Characters
The most important characters in the story “Walking the Dog” by Bernard MacLaverty are John Shields and the so-called fighters from IRA (the gunman, the driver) which we will analyse as a collective character.
John Shields
John Shields is the main character in the short story, from whose perspective the events are rendered by the third-person narrator.
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Inner characterisation
John’s inner characterisation is revealed through the way he speaks, his attitude towards the so-called IRA men and his thoughts. The way he speaks suggests that he is a simple Irish man, using a lot of colloquial and slang such as “Daft bugger” (p. 1, l. 10) as an appellative for his dog.
In his interaction with the so-called IRA fighters, he is both afraid and spiteful. His physical reactions indicate fear: “John cleared his throat - his voice was trembling. "I hate the Provos. I hate everything you stand for." There was a pause. "And I hate you for doing this to me."” (p. 3, ll. 16-17)
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The so-called IRA Fighters
The so-called IRA fighters in the short story function as a collective character. Their most defining traits are violence and suspicion.
Most probably they drive a stolen car (p. 2, l. 3), one of them is a gunman wearing a “red scarf” (p. 1, l. 25), another one a driver, and they claim to be from the Irish Republican Army. However, neither readers nor John can be sure they are telling the truth.
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