M. C. Higgins, the Great: Analysis of Major Characters
"M. C. Higgins, The Great" explores the life of Mayo Cornelius Higgins, a responsible black teenager navigating the complexities of family dynamics and social perceptions in his mountain community. As the eldest child, M. C. feels a strong obligation to care for his younger siblings and is deeply affected by his relationships with his parents—particularly his affectionate bond with his mother, Banina, and his mixed feelings toward his strict yet loving father, Jones. M. C. possesses physical prowess, excelling in sports like swimming and wrestling, and he is knowledgeable about the natural world around him.
The narrative also highlights M. C.'s friendship with Ben Killburn, a member of a misunderstood and feared family, showcasing themes of loyalty and idealism against the backdrop of community prejudices. The characters are intricately developed, reflecting diverse perspectives on family, responsibility, and the complexities of growing up in a culturally rich, yet challenging environment. This story invites readers to consider the influences of friendship, heritage, and personal choices in shaping one's identity.
M. C. Higgins, the Great: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Virginia Hamilton
First published: 1974
Genre: Novel
Locale: Near Harenton, Ohio, in the Cumberland Mountains
Plot: Social realism
Time: The 1970's
Mayo Cornelius (M. C.) Higgins, a black teenager. The eldest child in his family, M. C. has a strong sense of responsibility. He worries about the younger children, whom he supervises when his parents are at work; about his mother, whom he adores; and about his father, toward whom his feelings are ambivalent, combining respect and concern with anger. M. C. is athletic, a superb swimmer and a wrestler who will soon be able to defeat his father in their periodic tests of strength. He knows woodcraft and mountain lore. He also knows how to think for himself; despite his father's warnings, he has chosen a best friend from the feared Killburn clan.
Banina Higgins, M. C.'s mother, a beautiful and talented woman, the real center of the Higgins household. Banina works as a housecleaner an hour's walk from her home. She is especially close to M. C.
Jones Higgins, M. C.'s father, a day laborer. A complex man, Jones is strict with his children, yet loving and playful. Born and reared in the mountains, Jones is determined to pass along to his children both his knowledge of nature and his love of the place where his family has lived for generations.
Ben Killburn, M. C.'s best friend, a member of an inbred family that, because of its reputed supernatural powers, is unjustly feared by other mountain people. Ben is loyal, quiet, and thoughtful. M. C. is influenced deeply by Ben's idealism and by his sense of the sacredness of nature.