Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

John Ames

Gilead is the story of John Ames. His doctor has informed him he has a heart condition that will soon prove fatal; he will soon be leaving his wife and young son behind. In his old age, Ames can't do the sorts of activities he could as a younger man. He can't play ball with his six-year-old son, but he can write to him, and that's what he does.

Ames recounts his long life, loneliness and all, to his boy, who he hopes will read the letter when he's old enough to understand it. Ames also comments on the events of each day in the small town, so the letter often reads much like a diary. The main event of the novel—Jack Boughton's return to Gilead—may not involve Ames in every which way, but Ames's perspective of it and response to it are what matters most.