Crome Yellow

Denis is the central character in Crome Yellow: the novel begins with his arrival at Crome and ends with his departure for London. A 23 -year-old aspiring writer, he has blond hair and green eyes, and he seems young for his age. While the novel does not reveal how he knows the Wimbush family, it suggests that he has known them for years and has visited Crome many times. He has published at least one collection of poetry, a copy of which is in Crome’s library, and he tells the rest of the guests that he is working on a novel. Mr. Scogan guesses (correctly) that the novel is about an introverted but brilliant young man who writes a critically lauded novel while living among artists in London.

Denis is self-conscious and becomes embarrassed easily, especially when he is shown to not be as unique as he thinks he is. He is in love with Anne, who seems to perpetually pity him and does not see him as a romantic possibility; their interactions frequently end with a rejected Denis feeling angry and humiliated. He has a short temper when he is upset. For example, when Mary will not stop flirting with him, he impulsively gives her the name of three wheat diseases rather than telling her the name of his favorite contemporary poets.