Jefferson Campbell

At the center of the story, the narrative focus shifts from Melanctha's life to the feelings and experience of Jeff Campbell, the young doctor whose relationship with Melanctha occupies the bulk of the story. Initially, Jeff embodies the values at the opposite extreme from those of Melanctha: he believes in a world of clear-cut good and bad, he has well-defined goals, and he extols traditional and staid family life. He is also, however, the one who changes the most profoundly in the story, exchanging that starting point for a realization of the importance of uncritical emotion and experience. In his relationship with Melanctha, he goes through an excruciating period of loss and discovery, mostly losing his original sense of certainty as he realizes that he cannot know, or even clearly communicate with, the woman he loves. He is also the only unequivocally compassionate character in the story...