Raintree County: Analysis of Major Characters
"Raintree County: Analysis of Major Characters" focuses on the complex lives and relationships of its central characters, set against the backdrop of a small American community during the late 19th century. The protagonist, John Wickliff Shawnessy, is a schoolteacher and philosopher who reflects on his past, including his two marriages, friendships, and experiences in the Civil War, all while navigating personal and societal challenges. His first sweetheart, Nell Gaither, becomes the wife of Senator Garwood B. Jones, a shrewd and morally ambiguous politician, illustrating the intertwining lives of individuals in the community.
John's first wife, Susanna Drake, hails from a wealthy New Orleans family but struggles with her identity and mental health, leading to tragic consequences. In contrast, Esther Root, his second wife, symbolizes hope and renewal as she elopes with John and seeks to establish a respected life despite familial opposition. Supporting characters like the Reverend Mr. Shawnessy and Jerusalem Webster Stiles bring additional depth, with Stiles questioning societal morals and ultimately vindicating John. The narrative weaves together themes of love, loss, identity, and the moral complexities of human relationships, inviting readers to explore the characters' journeys and their broader implications within American society.
Raintree County: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Ross Lockridge, Jr.
First published: 1948
Genre: Novel
Locale: Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, Washington, D.C., and New York City
Plot: Historical realism
Time: Nineteenth century
John Wickliff Shawnessy, a schoolteacher and the philosopher of Raintree County. On July 4, 1892, he looks back over his life, recalling his boyhood, his youthful loves, his two marriages, his part in the Civil War. He tries to draw out the meaning of his life, his America, from what he remembers. The day ends for him tragicomically, as he is first accused and then exonerated of committing adultery with a local widow.
Senator Garwood B. Jones, John's old friend, who makes a speech at the July Fourth celebration after John introduces him. He is a shrewd, smooth-tongued man without principles.
The Reverend Mr. Shawnessy, John's father, a doctor, a preacher, and a teetotaler.
Mrs. Shawnessy, John's mother, a gentlewoman whom he greatly loves.
Nell Gaither, John's first sweetheart, a combination of hoyden and lady. She becomes the wife of Jones after John is reported dead in the Civil War. She dies in childbirth while still a young woman.
Jerusalem Webster Stiles, the “Perfessor,” a cynic and a friend of John. He establishes an academy where he teaches his charges little of the classics, much about seduction. Forced out of town because of attempted adultery, he later becomes a newspaperman in New York. It is he who proves years later that John is not guilty of adultery as charged.
Susanna Drake, John's first wife, a girl of wealth from New Orleans. She is a passionate, emotional creature who becomes demented and burns their house, killing their child. John finds that she is haunted by the fact that her mother was black. Sent back to be cared for by her relatives, she later escapes and disappears.
Esther Root, John's second wife, one of his former pupils. She and her husband elope, returning to the community to rear their family and win a respected place.
Mr. Root, Esther's father. He opposes his daughter's marriage to John on the grounds that the man is an atheist and also a bigamist, since there is no proof that his first wife is truly dead.