Character Analysis
(Avoiding Spoilers)
Living… in London. He’s always been perplexed by London – a cosmopolitan city with so many empty dead spaces, empty buildings, nothingness. Somehow he found himself getting bored of the city and interested in the people. So he started following them.
Profession… aspiring writer. Most days he just follows people, gathering material for his characters. It didn’t take long for him to learn the ropes, avoid getting caught, and become addicted. His rulebook has grown ever-longer, and he hasn’t been spotted yet. Until he comes upon a thief named Cobb.
Interests… accompanying Cobb on his burglaries. The Young Man gets a rush from it, and Cobb’s philosophy intrigues him. Cobb says he loves interrupting someone's life and making them see all the things they took for granted. He sees theft as a gift; once the victim gets the insurance money, he or she has to rethink why they bought everything they had before. As Cobb puts it, “You take it away, and you show them what they had.”
Relationship Status… a mystery. The blonde woman he’s been pursuing is still seeing the Bald Guy. He was early the other day and saw Bald Guy leave her place. She said it was over. Now she's saying he's blackmailing her with photos. If the Young Man gets the photos back, he could have her all to himself.
Challenge… keeping his name clear. Cobb broke into a place a couple weeks ago and found an old lady bashed to death. Someone saw him while he was leaving and now he’s the prime suspect. If someone performs copy-cat robberies using Cobb’s methods, it could divert attention from Cobb. And the Young Man has been doing exactly that. If he’s caught, the consequences would be severe.
Personality… curious. He’s simply inquisitive about the way people feel. As a writer, he’s drawn to danger in a metaphysical, abstract sense. Now he’s finding himself associating with people who are drawn to real, non-fictional danger, and the lines are beginning to blur. Is he really the contemplative, inquisitive artist – or just a con man fooling himself into indulging his fantasies?
