Character Name |
Attributes/Description |
Source of Character's Name and Characteristics |
Frank |
The father of the family.
He's in his mid thirties. He's a friendly guy and genuinely polite and
kind hearted, but very determined when it comes to driving. He likes
to get on the road and then not be encumbered by other drivers. He
insists on doing most of the driving merely because it's in his nature to
lead out and he sees this as one of the things "a husband should do" to
provide for his family. He has a bit of a bitter edge hidden deeply
inside of him that can be aroused given the right circumstance, that even
his children are unaware of. This edge harkens back to a bad
experience he had long ago. |
My dad's middle name is Frank. There are a couple attributes in Frank
that he shares in common with my dad, such as being a "roof racker,"
"getting on the road," and rubbing his hands together when excited, but
those are the only intentional similarities. |
Joyce |
The mother of the family. She's kind, supportive, and enjoys keeping
busy. She's a thinker and level-headed. She sees not just "good"
in people, but their potential. She's very supportive of her husband
and children and wants to see them do their best and become their best.
She reminds them in kind but direct ways when they are not living up to
their potential. |
My mom's middle name is Joyce. She and Joyce have many wonderful
characteristics, but I didn't consciously model Joyce after my mother. |
Luke |
The oldest boy in the
family. He's a rambunctious pre-teen who likes to have fun. He's
clever, but easily distracted. He has a deep love and sense of
"protection" for his younger brother, due in large part to a terrible
experience they had a couple of years earlier. |
The book of "Luke" is the only Gospel that tells the parable of "The Good
Samaritan". I'll always be able to remember that, now. ;^) |
Emma |
The only girl in the
family. She's a smart girl that likes to read. She tolerates her
brothers when they are being "boys", but actually enjoys spending time with
them - when she has to. She's friendly and has a deep, genuine concern
for others that goes beyond herself and focuses on the other people's needs. |
My wife named "Emma". She's always liked that name. We almost
named each of our girls "Emma" before deciding on a different name... |
Kenny |
A sweet, young guy, who is
the youngest in the family. He's probably never had a malicious
thought in his life, which makes the terrible experience he had a couple of
years back all the more tragic. It has emotionally scared him to the
point that he has not spoken in over two years. He admires and loves
his older brother. Since "the incident" they have grown particularly
close and con understand each other in ways no one else can. |
While it is true that I have a brother named "Ken", this character was not
necessarily named after him. I was going for a "young sounding" name.
The first one I tried was "Timmy," but that seemed too cliche. |
Sam / Louis |
The lead, title character.
He's a good man who is down on his luck. He doesn't know if that is
because of his own doing, or someone else's. He's so concentrated on
finding food and living day-to-day, that he's never had the luxury to stop
and think about it. Once the family picks him up, he realizes that
he's assured meals for at least a couple of days. Before long, his
subconscious senses this security and kicks into gear with trying to sort
out his mysterious past. He begins having abstract dreams that hint at
events or situations. These quickly morph into flashbacks of events
that have played a significant role in his current state. Bit by bit
he realizes he needs to make sense of all this if he's to be able to carry
on with his life. |
The origin of the name "Sam" is explained in the book. The name
"Louis" just seemed to fit. The name "Smythe" is in honor of a good
friend I met when we both hired on at a company that offered me my first
"real job" many years ago. The name "Nicholas" is from
Charles Dickens' character Nicholas Nickleby who also goes through hardships
before finding himself again. |
"Uncle" Steve |
Steve has been a family
friend for as long as Frank can remember. He's always been there for
the family and in many ways he was the father Frank never knew. Frank's
kids have grown to love him too, endowing him with the title "Uncle". |
I wanted a standard, common name for him that represented the traditional,
common good neighbor that can be found in many neighborhoods. I tried
a few different names before settling on "Steve." |
Charlie |
Charlie is a good-natured
man who hires Louis. His life is a bit of a paradox. He
genuinely enjoys people, but puts himself in positions where he has little
or no interaction with them, such as working at the railyard. He takes
an immediate liking to Louis and feels a strong connection to him. In
his own way, he wants to help Louis in his quest in the hopes of seeing
Louis regain himself, without being too obvious about it. |
"Charlie" just seemed like a nice, friendly name for this character. |
Sandy, the waitress |
Sandy represents some
deeply nested progress in Louis' quest. For the purposes of symbolism
in the story, she's not just a friendly waitress. |
This waitress was named for my sister-in-law who was the first to read
through the first draft of the novel and offer some great insights.
Thanks! |
Wade & Susie |
This couple are old
friends of Frank's dating back to his high school days. Wade was
always there for Frank during his growing up years. He was
particularly significant for Frank in the absence of his father. |
This couple, but not their children, were named for my freshman year college
roommate and his wife - whom he later married later. They're still
good friends even though we see them far too seldomly. |
Tom & Brynn |
This couple lives in the
neighborhood that Louis moves into. They welcome him in many ways and
are impressed with his attitude and outlook on life. |
This couple are named after my brother and his wife. While the
characters' actions aren't based on anything in real life, I can picture Tom
doing something similar if the occasion called for it. |
Gas Attendant |
The unnamed character in
the gas station in Reno. |
He remains unnamed as he represents all of us who have viewed homeless
people in the way depicted in the story. He becomes an uncomfortable
mirror for Frank to gaze into. Frank doesn't like what he sees.... |
High School Office Worker |
The unnamed character in the Bartlesville High School office. |
She remains unnamed as she represents all of us who have ever helped someone
else in need, without thought of reward. She's one of countless
individuals in our lives that help point us in the right direction, but that
we don't see or realize it at the time. Nor, do we have or take the
opportunity to thank them. |
"Old Bessie" |
The shopping cart man's shopping cart. The cart is symbolic of many
things. I grew to gain a small taste of how attached Sam must have
grown to the cart while spending an entire night in the Oslo, Norway
airport. I had a cart on which I stored my luggage, while in between
flights. At some point in the night, someone took my cart (leaving my
luggage). I was able to get a different cart, but couldn't help feel
I'd lost a "friend" when my original cart was taken. I must have been
VERY tired... |
"Old Bessie" just sounded like the right name for a cart (or, a favorite
cow). |
The little girl in the dream |
This is the unnamed character that offers Sam a hand during his first
significant dream. BTW, I envisioned an old-fashioned 1800's style 4th of
July carnival taking place behind Sam, that the girl wanted to attend with
Sam. The dream's symbolism didn't allow for this, however. Sam
wasn't ready for that level of experience, and what it would represent, yet. |
This is actually a fairly deep imagery character. She is and she isn't
Emma. She goes well beyond that. She is a significant part of
the imagery and symbolism of Sam's dream, and represents a key, next-step
requirement for Sam. I'd love to talk with you about this some
time.... |