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Mrs. Thomas
Ryan is Clemantine’s boyfriend whom she lives with in San Francisco after she graduates from Yale. Although Clemantine depends on Ryan, she pushes him away because she still feels traumatized by her past and doesn’t believe in marriage. When Clemantine returns from one of her trips to Rwanda, Ryan has moved out of their apartment, making Clemantine’s worst fear—abandonment—come true.
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Ryan Character Timeline in The Girl Who Smiled Beads
The timeline below shows where the character Ryan appears in The Girl Who Smiled Beads. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 19
...aren’t filling the void in her. She needs stability, so she and her new boyfriend, Ryan, move to San Francisco. The Berkeley hills remind her of the hills in Rwanda.
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Chapter 20
...Clemantine tries to compose herself so that she no longer fears men; the first time Ryan says he loves her, she feels he is trying to dominate and possess her.
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Ryan is patient and gentle. He is white and “jocky,” a stereotypical American male. He and...
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Before Clemantine went to Rwanda, she and Ryan talked about getting married. Clemantine doesn’t want to get married; she thinks marriage is possession....
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