Characters
The main character in the short story “Me and Mr. Harry” by Batya Swift Yasgur is the …
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The narrator
The short story’s main character is also the narrator.
Outer characterization
The girl’s outer characterization only reveals that she is an only child and that she lives with her parents. She was also sexually abused by an older man, Mr. Harry, but she is too naïve and innocent to fully understand it. Note that the story does not reveal anything about the girl’s appearance or age; nevertheless, several details indicate that the girl is probably very young, mostly like pre-adolescent, about 10-12 years old.
She is called “little girl” (l. 95) by the doctor and her mother constantly tells her to do her homework or make her bed. Furthermore, she reveals that she is young and inexperienced when she fails to understand what the word “expert” means (ll. 69-70). All these details suggest that she is still a child, unable to fully understand the implications of her relat…
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The parents
The narrator’s parents are very important, as their inner characterization reveals part of the reasons why their daughter was drawn to Mr. Harry.
The narrator first talks about her parents in the opening line of the short story, when she mentions that her parents “messed it all up” (l. 1) for her. This is a reference to the moment when her parents realized their daughter was sexually abu…
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Mr. Harry
Mr. Harry’s outer characterization is not revealed. The only thing we know about him is that he is an older man who helps the narrator with her homework, and that he is probably a neighbor, a teacher, or an acquaintance of the narrator’s family. As the story unfolds, readers find out that Mr. Harry is a pedophile who has sexually abused the narrator and at least one other young girl as well.
Inner characterization
The man’s inner characterization reveals that he is an attentive person and that he knows how to attract children:
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