Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Violet

Violet is our main lady. We're given not only her side of the whole husband-having-an-affair-and-then-shooting-his-girlfriend thing, but we're also given her family history. When we hear about True Belle or Rose Dear, we're really getting additional insight into Violet's life. Not only that, but we get a long, stream-of-consciousness-tastic peek into the inner workings of Violet's multiple personality/baby hungry/jealous/highly competent mind. Jazz is half Violet's story.

Joe

Joe is our main man. He is half of the equation in Jazz, the jelly to Violet's peanut butter. We follow his innermost thoughts, sometimes in a way that feels almost too close for comfort. Not only that, but we get to witness his birth and get to spend way more time with his mother than he ever does. The look we get into his family history is just extra characterizing material for old Joe, helping us understand why he falls so hard for Dorcas and why he shoots her in his jealous, abandoned malaise.