The Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman - Characters

Characters

Doctor Hoffman – an evil, sadistic scientist akin to Doctor Faustus. The doctor is the antagonist and diabolical adversary of the novel. He masters physics and surpasses his teacher, the proprietor; he later uses this ability to create a new form of reality where nothing is bound by time or the normal rules of physics. With help from his colleague Mendoza, he discovers that “eroto-energy” can power his desire machines with omnipotent and everlasting energy. He uses his desire machines to fuel energy into his new reality.

Desiderio – The Narrator and protagonist of the novel. He is now an old man and recounts the events of his life to explain how he became a hero. He was sardonic in his youth and the complex images produced by the desire machines bored him; he could not surrender to the mirages. This attitude kept him alive. Desiderio, in Italian, literally means wish, longing, and desire. The heroine of his story, Albertina, haunts his dreams and constantly seduces him. Despite his love for Albertina, he eventually murders her. He is a government minister in an unspecified Latin country that works under the Minister. The Minister sends him on a journey to find and inconspicuously assassinate Dr. Hoffman, and destroy his machine.

Albertina – Dr. Hoffman’s daughter, who supports her father's actions and ideals. She is Desiderio’s soul mate and she is extremely, sexually appealing. She wants to use the energy from her and Desiderio’s love to propel the omnipotent desire machines, thus increasing her father's power.The name is most likely a reference to Proust's "Albertine", a female character that serves as an "other", or mirror for the protagonist.

Minister – Works with Desiderio and essentially rules the city until Dr. Hoffman starts his campaign against human reason. The minister loves logic and admires statis. Despite his jealously of Dr. Hoffman’s power, the minister wants to stop the freak show that the Doctor has created. In order to restore society, he creates reality testing labs to discover Doctor Hoffman's secret methods.

The Count - The egotistic and vulgar traveller that takes Desiderio into his company. Consistent with his arrogance, he claims that "he only lived to negate the world," and he travels according to his erotic desires (123). Though generally undaunted, the Count reveals a fear of the black pimp who wishes to kill him. Albertina later tells Desiderio that her father considered the Count a threat to her father's plans.