Morris Zapp
- 40 years old
- smoker
- he never left america so far
- never been to England
- on his flight, he was the only man on board
- long gorilla-like arms
- professor of English Literature
- cannot swim
- light-headed
- veteran of long distance flying
- he exaggerates
- he's got his second wife, Desirée; she wants the divorce
- two children: Elizabeth and Darcy
- distinguished
- published articles in PMLA (journal of the Modern Language Association of America)
- published 5 books
- achieved rank of full prof at the age of 30
- wife wants him to move away for half a year → Morris takes the exchange job
- is prone to indigestion after rich restaurant meals
- usually needs a sleeping-pill before retiring
- develops a pot-belly
- has neither affection nor respect for the British (thinks they act like fags = gays)
("bottomless morass of English manners" p.47)
- apartment on the top floor of a huge old house owned by an Irish doctor called O'Shea
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Philipp Swallow
- afraid of flying
- 40 years old
- unaccustomed to traveling
- unconfident
- infinitely suggestible
- observes other people
- conservative/traditional
- married
- good imagination
- professor of English Literature
- excited about flying/travelling
- he met Charles Boon, an old student of him, on his flight and he is going to Euphoria State School, too
- not distinguished
- he liked examinations and did well in them
- Finals had been the supreme moment of his life
- truely loved literature
- applied for a Fellowship to America
- applied for an Assistant Lectureship at the University of Rummidge
- went to Harvard but he didn't really like it
- got to know Hilary Broome (postgraduate student)
- asked her to marry him
- they were married by an Episcopalian minister in Boston
- unsuspected, long repressed appetite for sensual pleasure
- relaxed, confident, happy
- learned to drive Hilary's Chevrolet Impala
- sailed back to England (Hilary pregnant)
- three years later: second child came and third was on the way
- large, damp and draughty Victorian villa
- sexual life is neglected
- is glad that he can escape from his normal life (no responsibility for family every day)
- rents an apartment high up on Pythagoras Drive (which slides down the hill after every earthquake)
- Melany Byrd lives with two other girls in the apartment under Phil
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