Flynn is a pretty down to earth guy who tries to cope with his change in circumstances. He doesn't want to believe that he was thrust back in time any more than Mel wants to believe him. At first everything is a big joke and doesn't quite seem real. As it dawns on Flynn that everything is quite real, he faces the situation with a typical modern American male attitude: brazen your way out. Ms. Fox shows the reader how vastly different 1815 moral standards are from 1998 ones. Flynn just can't grasp why everyone cares so much what everyone else thinks. Mel can't figure out this uncouth, brash American who seems to be no gentleman but who wears fine clothes and is educated. Class distinction is so important in 1815 she doesn't know where to categorize Flynn.