▁Paris ▁and ▁talk ▁with ▁her ▁husband .) ▁He ▁lives ▁a ▁dest itute ▁but ▁def i antly ▁content ▁life ▁there ▁as ▁a ▁painter , ▁lod ging ▁in ▁run - down ▁hot els ▁and ▁falling ▁pre y ▁to ▁both ▁ill ness ▁and ▁hung er . ▁Str ick land , ▁in ▁his ▁drive ▁to ▁express ▁through ▁his ▁art ▁what ▁appears ▁to ▁contin ually ▁possess ▁and ▁comp el ▁him ▁on ▁the ▁inside , ▁car es ▁nothing ▁for ▁physical ▁dis com fort ▁and ▁is ▁ind ifferent ▁to ▁his ▁surr ound ings . ▁He ▁is ▁helped ▁and ▁supported ▁by ▁a ▁commer cially ▁successful ▁but ▁hack ney ed ▁Dutch ▁painter , ▁D irk ▁St roe ve ▁( co inc ident ally , ▁also ▁an ▁old ▁friend ▁of ▁the ▁narr ator ' s ), ▁who ▁recogn ises ▁Str ick land ' s ▁genius ▁as ▁a ▁painter . ▁After ▁helping ▁Str ick land ▁recover ▁from ▁a ▁life - th re aten ing ▁ill ness , ▁St roe ve ▁is ▁rep a id ▁by ▁having ▁his ▁wife , ▁Bl anche , ▁abandon ▁him ▁for ▁Str ick land . ▁Str ick land ▁later ▁disc ards ▁the ▁wife ; ▁all ▁he ▁really ▁sought ▁from ▁Bl anche ▁was ▁a ▁model ▁to ▁paint , ▁not ▁serious ▁companion ship , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁hint ed ▁in ▁the ▁novel ' s ▁dialog ue ▁that ▁he ▁indicated ▁this ▁to ▁her ▁and ▁she ▁took ▁the ▁risk ▁anyway . ▁ ▁Bl anche ▁then ▁commits ▁suic ide ▁– ▁yet ▁another ▁human ▁cas ual ty ▁in ▁Str ick land ' s ▁single - mind