Rose has a bad relationship with her
mother. Suffers from anorexia. Tries to
live independently from her family but
can't do it. She discovers that family is
important, that a house is not always a
home and they she doesn't want to be
independent if that means she is
alone.
"Rose kicks the door shut and begins to destroy her room." pg.125 "You can't
imagine how I hate you." pg.352
FISH
After he drowns he returns back to life but not as he once was. He
continuously yearns for the water (death) and the people calling him on
the other side. When he leaves he can be happy because he has 'won
them the war' and can leave peacefully knowing that his family is finally
happy; he can be happy too.
"Never, never, was there a sadder, more disappointed noise." pg.31 "Because not all of Fish Lamb
had come back." pg.32 "Who's gunna win the war for us?" pg.54 "...Fish was under, and the net was
just floating across him like the angel of death." pg.60 "It's like Fish is stuck somewhere...[l]ike he's half
in and half out." pg.69 "Go down into the light." pg.121 "I want the water, Lestah." pg.165 "They go in
the water. To the big country." pg.192
QUICK
Suffers with guilt due to Fish's drowning incident.
Blames himself, thinks it should have been him not Fish.
Runs away from home believing it will deal with his
problems, it doesn't. Realises he needs to let go of his
guilt and move one with his life.
"He knows it should have been him, not Fish." pg.60
"...the gallery of the miserable....they look down on him,
Quick Lamb the Survivor..." pg.61 "Quick Lamb hates
himself." pg61 "Was I delirious?" pg.205
DOLLY
Hates her daughter, her life, her mother etc... Is bitter and tries to
competes with her daughter for everything. Eventually mend their broken
relationship. Learns to love her daughter and actually be a mother.
"The whole town knowing. How would she live?" pg.15 "...the old girl was turning
mean." pg.16 "Those rails go all over the world. They go forever." pg.79 "Dolly tried
not to think about how she hated Rose these days...Rose was the enemy." pg. 154
LESTER
Has a simple view on life, he values human life and family.
He is often the one who holds his family together
through all the struggles they go through. He
looks after and still loves Fish. He often is over
powered and controlled by Oriel, his wife.
"Strike, we hold a grudge..." pg. 64 "Life was
something you didn't argue with...whether you
barracked for God or nothing at all, life was all
there was. And death." pg.65 "Don't you forgot
about Fish, boy...or your life won't have been
worth livin." pg.94 "Always the miracles you don't
need. It's not a simple world." pg.130 "You take
the good with the bad." pg.230 "The lost will stay
with you." pg.303 "She doesn't care about all
that-well she tries not to." pg.303 "I know I had a
family and I enjoyed every bit of it." pg. 304
ORIEL
She continuously battles and fights against life even
though she knows she is fighting a losing battle. She was
the one who 'forced' Fish back to life. She losses herself
and retreats to the tent in an attempt to find herself. When
the tent is finally packed up it shows how she has let
down her barriers and stopped fighting life,
"She wondered if it wasn't really the way
things were, everything just happening by
chance in this sorry world." pg. 56 "We blame
him...[a]nd I blame you. And God." pg.64
"...Oriel Lamb move[d] her things out to the
white tent beneath the mulberry tree at
Cloustreet." pg.133 "Its all war." pg. 229
"Everythin. Raisin a family, keepin yer head
above water. Life. War is our natural state."
pg.229 "We make war on the bad and
surrender." pg.230 "Everything can be
helped." pg.230
SAM
Believes that everything in life
that happens is because of luck,
good or bad and that he has no
control over it. Loves both Dolly
and Rose dearly. He tries to
make his family life better but he
struggles as he does not know
what to do. At one point
considers suicide but is stopped
by Rose and the love she shows
to him.
"Making luck, the hardest donkey yacker
there is...his time would come." pg.76 "...there
wasn't a damned thung he could do about it
except go onlosing." pg342 "I cant' stand the
hate. It'll kill you...[g]oon with your life, love. It's
all there is." pg.353