Yuri Zhivago is the protagonist and title character of the novel. Though most of the story takes place in Yuri's early to middle adulthood, the tragedy of his childhood lays an important foundation for his character. After his mother's death, he grows up an orphan. His father abandons him to start another family, giving the young Yuri a figure to resent in his nascent development. Ironically, Yuri builds his life around trying to be anyone other than his father, only for fate to throw him into a remarkably similar situation. Due to the chaos of the Russian Revolution, Yuri is torn away from Tonya and his young family. On several occasions, he finds himself in the company of a woman (Lara) whom he truly loves. Yuri is forced to reckon with the tension between his desire for Lara and his desire to avoid following in his father's footsteps. He does not want to abandon his family, and he wants to believe that he is a better man than his father. At the same time, however, he cannot bring himself to end his affair with Lara. Yuri rarely thinks about his father, but the man has left an important impression on him.