A Death In The Family Character Analysis

In A Death in the Family by James Agee, the main characters communicate with the reader through distinct perspectives and phrases. Of all the main characters, Rufus, Catherine, and Mary best influence the reader through their dialogue and development. After Jay’s death, the characters’ interactions and true thoughts are revealed, and their views on the events provide extraordinary insight into the minds of those who lost a dear loved one. From the third person limited view point of Rufus, Catherine, and Mary, the author imparts to the reader an excellent source of character development and an understanding of the narrative perspectives used in creating this novel. First, Rufus is an influential character within the novel. In the third person …show more content…
Unlike Rufus, Catherine does not comprehend the true meaning of the death of her father. Catherine’s innocence and immaturity prove apparent when she is told about her father’s death. She does not truly understand the concept of death and this leads her to question where her father is near the end of the novel. Her lack of understanding is demonstrated when she asks about her father’s whereabouts, “Where’s Daddy? All of the sudden she felt that she could not bear to be alone” (Agee 301). Young Catherine does not comprehend the true meaning of her father’s death, which causes her to question where he is and when he is coming home. Her innocence in this situation leads to her running into a room and crying to herself before she is found by her mother and Aunt Hannah. In this scene, the author expands upon the third person limited point of view and creates an environment where he tells the story in Catherine’s mind, yet the reader is still able to comprehend her perspective. Agee’s usage of this point of view gives him more freedom to explore Catherine’s candor and innocent thoughts while maintaining a detailed analysis of her whole interactions so the reader better understands the simplicity of her childish