The Sirens of Titan

Content Warning: this section of the guide includes discussions of sexual assault.

Malachi Constant is the protagonist of The Sirens of Titan. He is a man rife with internal tension. Even though he is the richest man in the country, he never feels as though he has earned this wealth or privilege but he must keep this insecurity hidden. He is the only person who knows his father's secret—that the money they have is by pure chance. If the world were to know this, then he fears that he would be ostracized or disrespected, losing everything that he already does not believe that he deserves. This anxiety breeds in him a sort of chauvinistic nihilism. Constant's reputation as a drug-loving party boy is a self-destructive attempt to prove that someone up there likes him; even if he does not believe that he deserves his good fortune, then the blessing of God is at least a comfort. If he can continue to be successful without being good or even intelligent, then Constant will continue to feel like he is doing something right. The result, however, is that Constant is never able to escape the fear that everything is so fragile that it will one day end.