Colin Lord

Colin Lord is the main character of Goodbye Chains.

Colin is a purebred Irishman, raised Roman Catholic. This guilt-tastic upbringing left a deep impression on him that he is unlikely to ever fully shake. He says he's an atheist but is afraid God may exist. He feels horrible his birth made his mother bed-ridden for the rest of her life. He sends telegrams weekly to ease her worries.

As was typical of Victorian women (especially upwardly mobile immigrants like the Lords), Colin's mother burned off any freckles young Colin had with caustic creams designed for the purpose. At the time, freckles were considered poor breeding.

He feels incredible guilt because of his sexuality, although he does not perceive it as a sexuality in the modern sense; rather, he sees himself as a sinful man with disgusting desires he is powerless to resist. These desires have caused him no end of pain in the past--for example, his father caught 10-year-old Colin getting a little too familiar with the painting of St. Sebastian in his study (a painting Horace had purchased when Colin's brother Peter went off to war), and to cure his "sexual neurasthenia" Colin was medically circumcised not long after. After this incident, Colin learned the vital importance of discretion in his love life.

Colin attended college at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, graduating with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering. He was a successful intramural boxer (although MIT did not have a formal program at the time), and took great delight in sneaking into matches at Harvard (enjoying, as he did, the sight of Crimson Pansies in pain). He had plans to return as a teacher in 1884, but for some reason changed them abruptly.

Witnessing poverty and how the wealthy treated them unjustly, he was completely fascinated by Marxism. He translated The Communist Manifesto from German to English, because he did not like previous translations.

His first homosexual experience was with a coal miner named Jimmy in his late teens. However, he already lost his virginity before this, his brother bought him a hooker for his 16th birthday. Colin did not enjoy it as much as he thought he should. Later, he had a long term relationship with a fellow college student named James.

When angry, his Boston accent slips out.

He doesn't wear a hat because he thinks it makes his hair look silly.

He can speak several languages such as German, Latin, Greek, French and a little Spanish.

Colin's favorite food is oysters. Favorite treat are mints.