Audition

Although Xavier is a major character who precipitates high tension in the novel, he is not precisely an antagonist because his motivations and actions do not necessarily oppose those of the narrator. In fact, Xavier arguably supports the narrator’s character arc by exacerbating the very situation that eventually causes her to break free of the mutual fiction that the two are mother and son.

Xavier’s true motivations are deliberately left ambiguous in order to stress his unknowability and his status as a stranger in the narrator’s life. His claim of being the narrator’s son is patently untrue, given the narrator’s assertions that she has never given birth. At one point, the narrator theorizes that Xavier could be a con artist who wishes to exploit her emotions for monetary gain. However, Xavier soon demonstrates a deep knowledge of the narrator’s previous work when he copies a gesture from her old films to show that he has studied them. This strategic moment conjures a threatening air around Xavier, creating the impression that he knows much about the narrator while she knows very little about him.

Xavier is portrayed as a university student, but his level of study remains unclear. In Chapter 1, for example, he indicates that many of his classes are technical in nature, a detail that suggests he is in the early stages of his program. However, in Chapter 7, which takes place only a few months later, he states that he will be deferring the final semester of his master’s degree to work with Anne on her next project. Despite these inconsistencies, he does show a deep interest in theatrical work, as evidenced by his diligence in assisting Anne. Tomas later reveals that Xavier is interested in writing plays, and this development sets the stage for the novel’s conclusion, in which Xavier pens a monologue for the narrator. Xavier is also capable of tremendous laziness, which shows itself when he and Hana spend most of their days in the apartment, dutifully served by Tomas. Although Tomas buys Xavier a writing desk, Xavier stops using it and spends each day scrolling through his phone and reading.

The end of the novel suggests that Xavier recognizes the power that the narrator has over him, for he meekly returns to the apartment and uses Tomas to communicate with her. He likely writes the play as a peace offering, showing that he still maintains a deep respect for her craft and the dilemmas that she faces in her private life. Notably, the character that he writes for her is “a woman who can no longer distinguish between what is real and what is not real” (194), and this characterization resonates with the narrator’s admitted tendency to immerse herself in her roles. With the fictitious role that Xavier has created for her, the narrator can make her private self visible, thereby satisfying her inner need to be seen and interpreted correctly.

Tomas, the narrator’s husband, is a writer who specializes in producing critical essays on art. In Chapter 4, Tomas is said to be preparing work for a catalog on Czech Cubism. He largely works from home, adding complexity to the space that he and the narrator jointly inhabit. Because Tomas is largely defined by his relationship with the narrator, the conditions of their relationship naturally impact his ability to work and express himself. It is only when the narrator sees the effect of Xavier’s presence on Tomas that she realizes how stifling their marriage had been on Tomas’s ability to work. Xavier invigorates Tomas, helping him to tap into creative energies that he couldn’t access in his everyday life with the narrator.

Tomas is initially described as someone who brings control into the narrator’s life. In Chapter 2, the narrator describes how her involvement with Tomas helped her to overcome her youthful impulses. At the end of the same chapter, Tomas quickly asks if she is having an affair, suggesting that he is attentive to her behavior. However, it soon becomes clear that this characterization is misleading, for it merely reinforces the narrator’s sense of stability in their relationship. Later, in Chapter 4, Tomas reveals himself to be meek and accommodating. When the narrator starts engaging in extramarital affairs, Tomas never confronts her, and as a result, the narrator feels guilty and indebted to his patience and institutes the breakfast ritual to compensate him in some small way for her willful transgressions. However, when Xavier starts living in their apartment, the balance of power shifts so that Tomas defers to Xavier’s wants over those of the narrator. This dynamic becomes apparent when Tomas tells the narrator that they should let go of their breakfast ritual in order to make the space more welcoming for Xavier.

During the faux-familial arrangement that dominates Part 2, Tomas actively plays the role of Xavier’s father. Although he initially resists Xavier’s request to move into the couple’s apartment, he defers to his wife when she insists. However, this resistance quickly gives way once Xavier moves in and establishes a deeper relationship that excludes the narrator. As Tomas becomes increasingly deferential to Xavier’s needs, this new dynamic escalates to the point of absurdity. He buys an expensive table and chair for Xavier before telling the narrator that he wants to support Xavier’s aspirations for writing, and Tomas even goes so far as to shift his behavior from that of a doting father figure to one of an obsequiously loyal servant to both Xavier and Hana. One of the reasons that the narrator intervenes and halts the arrangement is to stop Tomas from degrading himself any further in his own home. However, Tomas finds it difficult to shake off his attachment to Xavier, so he remains in touch even after Xavier leaves.