Character Analysis
Johnathan is a cutie pie with a huge crush on Susanna. And when it comes to being a good boyfriend, Johnathan has the job down pat. Lucky for him, he eventually marries Susanna and has two little kids with her too. Back in 1692 Salem, a dude named Johnathan Hathorne really did marry Susanna English, so that part is true, but most of the rest of his story is fictional.
If there's one thing we know about Johnathan, it's that he's a super strong guy. And we're not talking muscles—this chap has a big heart and strength of character, which is pretty cool and pretty mighty in its own right. So when he realizes that the witch mayhem is bogus, he's able to stand up to his scary dad… And since his pops is a town judge, that's really saying something.
Now here's what we really love about the J-man: he's just one big love bug. In fact, when it comes to Johnathan, being super strong goes hand in hand with being lovey dovey. This means that when Susanna is losing her faith in the fight against the lying girls, he's ready to show her some good old-fashioned unconditional love. And that makes Susanna super happy:
For love was what was lacking in this place, and now Johnathan was offering it to me. And I could not refuse. (21.99)
Wow, Johnathan isn't just helping Susanna to feel better, he's also filling a big void in Salem—that's a huge job. But we know Johnathan has this one in the bag.
How else is Johnathan important in this book?