John and Pope’s Rivalry

John’s hostility toward Pope grows from childhood jealousy and humiliation into an assault shaped by Shakespearean language.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Unwanted Visitor

Jealousy Begins Encounter John wakes to find Pope with Linda and feels frightened by the stranger’s presence. He clings to his mother while Pope ignores his distress. Meaning John’s jealousy develops before he can understand the adults’ relationship. The scene makes Pope a symbol of the attention and security John fears losing.

A Repeated Rival

Resentment Deepens Pattern Pope continues visiting Linda and bringing mescal. John hates him and associates him with his mother’s intoxication and absence. Confusion Linda cannot give John an account that fits his own moral and emotional framework. His resentment grows through repetition rather than resolution.

Words for Hatred

Language Intensifies Feeling Reading John discovers Shakespeare and encounters words that seem to describe betrayal and villainy. The language gives force to feelings he could not previously express. Transformation His hatred of Pope becomes more articulated and more real to him. Literature does not create the conflict, but gives it a dramatic shape.

The Knife Attack

Violence and Restraint Attack John sees Pope beside Linda and takes a knife, attempting to stab him while he sleeps. Pope catches his wrist and stops the attack. Complication Pope does not strike John; he tells him to go. The encounter unsettles John’s simple image of his rival and leaves his hatred unresolved.

A Rival Remembered

Jealousy Survives Loss Memory As Linda lies dying, John recalls Pope and the pain attached to their household. His memories resist the idealized past he tries to recover. Aftermath Pope remains part of John’s emotional history even when absent from London. The rivalry reveals how love and resentment coexist in John’s bond with Linda.

During John’s early childhood

Across John’s childhood in Malpais

Around John’s twelfth year, after he finds Shakespeare

During John’s adolescence, after seeing Pope with Linda

During John’s grief at Linda’s hospital bedside