Claude Robichaux Character Analysis

Claude Robichaux is a kindly old man who falls in love with Irene after he sees her defend her son, Ignatius, outside a department store when Patrolman Mancuso tries to arrest Ignatius. Rather than see Ignatius arrested for no reason, Claude begins to shout at Patrolman Mancuso and announces that the police are communists. Claude is interested in politics but is paranoid and believes that communists (people who he believes want to take away American freedoms) are everywhere. However, Claude’s interest in communism stems from the fact that he is lonely, and politics gives him a hobby to focus on. Although Claude lives with his adult children and grandchildren, he would like a companion of his own and takes a liking to Irene, to whom he eventually becomes engaged after Santa Battaglia (a mutual friend) sets them up. Claude is clearly a proud and slightly vulnerable old man. He is a member of many citizens’ clubs and is deeply upset and ashamed when Patrolman Mancuso arrests him for trying to defend Ignatius. Claude is conventional and cares deeply about his reputation. When Ignatius faints outside the Night of Joy strip club and ends up in the newspaper, Claude is very concerned for Irene because he knows that she must suffer with the “disgrace” that Ignatius has brought on her. Claude is generous and well-meaning, however, and helps Irene pay for Ignatius’s medical bill. It is implied that he and Irene make a good couple and will likely stay together after Ignatius escapes to New York at the novel’s conclusion.