# J. — Three Men in a Boat character guide > J. in Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome. **Role:** major **Also known as:** old J., I, myself **First appearance:** 0001-three-men-in-a-boat ## Snapshot Hypochondriacal narrator whose grand river expedition keeps collapsing into comic digression, self-deprecating anecdote, and reluctant rowing. ## Who they are J. is the voice of the trip: a man who diagnoses himself with every ailment in the medical dictionary, then cheerfully prescribes a holiday on the Thames as the cure. His running battle with practical details — packing, punting, getting into the boat without falling in — makes him the reader's companion and chief self-mocker. He matters because his digressive, confiding narration turns a modest boating holiday into a tour of human folly, and because his friendship with George and Harris supplies the book's affectionate comic engine. ## In the story ### [Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog)](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/three-men-in-a-boat) The narrator who recounts the story and the decision to take the trip. ### [Chapter I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/i) The narrator describes his own feelings of illness and his opposition to a sea trip, recounting a story about his brother-in-law. ### [Plans Discussed—Pleasures of Camping-out—Compromise Decided on—Montmorency, First Impressions of](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/ii) Romanticizes camping, describes poetic scenes of night on the river. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/iii) The narrator reflects on life's unnecessary burdens and participates in planning the trip. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/iv) The narrator takes charge of packing, becomes irritated when Harris and George do nothing, and recounts his obsessive toothbrush worries and the cheese transport story. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/v) Wakes up late, argues with Harris, and helps rouse George. ### [VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/vi) The narrator muses on history and life while steering the boat, and later reflects on the story of Stivvings and the carved oak. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/vii) The narrator describes his own taste in dress (red and black) and recounts a past picnic with overly dressed ladies. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/viii) The narrator, who describes the trespassing incident and Harris's singing, and later spots George at the lock. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/ix) The narrator who reflects on towlines and recounts various towing mishaps. ### [Our First Night Under Canvas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/x) Narrates the chapter, participates in setting up the tent and enjoys supper. ### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/xi) Wakes early, falls into the river, and later laughs at the shirt mix-up. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/xii) Narrator; participates in the pineapple tin struggle, steers the boat, and reflects on historical and social observations. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/xiii) The narrator, who reflects on the river's beauty, recounts Montmorency's behavior, and experiences the shock of Harris's disappearance. ### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/xiv) Narrates the chapter; goes for a walk with George, returns wet and hungry, and helps cook the stew. ### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/xv) The narrator reflects on his love of work and his perception that he does more than his fair share. He recounts early boating memories and a punting mishap. ### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/xvi) Takes the sculls after arguing with George and Harris about whose turn it is to row. ### [Washing Day and Fishy Stories](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/xvii) Narrates the chapter; participates in the failed laundry and the visit to the inn. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/xviii) The narrator describes his experiences and observations on the river, including his irritation with mishaps and his participation in the photo incident. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/chapters/xix) The narrator, who steers while Harris and George scull, and who reflects on the river's beauty and the misery of the rain. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/characters/narrator_j - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/three_men_in_a_boat_se/characters