Character Clues

Character Analysis

Actions

Throughout Bel Canto, Patchett uses what characters do to show us who they are. We learn about Ruben Iglesias' sense of hospitality because he does a ton of cooking and cleaning to be a good host. We learn about Roxane's theatrical abilities because we get scenes of her using them, like when she sings an aria to get the Generals to let her bring in the box of music.

You know how they say, "actions speak louder than words"? Well, in a book where the characters all speak different languages, that's as true as truthy can get.

Thoughts and Opinions

If action matters, thoughts and opinions may show us even more. One of the advantages of the third person narrative Patchett uses is that it lets us see the thoughts and opinions of so many characters.

Whether she's zooming in on an introspective moment while General Benjamin plays chess, telling us about Mr. Hosokawa's newfound happiness, or exploring Gen's thoughts as he translates, we learn a ton from Patchett's narration of thoughts and opinions (check out our "Narrator Point of View" section for more).

No wonder Patchett says the narration of the book is something she's proud of. She's gone on record as saying: "The biggest achievement of this book for me, the thing that I am most proud of, is the narrative structure—that kind of third person narrative that I think of as Russian, wherein the point of view just seamlessly moves among the characters" (Appendix to the Kindle Edition, "Friendship and Love: An Interview With Ann Patchett," Sean Abbott and Ann Patchett, Kindle location 4646).

Speech and Dialogue

Patchett also uses what characters say to show something about them. That may sound wildly obvious, but their different methods of communication are a big deal here.

So:

• The way Messner and the Generals talk to each other shows us things about their negotiating styles.
• Father Arguedas' quotations from the Bible show us he takes faith seriously and give him beautiful language in which to talk about the experience of transcendence, whether in art or religion.
• The way Gen is always translating points out how important language is in the book, and makes us pay more attention to the characters' ideas and specific wording, and to the different ways they say things.
• We learn a whole lot about Fyodorov's passion for art when he says, "I could have had one life but instead I had another because of this book my grandmother protected.... What a miracle is that? I was taught to love beautiful things" (7.122).

When characters speak in Bel Canto, they're not just telling us what they think. They're telling us who they are. Profound, right?