
Shocked and appalled by Irene's remark, concerned for Hovenden's moral welfare.
XIII
Appears briefly, rushing down the corridor in his nightshirt with a pained expression, interrupting Calamy's departure.
I
Suffers anxiety in the back seat, his beard fluttering with agitation; reproaches Hovenden for speeding and later switches to Mrs. Aldwinkle's limousine.
Chapter III
Denounces Rome's monuments as built by slave labor and argues against their justification.

Chapter companion notes

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See Mr. Falx in part i an evening at mrs aldwinkle s

See Mr. Falx in VI