Character Analysis
Pretentious, smart, and athletic, Robby takes after his mom (Agnès) in a lot of ways. He definitely has her know-it-all attitude down pat. In fact, he's your average Renaissance man who is good at everything:
Robby played the clarinet and scored outrageously high on college tests and ran track. (5.5)
Well then. Looks like we have ourselves a total package on our hands. Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, Robby winds up going to MIT and speaks both French and English. Because of course he does.
There's no doubt that Robby is a wiz kid, but the way he stands out most in the book is through his friendship with his cousin, Pearl. The two of them have each other's backs; they talk about their parents, mock French accents, and even share dating advice. Since neither of them have a sibling, it's like they are the brother or sister the other has never had. They spend tons of time together and know all of each other's secrets.
That's why it's so devastating when they stop talking to each other. After Hoyt dies in the fire, Robby can't talk to Pearl anymore and doesn't bother making amends with her—she tells us that he can't even utter her name. His anger is understandable considering the fact that his dad died trying to rescue Pearl from stupidly returning to the fire, but it doesn't make their severed friendship any less sad. These two don't have loads of people in their lives, so to lose each other seems like a pretty big loss for both of them.
A year out from the fire, Pearl writes to Robby letting him know that his dad wasn't having an affair with Mary Beth. Robby doesn't write her back directly, but he does let her mom know that he got the note and appreciates it. Fingers crossed that a bit more time will heal the wound in his and Pearl's friendship and they'll joyously reunite someday down the road.