Dr. Elijah Jones

Dr. Elijah Jones appears in more stories in the collection than any other character. He appears in “Bravery,” “Chastity,” “Forbearance,” “Sloth,” and “Gluttony.” Elijah is a pediatric doctor who lives in Minneapolis. He is friend with fellow Minneapolis resident Benny Takemitsu. He used to live in San Francisco, which is where he met—and eventually married—a woman named Susan. Elijah and Susan have two children together: a son and a daughter. Their marriage is mostly stable, although they sometimes argue and experience marital tension. Elijah is a very competent and dedicated doctor. In the story “Sloth,” he is so sleep-deprived due to work that he begins to have strange dreams and hallucinations.

Elijah’s most prominent appearance is in the story “Gluttony.” (The story is named for the fact that, by this time in Elijah’s life, he has become a compulsive eater.) Elijah’s...