# Exodus — Poetry character guide > Exodus in Poetry by Mina Loy. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Exodus the Oxonian **First appearance:** 0072-exodus ## Snapshot Nicknamed Lord Israel for his consummate bearing, Exodus emigrates from Jewish ancestors and sinister foster-parents to become the City's highest-paid tailor's cutter, pacing London's streets with an instinctive urge toward the heart of something. ## Who they are Crushed by the Occident and lashed by tongues in lieu of knouts, Exodus trades the Danube's indifference for the pound-sterling's alien asylum, where his coaly eye challenges the unrevealed universe and his business-English dazzles the sartorial world. He paints sunflowers on Sundays without knowing why, stands like a larch on incarcerate corners, and deplores the anomalous legs of Zion's sons with a subconscious superiority. His loneliness and his unformulated conception of life drive him toward the heart of England—and toward the boarding-house lady, the locket, and whatever he begets. ## Relationships ### [Ova](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/characters/ova) _romantic_ Exodus and Ova share a deep, possibly romantic bond, with high interaction frequency indicating emotional intimacy. ### [Lord Israel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/characters/lord_israel) _family_ Exodus and Lord Israel are likely father and son, with authority and filial duty shaping their interactions. ### [Lea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/characters/lea) _family_ Exodus and Lea are siblings or close relatives, with a bond of shared history and loyalty. ### [Nurse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/characters/nurse) _professional_ Exodus and the Nurse have a professional relationship, likely with the Nurse serving the household Exodus belongs to. ### [Esau Penfold](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/characters/esau_penfold) _rivalry_ Esau Penfold and Exodus are rivals, competing for status or the affection of others. ### [Jehovah](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/characters/jehovah) _psychological_ Exodus and Jehovah have a complex, possibly obsessive relationship, with Jehovah exerting psychological influence. ## In the story ### [Costa Magic](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/costa-magic) Cesira's father, who is described as a rabid man and is suspected of bewitching his daughter. ### [Sketch of a Man on a Platform](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/sketch-of-a-man-on-a-platform) The man described, a figure of absolute physical equilibrium and creative idiosyncrasy. ### [Giovanni Franchi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/giovanni-franchi) Mentioned indirectly through the 'incandescent breath of civilizations' and the chase after philosopher's toes, though not directly present. ### [Joyce's Ulysses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/joyce-s-ulysses) Referenced indirectly through the 'Master of meteoric idiom' and the 'recreator' Joyce, aligning with Exodus's role as a linguistic and cultural transformer. ### [Anglo-Mongrels and the Rose](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/anglo-mongrels-and-the-rose) Exodus is Ova's father, a Jewish immigrant whose foreignness is resented by his wife Ada. He is described as beautiful but powerless in the face of Ada's English prejudices. ### [Exodus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/exodus) Protagonist reflecting on his past in Hungary and his present life in London, discovering his heart and his alienation. ### [English Rose](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/english-rose) The Hebrew suitor, 'loaded with Mosaic passions,' who courts Alice and marries her, seeking to melt his Oriental soul in her English warmth. ### [Mongrel Rose](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/mongrel-rose) Ova's father, described as beautiful but unable to impress his wife; his Jewish identity is a source of tension in the household. ### [Enter Esau Penfold](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/enter-esau-penfold) Mentioned as the father of the child in Kilburn terrace, contrasting the opulent world of Esau with the harsh reality of his own offspring. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/ii) Parent of the child, referenced as 'Exodus’ child'. ### [Marriage Boxes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/marriage-boxes) Described as exceedingly beautiful, but his wife is blind to it; he has only his pockets to impress her. ### [Psychic Larva](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/psychic-larva) Mentioned as the father of the child, though not directly present in the psychic scene. ### [The Surprise](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/the-surprise) Exodus is the father figure who accuses Ova of lying and pushes her out of the door. ### [The Gift](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/the-gift) Exodus is the father who gives Ova a coin, initially appearing as a sovereign but later revealed to be a farthing, embodying the theme of deceptive paternal power. ### [Religious Instruction](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/religious-instruction) Referenced as Ova's father and a figure of emigration; his heritage is passed to Ova, who inherits his spirit of seeking fortune and opposing disintegration. ### [The Social Status of Exodus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/chapters/the-social-status-of-exodus) Referred to as 'Exodus the Oxonian,' he is presented as a sunbeam in a cut-away, embodying the tailored ideal of man. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/characters/exodus - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/poetry_17_se/characters