Richard Grifalconi Character Analysis in The Lowland

Subhash’s roommate during his first year of graduate school. Richard is a radical and opposed to the war in Vietnam but has never heard of the Naxalites or Naxalbari. Many decades after Richard moves to Chicago during Subhash’s second year of graduate school, he moves back to Rhode Island, and the two old friends are reunited. Soon after their reunion, however, Richard dies suddenly, forcing Subhash to consider his own mortality.

Richard Grifalconi Character Timeline in The Lowland

The timeline below shows where the character Richard Grifalconi appears in The Lowland. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Political and Personal Violence Theme Icon

...university there. He takes a room off-campus, which he shares with a Ph.D. student named Richard Grifalconi. Richard tells Subhash that he was active in the civil rights movement. One day,... (full context)

With Richard’s help, Subhash learns how to drive, and the two travel up the coast one afternoon.... (full context)

In the second year of his Ph.D.., Subhash lives on his own; Richard has moved to Chicago. In the spring semester he boards a research vessel with a... (full context)

...pulls up next to him and addresses him by name. Subhash recognizes the man as Richard, his old roommate. The two are surprised but thrilled to see each another, and they... (full context)

Subhash and Richard begin meeting frequently to walk the nature trails or have a beer in town. One... (full context)

...coincidence he discovers when he gets there—it is the house he used to share with Richard many years ago. As Subhash navigates the completely redone house, he feels that his presence... (full context)