In the play, 'The Lost,' Britton uses strong and verbose dialogue to portray all the characters. Isherwood is portrayed as a sad and stoic type as he describes his travels up to the point of the boat trip. Wystan is portrayed as a grumpy and down-to-earth sort of person, since he prefers the relative warmth of the cabin to the cold and melodramatic outside. Because Wystan goes into the cabin inspite of his companion's pleading, it becomes obvious to us that Wystan does not respect Isherwood. He may enjoy Isherwood's company, but he does not put him in high enough standing to give him a respectful answer, even if he won't come out.
Isherwood's uncle, Henry, seems to be a comedic, fun-loving type, not taking much of anything too seriously. He portrays his fun loving nature in the way that he insists on Isherwood sending him detailed accounts of his adventures, to the slightest detail. The uncle appears to be trying to live vicariously through Isherwood, now that he himself has been grounded in Germany. From his varied use of minor swear words, Britton emphasizes his comedic character, calling a lover a 'bugger,' showing that he doesn't even take his relationships with a great deal of seriousness.
The uncle shows his affection for his nephew, Isherwood, in how easily he is convinced in to giving Isherwood an allowance from his eventual inheritance. Uncle Henry laughs with his nephew, day-dreaming with him about what sorts of wild adventures he will have while he travels.
Uncle Henry's character can also be seen in what type of lovers he chooses. He seems to be gregarious from his choice of a strong, large man whom he paid not to wash for a month.
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