Drioli

Drioli is the protagonist of the story. He is a homeless beggar who wanders the streets of Paris. However, when he was a young man, he used to be a successful tattoo artist. Drioli made a comfortable living tattooing sailors and soldiers. During the affluent period of his life, Drioli spent his time with his wife, Josie, and his friend, Soutine. Soutine was a talented painter, and Drioli loved him because of Soutine’s aptitude for art. Drioli’s passion for art leads to him convincing Soutine to tattoo a portrait of Josie on his back, and that tattoo causes a bidding war for Drioli’s life, which eventually leads to Drioli’s death.

Dahl uses listing to demonstrate what Drioli values and what he places no importance on in life. When Drioli is walking down the road in Paris, he stops at the windows of art galleries...