Cedric Pohl

The night of the celebration, Fran leaves with Cedric Pohl, an attractive thirty-three-year-old. His expensive haircut, along with his propensity for travel, suggests he is wealthy. He is “a bit too sure of himself,” but she responds to his need to relieve her of her obvious desperation. Little information is provided about him since he serves more as a illustration of Fran's constant need to develop new relationships.

Angie Tyler

Angie Tyler, Ralph's wife, has a sense of “stillness” and a “capacity to just sit among all that Tyler ebullience and remain self-contained.” She also has a sense of darkness that gives her sympathetic connection to Audley, which is suggested by the framing technique Malouf uses in the story. The opening and closing scenes focus on the two together, separate from the rest of the family.

Audley Tyler

Audley Tyler, the patriarch of the family, whose ancestors...