Who are all the characters in Rosa Guy's The Friends?
The main protagonist in the novel is the 14 year old West Indian immigrant Phyllisia Cathy. The members of her family are her mother, Romana (who dies of breast cancer); her violent father, Calvin; her 16 year old sister, Ruby; and her cousin Frank. The Cathys have a family friend...
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called Mr. Charles.
Phyllisia goes to school in Harlem. Her teacher is called Miss Lass. The students include her best friend Edith Jackson, the school bully and physically mature Beulah, the quiet Carole Smith, and Phyllisia's other friend Miriam. Phyllisia goes to Edith's house where Edith introduces her to her younger sisters Bessie, Suzy, Minnie, and Ellen, as well as her older brother Randy (he also tragically dies at the age of 16).
The more minor characters are Phyllisia's love interest, Jose, and Ruby's love interest, Orlando. There is also Orlando's brother, Norman, and Miriam's parents, Mr. and Mrs Robbins.
Who are all the characters in Rosa Guy's The Friends?
This is probably not a complete list of characters, but these are the main ones in Rosa Guy's teen novel The Friends.
Phyllisia Cathay, the protagonist and main character.
Ramona Cathay, Phyllisia's beautiful mother.
Beulah, the toughest girl in Phyllisia's class.
Calvin Cathay, Phyllisia's father. .
Frank Cathay, a family cousin.
Ruby Cathay, Phyllisia's sister.
Bess Jackson, Edith's sister.
Edith Jackson, Phyllisia's friend.
Ellen Jackson, Edith's youngest sister.
Minnie Jackson, Edith's seven-year-old sister.
Mr. Jackson, Edith's father.
Randy Jackson, Edith's brother.
Suzy Jackson, Edith's eight-year-old sister.
José, a good-looking boy whom Phyllisia kisses.
Miss Lass, Phyllisia's teacher.
Norman, a boy who flirts with Phyllisia.
Orlando, Norman's brother.
Miriam Robbins, a classmate of Phyllisia's.
Mrs. Robbins, Miriam's mother.
Carole Smith, a classmate of Phyllisia's.
Who are the main characters in Rosa Guy's "Friends"?
The main character in "Friends" is Phyllisia Cathay, a sensitive, intelligent young teen from the West Indies who is having trouble adjusting to life in Harlem. She is strong-willed, mocked by her peers because of her accent and academic ability and clashing frequently with her domineering father. Phyllisia struggles to reconcile the superficial values with which she has grown up with the qualities of true friendship.
Other important characters are Phyllisia's parents Calvin and Ramona Cathay, her sister Ruby Cathay, and her friend Edith Jackson. Calvin Cathay is the master of his house; although he loves his family, he has difficulty communicating with them. His method of asserting himself is through harshness and anger. Ramona Cathay, like Phyllisia, is sensitive and discerning. She is beautiful, but teaches Phyllisia that there is more to a person than how she looks. Ramona has breast cancer, and dies in the course of the narrative. Ruby Cathay is a good-hearted teenager who is more easy-going than Phyllisia and eager to please. She is fun-loving, and interested in gossip and boys. Edith Jackson has been responsible for caring for her family from a young age, and is scorned for her ragged appearance and poor economic situation. She is generous and determined, and shows Phyllisia the true meaning of friendship.
Check out the enotes links below for a more complete description of characters!
Who is the narrator in Rosa Guy's The Friends?
The name of the story's narrator is the 14-year-old Phyllisia Cathay. In the story, she explains how she and her 16-year-old sister Ruby moved from the West Indies to live with their father Calvin in Harlem, New York City.
Phyllisia is a bright student who her teacher often goes to first when she asks a question. Unfortunately, the other kids don't appreciate her smartness and berate her for being the teacher's pet. They mimic her accent and call her names such as "monkey" and worse.
Phyllisia states that she wants to make friends with a girl in her class called Edith, who is one of the few people at school who act friendly towards her, but she knows her father would forbid it. Edith is a poor, uncouth girl and Phyllisia's father has sent for her to live with him in Harlem in an attempt to give her a better life. Ironically, however, Phyllisia seems to see the move as a backwards step.
Who is the narrator in Rosa Guy's The Friends?
Young teenager Phyllisia Cathy is the narrator of the novel The Friends by Rosa Guy. It tells the story of the Cathys, a West Indian family who relocates to New York City's tough Harlem neighborhood in the 1960s. Phyllisia has trouble adjusting to this new world, and most of her classmates hate her because she becomes the "teacher's pet." Although Phyllisia eventually makes friends with Edith Jackson, she is ashamed of Edith because she is the poorest, worst dressed student in her class. Phyllisia's life hits a new low when her mother, Ramona, reveals that her breast cancer has returned and eventually dies; this leaves Phyllisia and her older sister, Ruby, under the strict rule of her father, Calvin, who is not afraid to use violence to make his point.