Paul Lohmann

Paul is the narrator of the novel. At the beginning, Paul seems like a mild mannered, ordinary guy. He is having dinner with his brother and it is clear from the moment he begins talking about Serge that Paul dislikes him. At first it seems that Paul dislikes his brother because he is a slimy politician. However, as the novel progresses it is clear that Paul simply dislikes Serge because he does not like him. Serge does not appear to have ever done anything bad to Paul to deserve this anger. In fact, Serge seems to be a generous brother, inviting Paul and his family to vacation with him in France and offering help when Paul’s wife is in the hospital. However, Paul sees these overtures of kindness as Serge’s way of throwing his weight around and showing everyone how much better he is.

Paul...