Everything Is Illuminated

Alex, or Alexander Perchov, was born in 1977 and is about 19 or 20 years old during the events of the book. He lives with his father, mother, brother Igor, and Grandfather in Odessa, Ukraine. Alex’s father owns Heritage Touring, which caters to Jewish people who want to visit the region, and on occasion, Alex acts as a translator for the agency. Although he refers to Jonathan as the “hero” throughout this novel, Alex is arguably the protagonist of this story. The reader is given deep insight into Alex through his letters and his narrative of their journey. He also acts as narrator for much of the novel through his story and letters. He proves himself to be a reliable and unflinching narrator, even in the moments he blurs the truth for Jonathan’s benefit or dreads the story he has to tell.

At the beginning of the novel, Alex represents himself as tall, handsome, and popular, dating multiple women, living a rich social life, and having plenty of money to spend. As the story continues, Alex gradually reveals the true nature of his life to Jonathan and the reader: he spends most of his time protecting his brother from their drunken father or alone at the beach, both to stay away from home and to save money so that he and Igor can move to America.