Jim Sterling

Jim is self-confident and smug. He tends to be crass in his cockiness and is often condescending, expressing both a disparaging attitude toward women and a sense of superiority over the people of Echo. He is extremely performative in the company of those he wants to impress, such as his fiancée's parents or his friends from the big city, and seems to rely on an exaggerated sense of bravado to secure societal approval.

Beneath this veneer, Jim is shown to be conflicted about his same-sex attractions, and fears what potential exposure could mean for his reputation. He is largely driven by upholding his upper class persona, which makes him self-conscious regarding any behavior that could serve to diminish his standing among his peers. According to Murdoch, Jim is more tolerable when in private settings where he does not feel the need to show off, and unlike many of his contemporaries he is willing to accept people with "new money" into upper class circles.