The Black Prince Postscript by Bradley Pearson Summary

  • Bradley Pearson reflects on the nature of human understanding—especially the understanding of other people and the individual worlds they inhabit.
  • Bradley then goes on to describe "the experience of having, as it were, a new character created on me, or to me, in a space of hours," by which he means the public persona that burst into existence through the media coverage of the murder trial (Postscript by Bradley Pearson: par. 2).
  • Bradley describes the trial briefly, giving an account of his changing moods and tactics throughout the proceedings, and notes that his inconsistent behavior throughout the whole debacle didn't win him any favors.
  • Bradley also takes some time to reflect on Rachel's behavior during the trial and even expresses some admiration for the way she took "such a perfect revenge upon the two men in her life" (Postscript by Bradley Pearson: par. 5).
  • As Bradley continues to describe his actions during the trial, he admits that part of him enjoyed it. After all, he had always felt at some level that going through some kind of "ordeal" would help him to become a better writer, and in that sense, the trial was as exciting as it was upsetting.
  • Bradley offers brief descriptions of the testimonies given by Hartbourne, Francis Marloe, and Christian, assessing the damage caused by each, and then expresses his gratitude that Julian wasn't dragged into the proceedings at all.
  • Bradley then offers further reflections on his feelings for Julian and explains how they guided his behavior during the trial.
  • Writing about Julian soon brings Bradley back to a philosophical discussion about the relationship between passion and creativity.
  • As he begins to draw the postscript to a close, Bradley devotes several grateful and loving paragraphs to his "dear friend," "comrade," "teacher," and fellow artist, P. Loxias.
  • Finally, Bradley closes by offering remembrances of Priscilla and Julian, and by affirming his enduring love for the latter.