The Passenger Characters
The main characters in The Passenger include Bobby Western, Alicia Western, and John Sheddan.
- Bobby Western is the novel’s protagonist, who still mourns the death of his sister a decade earlier. A salvage diver, he is pursued by governmental authorities after diving into the wreckage of a suspicious plane crash.
- Alicia Western was Bobby’s sister, a mathematically gifted young woman who was diagnosed with schizophrenia and died by suicide.
- John Sheddan is Bobby’s longtime friend, with whom Bobby frequently meets for drinks and conversation. Sheddan ultimately dies of Hepatitis C.
Characters
Bobby “The Squire” Western
Bobby Western, often called “Squire” by his friend John Sheddan, is the protagonist of the novel. Western’s greatest conflict is the inner turmoil he carries over the loss of his sister, Alicia, who died from suicide approximately ten years before the central plot begins. Western originally planned to follow in the scientific footsteps of his father and began studying at CalTech before abandoning those plans to chase dreams of driving race cars in Europe. When the plot opens, Western is living in the United States again, working as a salvage diver; on one assignment, he is asked to inspect the underwater site of a plane crash, and he quickly realizes that the circumstances of the wreckage suggest some type of foul play. Afterward, Western is questioned by governmental authorities and then has his financial assets frozen. Believing that he is in danger, Western flees New Orleans and eventually makes his way to a windmill in Spain, living a nondescript life as the novel concludes. Western shares close friendships with a couple of characters, including Sheddan and Debussy, but his own dialogue is by comparison succinct and sparse. The plot does not build predictably based on the conflict which opens the story; instead, Western wanders through ordinary scenes with an array of characters, discussing everything from Kennedy assassination theories to complex physics to the nature of grief.
Alicia “Alice” Western
Known as Alice when she is younger, Alicia is Bobby Western’s younger sister, whose stories open all but the final chapter. The opening scene is a depiction of Alicia’s body, hanging in a winter landscape and discovered by a hunter. As she emerged into adolescence, Alicia began having schizophrenic hallucinations; the central and most predictable figure of those visions is The Kid. Alicia possesses an incredible mathematical mind, and she enrolls at the University of Chicago at age thirteen. Her mathematical giftedness is so profound that even her father, a renowned scientist, takes notes regarding her mathematical theories but is unable to decipher Alicia’s findings. At one point, Alicia checks herself into Stella Maris because of her hallucinations; despite her challenges, she maintains a decidedly realistic and often humorous perspective regarding her diagnosis and treatment. There are hints throughout Alicia’s brief appearances in the novel, primarily through her brother’s memories, that she was willing to consummate their relationship, but Western maintains that their love never breached this physical threshold.
John “Long John” Sheddan
John Sheddan is a longtime friend of Bobby Western’s, and the two frequently meet for drinks and philosophical conversations. Sheddan is an intellectual and, at one point, briefly checks himself into a mental hospital; he finds the experience a welcome relief from the grind of working life and suggests that Western consider it sometime. While Western is on the run for a few months, Sheddan is diagnosed with Hepatitis C and dies. Before his death, he pens a letter to Western, who reads the letter upon his return to New Orleans. When Western relocates to a windmill in Spain, Sheddan’s spirit visits him to ask that he “be of good cheer” and thank him for his unfailing friendship.
The Kid
The Kid is the primary figure of Alicia’s hallucinations. He is short with flipper-like hands and often directs a cast of “performers” who also appear in Alicia’s hallucinations. He is at times rude and at times endearing; Alicia often wishes him away, but there is a sense that she misses him during his long absences. The Kid and the other hallucinations disappear when Alicia takes her medications, but for various reasons over the years...
(This entire section contains 923 words.)
Unlock this Study Guide Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
she fails to maintain a regular medication schedule. The Kid also visits Bobby Western once, and Western anticipates his return as a sort of connection to Alicia. Although Western looks for him for some time, however, the Kid never materializes for Western again.
Kline
When Bobby Western begins to believe that he is the subject of a governmental investigation, he hires Kline to advise him. Kline offers to set Western up with a completely new identity, but there is significant cost involved. Western delays making a decision and then returns to Kline when the government freezes his financial assets. Kline mentions the possibility of faking his own death but acknowledges that he is almost certain to be caught doing so. Western returns to Kline for advice throughout the novel, often meeting him in restaurants where the staff seem to know Kline and demonstrate respect for his work and clients.
Debussy Fields
Debussy Fields is a trans woman who is one of Bobby Western’s closest friends. She shares an intimate friendship with Western which is not seen in his other relationships. Western trusts Debussy with his most personal and sacred feelings, and when he needs someone to read Alicia’s final letter, unable to do so himself, he turns to Debussy. In parting, Debussy tells Western that she loves him, and he implies that they could have shared more in “another time” and “another world.”
Oiler
Oiler works with Bobby Western and is assigned to investigate the plane wreckage with Western early in the novel. After the dive, the men talk about the unusual and unexplainable circumstances of the wreckage site. After Western’s apartment is broken into while he is gone, Oiler dies while working on another job in South America. His death fuels Western’s sense of paranoia that he might suffer the same fate.
