Sam Character Analysis in The Vanishing Half

Sam is Desiree’s husband, whom she meets while working as a fingerprint analyst in Washington, D.C. A charming man at first, Sam woos Desiree and makes her feel beautiful, though he later resents her for having lighter skin than him. He becomes physically abusive after they get married and have Jude, leading Desiree to worry about how she and Jude will survive if they keep living with him. When he suggests that they have another child, she hesitates. That night, he lashes out at her, grabbing her by the neck and pointing a gun in her face. She runs away with Jude when he falls asleep, making her way to Mallard. But Sam isn’t one to give up easily, so he hires a bounty hunter to track down his wife and daughter. That bounty hunter, however, ends up being Early Jones, who has a romantic history with Desiree and, as a result, lies to Sam about her whereabouts, ensuring that he won’t be able to continue harming Desiree.

Sam Character Timeline in The Vanishing Half

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

Loss, Memory, and Inheritance Theme Icon

Companionship, Support, and Independence Theme Icon

...and eager to reach their destination. Desiree is on the run from her abusive husband, Sam. Their relationship was full of love at first, but she soon learned about his horrific... (full context)

It was the right choice to leave Sam, but Desiree is weary of how her mother will respond when she sees her. She... (full context)

Desiree met Sam at work and, at first, he was kind and loving. He soothed her when she... (full context)

Although Desiree hasn’t said anything about Sam, Adele knows why she has returned: to escape her abusive husband. But instead of gloating... (full context)

...her wedding ring. She’s also wearing a scarf around her neck to cover the bruise Sam left when he grabbed her there. She and Early flirt for a while, and then... (full context)

...and takes pictures of Desiree as she smokes on the porch. When he talks to Sam on the phone that night, though, he doesn’t reveal that he has already found her.... (full context)

...find her mother’s house. She says no, but he keeps asking questions to make sure Sam won’t be able to find her on his own. When he asks why Desiree isn’t... (full context)

...on the job in Texas, all he can think about is Desiree. Eventually, he calls Sam and lies to him, saying that Desiree can’t be found. Sam insists that Early must... (full context)

Before Early left for Texas, he told Desiree that Sam had hired him to find her, but he promised he wouldn’t reveal her whereabouts. He... (full context)

...go swimming, but then Desiree saw that she still had bruises on her legs from Sam beating her, so she put her clothes back on and told Jude to swim without... (full context)