Jules Moreau

The protagonist of the novel and its sole narrator, Jules Moreau is a complex individual, haunted by the death of his parents but also driven by his desire to love and be loved. When the reader first encounters Jules, he is only seven, living a happy life in a stable family, and full of energy and verve. He grows further into a confident and sociable adolescent, but his life, and his emotional demeanor, is shattered with the death of his parents. Their death becomes the defining moment of Jules' life for a long period of time, coloring not only his relationship with others but also affecting his professional life. He becomes emotionally withdrawn, consumed with the subconscious guilt of spurning his father in their last moments together. Despite the lack of success, Jules spends many years plugging away as a photographer, showing his lack of self-awareness, as...