Characterizations

The characters in the short story “Okeechobee” by Claudia Zuluaga are the girl-narrator, Dorabelle and Eddie – the parents, the narrator’s sister, Bingo and Louise – the couple the family visits, and the boy the narrator meets. In what follows, we will focus on the narrator and the two couples, who are most relevant for the storyline.

The narrator

The narrator of the story is a young girl. The story is told from her point of view. As a result, what we find out about her and the other characters is only what she tells us.

The narrator does not give her a name, suggesting that she is only an observer of what happens in the story.

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Dorabelle and Eddie

Dorabelle and Eddie are the parents of the narrator. The couple is obviously in a conflict, which seems to be fueled by Dorabelle’s frustration: “Mom and Dad had a fight before we left the house, but I couldn’t hear any of the words. He’s wearing cut-off jeans, and I bet the fight had something to do with that” (ll. 5-6)

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Bingo and Louise

Bingo and Louise are quite the opposite from the parents of the narrator. They are a couple living in a trailer and seem unconventional.

What particularly strikes the reader is the difference between Louise and Dorabelle.

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