John Fowles's The Collector as inspiration for Morrissey's "Girl Afraid"
The novel begins from Freddie Clegg's point of view, from the time that he first becomes obsessed with Miranda to the time that he abducts her.
We see Miranda from Freddie's point of view as a beautiful, gentle, sheltered young woman. He wants to rescue her from the life she leads as an art student, gallivanting around with motorcycle-riding young men. He sees her as a symbol of the gentility he could obtain by having her.
Once Miranda is captured, the narrative shifts to her point of view. Naturally, we realize that Miranda is far more than Freddie has pictured her to be. She is not gentle, with more earthy, human passions than Freddie can ever comprehend.
She struggles fiercely against Clegg, then tries to help him overcome his bitterness and antisocial attitude by befriending him. One extreme and misdirected act of kindness turns Clegg against Miranda with a vengeance. He imprisons her with no illusions of romance, ignoring her cries for help.
The narrative then returns to Clegg's point of view, as he details Miranda's death and summarizes his thoughts on the months spent with Miranda in captivity.
The Collector on film sacrifices the intimate detail and insight into the characters of Freddie and Miranda, to instead portray a stark, mysterious series of interactions between Boy Afraid and Girl Afraid that result in "almost a love story."
When he wins the lottery, Clegg feels trapped by the money he has won, because he doesn't have the "class" to know what to do with it. Then he realizes that he could use the money to obtain his dream: A life with Miranda, under a new roof of his own. Unfortunately, he is slow to discover that a woman can't be pinned like a butterfly.
Boy wins lottery, quits his job as a clerk, and buys a large country house for its impenetrable cellar.
Boy furnishes the cellar with everything Girl could need. Boy kidnaps Girl in the hopes of making her love him.
Girl struggles and relents. Boy buys everything Girl asks for, but will never give her freedom.
Girl rebels again, then dies of pneumonia. Boy buries Girl, then finds a new Girl to catch.
When she first encounters Clegg on the bus to the art school, Miranda recognizes him as someone lonely and resentful toward society. But she doesn't realize that Clegg is someone who will soon want more than her pity.
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Tom Courtenay
Albert Finney
Terence Stamp