William Henry Devereaux Jr.

William Henry Devereaux Jr is the protagonist in Straight Man. A 49-year-old professor, Hank is unhappy with the path his life has taken, yet seems to be the only person who is unaware that he is unhappy. Confronted with the return of the father who left him when he was a boy, coupled with an upheaval on campus about the budget, Hank forces the hand of those in charge by threatening to kill a duck a day until the English department, gets the budget that they have been promised. Ducks do indeed start getting killed, but Hank is not the one killing them.

Hank has trouble urinating throughout the book, a problem he decides is due to a kidney stone, an ailment his father suffered from as well. Hank feels that his father deserved to suffer, due to his infidelity, and wonders if he is...