Paul is one of the novel’s protagonists. His nickname “Hungry Paul” is not always used, and the author never clarifies its meaning. “Hungry” can be mean “ambitious,” making this nickname ironic at first. Paul does, however, develop personal drive as the narrative progresses, and he is ultimately propelled into adulthood by his desire to make changes in his life.

Like Leonard, Paul is intelligent. He has “always been fascinated by the world around him” and makes a habit of reading magazines like National Geographic and New Scientist in order to learn as much as possible (14). Unlike Leonard, while Paul enjoys discussing his findings with Leonard and his parents, he is not overly concerned with putting his knowledge to use in any real way until the end of the novel. This is in part because Paul prefers to let life take its own course. His job as a temporary, fill-in postal worker reflects his lack of interest in a career and also his desire to let outside forces (in this case, postal workers calling in sick) determine the flow of any particular day.

Paul is characterized by his kindness and the importance he places on relationships. Although he is introverted, he values his friendship with Leonard and his familial relationships with his parents and sister, Balancing Solitude and Human Connection. He has no desire for a wider circle of friends. Like Leonard, Paul was a shy child and does not feel entirely at ease in groups. His parents, Grace, and Leonard are enough for him, and he takes care to treat them all with respect.

Paul character growth is characterized by the desire for self-determination. He accurately perceives that his parents, Grace, and Leonard are poised to enter new life stages and vows not to be left behind. His entry into the Chamber of Commerce contest marks his first real instance of initiative; the confidence that he gains during the contest propels him into a career for which he is uniquely qualified. As someone who understand the value of silence and solitude, he is easily able to help the general public understand why mimes’ artistry remains important and relevant.

Grace is Paul’s sister and a secondary character. Like the novel’s protagonists, Grace was solitary as a child, seeking “nourishment from within herself” (29). However, Grace felt the sting of her introversion more acutely than did Paul and Leonard, and she made an effort to become more socially savvy while still young. She found friends with whom she did not enjoy Paul and Leonard’s special connection, but they did help her to better understand typical social patterns. By the time she reaches university, Grace is markedly less introverted than her brother. Grace enjoys college and lands a good job, becoming more standardly integrated into the world. She does retain some introverted qualities: She loves her fiancé but still needs alone time, Balancing Solitude and Human Connection. Their relationship is successful because Andrew implicitly understands Grace’s desire for quiet, alone time and respects that boundary.

Grace is a competent, level-headed individual who values hard work. It is “important to her to be good at her job” (108). She selects a profession that is, her father reflects, not creative enough to be truly fulfilling, but Grace has prioritized stability and thus enjoys organizing complex tasks and completing projects on time. Grace brings this same devotion to duty to her familial relationships. She and Peter enjoy a close relationship, but even though she is not as bonded with Helen, she does her best to be a good daughter. Grace has long understood that her chief familial duty is to be a protective big sister to her somewhat unusual brother, and she has always taken her role seriously. Grace questions Paul’s lack of independence not out of malice or resentment but because she truly feels that she can best help Paul by encouraging him to grow.

Grace demonstrates growth during the novel by shaking up the status quo in her family, showing How Personal Growth Transforms Relationships. She encourages her parents and Paul to embrace the idea of change. She also matures in her approach to her own relationship. Long used to seeing Andrew as ordinary, she comes to realize that he is a complex, multi-faceted individual and that the two are well matched as partners.

Peter is Paul and Grace’s father and is a secondary character who is just as complex and multi-faceted as Leonard and Paul. Peter is a retired economist. Throughout the course of his career, he held a series of positions but was happiest teaching. Having lost his own father as a child, Peter hoped to be a surrogate father figure to his students, helping them to appreciate the nuances of the concepts that they explored together. As a result of the loss, Peter feels that he lacked a male role model and thus cannot truly understand what it takes to be a man in contemporary society. He thus feels more comfortable parenting his daughter than his son. He and Grace developed an easy relationship, particularly during her adolescence when she largely rejected Helen. Their bond lasts well into adulthood.

Peter’s relationship with Helen is also an important aspect of his characterization. The two have the “shared the closeness of people who ha[ve] been through a lot together” (7), and they share with Grace wisdom about marriage that only comes from happily overcoming difficult experiences. As retirees (Helen still works part-time and retires at the novel’s end), they have developed a routine: Peter reads and watches quiz shows while Helen quietly works on puzzles. They enjoy spending time together, but Peter recognizes that much of their shared energy has been directed toward Paul and that to truly move into a new phase of life, they have to help Paul become more independent. Peter’s musings about Paul are evidence of his introspection and emotional intelligence. His father-of-the-bride speech also shows these qualities, and everyone is moved by how well he knows his daughter.

Helen is Paul and Grace’s mother. A semi-retired teacher, she often sees the people in her family through the framework of teaching. She ignores Paul’s need for personal growth because she still sees him as a primary school student and is used to assessing him based on how he might perform in a classroom. She also recognizes Paul’s lack of motivation but glosses over it, especially during the early chapters. By the end of the novel, she comes to terms with her son’s need for independence and self-determination. Helen’s character-growth trajectory takes the form of admitting to herself that her son is an adult and should be treated like one.

Helen is quietly intelligent and often knows the answers to Peter’s quiz show questions before he does. She has a wide range of interests, but because Grace is closer to Peter and Paul is mostly self-absorbed, her family remains largely unaware of them. Grace persists in purchasing books for Helen about cooking and gardening even though Helen has mostly lost interest in both activities.

Helen is, like Peter, introspective and given to contemplating the complexity of her family. She is caring toward Grace, Paul, and even Leonard, but she is aware that she and Grace never quite recovered from the difficulty of Grace’s adolescence. Still, she loves Grace; before her marriage, Helen counsels her daughter to accept the way that marriage and life change people and to allow the shape of her relationship to evolve. Helen understands that it is not entirely fair that she has devoted more of her energy to Paul because he struggles more than Grace, so she demonstrates her continued devotion to Grace through helping her prepare for her wedding and for marriage itself.

Shelley is Leonard’s love interest and, eventually, his girlfriend. She and Leonard work together in a shared office space, and Shelley is the fire warden for their floor. She is initially characterized through her sense of humor. She jokes easily with Leonard, although he is awkward during their first interactions and does not match her banter. Shelley’s sense of humor continues to guide her interactions, and as Leonard becomes more comfortable in her presence, they develop a rapport, and it is evident that they have the same sense of humor.

Shelley is an artist who, having dropped out of arts college, is floundering personally and professionally. She feels that her job is a dead end and that the work is tedious. Creativity is important to her, so she often draws with her young son. By the end of the novel, Shelley has re-enrolled in art school and is determined to find a career that better aligns with her interests and goals.

Shelley is a devoted single mother raising Patrick, who came from a relationship that did not result in marriage; Patrick’s father is not in his life. She is protective of her son and is initially hesitant to introduce Leonard to him, in spite of their shared interests. She does not want Patrick to have to endure losing Leonard, should their relationship not work out. At the end of the novel, Shelley demonstrates her emotional intelligence and awareness of Leonard’s positive attributes via her willingness to resume their relationship and to introduce him to Patrick.