Brideshead Revisited

Through most of Book 1, Sebastian carries his teddy bear, Aloysius, whom he speaks to as if it were a real companion. Aloysius becomes a sort of emblem of Sebastian himself among his Oxford classmates; they view this choice to carry about a totem of childhood as a charming, albeit foolish affectation. Only Anthony seems to see Aloysius differently. When he invites Charles to dinner, where he warns him that Sebastian is too self-absorbed to ever truly care for him, he says that if Charles mentions this warning, Sebastian will immediately turn to speak to his teddy bear. This is precisely what happens, which not only lends Anthony’s words credibility but also suggests that Sebastian is incapable of dealing with interpersonal conflict, self-reflection, and emotions.

Aloysius also represents Sebastian’s privilege; while others would likely be mocked for clinging to a symbol not only of childishness but of childish sentimentality, Sebastian’s charm (a product of his aristocratic gaiety, which operates in ignorance of the struggles of the other classes) renders the choice amusing. This inability to reckon with real troubles, however, and to leave behind childish modes, will ultimately prove disastrous for Sebastian as the age of the aristocracy wanes.