Walker

Outer characterization

Walker is the main character of the short story “Hostage” by Andrew Vachss. His backstory reveals that he was a sniper in Vietnam (p. 157, l. 26) and has worked for the police ever since his return from the front. The narrative shows that he has been in several different police departments, like vice (p. 157, l. 8), narcotics (p. 157, l. 10), and SWAT (p. 157, l. 26). Because of his mental instability, Walker currently works as a negotiator to avoid being dismissed from the police force (p. 157, ll. 29-31).

The only clues about Walker’s appearance are given when he takes off his clothes to show Mark Weston that he is unarmed: 

Took off my jacket, laid it on the ground like a blanket. I dripped my shirt on top. Took off my undershirt and added it to the pile. I unlaced my shoes, took them off, peeled off my socks and put them inside. Rolled up the cuffs on my pants to mid calf. (p. 160, ll. 5-19)

Because he addresses Mark w...