Whereas Joe once again resorts to scientific facts, stating when Logan falls there is "only ruthless gravity". When Joe sees Clarissa crying he does not feel any emotion, but merely views the tears as a fact. Clarissa loves Joe very much and we can see Joe feels the same way, as he often questions why she loves "a large, clumsy, balding fellow, who could hardly believe his luck". .
The other main character in the novel is Jed Parry. Jed is a deeply religious person, who believes that him and Joe meeting was not a coincidence but fate. He believes that he was sent to Joe to "rescue" him and show him the way to God. The reader does not see a lot of Parry's character in the first chapter, but the way that Joe narrates readers can make assumptions that Parry plays a large part in the rest of the novel. .
Joe is the narrator throughout most of the novel. It is told in first person narrative. For a couple of chapters there are letters from Clarissa and Jed, which then narrates in first person, from their points of view. Joe narrates the first chapter. Him being the narrator gives him control - backing up his personality. Often the reader is given the feeling that Joe is withholding information. This creates narrative hooks that make the reader want to read on. When Joe first talks about "the fall" the reader at this point is unaware of the ballooning accident and John Logan's death. Which makes them curious and hints at what is to come. Also the reference to Logan's death as "the fall" is a religious allegory. This links in with many points in the first chapter. Joe first describes the Chilterns, in which the tragic event takes place, as "the finest landscape within an hour of central London". He describes it and the reader gets the impression that it is a beautiful place. With the occasional religious reference the reader could relate the Chilterns to the Garden of Eden. This links in with "the fall".
