Nick's grandfather

Nick’s grandfather is a secondary character in the story “Braces” by Nick Werber . He is a dentist; his outer characterisation tells us that he is a large man: “I (…) hug my arms around his big, firm stomach” (ll. 103-104).

The presence of a silver statue of a boxer in his house (which appears to be a trophy) suggests that he might have participated in a boxing competition in his youth (ll. 23-24). This contributes to his inner characterisation, subtly highlighting that he is a tough man. It also hints at the fact that he had a passion himself, but that he eventually chose to become a dentist, most likely because it is a profession with good job security.

At the beginning of the story, Nick’s grandfather checks Nick’s teeth. The story suggests that he is being rather forceful; note, however, that this is how Nick perceives his grandfather’s behaviour. At the end of the examination, Nick’s grandfather tells him that although his teeth are a little crowded, he has strong teeth (ll. 11-12). However, he later tells Nick’s father that he believes Nick needs to h...