Character Clues

Character Analysis

Names

Gabriel's real name is Anwell. But besides sounding kind of like unwell when we sat it out loud, his chosen name remains more important in terms of characterization. Here's Gabriel's explanation for why he chose the biblical angel's name for himself in the first place:

Back then I had never heard of Raphael, Zadkiel, Jophiel, Uriel—I knew only the most famous, the mysterious visitor. "Gabriel," I suggested, and Finnigan approved. (5.57)

There are two key components here: "mysterious visitor," and "Finnigan approved." Insofar as Finnigan is a mysterious visitor to Gabriel at this point, his approval of this moniker subtly underlines the fact that Finnigan is mysterious himself. And, of course, it syncs up with Gabriel's decision to be only good.

We've got loads to say about names, though, so why don't you take a gander at Evangeline, Gabriel, and Sarah's analyses over in the "Characters" section, and then check out our thoughts on Surrender in "Symbols."

Actions

The moral of the story when it comes to actions in this book is this: Gabriel is one bad dude. He might claim to love his brother, but then he stuffs him in a fridge to keep him quiet, and though he wants Evangeline to like him, he threatens her with Finnigan… who turns out to actually be Gabriel himself.

So yeah, sure, he plays the angel at times—he even takes the good side in his pact with Finnigan—but when it comes down to it, Gabriel is about as deceitful and ruthless as any character we've ever met in a book. Once we know he and Finnigan are one and the same, we see him clearly for who he is: arsonist, murderer, liar, manipulator, and generally rotten to the core.