Character log Grant Wiggins

Structure

Structure Biographical details Outward appearance Situation/ position Activities/ interests Personal characteristics/ behaviour Language/ thought Feelings/ attitudes Character development in the course of the novel

Biographical details

Grant Wiggins male about 25 years old (p.19, ll. 22-25) Biographical details Grant Wiggins male about 25 years old (p.19, ll. 22-25)

Outward appearance

Outward appearance African American possibly good looking, because of his handsome girlfriend Vivian wears simple clothes (p.12, ll. 14-15)

Situation/ position

Situation/ position Family: Tante Lou‘s nephew spent his childhood working on Henry Pichot‘s plantation (p.19, l.17) his parents moved to California during the war (p.99, ll. 10-11) ancestors have been slaves on the plantation in earlier generations (p.103, ll. 8-9)

Social background: time of segregation (pp. 24-25) grew up working on a Louisiana plantation (p.19) lives in a quarter of former slave houses near Bayonne together with his aunt (p.12, l.4) Profession: teacher at a school for blacks (p.15, ll.17-18)

Kind of friends: girlfriend Vivian Baptiste (Chapter 4) Joe and Thelma Claiborne (p.27, ll.2-7) Paul Bonin, the Sheriff‘s deputy (p.242, l. 5) → “Allow me to be your friend.“

Activities/ Interests

Activities/ Interests likes to go to the Rainbow Club and to drink Brandy (p.27, l. 6) likes to spend time with Vivian (p.24, ll. 17)

Personal characteristics/ behaviour

Personal characteristics/ behaviour Abilities: educated (p.19, l. 19 ) driving (p.17, l.1) Bad habits: hurtful to people around him (p.24, ll. 8-9)  “Nothing could have hurt her more when I said I was not going to eat her food.“

sometimes uses violence (p.188-190) cruel (chapter 5) impatient (chapter 5) drinks alcohol (p.27, l.6) Other characteristics: sarcastic (p. 18, ll. 21-22) has good manners (p.12, ll.11-12) avoids unpleasent situations (p.12, l. 3-6)

speaks standard American English (p.46, ll. 27-34) Language/ thought speaks standard American English (p.46, ll. 27-34)

Feelings/ attitudes

Feelings/ attitudes wants to leave Town but cannot because his love to Vivian keeps him there (p.29/ p.16, ll.18-22) “I'm tired of feeling committed“ (p.29, l.18) feels discriminated by white people (p.44, ll.20-24) hates teaching, feels stuck and hates the place he lives with his aunt (p.16, ll.19-20) He does not like his aunt's bossy and dominant behaviour (p.13, ll.20 f.)

Development in the course of the novel At the beginning: he is cold, hopeless and he does not want anything to do with Jefferson (p.16, ll.6-11) Afterwards: he rases hope and he starts to believe in god becomes more emotional, because he cries for Jefferson's dead he is proud of Jefferson who found his dignity before he dies