Ravelstein - Characters

Characters

• Abe Ravelstein, a 6'6" tall, renowned professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago, based on Allan Bloom. Ravelstein studied under Felix Davarr and Alexandre Kojève.
• Nikki, Abe's Malaysian lover. Modeled on Bloom's real life lover, Micheal Wu.
• The narrator, a long-time friend of Ravelstein's who is somewhat older than the protagonist. While Ravelstein refers to him by the nickname "Chick", he otherwise remains nameless.
• Vela, the narrator's previous wife, a beautiful Romanian Chaos Theorist. Vela is based on Alexandra Bellow.
• Rosamund, the narrator's current wife.
• Rakhmiel Kogon, a professor. The character is based on Bellow's friend Edward Shils.
• Marla Glyph, the chair of Ravelstein's university department.
• Ruby Tyson, Ravelstein's cleaning-lady.
• Felix Davarr, a now-deceased prominent academic and a teacher of Ravelstein. The character is based on Leo Strauss.
• Dr Schley, Ravelstein's cardiologist.
• Professor Radu Grielescu, a famous Jungian professor, rumoured to have been Nazi sympathiser during the Second World War; the character is modelled directly on Bellow's friend, a Romanian historian Mircea Eliade.
• Morris Herbst, a friend of Ravelstein's based on Bloom's friend Werner Dannhauser.
• Battle, a professor who moves to Wisconsin with his wife to retire. The character is based on the British geographer Paul Wheatley.
• Sam Partiger, a friend of the narrator's. He gets introduced to Ravelstein when the man is dying.
• Roxie Durkin, a friend of Rosamund's.
• Dr Bakst, the narrator's neurologist in hospital.