Steerpike
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Steerpike is a character in Mervyn Peake's novels Titus Groan and Gormenghast.
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[edit] Character
Steerpike might be called the antagonist of the books, but in truth he is more of an anti-hero; the first book especially is focused on him, as it covers only the first two years of the titular hero Titus's life. Steerpike could be considered an archetypical machiavellian schemer: a highly intelligent, ruthless character willing to justify all means to his end. In the books, Mervyn Peake describes his personality as follows:
- If ever he had harboured a conscience in his tough narrow breast he had by now dug out and flung away the awkward thing - flung it so far away that were he ever to need it again he could never find it. High-shouldered to a degree little short of malformation, slender and adroit of limb and frame, his eyes close-set and the colour of dried blood, he is climbing the spiral staircase of the soul of Gormenghast, bound for some pinnacle of the itching fancy - some wild, invulnerable eyrie best known to himself; where he can watch the world spread out below him, and shake exultantly his clotted wings
And his appearance, as described in Titus Groan:
- Limb by limb, it appeared that he was sound enough, but the sum of these several members accrued to an unexpectedly twisted total. His face was pale like clay and save for his eyes, mask-like. These eyes were set very close together, and were small, dark red, and of startling concentration
Steerpike's red eyes and pallor, frequently referred to in the text, suggest he is an albino. However this is never once stated explicitly and he certainly does not suffer from the poor sight typical of the condition.
[edit] Story
[edit] Escape from the Kitchen
On the day of Titus' birth, Steerpike escaped from his job as kitchen boy, beginning his climb up the social hierarchy of Gormenghast. He first appears as a youth of seventeen years and an unclear past, working in Gormenghast's Great Kitchen under the chef Abiatha Swelter, whom he hates. On the day of the birth of Titus, 77th (and presumably last) Earl of Gormenghast, Steerpike met the chief retainer of the castle, Flay, and persuaded the man to help him flee from Swelter. Flay leads Steerpike through the labyrynthine castle to a small room where the servant can spy on the ruling Groan family. Despite leading Steerpike there, Flay is angered by the boy's eavesdropping, and locks him in a small room. Steerpike soon escapes through the window and climbs over the vast roofscape of Gormenghast, spending the night on a great stone square before arriving in the attic of Fuchsia, daughter to the Earl of Gormenghast. From there, he rises through the ranks of the castle's life by often illegal and immoral means, killing various officials over a 17 year period, driven by his thirst for power.
[edit] The Fire
Steerpike masterminded several plots to advance his plans, the most notable being the burning of the great Library. After a brief time as Dr. Prunesquallor's apprentice, he begins to work for the handicapped sisters of the Earl, the twins Cora and Clarice Groan, whose belief that they have been cheated out of the power that should be theirs he is able to use to his advantage. He persuades them to set fire to the library of Sepulchrave, 76th Earl, and uses the circumstances to appear as a hero by rescuing those inside, including all the remaining members of the House of Groan. Sourdust, the Master of Rituals, dies—Steerpike hopes to takes his place, but like many offices in the castle, this is a hereditary position, and the ancient Sourdust his succeeded by his son Barquentine, a crippled and fiercely traditional man.
(In the BBC television adaptation of the books Sourdust and his death scene do not appear, and Barquentine takes his place throughout.)
[edit] Banishment of Flay
The library was Sepulchrave's only joy in life—he soon after falls into madness and commits suicide. During this time, Steerpike causes the banishment of Flay by enraging the manservant so that he mistreats one of the Countess' white cats. This causes a vendetta that is a key factor in Steerpike's eventual downfall.
[edit] The Twins
Steerpike convinces the Twins to move to a distant, abandoned region of the castle by confabulating an epidemic of Weasel Plague, then dupes the rest of the castle with a suicide note (including a confession of arson) and wax models of the Twins (he is helped in this by the fact that they are in reality hardly more animated than these).
[edit] Master of Ritual
He then insinuates himself into Barquentine's work, doing his best to make himself indispensable. When he finally considers the time ripe, he tries to kill Barquentine (by fire), but botches the assassination by underestimating him. Dying or not, Barquentine wants to take the traitor with him. With the Master of Rituals clinging to him, Steerpike jumps out of the window into the moat and manages to drown him, nearly losing his own life in the process. He is, however, able to use this failure to his benefit: the appearance to the others is, naturally, that he took tremendous risks in the attempt to save his master. The failure of the plan, however, causes subtle changes in his personality and he develops a fear of fire. These factors contribute to his later downfall.
[edit] Discovery
At approximately the same time, the Twins die; they had completely depended on Steerpike for supplies, and he had ceased to visit them after they tried to kill him. Steerpike, of course, realizes this; but it is only after several years as Master of Rituals (during which time he, among other things, attempts to woo Fuchsia) that he finds time to convince himself of their deaths. Unfortunately for him, he is followed by Flay, and discovered with the corpses of the Twins. His behaviour at this point shows signs of madness, and how much he has changed from the cool, rational youth he once was.
He flees and for a short while afterwards terrorizes the castle —- until a huge rainstorm causes a flood, submerging all but the highest parts of the castle. Titus, who blamed Steerpike for his sister's death, eventually kills him.
[edit] Popularity
Steerpike's drive and resourcefulness have made him popular among many fans. He garners sympathy, despite the dark side of his nature, through his maltreatment at the hands of others.
