Dick Eikenborn Character Analysis: Power, Control, and Consequences in Olga Dies Dreaming

Overview: The Entitled Lover and the Colonial Capitalist

Dick Eikenborn is a fifty-four-year-old hardware executive who runs Eikenborn & Sons, a national chain of hardware stores. He enters the novel as Olga Acevedo's older lover, a man who assumes his wealth and status will secure her commitment. Over the course of Olga Dies Dreaming, he evolves from a needy, insecure suitor into a violent, controlling figure, and ultimately becomes a willing participant in the exploitation of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. His arc exposes the intersection of personal entitlement and systemic colonial capitalism, making him a key symbol of the forces that the novel critiques. While the text presents his actions explicitly, his deeper motivations—such as a need for control and validation—are interpretive, grounded in his behavior and dialogue.

Plot Role: From Lover to Complicit Exploiter

Dick's role in the plot is twofold: he is a romantic antagonist to Olga, and he is a representative of the wealthy elite who treat Puerto Rico as a playground. He first appears in chapter 9, where his secret dating profile and shirtless selfies reveal his obsession with Olga. He later appears at the Blumenthal party in chapter 24, where his political refusal to attend Olga's brother's fundraiser leaves him isolated and resentful. His most significant plot involvement comes in chapter 40, when he flies to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria to tour his damaged stores and attend Nick Selby's retreat. There, he is drawn into a scheme to profit from the disaster by limiting solar power to private estates. In chapter 46, his violent confrontation with Olga marks the end of their relationship, and in chapter 52, he is mentioned as pushing Eikenborn Green Solutions to expand solar access—though the text notes that his push comes only after Reggie Reyes successfully opens a solar facility, suggesting his interest is reactive and profit-driven.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Dick's actions reveal a man driven by a need for control and external validation. He posts shirtless selfies to a secret dating profile, not to meet anyone, but to enjoy the reactions—a behavior that stems from his frustration with Olga's emotional reserve. When Olga rejects his offer to cohabitate, he is blindsided, having never communicated his intentions. His assistant Charmaine tells him that other women would want him, but he insists on chasing Olga, saying he wants to “pin her down” and make her love him. This language of possession is telling.

In business, Dick is shrewd and opportunistic. The text shows that he saw opportunity in the 2008 housing crisis by creating DIY Reno Schools, and he was the first hardware retailer to carry LEED lighting fixtures. He views climate change as a “boon” for his business. This trait carries into his Puerto Rico dealings: he sees the hurricane as a chance to expand Eikenborn Green Solutions, but he is also willing to be swayed by Nick Selby's promise of profit, even when it means limiting solar access to the wealthy.

Dick's emotional immaturity is evident in his interactions with Olga. He calls her “Cherry” because he dislikes her name, and he sends unsolicited naked photos to her work phone. When she tells him to stop, he buys them new phones, but she never uses hers. He is genuinely confused when Olga explains that women might not like such photos, and he cannot grasp the idea that people might not like themselves—a moment that underscores his lack of empathy.

Chronological Arc: From Assumption to Violence

Dick's arc can be traced through key chapters. In chapter 9, he is a married man carrying on an affair with Olga, the wedding planner for his daughter's wedding. He leaves his wife Sheila, assuming Olga will move in with him, but she refuses. He then joins a dating app anonymously, but remains fixated on Olga. In chapter 24, he attends the Blumenthal party alone, having refused to attend Olga's brother's fundraiser on political principle. He spends the evening texting and calling Olga, feeling humiliated when she doesn't arrive.

In chapter 40, after the hurricane, he travels to Puerto Rico with his daughter Victoria. He tours his damaged stores and then attends Nick Selby's dinner, where he initially questions the plan to limit solar to private estates, but is ultimately persuaded by the promise of profit and the leverage Nick claims over Congressman Acevedo. In chapter 46, Olga texts him with a business proposition. He cooks her dinner, hoping for reconciliation, but when she reveals she is seeing someone, he slaps her and pins her against the counter. After she leaves, he calls Nick Selby to confirm his participation in the Puerto Rico deal, mentioning the solar panel purchase. This sequence shows his descent from a man who believes he is entitled to Olga's love to one who resorts to physical violence and then immediately returns to business as usual.

Relationships: Power and Blindness

Dick's relationships are defined by his inability to see others as equals. With Olga, he treats her as a conquest, not a partner. He assumes she will move in with him, he dismisses her name, and he ignores her boundaries. His relationship with his children is strained: his daughter Victoria shows interest in him only after his separation, and his sons are distant. He confides in his assistant Charmaine, who serves as a sounding board, but even she cannot break through his self-absorption.

His relationship with Nick Selby is transactional. Nick calls Olga “your spicy little girlfriend” and dismisses her as coming from “not the best stock.” Dick rolls his eyes but does not defend her. At the dinner, Nick pressures him to limit solar work to private estates, and Dick eventually goes along, despite his initial objections. This relationship reveals Dick's willingness to compromise his stated principles for profit.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Dick's decision to leave his wife without telling Olga leads to his loneliness and his desperate attempts to win her back. His decision to attend the Puerto Rico retreat makes him complicit in a plan that, as Nick states, will let the population decline and create a “grateful labor force.” His violent outburst in chapter 46 ends any chance of reconciliation with Olga, but he faces no legal or social consequences; instead, he immediately re-engages with the Puerto Rico deal. The text implies that his wealth and status insulate him from accountability.

Theme and Symbol Connections

Dick embodies the themes of colonialism and Puerto Rican self-determination and class inequality and exploitation. His name—a crude pun—underscores his arrogance and his reduction of Olga to a sexual object. His solar panel deal connects to the theme of gentrification and community displacement, as he is willing to let the island's population decline to serve the wealthy. His secret dating profile and his performance of masculinity tie to secrecy, shame, and the performance of identity. Finally, his violent reaction to rejection reflects the theme of maternal abandonment and revolutionary legacy only indirectly—he is a foil to Olga's mother, who also uses violence, but for liberation rather than personal control.

5 Book-Specific Questions and Answers

1. Why does Dick assume Olga will move in with him after he leaves his wife?

Dick never communicates his intentions to Olga. He tells Charmaine that he was “blindsided” by her refusal, and he admits he had never even told Olga he was leaving Sheila. His assumption stems from his belief that his wealth and status make him an irresistible catch—a belief that Olga directly challenges when she laughs and says, “No, Dick, you don't.”

1. What is Dick's reaction when Olga rejects his offer to cohabitate?

He is shocked and later becomes pouty and persistent. He confides in Charmaine, nearly whining, “Isn't this what every woman wants?” He then joins a dating app to try to move on, but remains fixated on Olga, eventually resolving to “wrestle commitment” from her.

1. How does Dick respond to Olga's business proposition in chapter 46?

He is delighted and insists on cooking her dinner at his apartment. He makes a beef Bolognese and a playlist, hoping for reconciliation. When Olga reveals she is seeing someone, he becomes enraged, slaps her, and pins her against the counter. After she leaves, he calls Nick Selby to confirm his participation in the Puerto Rico deal, showing that his violence does not disrupt his business interests.

1. What role does Dick play in the Puerto Rico solar panel deal?

He is a potential supplier of solar panels. At Nick Selby's dinner, Nick pressures him to limit his work to private estates, arguing that the island's population will decline and that Dick's future customers are the wealthy. Dick initially questions this, asking, “Shouldn't the people here have an option other than PREPA?” but he is ultimately persuaded by the promise of profit and the leverage Nick claims over Congressman Acevedo.

1. What does Dick's behavior at the Blumenthal party reveal about his character?

He refuses to attend Olga's brother's fundraiser on political principle, then expects Olga to join him at the party. When she doesn't, he paces and calls her insistently. He is humiliated when he has to enter with Olga's assistant and her date. This reveals his insecurity, his expectation that Olga will prioritize him, and his political rigidity—he is a Libertarian who opposes her brother's politics, yet he wants to use Olga as a trophy to impress his colleagues.

For further exploration of Dick's role in the novel's broader critique, see the ending explained and questions and answers pages.