Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush: Analysis of Major Characters
"Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush" is a poignant narrative centered on the life of a fourteen-year-old African American girl, Teresa "Tree" Pratt, who bears the heavy responsibility of caring for her older brother, Dabney "Dab" Pratt, who is mildly retarded and suffers from a rare genetic disorder known as porphyria. The story explores themes of familial duty, independence, and the struggles of adolescence as Tree navigates her complex relationship with her brother while dealing with the absence of their mother, Viola "Muh Vy" Sweet Rush Pratt, a live-in nurse who often works away from home. The sudden appearance of the ghost of Brother Rush provides Tree with a unique opportunity to delve into her family's past, helping her to understand the challenges they face, including the tragic history of her mother's brothers who succumbed to the same illness that afflicts Dab.
Dab, despite his condition, attempts to engage with life, including forming relationships, though these are complicated by his health struggles and the stigma of his disabilities. Muh Vy's character adds depth to the narrative, highlighting the burdens of grief and resilience as she copes with her own losses, including the abandonment by her husband. Other characters, like Sylvester Wiley D. Smith, her boyfriend, and Miss Cenithia Pricherd, a woman hired to clean and who represents a connection to the outside world, further enrich the story's exploration of human connections and survival. Overall, the novel examines the complexities of love, responsibility, and the impact of history on the present, making it a rich topic for analysis of its major characters.
Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Virginia Hamilton
First published: 1982
Genre: Novel
Locale: A small midwestern town and southwestern Ohio
Plot: Social realism
Time: The 1970's, with flashbacks to a decade earlier
Sweet Teresa “Tree” Pratt, a fourteen-year-old black girl responsible for her seventeen-year-old brother, Dab, who is mildly retarded. Because their mother must work away from their home, Tree looks after Dab and herself. Such responsibility has made her very independent, but it also leaves her lonely. When the ghost of Brother Rush suddenly appears and carries her back into the past, Tree learns about her family history and about the sources of the problems that plague the Pratts. By the end, Tree has successfully navigated a set of adolescent rapids, but the trip has not been easy.
Dabney “Dab” Pratt, who is mildly retarded and also suffers from porphyria, a rare genetic disorder. Dab is able to attend school and even bring girls home to his room, but they may be interested only in the drugs he uses to ease his pain. The porphyria makes him extremely sensitive to light and to touch, and, by the end of the week in which the novel takes places, the disease kills him.
Viola “Muh Vy” Sweet Rush Pratt, Tree and Dab's mother, a live-in nurse who must be away from home most of the time. As a young mother, Vy experienced a double tragedy: Her three brothers all died of porphyria at an early age, and then her husband, Ken, abandoned the family.
Sylvester Wiley D. Smith (Silversmith), Muh Vy's boyfriend, a chauffeur at her present job.
Miss Cenithia Pricherd, a sixty-seven-year-old woman who has been living on the streets. Muh Vy hires her to clean.