Cyrus Trask

Cyrus Adam Trask is a hard man of business who accumulates wealth through shrewd, often unscrupulous dealings. He is a patriarch of the old school—demanding, unsentimental, and incapable of expressing affection in ways his sons understand. His clear preference for Adam Trask over Charles Trask, mysterious as it may seem, has profound consequences that ripple across generations. Cyrus believes in toughness and self-reliance, viewing his sons through the lens of utility rather than unconditional love.

Having lost a leg, Cyrus adapts with characteristic grit, moving through the world with a modified but still-commanding presence. He builds a substantial estate and dies a relatively wealthy man, yet his legacy is measured not in property but in the psychological wounds he inflicts through his selective affection and harsh judgment.