The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

Aiden is the protagonist and the narrator of the novel. All of the action is focalized through his point of view. Aiden’s characterization is complex because he occupies the bodies of different hosts over the course of the plot and adopts some traits of these host characters along the way. As Aiden explains, “their memories crowd the edges of my mind, the weight of them almost too much to bear. I want everything they want […] I’m no longer a man, I’m a chorus” (343). Due to Aiden’s lack of memory and fixed identity, many common aspects of characterization, such as occupation, social status, and even physical appearance, are conspicuously absent. Part of why Aiden’s quest to uncover the murderer is so important is because this discovery will allow him to finally understand who he actually is.

Over the course of the plot, Aiden takes on the traditional role of the hero and tends to act with integrity and loyalty. When other characters repeatedly question his commitment to trying to save Evelyn, he insists that “I can’t watch her die and do nothing about it” (185). Aiden is also persistent, committed, and optimistic.