Frank Chambers, the novel’s narrator, is a 24-year-old drifter who was born in San Francisco. He has spent his entire life wandering from place to place, getting into trouble, and then escaping to a new place, sometimes serving jail time and sometimes getting away without it.

Frank’s ability to dodge serious consequences gives him a misplaced belief in his own abilities. Shortly after his first botched attempt to kill Nick, Frank tells Cora, “Give me half a chance, I got it on the cops, every time […] I know them. I’ve tangled with them, plenty” (23). Frank genuinely believes that because he has always been able to talk his way out of situations, he will continue to be able to do so indefinitely. As the story is told from Frank’s point of view, his reliability as a narrator is questionable.

From the beginning, Frank only ever refers to Nick as “the Greek,” even after learning his name. Reducing Nick to an ethnic descriptor highlights Frank’s racist tendencies. Additionally, Frank’s refusal to use Nick’s name illustrates his unspoken desire to emotionally distance himself from Nick, which makes it easier for him to cope with ultimately murdering Nick.

Cain uses Frank’s relationship with Cora to illustrate his impulsiveness and violence.