Character+List

Character List- Roy

Tayo- Tayo is the main character of the story. He is Half-Native American and Half-White. This made his situation in America very difficult. He still held true to his Native American roots though. Tayo served first in World War II and had a mental breakdown. During the story Tayo goes from the reservation to the U.S. Army to the Philippines, to the Veterans Hospital and back to the reservation. He learns through his ordeals how the world is viewing Native Americans and has to deal with the difficulty of having a mixed identity. He grows to accept American views as well as his Native American religion.

Harley- Like many of the people that come back from World War II, Harley dealt with the stress of what happened with alcohol. The first time he had a drink was when he stole an old drunk's alcohol when they were young. From then on alcohol was a big part of his life. Also, he brags about his experience in the war, especially to Helen Jean. He is an old friend of Tayo's and tries to help Tayo through his hard time but because of his alcohol problem, he had trouble doing so.

Betonie- Betonie is a Native American medicine man who lives on a cliff on the edge of the reservation. He knows more than most because he performs rituals and ceremonies to help people to understand the world better. He is extremely wise and, although he does not have any kind of powers, he possesses knowledge that others do not have. He helps Tayo to complete his ceremony and teaches him through the roles. Overall, the medicine man, Betonie, is a wise man that help people to better understand the world through his rituals and ceremonies.

Auntie- Auntie is the woman who raises Tayo. She does not have a good understanding of Christianity or the Native traditions which causes conflict among her and the rest of them. She is the head of the household and cares more about how the rest of the community views her family through her family's actions rather than loving her family. She does not show much love to Tayo and does not raise him well.

Josiah- Josiah is Tayo's uncle and is the most loving and welcoming towards Tayo. He understands and follows the Native American traditions well. He ends up falling in love with the Mexican Black Swan. He followed the advice that she had given him and decided to cross-breed to different types of cattle.

Rocky- Rocky is brought up in the beginning of the book as he is killed in World War II. This really effects Tayo because he is Tayo's cousin and adoptive brother who Tayo is very close to. He is one of the Native Americans who seemed to fit in well to the white American society.

Emo- Emo is a childhood friend of Tayo's. He was always mean and said things to Tayo about his mixed race. He did not really approve of that aspect of him. Like many of the characters, Emo served in World War II as well and had a hard time dealing with his experiences when he returned. He drowned many of them out with drinking and he seems to spend a lot of time reliving his memories. Tayo criticized Emo during the book and Emo seems to turn his anger on Tayo.