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Ezra
Felix Baker is a boy Jude tutors when he is in his late 20s. Felix’s family is wealthy and has very little time for him. Felix is shy and insecure. He also has no friends and is very lonely. Jude feels sympathy for him for being so let-down by the world at such a young age. He wants to tell Felix that things will change one day—even though Jude’s past has taught him that nobody is guaranteed happiness and companionship in life.
Felix Baker Quotes in A Little Life
The A Little Life quotes below are all either spoken by Felix Baker or refer to Felix Baker. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Part 2: The Postman: Chapter 1 Quotes
But what was happiness but an extravagance, an impossible state to maintain, partly because it was so difficult to articulate? He couldn’t remember being a child and being able to define happiness: there was only misery, or fear, and the absence of misery or fear, and the latter state was all he had needed or wanted.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Felix Baker Character Timeline in A Little Life
The timeline below shows where the character Felix Baker appears in A Little Life. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 2: The Postman: Chapter 1
...since he’s been spending Saturdays in the Upper East Side tutoring a 12-year-old boy named Felix. Jude found the job through Malcolm’s father. But it’s spring break for Felix, who is...
(full context)
Jude tutors Felix in Latin, math, German, and piano. He feels bad for Felix—he’s clearly bright enough, but...
(full context)
After one tutoring session, Mr. Baker (Felix’s father) confronts Jude privately to ask him what he thinks is “wrong with Felix.” Jude...
(full context)
The next week, Felix doesn’t want to play the piano, so Jude plays something for Felix instead—Haydn’s Sonata No....
(full context)
When Jude finishes playing, Felix bursts into tears. Jude is instantly ashamed of himself for showing off. Then Felix confides...
(full context)
Part 2: The Postman: Chapter 3
The Saturday that Jude returns to New York from Boston, he goes to Felix’s house for their usual tutoring sessions. Mr. Baker tells Jude that Felix will be going...
(full context)
Part 4: The Axiom of Equality: Chapter 1
...Willem is away. He forces himself to attend museum shows and see his other friends. Felix, the boy Jude once tutored, is now in a punk band called Quiet Amerikans, and...
(full context)
