Note on Characters in The Ensemble

The Ensemble is a character-driven novel; there is no plot apparatus that stands independent of the relationships and internal reactions of the four leading characters. To that end, only the four quartet members—and to a certain extent Kimiko—are “characters” in the sense that they are depicted with complex interiorities that change over time. Most other characters do not change over time because they are used to express a certain concept, choice, or personality to the reader; they serve as a foil or an experience to one of the main characters, but they themselves do not have a traceable arc. This is true even of characters who play major roles in the lives of the characters, such as Lindsay or Paul. It is particularly telling that someone like Finn—Jana’s long-term boyfriend in Parts Three and Four—is mentioned only in...