In the Place of Last Things

"We better get back maybe.
All right. I'll see you when I get home.
What are you talking about?
We'll set everything right and be happy. We'll all be converted. The skies will all be promising.
What the hell? You're worse now than when you left.
I've come all the way back and then some, Skidder. I feel fine."

This excerpt reveals something of Russ' character. In the beginning of Micheal Helm's novel, In the Place of Last Things, Russ is angry and frustrated at the death of his father. This frustration makes him lash out at many of his only friends, changing their attitude towards him. Russ is especially hostile towards Skidder, whom he treats with indifference and distain. After Russ' journey, however, his attitude towards other people changes. He begins to understand that his friends want to support him, but he is pushing them away by isolating himself. He also begins to help others that attempted to support him. He does this by redistributing the $50 000 American dollars that he takes in Jack Marks' place under the guise that it was in Mike's will. In this way he is reddeeming himself in his own eyes for his failure to carry out his father's final wishes.

"The Virgin that Marks had stolen from the bus driver had been tacked to the wall above the bed. The story had not been told in the spirit of relinquishment or redress. Marks didn't even seem to care if Russ believed him. Of course he didn't care. He placed no value on anyone else's faith, not of any kind."

This excerpt reveals something about Jack Marks' character. Jack is a deceitful and manipulative person who doesn't care about anyone except himself. He is not ashamed of creating an image to draw young women towards him. This can be seen in the attraction that Lea feels for him. Jack met Lea by pretending to be cured because of his Christian faith. It is revealed later in the novel that Jack habitually seduces unsuspecting Christian girls. This behaviour shows his uncaring attitude towards others. He uses other people only to his own advantage and then discards them when they are no longer useful. Lea is a perfect example of this. Once Jack had gotten all he needed from Lea, he left suddenly and without explanation, with no intention of returning.

"I got to start over here. You're right. I got lucky. It's hard to get over being so lucky."

This excerpt reveals something about Tara Harding's character. Tara is Russ' former lover and colleague during his brief teaching career in Toronto. Tara is a caring individual who is more interested in helping others than her own advancement. After she attempts unsuccessfully to help John Overstreet's estranged wife Beth, Tara severs her ties with Russ and begins a new life in Vancouver. Here she meets Beth's father, William, and endeavors to create a family history that she can mail to Beth after William's death. Tara feels guilty in her success at establishing a new life for herself, even after she convinced Russ to pass John Overstreet, who was failing Russ' course. She feels that other people deserve a chance to start their lives over and that she does not deserve this chance. This guilt leads her to help others less fortunate than her.

"She smiled in her unshakeable faith. It was the first moment in which Russ realized she was, in truth, a little dangerous."

This excerpt reveals something about Lea Bollins' character. Lea is the teenage daughter of Grant Bollins, one of the late Mike Littlebury's friends. Lea is a devoted Christian and strongly believes in her faith. She falls in love with Jack Marks and believes that she is pregnant with his baby. She asks Russ to travel to El Paso, Texas to find Jack and deliver the news of her pregnancy to him. When Russ tries to explain to her the reality that Jack has skipped town and is not coming back, she merely laughs and says that she "knows" Jack will return. She believes that it is God's will that Jack and She be together, and that Russ is the messenger of God's will. This unshakeable faith is the basis for Russ' entire journey, as she and Skidder steal Russ' truck and leave to find Jack. Russ spends a sizeable part of the novel chasing them. After he has caught up with Lea, Russ agrees to speak to Jack. Lea's single-minded religious drive has a large influence on Russ and leads him to question his own faith.

"I'm seeing the tumour. I close my eyes and I see it. It's the size of a grapefruit but I imagine it shrinking. Grapefruit, orange, golf ball, a little pebble, then a speck of dust washed away in the blood. I see it shrinking every day and every night."

This excerpt reveals something about Mike Littlebury's character. Mike dies from a terminal illness in the beginning of the novel. His character develops through some of the many flashbacks that Russ has throughout the novel. Mike has a strong faith in God that he wishes Russ shared. He does not have the education that Russ does, and his faith often brings him into conflict with Russ' logical and scientific outlook on the world. Mike believes that he can heal himself through his faith, while Russ' refuses to believe this is possible. Before his conversion, Mike was a violent individual, but his faith changed him into a totally different person.