Arthur Friedland

Arthur Friedland is the father of an older son, Martin and a couple of twin boys, Eric and Ivan, from his current marriage. Arthur's new wife is an eye doctor, which he is grateful for since he is a writer who has enjoyed very limited success in his career. He is an atheist, embittered, and snide toward his family and those around him. The initiating conflict of the story revolves around a pivotal moment when Arthur and his sons attend a hypnotism show by the Great Lindemann. While under the influence of hypnosis, Arthur is told that he will never again accept second rate anything and that he will become more successful than he's ever been; that he will no longer allow things to get in the way of his success. As a result, Arthur packs and bag and the next day he exits his family's life...