Frank is the first-person narrator of the novel, and hence the story is predominantly about his life and his reflections on it. Frank carries with him the weight of past tragedy: the death of his son Ralph. He is also burdened by a sense of guilt over his behavior toward the end of his marriage. While the topic of Frank’s infidelity in his marriage is only given a glancing treatment, Frank mentions enough through his internal monologues and in his dialogues with Ann that he was unfaithful. However, he traces the collapse of his marriage to the death of his son, believing his infidelity was a consequence of the ensuing emotional drift between the two.

Frank is in the midst of a typical mid-life crisis. The turmoil of his past, which has filtered down to his son Paul, coupled with his anxieties over where his life is headed, fuels the crisis. As a realtor, Frank senses the impermanence of life and the way that dreams begin with firm resolve but ultimately do not last forever—and often not very long at all. He sees this firsthand, and his awareness of this fact makes him a trustworthy and objective realtor. He is able to keep distance from his clients, allowing him to properly guide them with his pragmatic approach to the business.