One example of a static character in One Crazy Summer is Sister Mukumbu. Throughout the story, Sister Mukumbu stays the same. She doesn’t undergo any significant changes or developments. At the start of the novel, Sister Mukumbu’s character is a smart, composed, and compassionate teacher. At the end of the novel, Sister Mukumbu continues to be a calm, thoughtful, understanding teacher at the People’s Center.

Another static character is Crazy Kelvin. Kelvin is presented as loony, unstable, and suspicious. His flamboyant, boorish behavior annoys Sister Mukumbu and discomforts the children. Kelvin’s character doesn’t grow in any meaningful way. He never becomes less ostentatious or more grounded. Instead, Rita Williams-Garcia doubles down on his dubiousness by revealing that he’s an informant for the police.

Additional static characters include Big Ma and Pa. They remain constant throughout the story. Big Ma continues to speak her mind and not speak highly of Cecile. Pa stays a peripheral source of stability. It might be interesting to think about how Cecile could be a static character or a dynamic character. One could argue that Cecile is a dynamic character because she changes. She opens up to her daughters a little and loosens up. Alternately, it’s possible to contend that Cecile’s changes are too minor. Overall, Cecile stays the same. She still doesn’t seem to want to play a big role in the lives of her daughters.