Tom Walker Character Analysis

Tom Walker is the father of Matthew and Alyeska Walker, as well as the ex-husband of Geneva Walker. Tom’s parents, Eckhart and Lily Walker, were among the first settlers of Kaneq. As a result, Tom has a lot of power and money; he is regarded as the leader of the town. However, some members of the community do not like Tom because of his status, particularly Ernt and Earl, who find him condescending. Throughout the novel, Tom attempts to modernize Kaneq, a move that is welcomed by some, but despised by the likes of Ernt and Earl. Additionally, Tom is not afraid to stand up to Ernt. When Tom learns of Ernt’s abusive behavior, he—along with Marge—takes action to help Leni and Cora. Among other things, he gets Ernt sent away for several winters to work on a pipeline and rescues Cora when she drives off the road. Although Tom is generally a happy man, he becomes a melancholy figure after the death of his ex-wife and Matthew’s accident. Nonetheless, when he learns Leni is in jail, he quickly gets her charges dropped and takes care of MJ in the meantime. By the end of the novel, Tom regains some of his former happiness; he marries a native woman, Atki, and gets to see Matthew and Leni live happily with children.