The central protagonist of the novel, Raymer is the “everybody’s fool” of the novel’s title. His life belongs to and is lived for “everybody”—for the wider community of North Bath. As police chief, Raymer’s adult life is defined by service and responsibility, but it is a role he increasingly finds futile and foolish after the sudden and random death of his wife Becka, which makes him feel like the world is cruelly arbitrary if not downright malevolent. He comes to see the mistaken double negative of his misguided campaign slogan—“We’re not happy until you’re not happy” (139)—as accurately summing up his self-defeating endeavors. The difference between Raymer’s public-facing persona and his internal qualms embodies the novel’s theme of Public and Private Lives.

Despite his increasingly dubious attitude toward his civic responsibilities, Douglas Raymer remains essentially public spirited and compassionate toward vulnerable members of his community, such as Alice and Mr. Hynes. By contrast, Dougie, the alter-ego who emerges when Raymer is struck by lightning, lacks any capacity for compassion and empathy. Dougie is utterly ruthless and self-interested, qualities that make him mentally and physically sharper than the worn-out Raymer and more efficient as a police officer.