In traditional analytical terms, if the young man is described as the story's protagonist, the second man might be described as the antagonist, the character/person who acts in opposition and who generates conflict with the protagonist. The important thing to note about the second man is that he is portrayed in a wider variety of ways than the young man, and with fewer details about his appearance. In many variations the second man is not really described or defined, given that the focus of the narrative is on the reactions and attitudes of the young man. In other words, the second man is a catalytic character.