Character Breakdown

I find that this novel is more about the characters than it is the actual story. I am very interested in the development of the characters and how their true colors show through very vividly. Godfrey St. Peter especially intrigues me because he seems to have very distinct sides. Half the time, he seems disconnected from the world and his family. As a creature of habit, he only likes to write in one location, being the attic of his former house. He appreciates his alone time and also enjoys the lake, which, in its stillness, is a comfort to him. He is considered by many to be erudite and even thinks himself much too smart for his student. However, he is portrayed as being a source of comfort for his students, peers, and family. Many have come to him for help and advice and he always tries his best to accommodate their needs. I am interested to see where his story ends up at the conclusion of the novel.

Another character that makes me think is Louie Marsellus. I do not care for him because it seems as though he also tries to boast and put himself higher than everyone else. He is constantly grabbing the attention of Mrs. St. Peter and other people of status. I think that he is simply attempting to climb the social ladder more than he already has. I believe that he does not deserve the wealth he has come into due to Tom’s hard work. I also think that Rosamond, his wife and daughter of the St. Peter’s, is annoying. Her actions make one believe that she has actually convinced herself that she did something to gain the wealth she has because of Tom. I do not think that she deserves the money any more than Louie does and that they should use the money to help those in need, rather than doing with it “what Tom would want” and buying stuff for themselves. They seem to be completely oblivious to the fact that everyone sees them as snoods and unworthy of the fortune. They seem to be too wrapped up in their own affairs to look around at the people that actually need to money. The Marselluses are seen trying to “give back” by sending the St. Peter’s to the opera and to give them a nice life, but when it comes to the important events, they are unreliable. It seems to me that they are more in love with the money than they are with each other.

However, on the other hand, the other St. Peter daughter, Kathleen, and husband Scott to be so in love with each other. They are my favorite couple in the novel and they seem to by truly in love. Even if they are not as affluent as the Marselluses, they have each other and that makes them happy. Although Kathleen can be seen as jealous of Rosamond, I believe that she is truly the happier of the two sisters.