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Patrick, one of the book’s two narrators, values both authenticity and self-control. Older than Marion and Tom, by the time of the novel’s events, Patrick has come to terms with the tension between his attraction to men and the realities of living in a time and place that outlaws gay intimacy. While he takes steps to keep his attractions private, such as burning his former lover Michael’s letters and vowing to burn his journal entries about Tom, he nevertheless seeks to live without shame and stay true to his desires and sense of self. He retreats from socializing with other gay men after Michael’s death, avoiding the Argyle and the Black Lion, as a means of protecting himself from the dangers of societal scrutiny. But, despite his grief over Michael, when he meets Tom, he is ready to love again fully, and attempts to balance his desire for Tom with the self-control that has protected him throughout his life.
Patrick admires beauty and seeks to cultivate it in every facet of his life. In his work at the museum, he tries to introduce the beauty of art to as many people as possible through his ambitious plans for art appreciation courses for school children and free public concerts. In a sense, his love of men and his love of beauty are deeply intertwined. He often remarks on Tom’s physical beauty and takes great pride in making Tom’s life as beautiful as possible. He introduces Tom to the paintings, sculptures, and operas he loves, both to seduce Tom and for the sheer pleasure he derives from sharing beautiful things with others. His time in prison is painful for him in part because he can find no beauty there, to the extent that he even finds the print of Matisse’s painting La Danse a torture to look at. His experience with the print parallels how painful it is for Patrick to be away from the man he loves, alienated as he is from all that he values while in prison. In many ways, love and beauty are the same for Patrick.
