Narrator (“Axolotl”)
The narrator of "Axolotl" exists in a unique transitional state between man and amphibian. Once obsessed with axolotls, a part of himself now exists as an axolotl. The story seems to have been at least partially inspired by Kafka's The Metamorphosis, but it takes a wholly different approach to telling the tale.
Brother and Irene (“House Taken Over”)
The brother narrates the tale. Irene is his sister. Both characters occupy themselves with leisurely tasks. For Irene, it is constantly knitting, and for the narrator, it is reading French literature. Both characters are totally powerless to resist the encroaching force that eventually occupies their entire home.
Estate Owner ("Continuity of Parks")
The estate owner in "Continuity of Parks" is the reader of the novel whose content actually extends into his lived experience when a character breaks into his house and encounters him reading in his study. The estate owner is characterized as passive and leisurely.
Hero and Heroine ("Continuity of Parks")
The Hero and Heroine of "Continuity of Parks" are characters in a novel being read by the estate owner. By the time the scene fully transitions to their perspective, the heroine runs off deeper into the woods, and the hero moves toward the estate, eventually confronting the reader (a.k.a. estate owner).
Isabel ("Bestiary")
Isabel is the protagonist of "Bestiary" and the character whose perspective is most favored by the narration (at times, the narration even formally emulates Isabel's note-taking). She spends the summer at the Funes's estate and learns how to navigate around the tiger's movements.
Nino ("Bestiary")
Nino is the son of Luis and lives on the Funes estate with his Aunt Rema and uncle, The Kid. Nino enjoys collecting bugs and exploring the grounds of the estate. He's a lonely kid and is thrilled by Isabel's presence on the estate.
Rema ("Bestiary")
Rema is Nino's aunt, Luis's sister, and wife of The Kid. She is the matriarch of the estate and tends to be the binder that holds everything together. It's also strongly suggested that The Kid abuses her, if not physically then most definitely psychologically. She feels trapped on the estate and relieved when The Kid finally crosses paths with the tiger.
Luis ("Bestiary")
Luis, father of Nino, is an academic of some sort and spends most of his time shut up in his study reading. He is kind but tired and completely ineffective at protecting his son and his sister from The Kid's horrible temper.
The Kid ("Bestiary")
Nino's uncle, Rema's husband, a constant threatening presence (not unlike the tiger) on the Funes estate.
Roberto Michel ("Blow-Up")
The narrator of "Blow-Up," Michel is a translator living in Paris who enjoys photography. He encounters a strange couple in a public square and photographs them, and the blown-up version of that photograph gives him more grief than he bargained for.
Letitia ("End of the Game")
Letitia is the narrator's cousin in "End of the Game." She suffers from a spine condition that prevents her from fully participating in the cousins' childish antics and games. Her condition also prevents her from connecting with Ariel, a potential love interest who rides the train past their town.
Ariel ("End of the Game")
Ariel is a commuter on the train from Tigre. He drops notes off the train for the girls complimenting them on their Statue and Attitude performances. He takes a special interest in Letitia but ultimately doesn't pursue her because of a letter she writes him.
