Characters

The main character in the short story “The School of Life” by Lauren Keenan is Marcus. He is a university student who is working at a plant nursery over the summer holidays. However, the story shows he is only working there because his father made him do so because he wants Marcus to learn more about where he comes from. Marcus does not understand this, and he resents his father for making him take up the job at the plant nursery which he considers a punishment. 

Another important character in the story is Rewi. He is Marcus’s childhood friend who also works at the plant nursery. The story reveals that Rewi has been fired from his job so that Marcus can get his place. Rewi is different from Marcus in many ways, as he does not attend university, comes from a humble background, and depends on his job at the nursery as his source of income. 

You can read a full characterization of Marcus and Rewi on the following pages.