The Loved One

The irony of protagonist Dennis’s character is that despite being a poet, he has an extraordinarily practical view of life. His pragmatic approach is apparent in his choice to take a job at a pet cemetery, for which the reputation-conscious Sir Francis criticizes him. When Dennis discovers that Aimée has been promoted to embalmer, he suggests that the extra money she’ll receive will allow them to get married. His unromantic proposal, based strictly on the practical matter of finances, outrages Aimée.

Faced with the deaths of people close to him Dennis displays a stunning lack of emotion verging on extreme stoicism. The first instance of his aloofness occurs when he discovers Sir Francis’s body. Waugh implies that Dennis’s experience as part of a wartime generation numbed his emotions regarding death. Therefore, he regards Sir Francis’s suicide as merely a “curiosity.” When he learns of Aimée death by suicide, Dennis again displays no emotion even as his rival for her affections, Mr. Joyboy, weeps in front of him. Instead, Dennis immediately starts scheming to cash in on Aimée’s death by extorting money from Mr. Joyboy, who is paranoid about losing his job and being suspected of killing Aimée: Dennis offers to dispose of her body at the pet mortuary’s crematorium in exchange for money to finance his return to England.