Universality Summary, Characters and Themes

Universality by Natasha Brown is an exploration of the struggles faced by individuals in a society increasingly defined by materialism, social expectations, and the pursuit of wealth. The novel delves into themes of class, privilege, personal disillusionment, and the breakdown of societal structures, all while chronicling the journey of its central character, Jake.

Amidst a chaotic rave and a brutal theft, Jake becomes both a perpetrator and a victim, navigating a world rife with exploitation, conflict, and the endless chase for success. As the narrative unfolds, it offers a critique of the hollow promises of modern capitalism and the countercultural movements that strive to challenge it.

Summary

Universality follows the life of Jake, a young man whose existence spirals out of control following a violent incident at a farm owned by Richard Spencer, a former high-powered banker. The gold bar Jake steals from Spencer during a chaotic rave on the farm becomes a pivotal symbol in his life, representing the fractured nature of society, class divisions, and the moral decay prevalent in modern Britain.

The story begins with Jake at thirty years old, holding a gold bar worth over half a million dollars. The night had started innocuously, with a rave at Spencer’s secluded farm, but soon the situation turned violent.

In the midst of the chaos, Jake kills someone in a confrontation that he doesn’t fully understand. The crime is overshadowed by the ongoing pandemic, and the police investigation into the incident goes nowhere.

As Jake flees the scene, the gold bar he stole becomes both a physical symbol of wealth and an internal symbol of Jake’s moral conflict, pushing him toward actions that will ultimately lead to his undoing.

Richard Spencer, once a wealthy and powerful banker, is left to grapple with the loss of his gold. Though he accuses Jake of the theft, Spencer is more concerned with his personal downfall than with the theft itself.

His life, marked by indulgence and financial failure, has left him morally adrift. Spencer’s relationship with his ex-wife Claire is strained and characterized by a lack of mutual understanding.

Claire reflects on their fractured marriage, his obsession with the farm, and the emptiness that defines Spencer’s life after he loses his financial empire. Spencer’s character serves as a representation of the moral bankruptcy of the wealthy elite, whose fixation on symbols of status and security blind them to the deeper issues in society.

Jake’s path crosses with that of Indiya, a former squatter turned activist, and her group of like-minded individuals who take over Spencer’s farm. They envision creating a self-sustaining community, hoping to escape the damaging structures of capitalism.

However, their noble intentions unravel as infighting and criminal activities take over. Jake, initially attracted to their ideals and invited into their fold, becomes disillusioned with the group.

Tensions rise within the community, culminating in a violent altercation with one of its leaders, Pegasus. This conflict leads to Jake’s eviction from the farm, which sets off a chain of tragic events that culminates in the theft of the gold bar during the rave.

Despite the crime, the investigation stagnates, with the authorities more focused on trivial issues like lockdown breaches and drug-related offenses. The stolen gold bar remains unaddressed by the media or the police.

As the story progresses, the perspectives of several key characters—including Claire, Spencer, and Indiya—are explored. Spencer, now stripped of his wealth and influence, is a shell of the man he once was.

He cannot reconcile his past with his present, leading him further into despair. Meanwhile, Indiya, though disappointed by the collapse of her dreams for the farm, continues to hold onto the hope of creating a better world.

She finds herself at a new squat, still determined to work toward change despite the failures of her previous attempts.

Jake, now living in hiding in a flat in London, reflects on his life and the destruction caused by his actions. The gold bar, once seen as a ticket to freedom and reinvention, now feels like a curse.

He is forced to confront the fact that his theft was not a path to salvation but a tragic misstep in a world where wealth and material success offer no true fulfillment. His fate, marked by his inability to escape the consequences of his actions, becomes a metaphor for the larger societal forces at play.

The narrative reveals the hollowness of both the capitalist system and the countercultural movements that sought to oppose it.

As Jake’s personal story unfolds, it becomes clear that Universality is not just about his journey but about the larger, fractured society in which he lives. The pursuit of wealth, power, and status, embodied by the gold bar, offers no real satisfaction or redemption.

The novel critiques both the capitalist system, which creates and perpetuates inequality, and the countercultures that fail to offer meaningful solutions. The characters’ struggles—Jake’s internal conflict, Spencer’s moral disintegration, and Indiya’s idealism—illustrate the broader disillusionment felt by many in contemporary society.

In the end, Universality paints a bleak picture of a world where individuals are trapped by their desires and insecurities, navigating a landscape fractured by social divisions and the pursuit of material wealth. The gold bar, once a symbol of power and opportunity, ultimately becomes a representation of the illusions that people cling to, even as their world collapses around them.

Jake’s tragic arc serves as a poignant reminder of the emptiness that pervades a society driven by greed, privilege, and the unyielding pursuit of success.

Characters

Jake

Jake, the central figure of Universality by Natasha Brown, is a character shaped by the struggles of modern society. At thirty years old, he is caught in a downward spiral that begins with his involvement in a chaotic rave at Richard Spencer’s farm.

Initially, Jake seeks some form of escape or redemption through the theft of a gold bar, but his actions quickly lead him down a dark path. The gold bar, meant to symbolize wealth and freedom, becomes a metaphor for his internal conflict, as Jake finds himself a victim of his own choices.

His involvement in the violent incident at the rave, which leads to the death of a person, forces Jake into isolation, both from society and from his own sense of morality. His personal downfall is further compounded by the failure of the collective he initially joined, as infighting and disillusionment tear apart the group’s vision for a self-sustaining community.

Jake is a tragic figure, caught in a society that offers him no true path to fulfillment, his identity torn between the rebellion against capitalism and the stark reality of its empty promises.

Richard Spencer

Richard Spencer represents the moral decay and emptiness of the wealthy elite in Universality. Once a high-powered banker, Spencer’s life has unraveled due to his own financial mismanagement and his addiction to the comforts that wealth provides.

Spencer’s obsession with his farm, once a symbol of his success and security, becomes a reflection of his inability to cope with the collapse of his former life. Although he accuses Jake of stealing the gold bar, Spencer’s own ignorance and disconnection from the lives of those around him reveal his moral blindness.

His character is defined by a deep internal emptiness, exacerbated by his crumbling financial status. As the narrative progresses, Spencer becomes a hollow shell of his former self, unable to reconcile his past with the reality he now faces.

His broken marriage with Claire and his relentless pursuit of a farm that no longer holds the same value as it once did further illustrate his inability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Indiya

Indiya is a former squatter turned activist who embodies a different kind of rebellion against the capitalist system in Universality. She, along with her collective, occupies Richard Spencer’s farm in an attempt to create a self-sustaining community, a utopian vision that ultimately unravels due to the infighting and criminal behavior that plague their efforts.

Indiya’s character is driven by idealism and a desire to create a better world, but her noble intentions clash with the harsh realities of human nature. Despite her failure to bring about lasting change, she remains hopeful, though burdened by the collapse of the community she fought to establish.

Indiya’s journey is one of perseverance, yet her internal conflict and disillusionment with the limitations of her ideals reflect the broader themes of societal decay and the failure of countercultural movements to truly challenge the entrenched systems of power.

Claire

Claire, the ex-wife of Richard Spencer, serves as a foil to Spencer’s moral blindness in Universality. Her reflections on their broken marriage reveal much about her own sense of loss, not only of her husband but of her place in a world increasingly defined by wealth and status.

Unlike Spencer, Claire does not cling to the past in the same way; instead, she wrestles with the reality of their failed relationship and the unacknowledged emotional neglect that defined it. Through Claire, the narrative explores themes of personal regret, self-awareness, and the emotional costs of living within a capitalist system that prizes accumulation over genuine connection.

Claire’s character, while not as central as Jake or Spencer, plays an important role in illustrating the broader consequences of Spencer’s actions on the people around him, especially those like her who once believed in his vision of security and success.

Pegasus

Pegasus, one of the leaders of the activist collective that takes over Spencer’s farm, is a character whose ideals are just as flawed as those of the capitalist figures they seek to challenge. Initially a part of a movement that seemed noble in its pursuit of self-sufficiency and rebellion against societal structures, Pegasus’s leadership becomes marred by infighting and criminal activities.

His violent confrontation with Jake is the catalyst that leads to Jake’s eviction from the collective, setting in motion the events that culminate in the rave and the theft of the gold. Pegasus’s role in the story highlights the contradictions within activist movements, as the same forces that drive individuals to fight against oppression also drive them to perpetuate their own version of it.

His character is a stark reminder that the fight against systemic injustice often comes with its own moral compromises.

Themes

Class and Privilege

The theme of class and privilege is central to Universality, illustrating how socio-economic status influences individuals’ lives and decisions. The characters in the narrative represent varying levels of wealth and power, and their interactions serve as a critique of the systemic inequalities within society.

Jake, the protagonist, is a product of a broken system, deeply affected by his background and the harsh realities of class. His involvement in the chaotic rave and the subsequent theft of the gold bar reflect the desperation and rebellion against the entrenched structures of wealth.

For Jake, the gold symbolizes not only the potential for wealth but also the possibility of escaping his socio-economic limitations. However, the reality of his actions reveals the futility of trying to gain true freedom through material wealth in a society that perpetuates such disparities.

Richard Spencer, on the other hand, embodies the moral emptiness of the elite. His wealth has afforded him the ability to ignore the struggles of others, leading to a life where his financial success becomes his only identity.

Spencer’s gradual unraveling, as his material possessions crumble and his personal life deteriorates, emphasizes the hollowness of privilege. His inability to understand the lives of those less fortunate, including his ex-wife Claire and the people around him, reflects how wealth and status often blind individuals to the humanity of others.

This theme critiques the illusion of security that money provides and the emotional and social cost of maintaining that wealth.

The narrative ultimately questions whether individuals at both ends of the class spectrum can ever truly escape the rigid structures that define their lives. While Jake’s theft of the gold seems like a chance for reinvention, it only deepens his entrapment in a system that offers little in terms of real satisfaction or freedom.

The novel paints a grim picture of how class shapes the lives of individuals, offering no true escape from the cycles of privilege and poverty.

Disillusionment and the Failure of Utopian Ideals

A recurring theme in Universality is the disillusionment that characters experience when confronted with the failure of their ideals, particularly regarding the pursuit of a better world. The takeover of Spencer’s farm by Indiya and her group of activists initially seems like a hopeful endeavor.

Their plan to create a self-sustaining community offers an alternative to the capitalist structures that dominate society. However, this vision collapses under the weight of internal conflict and criminal activity, mirroring the disillusionment many feel with attempts to create alternative societies outside of the traditional power structures.

Jake’s initial involvement with the group is marked by his hope for a collective vision that could offer a way out of his own personal and social struggles. However, his experiences within this collective soon lead him to recognize the limitations and flaws inherent in the utopian vision they have built.

As the group becomes mired in infighting and dysfunction, Jake realizes that even well-intentioned efforts to escape the broken system of capitalism cannot succeed without confronting the deeper issues of human nature, power, and inequality. The violent altercation with Pegasus, which leads to Jake’s eviction from the farm, serves as a turning point, where the ideal of a perfect society crumbles, reinforcing the theme of failure.

This theme speaks to the broader societal frustration with attempts to challenge established power structures. Indiya’s ongoing struggle in a new squat highlights the persistence of idealism, but also the difficulties in implementing change on a large scale.

The collapse of the collective is a powerful metaphor for the failure of countercultural movements that seek to challenge the status quo, yet often falter when faced with the practical realities of human interaction, power struggles, and systemic inertia.

The Illusions of Materialism

At the heart of Universality is the critique of materialism and the false promises of wealth and success. The gold bar that Jake steals initially represents the possibility of freedom and a new life, but it becomes a burden rather than a salvation.

Jake’s crime, motivated by a desire to break free from his own limitations, ultimately leads him down a darker path. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the gold does not offer Jake the redemption or transformation he had hoped for.

Instead, it becomes a symbol of the emptiness that pervades modern society, where the pursuit of material wealth is an illusion that only perpetuates dissatisfaction.

Spencer’s character arc also embodies the emptiness of materialism. Once a powerful and wealthy figure, Spencer’s life is now defined by the very possessions he once valued.

However, when these material markers of success begin to slip away, Spencer is left with nothing of substance. His obsession with the farm and his failing relationships with those around him underscore the hollowness of living a life dedicated solely to the accumulation of wealth and status.

The gold bar, once a symbol of aspiration, ultimately highlights the futility of pursuing material wealth as a means to achieve personal fulfillment or redemption.

Through Jake’s tragic arc and Spencer’s downfall, the narrative critiques the capitalist system’s emphasis on success and wealth, showing how it blinds individuals to more meaningful pursuits of personal growth and connection. In a world where the pursuit of material wealth is seen as the ultimate goal, the characters are left to confront the emptiness that often accompanies such aspirations.

The Fragmentation of Society and Identity

Universality also explores the fragmentation of both society and individual identity in the face of modern pressures. The story reflects the way contemporary life, dominated by wealth inequality, social media, and the constant need for validation, has led to a fractured sense of self and community.

Jake’s internal conflict is a central example of how individuals struggle to reconcile their private selves with the demands of the external world. His actions, including the theft of the gold bar, reflect his desire to escape from his sense of inadequacy and confusion in a society that offers no clear path to fulfillment.

The breakdown of Jake’s relationships, particularly with the activist collective, illustrates the broader social fragmentation at play. The ideal of collective action, which promises a sense of belonging and purpose, ultimately fails when personal ambitions and selfish desires override the group’s shared vision.

Similarly, Spencer’s isolation despite his wealth and status highlights the alienation that can accompany success. Despite having everything materially, he is disconnected from those around him, unable to find meaning in his interactions or his life.

The story’s conclusion, with Jake reflecting on the wreckage of his life, underscores the sense of isolation that many individuals feel in a society where the pressures of class, wealth, and identity are overwhelming. The narrative suggests that the fragmentation of society is not just an external issue but a deeply personal one, as individuals struggle to make sense of their place in a world that seems increasingly divided and disconnected.

This theme highlights the emotional cost of living in a world where personal identity is often defined by external factors rather than internal values.