Character Clues

Character Analysis

Direct Characterization

In any book where one character is observing and describing the others, there's a good chance we'll see some direct characterization. Think about how we describe people we know—we're usually straight up about it. We don't often present evidence and let others figure it out for themselves; we just call 'em like we see 'em. And Tilly often does the same. Here's a little smattering for you:

• Cass was a terrible worry to mama. (2.4)
• Noah was his silent self. Most times he could make a tree seem talkative. (3.6)
• [Delphine] was always to be a hearty eater, though she couldn't boil water herself. She'd have starved to death in a well-stocked larder. (5.65)

Turn to any page, and you're bound to find another example of Tilly telling us how it is, or rather, how people are.

Family Life

In a book centered around a house called the House Astride the Devil's Backbone, we know we're in for some family drama. But, we don't get nearly as much family drama as we might expect from a house with that name. Instead, we just learn about the characters through their interactions with each other.

In the Pruitt family, Mama's always worrying, first about Cass and then about Noah, but never really about Tilly. She might not come out and say it, but in this way, she prioritizes her other children over Tilly. It's a kink in her façade as heroic single mom, and one that seriously impacts Tilly's development (for more on this, hop on over to Tilly's page in the "Characters" section.)

And, of course, Tilly's steadfast devotion to everyone in her family despite her less-than-favorite status speaks volumes about her as well. She is devoted, yes, and a real team player, but she's also a little stunted in terms of coming into her own and valuing herself.

While we see the Pruitt family up close and personal, there's also Delphine and Calinda's family, the Duvals, whose family structure, in which their father maintains two families, is unimaginable to the Pruitts but seems perfectly normal to them. Delphine is so attached to the way of life she was born into that she refuses to marry Noah (15.35), even after the New Orleans she knows is lost to war. In this way, she maintains allegiance to her family of origin over the family she builds for herself, clinging to the past as the world around her changes.

Social Status

Social status isn't a particularly major tool of characterization in this book except as it pertains to Delphine. See, Delphine and Calinda are free people of color from New Orleans. This means they enjoy a certain amount of power and status unique to free black people in New Orleans at the time. Importantly, though, Delphine can pass as white while Calinda can't. And pass she does … until Mrs. Hanrahan blows her cover. Suddenly, it's clear just how much Delphine and Calinda have riding on this trip away from home: either their story goes unquestioned (Calinda is Delphine's slave), or they could both find themselves in very ugly situations.

As the saying goes, they're not in Kansas, er, New Orleans anymore…