Tristram Foxe

Tristram Foxe undergoes the greatest personality changes of any character in the novel. At first, he is a rather bland and timid soul. He is a history teacher at a boys' school who lives a quiet life, obeys the rules, and does not even complain about his wife's lack of sexual interest in him. When their small child dies at the start of the book, he seems to accept the tragedy without much emotion. The only small rebellion in his life is to teach his indifferent students about a theory of cyclical phases in history that is not an approved part of the curriculum. Tristram has no idea that his wife is cheating on him with his own brother, but when he learns of it, the anger he feels is like an awakening after a long slumber. His imprisonment further fuels this anger, which becomes rage and...