Who is Jim Banks from The Acid House and what is their importance?

Jim Banks is the protagonist in the story, The Last Resort on the Adriatic, in which, Banks takes a sea cruise after his wife's suicide, While vacationing, he meets a woman but is unable tp put aside his loyalty to his former spouse. At the end of the story, Banks stands ready to jump over the side of the ship into the ocean, committing suicide in the way, on the same cruise, as did his late wife.