The Protagonist (Life in the Heart of the Dead)

The protagonist in Life in the Heart of the Dead is a forty four year old, overweight man who we know has a past to be ashamed of. His travel to a new country does not elicit any excitement or joy of the unknown in him. He is eager to get back to his life in Cleveland and to the comfort of what he knows. He regrets agreeing to Antonin’s walking tour as he would rather stay in his hotel. He does not have much of an interest in history and is dismayed when Antonin starts telling him the background of the places they visit.

The protagonist realizes that the reason he is fearful of Prague and of the history lessons he receives is due to the fact that it reminds him of his own mortality and of the...