Character Clues
Character Analysis
Physical Appearance
Mud People—the term used to refer to folks we'd just call people—isn't exactly a flattering description. But then again, all of the non-human characters have some pretty specific ideas about how being human makes you a special kind of horror. But what about the term fairy that's used to cover up a hundred different races of magical and non-magical beings? There's so much variety in Haven, and yet it all collects into a handful categories based on generalized types of creature.
We know there are sprites, elves, pixies, centaurs, trolls, dwarfs, goblins, gremlins, and probably a bunch of other things—and not only does race determine physical appearance here, it also says a little something about personality. This is why physical appearances are tools of characterization in this book.
Goblins are hot-headed, sometimes literally, and there's an awful lot of them in jail, "clogging up the cells" (3.9), while dwarfs are hairy and disgusting and exactly the kind of people you'd want breaking into places. Sprites are the only fairies with their own wings, which makes the males think they're "God's gift to women" (8.193). The only physical appearance that doesn't really clue us into anything is Foaly's, but that's just because there aren't any other centaurs.
If this all sounds a little weird—and potentially racist—to you, then know you're not alone. And be sure to visit the "Themes" section for more about how race can be a problem for characterization.
Names
We're not talking about nicknames here, though Beetroot certainly tells you plenty about who Julius is. We're talking given or birth names—like Holly, Foaly, Artemis, Root, and Kelp.
While most of these are pretty low-level puns or based only on a character's species (i.e. Foaly is half horse, a foal is a young horse, so stick a y on the end and you've got yourself a name), what about the way most of the fairies are named after something natural? It's no secret that the fairies are supposed to be more in touch with the environment, and the words of the Ritual suggest that their power comes directly from the earth, so giving the fairies plant names points out the distance between them and humans.
By contrast, human names are all over the map. Artemis is named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, the Butler family has been serving the Fowls for generations as sort-of-butlers, and Angeline is pulled from angel, making the only really innocent character one who is also completely detached from reality.
Lest this all seem really bland and simple, think about the double pun on Fowl. It's a homophone for foul, which definitely describes some of Artemis's actions, but fowl also refers to something in the bird family. Essentially, that makes "Artemis Fowl" a combination of a hunter (Artemis) and its prey (birds)—and that, Shmoopsters, is some serious food for thought.
Clothing
Your mom probably has told you not to judge a book by its cover—and she's totally right—except, you know, in this book. Artemis is pretty much the best-dressed pre-teen ever—the kid wears designer suits, which says a lot about his wealth and his complete inability to be an actual kid. Does Artemis even own a pair of jeans? Live a little, kid. Holly, meanwhile, is almost always wearing her LEP uniform because, let's face it, she's an officer of Recon before anything else.
Mulch wears pants with a… uh… removable flap in the back because practicality is the only thing that really keeps him alive. There are plenty of other examples throughout the book of clothes revealing key information about characters. Want to know what a someone's priorities are in this world? Look no further than what they're putting on.