Claude Wheeler is the protagonist of One of Ours. The novel tells the story of his maturation as he grows from a young man attending Temple school to a well-established soldier leading a unit of men in World War I. As the novel’s title suggests, Claude’s maturation centers around the question of where—and with whom—he belongs.

In the first half, Claude feels plagued by insecurity, self-doubt, and a sense of profound aimlessness in life. He finds his own values constantly in conflict with those of his elder brother, Bayliss, and his religious Temple instructors. Though a hard worker, he does not find satisfaction in farming or helping the family accumulate wealth, which seems to be his father’s primary aim. He feels most connected with his well-read mother and his friend from Bohemia, Ernest Havel, who helps him to examine his identity as an American. Claude also questions his American identity and values as he begins to spend time with the Erlichs, an intellectual German family who hold European-style salons.

When Claude’s father purchases a ranch in Colorado, Claude is obligated to stay home and help the family, and thus quits his studies. Soon after, he injures himself while plowing the fields and faces a long, bedbound recovery.