Ryan Character Analysis in The Power

Ryan is Jocelyn’s boyfriend, and he is one of the few men who has a natural skein due to a chromosomal irregularity. He and Jocelyn meet on an online forum for people who have trouble with their skeins. Jocelyn is often made fun of for dating Ryan, as other girls believe she is so weak and strange that she wants to date an abnormal man. Jocelyn constantly grapples with the worry that Ryan only likes her because she is weak. Margot dislikes Ryan, and she shows Jocelyn what she claims are posts he wrote online arguing that all the girls with the power should be shot. This causes Jocelyn to break up with Ryan, until she realizes that Margot faked the posts and that Ryan had nothing to do with them.

Ryan Character Timeline in The Power

The timeline below shows where the character Ryan appears in The Power. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Stories, History, and Perspective Theme Icon

Margot takes a break, and Jocelyn unexpectedly introduces her to a boy named Ryan, who is 19—a year older than Jocelyn. Margot asks how they met, and Jocelyn answers... (full context)

Upstairs, Jocelyn pulls the door closed to her room. She and Ryan start to kiss. She has a popping feeling in her collarbone and tries to calm... (full context)

Jocelyn and Ryan did meet at a mall, but only because they had first been talking in a... (full context)

Margot gives Jocelyn a series of reports showing that Ryan has been on extremist websites that talk about organizing terror attacks. She shows Jocelyn a... (full context)

Jocelyn sobs, believing Margot’s words. She argues that Ryan has probably changed since he wrote those things. Margot puts her arm around Jocelyn, assuring... (full context)

...with her power. The other girls also made fun of her for going out with Ryan, even after she had broken up with him. One night, she and three other girls... (full context)

...therapist works out of an office paid for by NorthStar. Jocelyn tells the therapist about Ryan, saying that she wanted him to like her because she’s strong and in control, but... (full context)

Jocelyn is back in touch with Ryan. It’s taken him months to convince her he didn’t post on the bulletin boards. Jocelyn... (full context)

...Jocelyn looks at the unused packets and wonders if it could be Glitter. She texts Ryan about it. He questions whether Margot could be working with a drug cartel. Jocelyn believes... (full context)