Blue Character Analysis in There There

The child of Jacquie Red Feather and Harvey, Blue was adopted at birth by a wealthy white family. Raised in a upscale suburb of Oakland, Blue grew up knowing she was Native American, but never felt connected to her roots. At eighteen, after learning the name of her birth mother, Blue endeavored to travel to Oklahoma to learn more about her roots. There, Blue became involved with programs for young Native people and married a Native man named Paul, with whom she participated in weekly plant medicine ceremonies. After Paul’s father’s death, he became abusive, and Blue fled Oklahoma to return to Oakland. Blue is quiet but confident, empathetic and caring towards others, and is deeply invested in her local Native community. She is shaken when she encounters the woman she knows to be her mother—and further disoriented when she learns that her coworker, Edwin Black, is her half-brother—but is there for Edwin in his time of need .

Blue Character Timeline in There There

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

Cultural Identity vs. Personal Identity Theme Icon

Interconnectedness, Coincidence, and Chance Theme Icon

...“new guy” at the meeting—a tall, heavy young man. The head of the powwow committee, Blue—a friend of Maggie’s who got Calvin his job here—is writing on a yellow legal pad.... (full context)

...into the room in a baseball cap. The man looks, to Calvin, like he’s white. Blue introduces the second new guy as Dene Oxendene, who is going to set up a... (full context)

Dene is set up in Blue’s office with his camera and mic, interviewing Calvin for his storytelling project. Dene has learned... (full context)

Blue, who has been known for all her life by Crystal—the name her white adoptive parents... (full context)

In order to feel more connected to her heritage, Blue took a job at the Oakland Indian Center. One day, she saw a job posting... (full context)

Blue tells the story of how she escaped Oklahoma. One day, when Paul said he needed... (full context)

Blue fell asleep on the drive, and woke up to a struggle. Hector, disoriented, had leaned... (full context)

Just after dawn, Blue is on her way to pick up Edwin and drive him to the powwow—it is... (full context)

Blue pulls up to Edwin’s house and calls his phone. He doesn’t answer, so she gets... (full context)

Edwin hands Blue her coffee, and together they walk excitedly to the car. Edwin thinks about the “countless... (full context)

On the drive to the coliseum, Edwin begins telling Blue about the new story he’s writing about a Native guy who lives in a nice... (full context)

At the coliseum, Edwin and Blue set up their booth. Once it’s finished, Blue asks Edwin whether they should get out... (full context)

Blue and Edwin sit together at their booth, watching the dancers emerge from the locker room... (full context)

Blue and Edwin approach the sound tent, and Harvey seems to recognize Edwin right away. He... (full context)

...then, at the break, wanders around the powwow hoping to see someone from the Indian Center—Blue, specifically—to apologize for his behavior. As he makes his way across the field, he hears... (full context)

As the morning goes on, Blue feels herself becoming more and more aware of the safe. She never considered it a... (full context)

Calvin stands near the table where Blue and Edwin sit with the prize money, his hat pulled low around his face as... (full context)

Octavio springs into action, pointing his gun at Edwin and Blue. He is remarkably calm, Calvin notices, as he demands they hand over the safe. Edwin... (full context)

Blue and Edwin escape the coliseum and get all the way to Blue’s car. Edwin is... (full context)

By the time Blue pulls up to the hospital, Edwin is unconscious. She runs inside to get someone to... (full context)

Blue sits next to Jacquie in the waiting area. She wishes she could say something to... (full context)