Who is The Second Man from Exercises in Style and what is their importance? Exercises_in_Style English & Literature The Second Man | Exercises in Style

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. In other variations, however, the second man is endowed with a clearly defined set of characteristics.