David Bingham is the protagonist of the first section of the novel. He is a wealthy man in his late twenties who was born into a prestigious New York City family. David is shy, awkward, sensitive, and often lonely. A lack of purpose leaves him feeling “as if his life were something he was only waiting to use up” (11). David also feels isolated due to reoccurring episodes of illness, which he hides from the people around him.

David develops from a passive into an active character and becomes capable of taking risks and acting independently. This development occurs primarily because David falls in love with someone from a different social class who experiences life differently. David’s decision to pursue a relationship with Edward reveals that he is capable of thinking for himself. As he reflects, “he was, for perhaps the first time in his life, doing something he wanted, something that frightened him, but something that was his own” (176).

David is self-aware and adaptable; he is able to understand how Edward’s experiences are different from his own and display empathy. David is also stubborn and possibly naive; he ignores his grandfather’s pleas to be cautious about Edward, insisting that “now his life was not here.