Bobby is the central character, and many other characters view themselves in relation to him. Bobby used to be Pokey Burke’s foreman. When Pokey leaves town and the company falls apart, Bobby tries to fix some of the projects that Pokey left unfinished. Many people view Bobby as a moral, decent man who leads other men with honesty and integrity. The townspeople who think otherwise of Bobby are jealous of him. Some people believe the rumors that Bobby cheated on his wife with Réaltín and killed Frank, while others could never fathom such a good man doing such bad things. Everyone in town judges Bobby, and almost everyone considers him to be attractive.

Bobby considers himself a trusting man in love with his wife, Triona. He claims to love being married because it gives him an excuse to enjoy more feminine activities, like plays. He is also smart but, because he hung out with a rough crowd growing up, he didn’t want to show off academically for fear of being beat up. Bobby hates Frank because Frank was cold and harsh to Bobby and Bobby’s mother. Bobby was always jealous of his childhood friend, Seanie, who had a loving father.