Arthur is kind, charming, and a gifted actor, but he can also be flighty and insincere, which makes it difficult for him to maintain relationships. Along with the Georgia Flu outbreak, Arthur’s character is the glue that holds the narrative together: everyone in the novel is connected to him in some way, with each character alternately attracted to or disappointed by him. In his youth, his talent and freshness endear him to Clark, Miranda, and others. However, in middle age, his fame leads to a grating tendency to put on an act, even in private matters. He also exhibits a tendency to use other people to meet his needs, whether by writing to Victoria or starting yet another affair. Shortly before his death, he feels a desire to change course, particularly by enhancing his relationship with his son. His journey from naïve youth to celebrity to father figure suggests a growing awareness of his own mortality, coupled with an urge to fill a role that he neglected while taking on fictional ones.

Like Arthur, Kirsten is a keen actor. She is also curious, passionate, and a skilled but reluctant fighter. A child at the time of the collapse, she necessarily toughens in subsequent years, but she retains a tenderness and sensitivity that are evident in the way she cares for others, particularly those younger than her.