Harry Brettigan

Harry Brettigan is one of the main characters of the novel. Throughout the novel, he is primarily referred to by his last name alone. Only his wife calls him by his first name. In the narrative present, he is an elderly, retired man. He once worked as an engineer, but now spends most of his time walking at the Utopia Mall with his former classmates, talking to his wife, playing the piano, or wandering his Minneapolis neighborhood. He has been married to his wife Alma for several decades, but often finds their relationship in the present frustrating. Alma knows him so well that there is no newness or excitement in their marriage. He often finds himself longing for their old life together when they were young.

Brettigan knows that he has had a rather comfortable and privileged life. The biggest struggle he has had to face involves...