Character Clues
Character Analysis
Actions
In our story, Will Henry proves himself to be quite the noble hero despite his diminutive size and unassuming nature. Sure, he's only twelve, and a petite twelve at that, but he willingly volunteers to stand guard over a wounded woman as they sit on the ground, exposed, during the Anthropophagi attack. We think it's pretty safe to say that his actions show a level of courage not often found in grown men, let alone a small orphan.
He's not just brave, though, he's honest. Even though it shames him to admit it, Will Henry tells Malachi that he ran when his parents were dying, too:
Malachi asked me, "What happened?"
"There was a fire," I said.
"You were there?"
"Yes."
"What happened?"
"I ran."
"I ran too." His expression did not change; the impassive visage remained; but a tear trailed down his hollow cheek. "Do you think God will forgive us, Will Henry?" (8.119-125)
This shows courage in the face of his dishonor, which once again, is pretty impressive. Will Henry knows that admitting his greatest shame will help Malachi in his time of need, and so he shares it with him. Not many people would be so kind to do so. But it's not just charity that motivates Will Henry—as he later says, "lying is the worst kind of buffoonery" (2.112), after all.
Names
Another way that Yancey adds a bit of flavor to his characters is in their names. For example, did it ever strike you as odd that whenever Dr. Warthrop summons Will Henry, it's always by his full name? Will Henry isn't like some southern belle with two first names—these are his first and last names.
There could be several reasons for this, one of which has to do with the fact that it is probably to distinguish him from his father. Upon the transferal of duties, it's possible Warthrop starting shouting Will Henry to differentiate him from James Henry. In this way, though, Will Henry is never allowed to forget who he is: He is a Henry, William James Henry.
In contrast, you have Dr. John Kearns, who proves to be as unpredictable as his shifting preference for names:
"This John Richard Kearns Cory does have a point, Pellinore," Morgan said.
"Or Dick," interjected Kearns. "Some people call me Dick for Richard. Or Jack for John." (10.99-100)
This unpredictability suits him; Kearns purposefully creates a state of perpetual confusion in those around him so that if they are ever hard-pressed to identify him, they won't even know where to start.
Then you have Dr. Pellinore Warthrop. His name sounds old and dignified, which suits his family's social status. It's also a pretty unique name, though, which fits his inimitable personality and lifestyle. But even more significantly, Yancey throws us this tidbit:
His father had named him Pellinore in honor of the mythical king who quested after a beast that could not be caught, an act of thoughtless cruelty, perhaps; at the least a fateful portent, the passing on of a hereditary malady, the familial curse. (13.203)
Ouch. Pellinore essentially lives up to his namesake by pursuing the family profession of Monstrumology because he wasn't really given a choice. Even from birth he was slated for a life of clandestine callers and a search for things that go bump in the night.
Direct Characterization
Sometimes it's easiest to establish a character's traits by just putting it out there. It's certainly an effective tool of characterization, as it leaves little room for creative interpretation on the reader's behalf.
For example, Yancey really wants to make sure we understand how absolutely self-absorbed Dr. Warthrop is. Sure, we could infer this based on his neglect of Will Henry or his questionable justifications of his own actions, or we can just base it off Will Henry's description of him as: "[…] this man of whom it might be said there had never been another of more towering, awe-inspiring self-absorption" (2.22). Yup, that pretty much sums Dr. Warthrop up without us having to connect any dots on our own.