The Last Days of Night

Paul Cravath is the 26-year-old lawyer representing George Westinghouse in the immense Edison v. Westinghouse case. The novel is told from Paul’s perspective, and although he seems to be the protagonist, he views himself as the antagonist at times. Paul looks older, is very tall and imposing. Raised on his religious family’s farm in Nashville, Tennessee, Paul grew up to become a young prodigy at Columbia law school. Upon graduation, he immediately obtained a partnership at the Carter, Hughes and Cravath law firm, then secured the widely publicized lawsuit that is the linchpin of the novel. Paul has a highly analytical mind, always sorting and filing the occurrences of life into neat narratives. He is “comforted by minutiae. His mortal fears could be assuaged only by an encyclopedic command of detail” (5). He is highly sensitive to class (especially his lower-class status in the presence of high society), always seeking to prove himself. He works very hard, is highly ambitious, and money driven.

Despite his talent, Paul is still juvenile in his decisions and interpretations of events. In his interactions with other lawyers, he tries to assert his power and dominance through subtle cues (refusing to remove his jacket in a meeting with Tesla’s lawyer, Lemuel Serrell, for example).