Significance of hair gel

The novel frequently uses exterior characteristics to denote internal qualities; an excellent example is Gráinne’s observation about hair gel’s ability to index a man’s ability to understand others. Tristan cuts his hair, understanding that his hair gel cannot travel through the ODEC with him, and preparing himself to blend in to the environment of 1601 Elizabethan London. Lester, by contrast, arrives with his long hair hanging in his eyes, deprived of his hair gel. He barges into Gráinne’s life, sure that his ideas are foolproof and treating other people as mere pawns. Tristan researches; Lester acts unthinkingly. Tristan listens to warnings; Lester ignores help. Tristan considers consequences; Lester cares only about his own ambition. Their grooming habits symbolize the difference in their approaches.