Functional Order: Fi/Ne/Si/Te
Dominant Function: Fi
Elio feels things very strongly. Even when he can’t put his feelings into words, he makes decisions based on whatever he is feeling at the moment. He may not be able or unwilling to name his feelings for Oliver, but he gives into these emotions fully. While he is very in tuned with his own emotions, he doesn’t always consider the emotions of others (he doesn’t pay much attention to Marzia’s budding feelings for him) or interprets them appropriately (for a long time he seems to think Oliver doesn’t even like him). Elio feels deeply, but does not voice these feelings. Throughout the story, he never asks anyone for advice on how to deal with his attraction to Oliver, never asks for anyone’s opinion and instead prefers to come to his own conclusions – and when he does, he stands by them. Not once does Elio voice concerns over his homosexual relationship with an eight-year-older man working for his father, in 1980’ Italy. Neither does he question being involved with both Marzia and Oliver at the same time, because Elio does what feels right for Elio, and that is enough. Elio does not mind company, but spends many hours in solitude, being in his own world. Even though Elio is independent, he is quite sensitive; he is hurt at being dismissed by Oliver’s “later” when he want so much more from him, and becomes jealous when Oliver finds a fling.
Auxiliary Function: Ne
Elio is a creative and an imaginative young man. He has many intellectual interests, switching between reading fiction, writing, playing and listening to music. He easily glides between the different interpretations of the same piece of music, juggling the variations with a smile on his face – and the same goes for people. Elio switches between Marzia and Oliver throughout the story, indulging Marzia’s interests when Oliver is distant, and discarding her when an opening occurs in his connection to Oliver.
Tertiary Function: Si
When his relationship with Oliver is thriving, he seems to virtually forget of Marzia’s existence – like when he spends all day with Oliver and his father overseeing a new archeological found, and then frantically cycling to the pond, missing his date with Marzia (inferior Si). Elio does not quickly conclude how to deal with the situation with Oliver, but instead switches between being adventurous and impulsive, and then withdrawn and contemplative. After finally having sex with Oliver for the first time, finally having achieved his full attention and affections, Elio is not sure how to feel and think, and is unsure of how to precede, until Oliver says that he does not regret their night, and Elio decides to do the same.
Inferior Function: Te
He has a hard time sharing or articulating what he feels, but easily conveys his opinions and is very eager to share his factual knowledge, to the point of being a bit of a know-it-all and an intellectual snob. His Te also shows in the joy he finds in the mechanical transcribing of music. When he declares his attraction to Oliver, it is through the silent bond between him, and when he is rejected, Elio becomes untactful and assertive, relying on physical contact to convey his feelings (inferior Te); confidently touching Oliver’s crotch, masturbating in Oliver’s swimming trunks, stepping close to him to emphasize the sexual tension. When the situation requires it, Elio speaks bluntly, but prefers to write down his thoughts in his notebook, and to sneak in notes under Oliver’s door instead of talking to him directly.
Note: This argument has been taken from Funky MBTI in Fiction