The article analyses the novel Turbott Wolfe by William Plomer, situating it within the fraught liberal context of its time. It explores themes such as “vision” (idealism, liberal aspirations), “doubt” and “anguish” (conflicts, moral and existential crises), and “retreat” (disillusionment, withdrawal) — arguing that the novel reflects the tensions and contradictions of liberal ideology in a colonial/postcolonial or socially fraught setting. The author shows how the socio-political environment shapes and complicates the characters’ moral and psychological journeys. The analysis uncovers the complexity of liberalism when confronted with colonial realities, moral ambiguity, and psychological distress.