The Cold Equations

by Tom Godwin

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Student Question

How is EDS pilot Barton described at the start of "The Cold Equations" by Tom Godwin?

Quick answer:

EDS pilot Barton is depicted through indirect characterization as compassionate and humane at the start of "The Cold Equations." When he discovers a young girl stowaway, his reluctance to jettison her, despite knowing it is necessary to save the mission, highlights his empathy. The harsh, indifferent space setting underscores the difficulty of his moral dilemma, illustrating his internal conflict and humanity amid an unforgiving environment.

Expert Answers

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Characterization is one of a writer's most important jobs. Characters that act and sound like real people—like people we know or perhaps can identify with ourselves—make a story much more meaningful and interesting. It isn't easy to do—just look at how many flat, stock characters we encounter in literature. These characters don't contribute anything to the literary experience or our appreciation of the writer's thematic goals.

Writers can utilize several methods to create their characters. One of these is called "direct characterization." This happens when a writer simply tells the reader what a character is like, such as, "He is a kind, loyal person." It doesn't leave anything up to the reader's imagination. Another method is called "indirect characterization." When writers indirectly characterize, they describe the character in terms of his or her speech, actions, appearance, and/ or thoughts, and then let the reader draw conclusions about the character's qualities. 

In "The Cold Equations," Tom Godwin uses indirect characterization to describe Barton in the beginning of the story. After finding out that a young girl has stowed away on his emergency dispatch ship, he contacts his commander. Barton knows he is supposed to jettison the girl to save the ship and keep its mission intact, but he doesn't really want to do that to a young woman. This shows that Barton has compassion, even in a situation that might cost him his life.

The writer also uses the setting to help emphasize this aspect of Barton's character. Space is indifferent and unforgiving. Any mistake can be deadly. The title reflects the attitude that is required to survive in such conditions. Despite all of this, Barton's compassion reveals his humanity—he wants to help and it hurts him that he cannot do so. 

The writer never simply states that Barton felt this concern for the girl; the reader experiences it by virtue of the writer's description of the character and events in the story.

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