The Fall

• quickNotes
• Salem on Literature
• Related Resources
• Group

Browse all of the Salem on Literature series

The Fall (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)

Characters Discussed

Jean-Baptiste Clamence (zhahn-bah- TEEST klah-MAHNS), the narrator and the only speaking person in this novel. Every word of this book is spoken by this character, to the unidentified listener. Clamence describes himself as formerly a lawyer in Paris, not a judge-penitent. As a lawyer, he did not accept bribes and was not involved in shady dealings. His courtesy was famous and undeniable; he was a person of incredible politeness and manners. Only near the end of the novel does the reader learn the narrator’s definition of judge-penitent: the one who...

[The entire page is 897 words long]

Navigate

• The Fall (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
• The Fall (Magill Book Reviews)
• The Fall (Masterplots II: Short Story Series, Revised Edition)
• The Fall (Magill Book Reviews)
• The Fall (Masterplots, Revised Second Edition)
• The Fall (Cyclopedia of Literary Places)

See Also:

• Albert Camus (Cyclopedia of World Authors)
• Albert Camus (Ethics)
• Albert Camus (Short Fiction)
• Albert Camus (Long Fiction)
• Albert Camus (World Philosophers)

See Also:

• - The Fall summary and study guide in the quickNotes.