The Child by Tiger Character Analysis

Narrator

The narrator is an unnamed adult reflecting back to his boyhood 25 years ago, possibly around the age of 12, in a small, presumably southern U.S. town. He plays often with three friends, Randy Shepperton,… read analysis of Narrator

Dick Prosser

Dick Prosser is Mr. Shepperton’s new hired man. He is described by Mr. Shepperton as “the smartest [Black person] that he’d ever known,” an example of the various expressions of racism Dick encounters when he… read analysis of Dick Prosser

Randy Shepperton

Randy is the narrator’s closest friend and the son of Mr. Shepperton, Dick Prosser’s employer. He is with the narrator during most of the scenes in the story and shares the narrator’s major changes of… read analysis of Randy Shepperton

Nebraska Crane

Nebraska Crane is one of the narrator’s friends who plays ball with him when the story begins. Along with the other boys, he idolizes Dick Prosser and trusts him enough to keep his secret about… read analysis of Nebraska Crane

Mr. Shepperton

Mr. Shepperton is Randy Shepperton’s father and Dick Prosser’s employer. Mr. Shepperton is very impressed with Dick’s work. Later, he brings the boys and Mr. Crane into town when he hears about Dick’s shooting spree… read analysis of Mr. Shepperton

Pansy Harris

Pansy is Mr. Shepperton’s family cook. Though known to be cheerful, she becomes very sullen when the Shepperton hire Dick Prosser and mysteriously quits her job soon after. Dick visits her the night of his… read analysis of Pansy Harris

Minor Characters

Augustus Potterham

Augustus is a friend of the narrator’s. He is playing football with the narrator, Randy Shepperton, and Nebraska Crane when the story opens. He has a reputation for being clumsy.

Lon Everett

Lon Everett is a man from town who is driving drunk and crashes into Dick Prosser’s car. He punches Dick twice in the face, making his nose and lip bleed, even though the car accident was his fault.

Mrs. Shepperton

Randy Shepperton’s mother.

Mr. Crane

Policeman and Nebraska Crane’s father.

Old Man Suggs

Town citizen.

Mr. Potterham

Augustus Potterham’s father.

Cash Eager

Owner of the hardware store that the mob break into to grab guns.

Will Hendershot

Town mayor.

Hugh McNair

Town citizen who tries to calm down the mob.

Pansy Harris’ Husband

Pansy Harris’ husband comes home to find Dick Prosser with his wife. He is the first victim of Dick’s shooting spree.

Willis

One of the policemen sent to Pansy Harris’s shack after Dick Prosser shoots her husband.

John Grady

Second policeman sent to Pany Harris’s shack to capture Dick Prosser.

John Chapman

Chapman is the favorite on the police force, possibly “too kind to be a policeman.” Dick Prosser shoots him through the heart in the town square just before fleeing town.

Doc Lavender

Deputy and member of the mob killed by Dick Prosser.

Wayne Foraker

Member of the mob killed by Dick Prosser.

Ben Pounders

Member of the mob that captured Dick Prosser. He brags in the town square that he fired the first shot when they captured Dick.