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Rye Walsh influences Frankie’s life a little for the better and a lot for the worse. Although he’s there when she needs support and distraction in Vietnam, his selfishness and inability to put her first almost cause her death. Early in the story, Rye appears to be confident and charming. As a navy officer and close friend of Frankie’s brother Finley, Rye shares the McGrath family legacy of military service and knows how important it is to Frankie. His friendship with Finley and his association with Coronado mean there’s already a bond between him and Frankie, which becomes much more intense when the two meet again in a bar in Saigon and see one another with different eyes.
Rye’s romantic relationship with Frankie quickly reveals his flaws. While he shows genuine affection for her—it seems that he does truly love her, despite his choices—he is too weak to actually make the changes he promises Frankie he will. He consistently hides his circumstances. Rather, he relies on Frankie’s good nature and unconditional love for him to cover his tracks. His marriage to Melissa, which he lies about for an extended period during two parts of the novel, is the foundation of his repeated betrayal of Frankie. When she finds out for the first time that he is engaged Rye promises to leave Melissa for Frankie; of course, he does not. Later, when they begin their relationship a second time, upon being found out Rye defends his actions by claiming he married for convenience. He “always planned” to leave his wife, but his total inaction shows his inability to follow through on promises. It’s much easier for him to lie to Frankie than it is to blow up his comfortable life in Coronado.
