The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By" explores the profound transformation of Kees Popinga, a once-respectable managing clerk in Groningen, Holland. After losing his job due to his employer's bankruptcy, Kees embarks on a radical departure from his bourgeois life, seeking freedom in the criminal underworld. His initial thrill is soon overshadowed by the consequences of his actions, as he adopts a criminal identity and becomes infamously known in the media. The narrative delves into his psychological unraveling, culminating in his institutionalization for rejecting societal norms.
The story also highlights the experiences of Kees's wife, Mums, who remains devoted to her family despite the shock of her husband's drastic change. She struggles to support their family while grappling with the loss of Kees to madness. Other pivotal characters include Julius De Coster, Kees's employer, who reveals the fraudulent nature of his business and inadvertently nudges Kees towards his downfall, and Jeanne Rozier, who attempts to assist Kees in navigating his new criminal environment. Throughout the tale, themes of identity, societal expectations, and the consequences of one's choices are poignantly examined.
The Man Who Watched the Trains Go By: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Georges Simenon
First published: L'Homme qui regardait passer les trains, 1938 (English translation, 1958)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Groningen, Amsterdam, and Paris
Plot: Psychological realism
Time: The 1930's
Kees Popinga (poh-peen-GAH), a forty-year-old man who is proud of his family, possessions, and responsible position as managing clerk for Julius De Coster and Son, Ship Chandlers. He is a model citizen of Groningen, Holland. He changes radically, however, into the man referred to in Paris newspapers as the “Madman from the Zuider Zee” and the “Thug from Amsterdam” as a result of an unexpected meeting with his employer. De Coster tells Kees that he no longer has a job, that the firm is bankrupt, and that he himself is leaving town. These events, along with a vague longing for a change, prompt Kees to give up his respectable way of life. He finds that he enjoys reading about himself as a criminal. When police arrest unruly customers at a café where Kees waits for Jeanne, he hides in the lavatory. From that time on, he identifies himself with the criminal world. Having rejected the values that previously had ordered his life, Kees believes that he is free to do whatever he wants with impunity. As a result of his exploits, Kees is convinced that he is a superior person, and he wants others to recognize this. Newspaper articles continue to refer to him as a maniac. One of his letters directing the police to the car thieves' base of operation results in the thieves agreeing to help the police find him. Kees realizes that he must severely restrict his behavior, the very thing he considers abhorrent, to remain free. In the end, he is sent to an insane asylum in Amsterdam. Ironically, Kees is institutionalized for trying to free himself from bourgeois values.
Mums, Kees Popinga's wife, an amiable and dignified woman who is devoted to her family. Shocked by Kees's abandonment, she believes that his behavior is a result of a fit of madness or loss of memory. To support her family, she finds work at the Van Jonghe biscuit factory. After Kees is institutionalized, she visits him regularly.
Julius De Coster (zhew-LYEWS deh koh-STEHR), a man nearly sixty years of age who heads the firm of Julius De Coster and Son, Ship Chandlers. At a chance meeting with Kees Popinga, he confesses that his family's supposedly reputable firm always has been involved in fraudulent activities. Because the firm is bankrupt, he decides to fake suicide and leave Groningen. He advises Kees to give up his respectable life and begin again on a new plane.
Jeanne Rozier (zhahn roh-ZYAY), a prostitute and a car thief's mistress. She tries to help Kees by introducing him to her criminal friends after she learns that he is a murderer.
Pamela Mackinsen, Julius De Coster's mistress, a cabaret dancer whom Kees Popinga murders.