The Characters of "A Little Life" · Behind Closed Doors

The Characters of "A Little Life"

Hello all! We're almost done with 2024, and although my end of the year has been met with a seemingly unrelenting beatdown of the soul, I am humbled and ready to rebuild and grow with you! I've been reading a bit of our first Book Club selection, "A Little Life," and I'm impressed, immediately, at the beautiful writing. I did think, however, that because it is a beast of a book, and we are thrust into the fray quite quickly, we should perhaps go over some characters, even if just to help digest the information.

So we got four friends, J.B., Malcom, Jude, and Willem all of different statuses and with intertwined relationships - some stronger than others - trying to get by in New York. Let's get to know them a little better.

Jude - The focal point of a bulk of the book, Jude is damaged both physically and mentally. He suffers from an undisclosed (as of yet) issue with his spine that causes random spurts of pain throughout his life. He is notably suicidal, although this is hidden (at least, he thinks he hides it well). Jude, at times, tends to find things to enjoy in life, but there is always an undercurrent of sadness and pain that makes him fundamentally flawed in thinking that he is incapable of loving and being loved.

Malcom - So far, I find Malcolm to be the most layered. A rich boy, spoiled by his parents, seemingly struggling with his own identity and never quite being sure of just who he is versus who he wants to be. It would be easy to make this character a tragedy, as the cliches are ripe, but allowing us to see the inner turmoil, wrapped in gold and riches of his parents, gives him depth.

J.B. - As of my reading (roughly halfway through part 2), J.B. appears to be the one hyping all of his friends up while he himself struggles with his own art. I enjoy that his first taste of success in art is when he paints his friends simply living their life. There's a beauty in that, and I think it shows just how much he sees value in them, but also how much he's willing to exploit that value for personal gain.

Willem - The movie star good looks son of a Wyoming farmhand is quite possibly the most sensitive of the four, with a connection to Jude stronger than the others. Willem is the one who sees the worst of Jude's ailments and takes care of him as much as possible. He is also afraid to confront the issues at times, thinking perhaps that just being there is all he can do.

So there ya have it! Our four boys whose biggest struggles as of now are trying to get into their locked apartment. I hope you guys are enjoying the read!

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