Intermezzo

Ivan Koubek is the second main protagonist of Intermezzo. His narrative arc is defined by his relationships with his brother, Peter, and with his romantic interest, Margaret Kearns. The respect he feels for Margaret is an indirect response to the lack of respect he feels from Peter, a dynamic that plays into Sibling Dynamics and Romantic Relationships.

Ivan is a chess prodigy, having devoted much of his life to the game from an early age. In one of his first encounters with Margaret, Ivan shares his regret that he has wasted so much time playing chess. This signals his lost faith in his own potential, which is why he considers retiring before he has finished climbing the ranks of global competitive chess. When the novel begins, Ivan is ranked as a FIDE Master, which suggests considerable talent. However, he compares himself against his younger peer, Colm, who entered the game later but managed to outpace Ivan by ascending to the rank of International Master. After a friendly game in which Ivan beats Colm, Ivan is convinced to continue improving his playstyle and work towards achieving the norms that will grant him a higher rank.

Ivan struggles against being seen as youthful and naive—qualities physically represented by the braces he wears as a 22-year-old. Ivan consequently tries to assert himself against the expectations of others, arguing to continue his relationship with Margaret when she raises the possibility of ending things for his sake. Ivan naivety affected the passive role he played at the end of his father’s life, something he feels tremendous guilt over. Though he conceded much of the responsibility around this period to Peter as his older brother, he finds himself wishing that he had done more while his father was still alive. Now, he is afraid of his father fading out of existence, persisting only in Ivan’s faulty memory. As with Peter, this signals Ivan’s concern with The Frailty of the Material World.

Margaret Kearns is a secondary protagonist in Intermezzo. She is the only romantic interest in the novel whose perspective is shown alongside that of the two protagonists. In her arc, Margaret is forced to reckon with her relationships with Ivan and her estranged husband, Ricky.

Margaret works as a program director at the Clogherkeen Arts Center in County Leitrim. She is responsible for ensuring that all the events run according to schedule, which resonates with the monotony of her life. Margaret grew up in the small town of Clogherkeen and has never entertained aspirations to seek life elsewhere, unlike her siblings, whom their mother, Bridget, favors. Margaret provides thankless support for her mother. For example, when Margaret buys Bridget a dishwasher, Bridget never acknowledges the purchase to Margaret’s siblings, downplaying the importance of the gesture.

Early in her adult life, Margaret married a local man named Ricky, who has alcoholism. Ricky’s addiction led to difficult behaviors that made the marriage untenable; Margaret left, but lives in fear that Ricky would retaliate against her. On one occasion, he harasses her at work. Bridget supports Ricky’s side, often urging Margaret to go back to him. Margaret later admits that some of the marriage’s dissolution was her fault: She always believed she was better than Ricky, which prevented her from supporting him as he sought recovery, choosing to abandon him instead.

Margaret feels as though her life is over when Ivan arrives. Her relationship with Ivan allows her to feel wanted by someone again. She later confesses that she needs his love. After Bridget and Ricky learn about Ivan, Margaret finds relief in no longer being preoccupied with trying to keep a secret. She instead begins to imagine the possibility of a life with Ivan.

Naomi, one of two romantic interests in Peter’s life, is a college student who experiences financial insecurity. To alleviate this situation, she engages in sex work, selling explicit photos of herself online. She is also affected by the housing shortage crisis and lives without a permanent home in an abandoned apartment building. Following her eviction and brief arrest, she lives in Peter’s apartment, and in his father’s house in Kildare.

Naomi’s relationship with Peter is a constant struggle for power that opens both sides up to exploitation, keeping their relationship morally ambiguous. Naomi depends on Peter as a source of income, which Peter indulges because he relies on the gratification of her attention as a coping mechanism for his personal struggles. When Naomi threatens to leave Peter for someone else, Peter reminds her of her financial dependency, which makes it difficult to leave. Peter likewise hangs on her attempts to curry his favor, which is why he is affected when she texts him that she is waiting for him to come home so she can make them dinner.

Naomi’s ambiguous sincerity plays into The Limits of Language, raising the question of whether she really means what she says or if she is simply saying it to get what she wants from Peter. Naomi ultimately proves her emotional investment in Peter towards the end of the novel. Despite learning that Peter hasn’t told Ivan anything about her, Naomi tries to ensure Peter doesn’t harm himself. She helps him to understand that her criticism isn’t loathing—that her frustration doesn’t negate her love for him.