Character Analysis

Julius

The main character Julius is a Nigerian psychiatrist six years out of grad school. Julius has meetings with various people throughout the book. During one encounter with a surgeon he feels offended to be an African. The surgeon says, "When I think about Africans, I want to spit.” Julius thought “the bitterness was startling. It was an anger that, I couldn't help feeling, was partly directed at me, the only other African in the room" (Cole 30). This conflict with the surgeon makes Julius resent his heritage. He goes on long walks each day on which he thinks about his life. He thinks about the racism and hardships he's had to endure as a result of his African heritage. "He's black, said the girl, but he's not dressed like a gangster. I bet he's a gangster, her brother said, I bet he is" (Cole 32). The things people say about Julius make him angry but he often displaces this anger and his bad moods come suddenly at seemingly random times. Throughout the book he talks as if he's superior to others. Julius likes to know that he's smart and flaunts it in many ways, "I was sure it was a Baroque piece, not one I had heard before, but with all the ornamentation typical of that period (Cole 138).” He very often makes references to his knowledge of art and literature, even at times when it is inappropriate or irrelevant. This makes it seem that he feels he has to repeatedly confirm his intelligence. It could be that he feels insecure about his education and place in society. Julius grew up in Nigeria, and escaped the war occurring there, coming to America in his teens. He has few relations with family members and rarely sees his mother. Julius mainly goes on walks after work and reflects on his life, both past and present.

Saito

Dr. Saito was one of Julius's former professors. He's an older Japanese American with whom Julius likes to spend time talking to. He had a partner for most of his life which Julius has never asked about and thus knows little about him. Saito has cancer and is slowly dying throughout the book but still keeps up the discussions with Julius. He is one of the few people Julius has kept in touch with from his late youth/early adulthood to his current adulthood.