Gaiman's YA gothic fantasy stars a diverse cast in this drama of a boy who escapes an assasin and is raised in a graveyard by ghosts, a vampire, and a werewolf.
Bod is an orphan raised by the ghosts of a graveyard after his family is murdered. He navigates growing up in this unique environment while seeking to understand his past and identity.
Protagonist's Guardian
Silas
Wise, Stoic, Protective
Silas is a vampire who serves as Bod's guardian, providing protection and guidance. He plays a crucial role in keeping Bod safe from external threats.
Protagonist's Teacher
Miss Lupescu
Strict, Knowledgeable, Protective
Miss Lupescu is a werewolf who educates and protects Bod during Silas's absences. Her strict teaching methods and protective instincts are key to Bod's development.
Rating
Rating:
4.1/5
Continue down for all the characters to The Graveyard Book
An exciting cast of ghosts, ghouls, a vampire, and a werewolf populate Neil Gaiman’s “The Graveyard Book“. With these characters as ingredients, Gaiman tells a riveting coming-of-age fantasy, equal parts light and dark, that appeals to all ages and is fresh.
Nobody “Bod” Owens
Role: Protagonist
Key Info: Orphan, Raised by ghosts, targeted by the Man Jack
A boy raised by ghosts in a graveyard after his family is murdered, navigating life between the living and the dead.
Background: Bod Owens, whose family was murdered when he was a baby, is adopted by a ghost couple, Mr and Mrs Owens, and is raised by the ghosts of a graveyard.
Personality: Bod is curious, brave, and resourceful. He is also described as a quiet boy, which is unsurprising for a boy raised in a graveyard.
Development: Bod grows from a helpless infant, saved from his would-be killer by Silas and the ghosts in the graveyard, into a strong and confident young boy capable of taking on the Man Jack at the end of “The Graveyard Book“.
Significance: Bod’s journey symbolizes growth, identity, and the importance of finding one’s place in the world.
Analysis:
Bod Owens represents the archetypal hero on a journey of self-discovery. Raised by ghosts, his upbringing is unconventional, which shapes his understanding of life and death. His curiosity and bravery drive the plot forward as he learns about his past and prepares to face his future. He is also brilliant and can make quick, accurate decisions in challenging situations. Bod’s growth reflects the theme of identity and the struggle to find one’s place, making him a relatable and inspiring protagonist.
Silas
Role: Bod’s Guardian
Key Role: Vampire, Bod’s primary guardian and mentor
Bod’s mysterious guardian who straddles the line between life and death, providing guidance and protection.
Background: Silas, a vampire, serves as Bod’s guardian, providing him with guidance and protection from outside threats.
Personality: Silas is wise, stoic, and protective, often acting as a father figure to Bod.
Development: His relationship with Bod deepens, showing a rare emotional connection for his character.
Significance: Silas embodies themes of loyalty and the protective nature of unconventional families.
Silas’s role as Bod’s guardian highlights the novel’s theme of surrogate families. His stoic demeanor and wisdom give Bod the stability he needs to navigate his unique upbringing.
From the clues provided in the story, it is evident that Silas is a vampire. He sleeps all day in the graveyard church’s belfry, can fly, and sleeps in a box containing soil. He can also manipulate minds and alter memories. It is hinted that Silas is neither alive nor dead and has existed for a long time.
Miss Lupescu
Role: Bod’s Teacher
Key Info: Werewolf (Hound of God), Educator, Protector.
A strict but caring werewolf who teaches Bod important life lessons and rescues him when he is in danger.
Background: Miss Lupescu, a werewolf, is tasked with educating and protecting Bod during Silas’s absences. She is a Hound of God, a synonym for werewolf, and a member of the Honor Guard.
Personality: She is strict, knowledgeable, and fiercely protective.
Development: At first, Miss Lupescu is severe, strict, and unsympathetic toward Bod, and Bod does not like her. However, after she saves Bod, their relationship becomes deeper and warmer.
Significance: She represents the importance of education and the value of surrogate parents as she becomes a mother figure to Bod.
Miss Lupescu’s protection of Bod and her unique status as a werewolf show that family and guardians can come from beyond one’s blood and kind. Her role is crucial in Bod’s development. Miss Lupescu teaches Bod how to call for help in different languages and to read the stars, among other valuable skills for survival. She is killed at the final battle between the Honor Guard and the Convocation.
The Man Jack (Jack Frost)
Role: Antagonist
Key Info: Assassin, Mysterious, Ruthless.
The ruthless assassin who kills Bod’s family and spends years hunting him down to finish the job.
Background: The Man Jack is the mysterious figure who murders Bod’s family and spends the novel hunting Bod to complete his mission.
Personality: He is ruthless, determined, and secretive, driven by a dark purpose.
Development: His relentless pursuit of Bod reveals his deep-seated obsession and connection to the Brotherhood, a secret society.
Significance: As Bod’s arch-enemy, the Man Jack represents an ever-present danger to Bod. He is also the object of Bod’s vengeful passion.
The Man Jack’s role as the antagonist adds a constant sense of danger and urgency to the narrative. He is a formidable killer whose weapon is a knife. He has a keen superhuman sense of smell and uses this to track his victims. Also, he is a master of disguise as he can camouflage himself as a harmless old historian to hunt and trap Bod. When he finally finds Bod, he pursues him into the graveyard. Bod tricks him into accepting the Sleer as his master, and the Sleer takes Jack away.
Scarlett Amber Perkins
Role: Bod’s Friend
Key Info: Human, Confidante, Catalyst
Bod’s living friend who helps him uncover the truth about his past but eventually leaves the graveyard behind.
Background: Scarlett Amber Perkins is the daughter of a physicist professor who briefly settled in the town where the graveyard is located. She helps him uncover truths about his past and The Man Jack.
Personality: Scarlett is an open, lively, bright girl who makes friends easily. She is also curious, empathetic, and brave.
Development: Her friendship with Bod evolves from childhood curiosity to a deeper bond, and she becomes instrumental in his quest against The Man Jack. In the end, she becomes estranged from Bod.
Significance: Scarlett is Bod’s first, and perhaps only, human friend throughout the story. She forms his link to the world of the living.
Scarlett’s role in the story is pivotal as she represents Bod’s link to the living world. Her curiosity and bravery complement Bod’s traits, making her a vital ally in his quest. She also is the only one capable of seeing him, as the Freedom of the Graveyard makes Bod virtually invisible to the living. She is not easily scared, as when she visits the tomb of the Sleer. She helps Jack Frost, disguised as an elderly man, to get rubbings from headstones in the graveyard and volunteers to help Bod conduct his investigation outside the graveyard.
Liza Hempstock
Role: Bod’s Friend
Key Info: Witch, Helpful, Vengeful.
A friendly and mischievous witch buried in the potter’s field, who becomes Bod’s ally and helps him in times of need.
Background: Liza is the ghost of a witch buried in the unconsecrated part of the graveyard. She befriends Bod when he risks his safety by making her a headstone for her grave.
Personality: Liza is witty, resourceful, and vengeful. She becomes fiercely loyal to Bod.
Development: Her relationship with Bod grows from initial skepticism to genuine love, and she helps him in crucial moments.
Significance: Liza’s character is used to explore themes of prejudice and redemption.
Liza Hempstock’s character introduces themes of prejudice and redemption. Liza treats Bod’s leg he sprains when he falls off an apple tree near her grave. As a woman buried outside the consecrated graveyard after being accused of being a witch, she is initially skeptical towards Bod. She is bitter about being buried without a headstone, a normal condition for people buried in the unconsecrated part of the graveyard. She is fiery and wilful and develops a romantic attraction toward Bod after he risks his life to get a headstone for her grave. Liza helps him several times in the story.
Mr. and Mrs. Owens
Role: Adoptive Parents
Key Info: Ghosts, Caring, Supportive.
The loving ghost couple who adopt and raise Bod as their own son in the graveyard.
Background: Mr. and Mrs. Owens are the ghosts who adopt and raise Bod after his family is murdered.
Personality: They are nurturing, loving, and supportive. Mrs. Owen is fiercely protective of Bod.
Development: Their unwavering support helps Bod grow into a confident and moral young man.
Significance: They show that family can be found beyond blood ties and the power of unconditional love.
Mr. and Mrs. Owens’s role as Bod’s adoptive parents highlights the theme of family beyond blood. Their nurturing and supportive nature gives Bod the foundation he needs to thrive. Despite being ghosts, their love and care for Bod are palpable. Despite stiff opposition at first, Mrs. Owen’s insistence on keeping Bod is why the graveyard agrees to welcome Bod.
Mo Quilling and Nick Farthing
Role: Minor Antagonists
Key Info: Human, Adversaries, Lessons in Morality.
School bullies who torment Bod, but ultimately fall victim to his clever and supernatural retribution.
Background: Mo and Nick are school bullies who target Bod when he briefly attends a regular school.
Personality: They are aggressive, mean-spirited, and insecure. Mo is the mastermind of the duo, while Nick is the brawn.
Development: In their interactions with Bod, he frightens them, teaching them that actions can have consequences.
Significance: They represent the challenges of the outside world and the ethical dilemmas Bod must face.
Mo Quilling and Nick Farthing’s roles as bullies give Bod a taste of the challenges in the human world. Their aggression and mean-spiritedness force Bod to stand for justice and exhibit his moral courage. These interactions are crucial for Bod’s development, teaching him how to stand up for himself and others and reinforcing the novel’s themes of bravery and moral integrity.
Jack of all Trades
Role: Antagonist Group
Key Info: Secret Society, Assassins, Threat
A secret society of assassins to which the Man Jack belongs, dedicated to preventing a prophecy linked to Bod.
Background: The Jack of all Trades is a secret society of assassins to which the Man Jack belongs. Its mission is to eliminate Bod.
Personality: Members are ruthless, secretive, and skilled. They all possess individual, mysterious, and superhuman abilities.
Development: Their pursuit of Bod culminates in a final confrontation that reveals their dark motives and connections.
Significance: They symbolize the persistent threat and the lengths to which darkness will go to maintain power.
The Jack of all Trades represents a larger, organized threat to Bod beyond the Man Jack. Their secretive and ruthless nature heightens the tension and stakes for Bod. Their motive for hunting Bod is to prevent a prophecy that Bod would be the source of their organization’s destruction, underscoring the novel’s themes of destiny and the struggle between good and evil.
A greedy antique dealer who tries to exploit Bod for his own gain but ends up deceived and defeated.
Background: Abanazer Bolgar is a conman antique dealer who tries to exploit Bod’s knowledge of the graveyard to find hidden treasures.
Personality: He is deceitful, greedy, and manipulative, seeking personal gain at others’ expense, and unscrupulous in business.
Development: Bod’s encounter with Abanazer highlights his growing awareness of and ability to handle deceit. He realizes that appearances are not always authentic and genuine.
Significance: Abanazer is a minor obstacle, illustrating the dangers of greed and dishonesty.
Abanazer Bolgar’s character illustrates the themes of greed and deceit. His opportunistic nature contrasts Bod’s growing moral compass, emphasizing the protagonist’s development. Not only does he want to exploit and cheat Bod, but he also plans to sell information about him to the Man Jack. Abanazer’s actions teach Bod to be discerning and the dangers of trusting those driven by greed.
Lady on the Grey
Role: Bod’s Mysterious Benefactor
Key Info: Death personified, Guide, Benevolent.
A mysterious, powerful figure who guides souls to the afterlife and offers comfort to those facing death.
Background: The Lady on the Grey is a mysterious figure representing Death. She convinces the graveyard to keep Bod and appears at the Danse Macabre.
Personality: She is serene, wise, and compassionate, embodying a comforting presence.
Development: Her interactions with Bod give him a deeper understanding of life and death.
Significance: She symbolizes the inevitability of death and the wisdom that comes with accepting it.
The Lady on the Grey personifies death in the novel. Her serene and wise demeanor offers comfort and guidance to Bod, helping him understand the natural cycle of life and death. She embodies the theme of accepting mortality with grace.
Other characters include Nehemiah Trot, Josiah Worthington, the ghouls, and the Sleer.
Ebuka Igbokwe is the founder and former leader of a book club, the Liber Book Club, in 2016 and managed it for four years. Ebuka has also authored several children's books. He shares philosophical insights on his newsletter, Carefree Sketches and has published several short stories on a few literary blogs online.
