Character Clues

Character Analysis

Actions

When the majority of the characters in a book suffer from a chronic inability to communicate properly, we are left to decipher their actions in order to fully understand who they are. Link, for example, would rather stick bamboo shoots under his fingernails than have a meaningful conversation about anything important, but we know that he loves his sister because of all the times they enjoyed being quiet around each other:

Before Link met James, my brother and I spent time together giving each other quiet company. I would watch him build model planes, cars, or ships. He might read me a story—skipping over the sections he deemed dull—or help me build a palace from an ancient set of building blocks. We didn't sit around chatting. (8.2)

He could've been like a typical big brother and shooed her out instead of letting her watch him assemble those models. But he doesn't. He also always plays one of Ellen's favorite songs when he's goofing around on the piano and encourages her on their runs together. Link might not be big on words, but we can be certain that he loves his little sister in his own way thanks to his actions.

Direct Characterization

Ellen has a penchant for observing those around her and commenting on their behavior like Jane Goodall with the chimps. She's an outsider looking in and scientifically dissecting people's behaviors and motivations, which makes her a good tool for providing direct characterization. For example:

For me to go through the agonizing process of getting into a conversation with someone I don't know, it has to be worth it. One of the things I love best about my brother and James is that everything is worth it to them. They can spend an hour talking about whether or not to wear their khaki pants cuffed or hanging over the backs of their shoes. And they can make it sound as if the fate of the world depends on what they do with the hems of their pants. It's just their way. (3.40)

From that statement of fact we know that Ellen is painfully introverted and that James and Link have a way of being weirdly intense about stuff that most people would find mundane. This tool of characterization is a great way of conveying information, er, directly.

Family Life

Family life plays a pretty big role in My Heartbeat. For Link, his family has become an oppressive force that he is compelled to rebel against. His actions become all about sending a message to his family, and his dad in particular, and we are able to see his innate anger about his own confusion and questions of identity. For James, on the other hand, it is his lack of a family life that defines his character:

James's parents are lawyers at a firm on Wall Street. They work even more than Mom and Dad do, but not because they need the money. Mr. Wentworth is from one of those families that haven't spent the whole trust fund yet. Mom says Mr. and Mrs. Wentworth are not qualified to be people, let alone fit to be parents. Dad says they are probably good lawyers and Mom shouldn't bad-mouth James's parents in front of him. (3.6)

So, his absentee parents neglect him, and he's still this eloquent, caring, sensitive young man. He seems like he has it all together despite his familial circumstances.

Seeing how differently the two young men respond to their various family struggles helps to define exactly what kind of character they have.