On Beauty

Main Characters and Their Development

• Howard Belsey – an art history professor facing a crisis in his career and personal life. His marriage to Kiki Belsey is going through difficult times, and he struggles with his feelings and moral principles.
• Kiki Belsey – Howard's wife, a strong and independent woman trying to keep her family together and come to terms with her husband's infidelities. She also faces questions of identity and self-acceptance.
• Jerome Belsey – the eldest son of Howard and Kiki, searching for his place in the world and dealing with religious and cultural conflicts, especially after his romance with Victoria Kipps.
• Zora Belsey – Howard and Kiki's daughter, a student striving for academic success and trying to balance her ambitions with her personal life.
• Levi Belsey – the youngest son of Howard and Kiki, who is drawn to street culture and tries to understand his identity in the context of racial and social issues.
• Monty Kipps – a conservative professor and Howard's antagonist, who has his own views on art and morality, leading to conflicts with the Belseys.
• Victoria Kipps – Monty Kipps's daughter, who becomes the object of Jerome's affection and causes tension between the Belsey and Kipps families.