Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Kenneth Widmerpool

Kenneth Widmerpool
This nomination predates the introduction in April 2014 of article-specific subpages for nominations and has been created from the edit history of Today's featured article/requests.


 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page. 

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/April 23, 2013 by BencherliteTalk 19:26, 6 April 2013‎ (UTC)

 Kenneth Widmerpool is a fictional character in Anthony Powell's novel sequence A Dance to the Music of Time, a 12-volume account of upper-class and bohemian life in Britain between 1920 and 1970. Widmerpool is the antithesis of the sequence's narrator-hero Nicholas Jenkins. Initially presented as a comic, even pathetic figure, he becomes increasingly formidable, powerful and ultimately sinister as the novels progress, his only sphere of failure being his relationships with women. Widmerpool's defining characteristics are lack of culture,  small-mindedness and a capacity for intrigue; he is able to achieve his positions of dominance through dogged industry and  self-belief. Thus he represents the meritocratic middle class's challenge to the declining power of the  "establishment",  revealed to have few defences against such an assault. Among suggested real-life models have been Edward Heath, the British prime minister 1970–74, and Reginald Manningham-Buller,  who was Britain's Attorney General in the 1950s;  Powell gave little encouragement to such theorising. The novel sequence ends with Widemerpool's death, in bizarre circumstances arising from his involvement with a New Age-type cult.


 * Recent FA. Literary characters don't often make TFA. This one deserves to. Dunno about points etc but probably not many. Brianboulton (talk) 15:46, 3 April 2013 (UTC)


 * Comment: Please consider that Stephen Crane, postponed in November, is pending for 5 June. If that doesn't mean conflict, I am all for the character, and I think that a literary figure is different from an author to start with, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 16:21, 3 April 2013 (UTC)


 * Support - excellent work (and funny too!) about a literary character, of which I believe we might only have one other at FA level (Nancy Drew) - which has already been TFA. Don't see a conflict with Crane. Truthkeeper (talk) 22:10, 5 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Support then, for your good reasons, --Gerda Arendt (talk) 22:14, 5 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Support Crane far enough away, if this goes soon. Johnbod (talk) 14:30, 6 April 2013 (UTC)
 * Support Worthy. --  Cassianto Talk    15:44, 6 April 2013 (UTC)