Bowman is the last surviving member of the Discovery’s crew on its mission to Saturn. He is the central protagonist in his section of the novel and the subject of the next phase of human evolution, becoming the Star Child. As he spends significant amounts of time alone, readers learn about his character through his actions and his interactions with Hal (who becomes his antagonist) and through the voice of the narrator, with whom his perspective frequently merges in free indirect discourse. The dialogue in this novel—which has secrecy and mystery at its heart—is sparse and often conceals unspoken truths or unasked questions. Bowman’s silence plays its part in this atmosphere of concealment and fraught or failed communication.

To an extent, Bowman’s character is allegorical; he plays the role of humanity on his voyage to the stars. This means that he is not much differentiated. He is unique enough to be recognizable as a human being, but not so much that his destiny becomes his alone. This impression is assisted by his similarities to his colleague Poole, with whom he shares an identical and strictly regimented routine, and to other deep space astronauts.