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The Bark Tree (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)

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Characters Discussed

The narrator, a shadowy figure who often seems to be following the other characters, though he never reveals more than that about himself.

Étienne Marcel (ay- TYEHN), a Parisian bank employee. Étienne is at first a one-dimensional character, but after being observed by Pierre Le Grand, he acquires three dimensions and begins to question things. He is a typical Parisian who works in the center of the city and returns every day by train to his house in the suburbs. He is married, has a son, and eats a disgusting meal every day in a cafeteria. This...

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