# Polk Lynde — The Titan character guide

> Polk Lynde in The Titan by Theodore Dreiser.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Polk, Lynde, Mr. Lynde

**First appearance:** 0015-xvi-a-fateful-interlude

## Snapshot

A charming, reckless Chicago socialite and gambler, he turns his attentions to Aileen and offers her the dangerous possibility of revenge.

## Who they are

Lynde is the kind of man who loses fifteen thousand in a night and wins twenty-five the next, all with the same easy smile, and he fixes his hard, meaning glances on Aileen across the gambling tables. He leans over her powdered shoulders, stakes her money, and treats her with the cool, plunging confidence she once admired in Frank. For Aileen, he represents both temptation and retaliation—a way to answer Cowperwood's neglect—and his presence sharpens the marital fracture at the center of the story.

## Relationships

### [Aileen Cowperwood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_titan_se/characters/aileen_cowperwood)

_romantic_

Polk Lynde is a persistent suitor who pursues Aileen after Frank's neglect, creating romantic tension and scandal.

### [Aileen Cowperwood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_titan_se/characters/aileen_cowperwood)

_romantic_

Polk Lynde is a persistent suitor who pursues Aileen after Frank's neglect, creating romantic tension and scandal.

### [Aileen Cowperwood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_titan_se/characters/aileen_cowperwood)

_romantic_

Polk Lynde is a persistent suitor who pursues Aileen after Frank's neglect, creating romantic tension and scandal.

## In the story

### [A Supper Party](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_titan_se/chapters/xxxii-a-supper-party)

Polk Lynde is a wealthy, handsome philanderer who aggressively flirts with Aileen and involves her in his high-stakes roulette play, seeking to impress her.

### [Mr. Lynde to the Rescue](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_titan_se/chapters/xxxiii-mr-lynde-to-the-rescue)

A charming rake who pursues Aileen, offering her sympathy and an opal necklace while encouraging her to abandon loyalty to Cowperwood.

### [XXXVII: Aileen’s Revenge](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_titan_se/chapters/xxxvii-aileen-s-revenge)

Aggressively pursues Aileen, visiting her home and attempting to force a physical encounter.

### [XLV: Changing Horizons](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_titan_se/chapters/xlv-changing-horizons)

Aileen's lover; grows frustrated with her continued attachment to Cowperwood and confronts her about it.

### [XLVI: Depths and Heights](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_titan_se/chapters/xlvi-depths-and-heights)

Departed for Europe after his affair with Aileen; his departure contributes to Aileen's despair.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_titan_se/characters/polk_lynde
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_titan_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_titan_se/characters