Drioli, the protagonist, represents the common man who suffered the most as a result of war. He changes from being a fun-loving person, excited at the chance to celebrate a successful day of work with friends, to an empty, lonely individual who moves along without a true purpose. Unable to work and reduced to begging for survival, Drioli represents the lowest class. This shift in status causes the desperation that seals his fate.

A significant event in Drioli’s life is becoming a living canvas. Though this symbolizes a unification of the physical (the body) and the abstract (art), it also represents Drioli’s investment in his friend’s talent; he believes in Chaim Soutine’s vision so passionately that he is willing to carry his art on his back forever. When Drioli finds Soutine drinking alone, he joins him, and they quickly bond over their shared upbringing in Russia. This bond speaks to their shared otherness in a foreign country, but Drioli expresses genuine appreciation of Soutine’s work, regarding it as marvelous. Though Drioli is, ironically, later denied access to Soutine’s art, he is the first to support the artist.

The tattoo also provides Drioli with an ultimate expression of ownership over Josie, perhaps an unconscious response to Soutine’s numerous passes at her.