In the early chapters of the book, Chick is impulsive and desperate. He has given up on life, and cannot see past the mistakes he has made. It is clear that Chick’s family is very important to him: the two events that led to his downward spiral were, first, his mother’s death, and second, his not being invited to his daughter’s wedding. He has lost contact with his family, which he sees as both a symptom and a consequence of a larger failure.

As new details about Chick’s childhood come to light, it becomes clear that approval, and especially his father’s approval, is very important to him. As he grows up, the need for approval becomes a need for public recognition as a successful baseball player or, failing that, for success in another field. Once he feels that he has lost his chance to attain this kind of success, he loses the sense that life is worth living.

Chick is by far the most important character in the book, and the only one who undergoes significant changes. While other characters are described in more or less detail, their presence in the narrative is primarily a result of their relationship to Chick.