Luc

Luc is the central character, protagonist, and narrator of the novel. His age at the beginning of the novel is uncertain since he cannot remember the last time he celebrated a birthday, though he guesses himself to be around 12 or 13 years old. At the beginning of the novel, he is alone: his mother and baby sister are dead, and his father has abandoned him (and is presumed dead as well). Luc, along with many other orphaned boys, has been taken in by Monsieur Tatagani and works in a café to pay off his debts. He is also encouraged to steal and perform other petty crimes to get money, so long as he isn't caught. At this point, Luc has a pretty bleak outlook on life and has learned not to care too much about anyone. Even though Prof expresses an interest in him and treats him kindly when...