Character Relationship Map: The Browning Version

Characters

• Andrew Crocker-Harris (played by Michael Redgrave) — protagonist

  Ageing classics master at an English public school, forced into retirement due to ill health. He struggles with feelings of failure as a teacher and despise from staff and pupils, worsened by his wife...

• Millie Crocker-Harris (played by Jean Kent) — protagonist

  Andrew Crocker-Harris's wife. Her infidelity significantly exacerbates his sense of weakness and failure as a teacher during his final days at the school.

• Frank Hunter (played by Nigel Patrick) — supporting
• Taplow (played by Brian Smith) — minor

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Andrew Crocker-Harris → Taplow (Professional Teacher And Pupil) — Their relationship is shaped by Andrew's demanding teaching and Taplow's frustration, alongside Taplow's acknowledgment that his result was deserved.

  Taplow waits for an extra lesson with Andrew and complains to Frank about Andrew's strictness and teaching. Taplow also admits Andrew gave him exactly...

• Andrew Crocker-Harris → Frank Hunter (Professional Candid Colleagues) — Frank listens as Andrew reveals his isolation and regret, creating a restrained but unusually candid exchange between colleagues.

  Andrew speaks with Frank about his feelings of failure, his belief that Millie has been truthful, and his memories of teaching literature. He also apo...

• Andrew Crocker-Harris → Millie Crocker-Harris (Family Estranged Spouses) — They prepare to leave for Bradford, but their marriage is marked by emotional distance and unresolved unhappiness.

  The plot identifies Millie as Andrew's wife and describes strain in their marriage. Andrew believes Millie has long destroyed his capacity for happine...

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Frank Hunter → Taplow (Social Sympathetic Colleagues) — Frank gives Taplow a receptive audience and responds with a less strict perspective than Andrew's.

  Taplow discusses Andrew and his lost golf plans with Frank, who listens sympathetically and offers a more relaxed view of teaching and the boys.

• Millie Crocker-Harris → Frank Hunter (Social Intimate Confidants) — Frank offers Millie personal support and promises to follow her to Bradford, leaving the future of their connection unresolved.

  Millie's closeness to Frank becomes increasingly apparent. She asks him not to abandon her, and he promises to come to Bradford.

Story Analysis

In his final days at school, Andrew confronts professional disappointment and private unhappiness as a formal farewell leaves his relationships unresolved.

Plot Progression

1. A School's Final Term — The headmaster announces Fletcher's departure and Andrew's resignation due to ill health. Andrew and Millie prepare to leave for Bradford, while Gilbert visits and Taplow waits for an extra lesson.
2. Lessons and Discontent — Taplow complains to Frank about Andrew's strictness, teaching, and the wait that disrupts his plans. He nevertheless acknowledges that Andrew gave him the result he deserved, and Frank responds sympat...
3. A Promise for Bradford — Millie's closeness to Frank becomes apparent when she asks him not to abandon her. Frank promises to come to Bradford, while Andrew confides in Frank about his unhappiness and his trust in Millie's ho...
4. Andrew's Lost Connection — Andrew recalls trying to share his love of literature and remembers that the pupils' laughter once gave him happiness. He recognizes that this connection has vanished and apologizes when his remarks h...
5. A Polite, Uncertain Farewell — The headmaster toasts Andrew and Millie, and Millie discusses joining Andrew after he settles into his new post. Frank arrives, but the farewell leaves the couple's private unhappiness and the future...