Romantic

Character Role Analysis

Erik Valbourg

In a way, Carol starts looking for another man the moment she realizes how dissatisfied she is with her life as Will Kennicott's wife. Her marriage makes her feel trapped and isolated, and she initially looks to Guy Pollock as a source of companionship. But Guy is too spineless for her liking, and her affection eventually turns to a new arrival in Gopher Prairie – the ambitious and effeminate Erik Valbourg.

Erik is five years younger than Carol, and it's his youth and blind hopefulness that attracts Carol to him: Carol wants to be with someone who hasn't been ground down by the adult world, and she finds it in Erik. Their romantic attachment doesn't last long, as Will finds out about it pretty quickly and puts a stop to it. Erik ends up leaving town, and Carol is crushed by the realization that he's probably not talented enough to fulfill any of his dreams.