Characters

The short story “Tobias”only features two characters, Tobias and Miriam. In what follows, we will give you some points that cover their characterizatio…

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Tobias

Tobias is the main character in the short story, as suggested by the title. His characterization is constructed by presenting his perspective and attitude towards being unemployed and in relation to his girlfriend Miriam.

His outer characterization gives a detailed background on the character. We know he is in a relationship with Miriam (p. 1, l.6), that he has two master’s degrees (p. 1, l. 24), and that he has had several jobs: Spanish and History teacher (p. 1, l. 2), bartender (p. 1, l. 2), and clerk (p. 1, l. 4).

Inner characterization

Tobias’ inner characterization focuses on his attitude towards the job market and being unemployed. The introduction of the short story suggests that Tobias feels like he is a victim of the job market changes, that he lost all his jobs because of the economic context: “When money became shorter for everyone, Tobias was fired again. In an attempt not to panic, he applied to be a night clerk at a hotel. But then people seemed to…

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Miriam

Miriam is the second active character in the short story. Her characterization is conveyed through speech and attitude.

According to her outer characterization, she is a nurse and lives with her unemployed boyfriend, Tobias (p. 1, ll. 8).

Inner characterization

Her inner characterization is conveyed through her dialogue with Tobias and her attitude towards him being unemployed.

Miriam is bothered by Tobias’ hopelessness, by the fact that he has given up trying to find a job, which makes her feel “depressed” (p.1, l…