Chapter XX. He struts around Barbie, smoking cigarettes. During his summer holidays, he acquires a habit of drinking to excess. The mother and daughter were completely alone now and aware that even the house must go to the creditors. Although they were both dying of cancer and consumption, they divided the rest of the poison and accelerated their union with Gourlay and John in death. The pride, the lust, and the greed were gone. The House with the Green Shutters had claimed them all. Critical Evaluation:

Overall, The House with the Green Shutters was fascinating. I found it interesting in the sense that at the intro, I accepted that I wasn't going to like the main character--and, I assumed, the protagonist. Gourlay Sr., however, is not what I would call a protagonist. George Douglas Brown’s reputation rests on this single novel, THE HOUSE WITH THE GREEN SHUTTERS. Born at Ochiltree in Scotland to a poor family, he managed to attend Glasgow University and Oxford. In 1895, he went to London as a freelance writer. Not until 1901 with THE HOUSE WITH THE GREEN SHUTTERS did he win recognition. The novel was praised by Andrew Lang and was well received in England and the United States. His royalties in the summer of 1902 brought him the only financial ease he ever knew, but in August of the year, he suddenly died. In every little Scotch community there is a distinct type known as ‘the bodie’. ‘What does he do, that man?’ you may ask, and the answer will be, ‘Really, I could hardly tell ye what he does – he’s juist a bodie!’ George Douglas Brown was born in 1869 in the little village of Ochiltree, near Mauchline in Ayrshire. The illegitimate son of a local farmer and the unlettered daughter of an Irish labourer, he was raised by his mother and educated at the village primary school. When he progressed to secondary education the rector of Ayr Academy helped him to gain a bursary to the University of Glasgow where he graduated in 1891 with first class honours and the Snell Exhibition Scholarship to Balliol. He took a lively part in Oxford student life, but his studies in Classics were interrupted by periods of ill-health and depression. He returned to Ochiltree in1895 to look after his dying mother and graduated later that year with a third class degree and plans to take up a career as a freelance journalist in London. Eh, the puir la-amb," she protested, dwelling on the vowels in fatuous, maternal love; "the bairn's wearied, man! He's ainything but strong, and the schooling's owre sore on him."

CONTENTS

His son John had inherited all of his characteristics except his courage. As a schoolboy, he was constantly ridiculed by his mates and took refuge in boasting of his father’s wealth and power. He was no good with his fists, and his only revenge after a sound drubbing was to tell his father. Gourlay hated his son almost as much as he hated everyone else, but he could not let his son be laughed at by the sons of his enemies. Therefore, John was avenged by the father who despised him. To be sure is't, to be sure is't! Just the stupeedity o' spite! Oh, there are times when Gourlay makes little or noathing from the carrying; but then, ye see, it gies him a fine chance to annoy folk! If you ask him to bring ye ocht, 'Oh,' he growls, 'I'll see if it suits my own convenience.' And ye have to be content. He has made so much money of late that the pride of him's not to be endured." The novel describes the struggles of a proud and taciturn carrier, John Gourlay, against the spiteful comments and petty machinations of the envious and idle villagers of Barbie (the "bodies"). [1] The sudden return after fifteen years' absence of the ambitious merchant, James Wilson, son of a mole-catcher, leads to commercial competition against which Gourlay has trouble responding. The positive reaction greatly encouraged Brown who planned another novel called The Incompatibles and a book on his "rules of writing"; however both were never to be finished, due to the author's death. The House with the Green Shutters is a novel by the Scottish writer George Douglas Brown, first published in 1901 by John MacQueen. Set in mid-19th century Ayrshire, in the fictitious town of Barbie which is based on his native Ochiltree, it consciously violates the conventions of the sentimental kailyard school, and is sometimes quoted as an influence on the Scottish Renaissance.

But that's very stupid, surely," said a visitor once, who thought of entering into competition. "It's cutting off his nose to spite his face! Why is he so anxious to be the only carrier in Barbie that he carries stuff for next to noathing the moment another man tries to work the roads? It's a daft-like thing to do!" He is portrayed as a devil-like figure with almost demonic powers. This demonic figure can be traced in the writing of Burns, Walter Scott, James Hogg and R. L. Stevenson. The effect of this ‘unnatural’ driving force is that Gourlay strips the community of its own force and dignity. There is no ‘God as Father’ in the novel, no House of God, only Gourlay the patriarch and the House of Gourlay. The church exerts no influence in Barbie. The community is emasculated, divested of its own power: moral or otherwise. It is a community characterised by ‘gossipy’ or effeminate men who live in various states of fear. These ‘bodies’ are described as ‘old maids’ with ‘impotent’ power. This book written by Scottish writer George Douglas Brown was first published in 1901. It is a representation of the pettiness and greed and vindictiveness he knew of small town Scottish life. Our story takes place in the small village of Barbie, in eastern Scotland. John Gourley is the central character, a mean spirited and arrogant man who lords over the town folk. Situated in the center of town, the House with the Green Shutters is the expensive house he has sunk all his money into and symbolizes his prosperity. He is not a character you will like, nor is his wife or children. Actually there aren't really any characters that will warm your heart! This is a sad, tragic tale of how one man's arrogance and greed becomes his and his families downfall. Chapter XXV. Gourlay confronts his son and there is a ferocious brawl. John takes momentary refuge at the Red Lion, but gets into a fight with Brodie. On his return, they grapple again, and John hits his father with the huge poker, killing him instantly.

That's not to say that THGS is grim (though it often is), as there's a strong vein of energetically sardonic humour running through it. Gourlay is annoyed with his wife for being too lax with their son:-