The Shawl Characters

The narrator of “The Shawl” lives in the same Anishinaabeg lands that his ancestors lived in (in the region of the United States and Canada roughly around the Great Lakes). His mother died when he… read analysis of Narrator

Aanakwad is the narrator’s grandmother, and the mother of the narrator’s father. Her name means “cloud,” a word that also describes her changeable temperament. When the narrator’s father was young, Aanakwad had a… read analysis of Aanakwad

The narrator’s father is an Anishinaabeg man who experiences several tragedies in his life. When he is five years old, his mother, Aanakwad, has a child by a man who is not her… read analysis of Son/Father

Aanakwad’s daughter is pushed into taking on adult responsibilities at the age of nine, when her mother’s depression over her romantic situation becomes so overwhelming that she cannot take care of her infant or… read analysis of Daughter

When Aanakwad’s husband realizes that they cannot go on living as a family because of her despair at being apart from her lover, he sends for the other man’s uncle to come and… read analysis of Uncle

Raymond is the narrator’s younger brother. He is one of a set of twins — Doris is his twin sister. Both Doris and Raymond are cared for by the narrator after their mother dies… read analysis of Raymond

Doris is the narrator’s younger sister. She is part of a pair of twins, the other being Raymond. After their mother’s death, Doris and Raymond are cared for primarily by the narrator, since… read analysis of Doris

The events in the story are set off by Aanakwad having an affair with this other man, who is not her husband. The affair produces an infant. Aanakwad cannot bear to care for the… read analysis of Other man