Dan Character Analysis in The Turning

Dan is Sherry’s husband and a recovering alcoholic. He moves to White Point to make a fresh start. An export manager, he and Sherry live a comfortable middle-class life. Dan is kind and attentive to Raelene, forming a sharp contrast to her abusive husband Max. Dan is also religious, largely because of his recovery from alcoholism.

Dan Character Timeline in The Turning

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

...Raelene warms up to her quickly. Her name is Sherry, and she and her husband, Dan, are staying in the caravan park while their house is being painted. They have just... (full context)

...her magnetism changes the mood of the entire caravan park for the better. Her husband, Dan, is handsome and kind, quite unlike Raelene’s husband, Max. Max, a fisherman, drinks excessively, beats... (full context)

When Sherry and Dan’s house is finally ready, Raelene helps them move in. Their neat new home forms a... (full context)

Eventually Raelene skips darts night altogether and, arriving at Sherry’s early, finds her and Dan reading the Bible together. She thinks she has finally figured it out: religion is what... (full context)

...asking why they never have anything to drink at home, she finally learns the truth: Dan is a recovering alcoholic, which is why he and Sherry are religious. Raelene continues to... (full context)

...convinces Raelene that she, on the contrary, does not and cannot believe. Comparing Sherry and Dan’s relationship to her own, Raelene finally feels—or admits to herself that she feels—jealousy. (full context)

...losing money, not making it. Raelene, on the other hand, goes to see Sherry and Dan less and less after her trip to Perth. Instead, she gets into the habit of... (full context)