Characterization of other characters

In what follows, we will provide an outline of the parents and sister of David, the narrator of the short story “Spoil the Child” by Howard Fast.

The Mother

The mother is a secondary character in the short story, but she is important for the views she illustrates on parenting.

Outer characterization

Her outer characterization is given from her son’s perspective from which we find out that she is ill (actually pregnant):

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Inner characterization

The most important elements in the woman’s inner characterization are her views on parenting and her relationship with her husband and children.

The mother is clearly the type of parent who believes children should not be spoiled but disciplined, even through physical coercion. This is suggested through her attitude towards David, whom she often licks and scolds, always saying “Spare the rod and spoil the child”.

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The Father

The father is an absent character from the main narrative, as he dies while out hunting. Still, some of his traits are conveyed from the perspectives of his wife and son.

All we find out about his outer characterization is that he is married, has two children, used to be a soldier in the Civil War and knows how to hunt for food.

Inner characterization

His inner characterization is constructed using some flashbacks David has of him. For instance, David recalls how, earlier in the morning, his father refused to take him hunting, treating David like a child:

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Maude

Maude is also a secondary character in the narrative and is mostly presented from David’s perspective, but also from her mother’s.

From her outer characterization, we find out that she is fifteen years old and good-looking.

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Inner characterization

The girl’s inner characterization reveals that although older than David, she also still acts in childish ways, telling on her brother every time he does something naughty. She is constantly in conflict with David, calling him names like “little beast”.

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