Character Clues
Character Analysis
Actions
You know how your Mom used to say to you as a kid in an annoying sing-songy voice, "actions speak louder than words"? Well, at risk of annoying you ourselves (impossible, we know), your mom was right, at least when it comes to Going Bovine. Actions are an important tool of characterization in this book, showing what a character does (or doesn't do) under different circumstances and at times revealing a whole lot about who they are as a person.
For example, consider Cameron's shift from jaded cynic to someone with the ability to actually care about other people. In the beginning he won't even borrow an LP from one of his only friends just because it would up the ante in terms of their relationship (their relationship consisting of Eubie being a nice old man who tolerates Cam's antisocial behavior and tries to educate him on the ways of the world through jazz). But then Cam embarks on his quest with Gonzo, they have a few adventures, and all of a sudden Cam's priorities are shown to shift.
One of the first examples of Cam's metamorphosis occurs right after the Revolution at CESSNAB has happened, when Cam finds himself regaining consciousness tied to a chair. Check it out:
The bright lights of the Snackateria are little needles of pain slipping into my head.
"Yo! Cameron."
"Yeah," I croak.
"Where's Library Girl?"
"Who?" Ruth asks.
"Never mind," I say.
"Where's Gonzo?" Daniel sneers. "The midget freak? Maybe you can tell us. We haven't found him yet."
I'd like to beat the crap out of him for calling Gonzo a midget freak, but I'm tied to a chair and the lizard part of my brain has been activated and is now occupied with survival. (29.5-12)
Cam's being held hostage, but his first thoughts are about where his friends are—and even though he can't physically move, his first instinct involving action is to leap to Gonzo's defense (okay, more like pummel Daniel—you catch our drift, though). Who is this guy, right? He's come a long way from not caring, that's for sure.
Speech and Dialogue
Although it's not a blatant, right-in-your-face characterization method in Going Bovine, using speech and dialogue to reveal characterization can still be pretty effective. For example, consider this quote—we're sure you can identify who says this pretty easily:
"I wish you could see my homeland. In the winter, the snows greet you with vigor. Every breath you take is a warrior's breath, fighting against that worthy adversary, the cold. Ice floes drift past our longboats, and the sails are as ghosts in the mist. But in the spring! In the spring, the land is the green of a ribbon plaited in the golden hair of a village girl you've glimpsed only once, fleetingly, as your horses lead you on toward battle, but whose face you remember the rest of your days. Golden-grass fields rise and fall to the sea. There are mountains! Great, slumbering giants of rock who wake with a frightful noise from time to time, shaking the earth, belching heat, reminding us that change is always at hand." (37.180)
Gonzo certainly doesn't talk like that, and neither does Cam—in case you're still not sure, this passage comes straight from the mouth of Balder. And this speech is a perfect example of how Balder's speech in general illustrates his character. He is eloquent, verbose, and he uses grandiose language with dramatic descriptions. You know, like a Viking. Which he is.
Gonzo, however, is more of a foul-mouthed teenager:
Gonzo sniffs my shirt and grabs his throat like he's choking. "Dude, you reek!"
"I'm not that bad," I argue.
"Not that bad? F***ing A, dude! Have you had your olfactory sense removed? Seriously, man, you are not going to see any action if you don't clean up, you know?" (39.11)
See the difference? Gonzo and Balder's language choices are like night and day—just like these two characters.
Thoughts and Opinions
Sometimes Cameron's thoughts betray the fact that deep down he's a caring individual, even when he's trying really hard to project a tough guy, couldn't-care-less-attitude to everyone around him:
"Have you ever done anything for anybody else just because you actually cared about them? No. You probably don't even know what that feels like."
This is the part where I jump in and say, Why, that's not true. I care about all sorts of people. And the environment. And endangered farm animals. Secretly, I've been working up a plan to give an endangered farm animal to every person I care about just so they will know the depth of my feelings. But the truth is, she's got me on this point. Chet's not the angel that she thinks he is, but I'm in no position to say s*** about anybody. (8.94-95)
What matters here isn't Cam's sarcasm—he demonstrates that in spades, particularly early in the book—but the revelation that he's a little self-consciousness about his cynical front. He's "in no position" to criticize his sister's boyfriend, which isn't the assessment of someone who truly believes that nothing matters. Cam cares, and we get a glimpse of it here, long before he openly becomes a much nicer guy.