Radine Character Analysis

Jeanne’s first friend when she returns to middle school after internment, a Caucasian girl from Texas. Despite Radine’s lack of cultural sensitivity (she’s initially surprised to see that Jeanne can speak English), the two girls become close because they are both from poor, uneducated families and feel out of place in their affluent school. While Jeanne is a better and more involved student than Radine, she sees that her friend is generally popular and allowed to join clubs like the Girl Scouts, while she is barred from these activities due to her race. As they progress through high school, the gap between what Radine can do and what Jeanne can widens and causes them to drift apart. Their friendship comes to represent the unacknowledged prejudice that dominates Jeanne’s life and education after internment.