The Thief

Gen is the point-of-view character and protagonist of The Thief. In Chapter 4, he assesses a wool cloak the magus gives him as a blanket while the magus watches him. The look on the magus’s face suggests Gen’s examination is either “like a tailor assessing its value—or like scum from the gutter touching something he knows he shouldn’t” (61-62), and this dichotomy defines Gen’s personality and actions, as Gen’s character is a study in opposites. He is selfish in always putting himself and his needs first, but he also gets very protective of those he grows to care about. Gen keeps the secret of his true allegiance to Eddis throughout the novel, making him an unreliable narrator. Despite this, he never outright lies—only withholds information until it becomes pertinent—and he is sometimes honest to a fault, such as when he tells the Attolian queen he won’t serve her because she is unkind. Regardless of his actions in the moment, Gen puts his full self into all he does, and settles for nothing less than his personal best. As a result, he can be annoying and difficult to handle, but he comes across as understandable and even likeable.