# Bashan — Bashan and I character guide

> Bashan in Bashan and I by Thomas Mann.

**Role:** major

**Also known as:** H. G. S. Bashan, Bully Bashan, poor Bashan, the gallant Bashan

**First appearance:** 0001-bashan-and-i

## Snapshot

A proud, open-air-loving dog who adopts the narrator as his feudal lord, demanding constant companionship while refusing to obey a single command.

## Who they are

Bashan appoints himself the narrator's loyal vassal, following only him, lying only at his feet, and vaulting through windows to sleep beneath his desk. Yet his devotion is inseparable from a stubborn independence: he asks for commands he has no intention of obeying, and his restless dream-barking betrays a hunting instinct starved by domestic life. His presence turns every quiet hour into a negotiation between love and intrusion, and it is this tension that drives the book's intimate comedy and its quiet moral unease.

## Relationships

### [Percy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/bashan_and_i_se/characters/percy)

_rivalry_

Bashan and Percy have a tense, competitive dynamic, likely as dogs vying for attention or territory, with occasional confrontations.

### [Lux](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/bashan_and_i_se/characters/lux)

_friendship_

Bashan and Lux coexist peacefully, with occasional friendly interactions as fellow dogs in the Narrator's household.

## In the story

### [Bashan and I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/bashan_and_i_se/chapters/bashan-and-i)

The central canine companion, whose loyalty and wild instincts are explored in depth.

### [I: Bashan Puts in His Appearance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/bashan_and_i_se/chapters/i-bashan-puts-in-his-appearance)

Introduced in detail: a short-haired setter with tiger-striped coat, white chest whorl, and beard-like fur; performs an air-kiss greeting and a joyful dance; shows intense devotion and hunting instincts.

### [How We Acquired Bashan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/bashan_and_i_se/chapters/ii-how-we-acquired-bashan)

Introduced as Lux, a half-year-old puppy, described as a skeletal, trembling, and woebegone creature who gradually becomes part of the family.

### [III: A Few Items Regarding Bashan’s Character and Manner of Life](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/bashan_and_i_se/chapters/iii-a-few-items-regarding-bashan-s-character-and-manner-of-life)

Displays tenacious loyalty, follows the narrator everywhere, disrupts work, dreams of hunting, refuses tricks, engages in ritualistic meetings with other dogs, and shows restless boredom when confined.

### [The Hunting-Grounds](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/bashan_and_i_se/chapters/iv-the-hunting-grounds)

Bashan accompanies the narrator on walks through the hunting-grounds, showing indifference to non-wild things and embarrassment when a sheep follows him persistently.

### [The Chase](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/bashan_and_i_se/chapters/v-the-chase)

The active hunter, whose passion for the chase is undiminished by lack of prey; also the patient at the veterinary clinic, described as nervous and anæmic.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/bashan_and_i_se/characters/bashan
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/bashan_and_i_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/bashan_and_i_se/characters