Characterization
Susie Salmon: (main character and narrator) character vs self *protagonist
Susie Salmon is developed in indirect and direct characterization through dialogue, and her own stream of consciousness.. Evidence that prove this is "My name is Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was fourteen years old when I was murdered..." (Sebold 5). Susie is character vs self because she is unable to get over the fact in her mind that she is dead.
Lindsey Salmon: (Susie's younger sister) character vs society *round character
Lindsey is developed through indirect characterization. This includes Susie's thought about Lindsey and Lindsey's dialogue. Evidence of this includes "No lies, Lindsey agreed" (Sebold 22), which is what Lindsey said to her father after he got off the phone with the police. Lindsey faces character vs society because after Susie is murdered Lindsey is no as that weird girl whose sister dies when she goes to school.
George Harvey: (Susie's murderer) character vs self and character vs character *antagonist
George Harvey is also developed through indirect characterization because of Susie's thoughts and his dialogue throughout the story. Evidence includes "Mr. Harvey told her the usual: I hope they get that bastard. I'm sorry for your loss" (Sebold 8), which is what Mr. Harvey said to Susie's mother Abigail when he first saw her after he had murdered her daughter. He has character vs self because after the murdering of Susie he has too deal with the thoughts of getting caught, hiding the evidence and much more. He also is labeled as character vs character because Susie's father Jack Salmon accuses him of murdering his daughter.
Grandma Lyn: (Susie's grandmother) *flat character
Grandma Lyn is developed through direct and and indirect characterization by Susie telling us about her and Lyn's dialogue. Evidence of indirect characterization "So sue him, Grandma Lyn said" (sebold 101) and evidence of direct characterization "My grandmother arrived on the evening before my memorial in her usual style. She liked to hire limousines and drive in from the airport sipping champagne while wearing what she called her thick and fabulous animal" (Sebold 98).
Abigail Salmon: (Susie's mother) character vs self *round character
Abigail Salmon is developed through indirect characterization by Susie's thoughts and her own dialogue. Evidence of this "That sweet boy? my mother said to my father." (Sebold 26). Abigail is labeled character vs self because she is unable to deal with the emotions of Susie's death and the personal that she leaves her son, daughter, and husband and goes to California to work in a vineyard and stays there for 8 years until coming because her husband has a heart attack.
Jack Salmon: (Susie's father) character vs self and character vs society *round character
Jack Salmon is developed through indirect characterization by his dialogue and Susie's stream of consciousness. Evidence includes "You are so special to me, little man, my father said...", which Jack Salmon said to his son Buckley while tucking him in for bed. He is labeled as character vs self because he as well is unable to handle the emotional pain of the loss of his daughter Susie and in fact has a heart attack in the later part of the novel. He is also labeled as character vs society because he gets in a bit of trouble by the police for accusing George Harvey for murdering his daughter.
Ruth Connors: (student at Susie's school) character vs self *static character
Ruth is developed through both indirect and direct characterization by Susie telling us about Ruth and dialogue. Evidence of direct characterization "Her whole body seemed to slant forward in inquiry, and though she had been told at the bar where she worked that she had beautiful hair or beautiful hands or, on rare occasions when any of her patrons saw her come out from behind the bar, beautiful legs, people never said anything about her eyes" (Sebold 249). Evidence of indirect characterization "Candles, said Ruth. I got them from the grocery store. It's December sixth." (Sebold 202). Ruth is character vs self because she is that awkward kid who doesn't fit in and has little friends.
Ray Singh: (Susie's crush) character vs self and character vs society *static character
Ray is developed through direct and indirect characterization by Susie telling us about Ray and Rays dialogue. Evidence of direct characterization "He moved here from England... Plus, he seemed eight hundred times smarter than the rest of us." (Sebold 73). Evidence of in direct characterization "You are beautiful, Susie Salmon" (Sebold 73) which Ray said to Susie while they were skipping class together. Ray is labeled character vs self because ray also has a hard time making friends but Ruth is willing to accept him and eventually they become good friends. Ray is also labeled as character vs society because of his race and in the seventies kids in school aren't as accepting as they are today.
Buckley Salmon: (Susie's little brother) static character
Buckley is developed through indirect characterization by Buckley's dialogue. Evidence of indirect characterization "Daddy, Buckley said. "
Lem Fenerman: (Detective) character vs character *flat character
Len is developed through indirect characterization by his own dialogue. Evidence of indirect characterization "Mrs. Stead, Len Fenerman said, does this look familiar" (Sebold 24). Len is labeled as character vs character because he deals with both Jack Salmon and George Harvey and their conflict.
Susie Salmon: (main character and narrator) character vs self *protagonist
Susie Salmon is developed in indirect and direct characterization through dialogue, and her own stream of consciousness.. Evidence that prove this is "My name is Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was fourteen years old when I was murdered..." (Sebold 5). Susie is character vs self because she is unable to get over the fact in her mind that she is dead.
Lindsey Salmon: (Susie's younger sister) character vs society *round character
Lindsey is developed through indirect characterization. This includes Susie's thought about Lindsey and Lindsey's dialogue. Evidence of this includes "No lies, Lindsey agreed" (Sebold 22), which is what Lindsey said to her father after he got off the phone with the police. Lindsey faces character vs society because after Susie is murdered Lindsey is no as that weird girl whose sister dies when she goes to school.
George Harvey: (Susie's murderer) character vs self and character vs character *antagonist
George Harvey is also developed through indirect characterization because of Susie's thoughts and his dialogue throughout the story. Evidence includes "Mr. Harvey told her the usual: I hope they get that bastard. I'm sorry for your loss" (Sebold 8), which is what Mr. Harvey said to Susie's mother Abigail when he first saw her after he had murdered her daughter. He has character vs self because after the murdering of Susie he has too deal with the thoughts of getting caught, hiding the evidence and much more. He also is labeled as character vs character because Susie's father Jack Salmon accuses him of murdering his daughter.
Grandma Lyn: (Susie's grandmother) *flat character
Grandma Lyn is developed through direct and and indirect characterization by Susie telling us about her and Lyn's dialogue. Evidence of indirect characterization "So sue him, Grandma Lyn said" (sebold 101) and evidence of direct characterization "My grandmother arrived on the evening before my memorial in her usual style. She liked to hire limousines and drive in from the airport sipping champagne while wearing what she called her thick and fabulous animal" (Sebold 98).
Abigail Salmon: (Susie's mother) character vs self *round character
Abigail Salmon is developed through indirect characterization by Susie's thoughts and her own dialogue. Evidence of this "That sweet boy? my mother said to my father." (Sebold 26). Abigail is labeled character vs self because she is unable to deal with the emotions of Susie's death and the personal that she leaves her son, daughter, and husband and goes to California to work in a vineyard and stays there for 8 years until coming because her husband has a heart attack.
Jack Salmon: (Susie's father) character vs self and character vs society *round character
Jack Salmon is developed through indirect characterization by his dialogue and Susie's stream of consciousness. Evidence includes "You are so special to me, little man, my father said...", which Jack Salmon said to his son Buckley while tucking him in for bed. He is labeled as character vs self because he as well is unable to handle the emotional pain of the loss of his daughter Susie and in fact has a heart attack in the later part of the novel. He is also labeled as character vs society because he gets in a bit of trouble by the police for accusing George Harvey for murdering his daughter.
Ruth Connors: (student at Susie's school) character vs self *static character
Ruth is developed through both indirect and direct characterization by Susie telling us about Ruth and dialogue. Evidence of direct characterization "Her whole body seemed to slant forward in inquiry, and though she had been told at the bar where she worked that she had beautiful hair or beautiful hands or, on rare occasions when any of her patrons saw her come out from behind the bar, beautiful legs, people never said anything about her eyes" (Sebold 249). Evidence of indirect characterization "Candles, said Ruth. I got them from the grocery store. It's December sixth." (Sebold 202). Ruth is character vs self because she is that awkward kid who doesn't fit in and has little friends.
Ray Singh: (Susie's crush) character vs self and character vs society *static character
Ray is developed through direct and indirect characterization by Susie telling us about Ray and Rays dialogue. Evidence of direct characterization "He moved here from England... Plus, he seemed eight hundred times smarter than the rest of us." (Sebold 73). Evidence of in direct characterization "You are beautiful, Susie Salmon" (Sebold 73) which Ray said to Susie while they were skipping class together. Ray is labeled character vs self because ray also has a hard time making friends but Ruth is willing to accept him and eventually they become good friends. Ray is also labeled as character vs society because of his race and in the seventies kids in school aren't as accepting as they are today.
Buckley Salmon: (Susie's little brother) static character
Buckley is developed through indirect characterization by Buckley's dialogue. Evidence of indirect characterization "Daddy, Buckley said. "
Lem Fenerman: (Detective) character vs character *flat character
Len is developed through indirect characterization by his own dialogue. Evidence of indirect characterization "Mrs. Stead, Len Fenerman said, does this look familiar" (Sebold 24). Len is labeled as character vs character because he deals with both Jack Salmon and George Harvey and their conflict.