Our Evenings

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, racism, antigay bias, and bullying.

Dave is the narrator and protagonist. His father was Burmese, but he has been raised by his white English mother in southern England. Because of his dark skin, Dave is acutely aware of how he differs from other people in his all-white environment. He is very gifted academically, and he is awarded a scholarship to Bampton school and then to Oxford University—opportunities that he earns despite his lack of wealth or social status.

The crucial event in Dave’s life is his failure, despite his brilliance, to earn a degree at Oxford University, forcing him to make acting his full-time profession. Over the years, he enjoys moderate success on the stage—in alternative or experimental theater—and on television. He is not dissatisfied with his achievements, even though he is aware that he might have become more.

Dave is an easy-going man. He does not dwell on grievances and generally does his best to brush off the many subtle and not-so-subtle forms of racism he faces. He is gracious in his speech, not interested in making others uncomfortable or hurting their feelings. He even maintains a somewhat chilly but civilized relationship with Giles Hadlow, even though he despises the man who bullied him at school and embodies nativist, anti-immigrant values that are anathema to Dave.