The Undertaker’s Daughter

Characters

Although The Undertaker’s Daughter was filled with numerous characters, six specific individuals took centre stage for me; Anna Dingle, her father David and her mother Marge, Bruce Barnett, her love interest Timmy, and Anna’s best friend Naomi.

Anna

Firstly, I would like to explore Anna’s character. Anna Dingle was a kind and caring young lady, with a combination of both beauty and brains. With her strict Christian upbringing, she began the story as quite naïve to the ways of the wider world, having been sheltered from so many of the usual teenage experiences, such as drinking, dating, and the use of modern technology. However, despite this sweet naïve undertone, Anna was not a young woman to be messed with. In difficult situations, she showed herself to be extremely resilient, able to keep a clear head so she could logically think through what decision she should make next. On the whole, she appeared to be wholesome and well put-together, supporting those she loved while doing all she could to resolve her own problems, even if it meant forgiving her enemies.


David

Secondly, comes David Dingle, Anna’s father and resident undertaker. David is highly skilled in his work and possesses a cool, calm, and collected sense of being. He was a reasonable and rational man on the whole. However, when it came to his daughter Anna’s safety, he displayed a more courageous and protective side, doing whatever he could to keep Anna safe, and to minimize her distress in whatever way possible. David was a supportive and reassuring presence throughout the book, a strong contrast to Anna’s mother, Marge.

Marge

Thirdly, allow me to introduce Marge Dingle, Anna’s very religious mother. As a devout, born-again Christian, Marge took a strict approach to how her daughter Anna was raised and didn’t seem to ever approve of anything in her daughter’s life. Anna was forbidden to wear makeup, to date, or to use modern technology as all her friends did. Marge always seemed quite cold and on edge, as though she never felt able to fully relax. Although I could understand why once I learned more about her character’s past, I still couldn’t warm to her at all. There was never a moment in the story where Marge’s sternness seemed to let up, not even when her own daughter was in pain and distress. Therefore, I found Marge’s character to be one-dimensional and easy to dislike.

Naomi

Next, we come to Naomi, Anna’s best friend, a Jewish girl with a highly pragmatic way of thinking. Naomi was both a supportive and funny presence throughout the book. She would often crack jokes, relieving tense moments in a scene, as well as providing necessary informational context where needed. She was a caring and compassionate person, yet she was also highly logical and studious in nature, the kind of individual to investigate things at a deeper level, to understand what can be done to resolve a problem. Overall, I really came to adore Naomi’s character and found her to be a vibrant presence within the story.

Timmy

Penultimately, I’d like to examine Timmy, a talented young musician and Anna’s love interest. Timmy was a sweet and caring young man, who immediately gave off a comforting and safe presence. He was also a protective and chivalrous individual, defending Anna’s honour when it was insulted by a far less considerate young man, and supporting Anna in her greatest hours of need. In addition, Timmy was intelligent and articulate, loving and genuine. He was a true gentleman, through and through, and made for a truly likable character.

Bruce

Finally, we come to Bruce Barnette, the most hateful young man I’ve ever come across in literature (more or less.) It was immediately apparent that Bruce was a troublemaker, throwing eggs at people’s houses and breaking windows, and flirting with whatever pretty girl crossed his shadowy path. However, as the story progressed, it became apparent that he was more than just your average troublemaker ­­­– he was downright dangerous. He was an obsessive young man, completely lacking in empathy, and with severely violent tendencies. Although we get to know more about his family, which suggests a childhood of emotional neglect, I could not summon any empathy myself for Bruce’s character, who – to me – appeared as nothing more than a black hole of a person, sucking in all light and matter into his dark and swirling vortex.