Character Clues

Character Analysis

Personification (Colors)

Since Mia sees a world of color when the rest of us just see words on a page or hear a song coming from the stereo, it's only natural that she uses colors to characterize everyone around her. But don't take our word for it; check out what she says about her best friend, Jenna, and older sis, Beth:

The color of the leaf is exactly the same color as Jenna's name—a bright, shimmering shade of green with some yellow highlights. I think part of why I liked Jenna right away is that I like the color of her name. But I'd never tell her that, nor would I tell my older sister, Beth, that her name is the murky brown of swamp water. (1.8)

First of all, we know that colors and words aren't automatically linked—so green is not always tied to Jenna for other synesthetes. This means that the colors Mia sees in connection with people reveal something about the character as Mia understands them. For instance, with Jenna, Mia loves the color of her name and the two get along like peas in a pod. Then there's Beth, whose name is an icky color, which is pretty fitting for an older sister.

So keep an eye out for the colors Mia sees in connection with different characters. They're big clues to the parts these people play in Mia's life.

Actions

From Roger's opening line—"Remember in fifth grade you did that model of a slave ship for art class?" (8.91)—we know he wants to ask her out. Not because he comes out and says so, of course, but because he remembers some random school project she did in fifth grade. Looks like somebody's been paying attention to Mia for a while. And in this way, Roger's actions reveal his feelings for Mia without him ever declaring them.

How someone acts in the book clues us in to what kind of person they are. We're given a hint that Adam's bad news long before he epically disappoints Mia because we know he's someone who lies to his parents and gets drunk. On the flipside, Jenna gives Mia second, third, and fourth chances to get the whole friendship thing right, proving she is a true friend indeed. As it turns out, actions really do speak louder than words in A Mango-Shaped Space.