Characters
Abraham Ebdus - Dylan's father, an avant-garde artist. After Rachel abandons the family, he only turns more introverted, shutting himself in the attic to paint his film, a masterpiece that will never be complete. In order to support himself and Dylan, he turns to painting garish covers for science fiction books and eventually becomes a big name in the field. The relationship between himself and Dylan is strained, as the two have nothing in common. However, there is a sort of reconciliation at the end of the novel when Dylan realizes that his father is one of the most important figures in his life.
Barrett Rude Jr. - Former lead singer of a 1960s, moderately successful soul group called The Subtle Distinctions. He had a number of hits back in the day and some that become sampled by current artists. More importantly, he is Mingus' father, and a musical icon for Dylan. After the shooting, he withers into a cocaine addiction and forgets about Mingus, music, and his life in general.
Arthur Lomb - Dylan's only white friend during his elementary and middle school years, Arthur and Dylan are forced to become friends because of their race. Arthur persuades Dylan to apply to Stuyvesant, a public high school. However, Dylan is accepted and Arthur is not. The two follow different paths throughout the novel: while Dylan goes on to college and eventually California, Arthur stays in Brooklyn and assumes the role of Mingus' right-hand man, dabbling in drug deals and graffiti. When Dylan revisits Arthur at the end of the novel, Arthur is a landlord and has opened a chic bistro, adding to the general gentrification of the area.
Robert Woolfolk - Conveniently nicknamed “Willfuck” by Henry, Robert plays the role of Dylan’s arch enemy who has the knack of showing up at the worst possible times. Over the course of the novel, he trashes Dylan’s first bike, yokes him repeatedly, and even holds him at gun point during a drug robbery gone haywire. Robert ends up in prison with Mingus. When Dylan visits the two in prison, Mingus persuades him to offer the ring to Robert to help Robert escape. However, Robert's attempt at a flight escape ends in his demise.
Read more about this topic: The Fortress Of Solitude (novel)
Famous quotes containing the word characters:
“Philosophy is written in this grand book—I mean the universe—
which stands continually open to our gaze, but it cannot be understood unless one first learns to comprehend the language and interpret the characters in which it is written. It is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometrical figures, without which it is humanly impossible to understand a single word of it.”
—Galileo Galilei (1564–1642)
“A criminal trial is like a Russian novel: it starts with exasperating slowness as the characters are introduced to a jury, then there are complications in the form of minor witnesses, the protagonist finally appears and contradictions arise to produce drama, and finally as both jury and spectators grow weary and confused the pace quickens, reaching its climax in passionate final argument.”
—Clifford Irving (b. 1930)
“To marry a man out of pity is folly; and, if you think you are going to influence the kind of fellow who has “never had a chance, poor devil,” you are profoundly mistaken. One can only influence the strong characters in life, not the weak; and it is the height of vanity to suppose that you can make an honest man of anyone.”
—Margot Asquith (1864–1945)