Character Analysis: Charlie Ward

Charlie Ward’s death had an impact on the Ward family, Michael MacKenzie, and Joe Sadowski. Charlie Ward’s death affected Jenna because Jenna is starting to become furious, depressed, and is seeking revenge on her father’s murder. Also, Jenna starts to become anti-social and the only thing that motivates her to become more involved is by her best friend, Andrea convincing her. Due to Charlie’s death, Jenna begins to have panic attacks when she is around her boyfriend, Jason. For example the book states, “She would have expected her heart to pound wildly when he touched her, just as it always did. But not like this. This was…She stumbled around for the word she wanted, Fear.” In this quote, Jenna is starting to feel anxiety when she is around

He wondered how much longer he could keep avoiding people, lying to them. How much longer could he keep dodging the inevitable?” Meredith Ward is another person who is affected by her husband’s death. Due to Charlie Ward’s death she starts to feel lonely and empty. The novel reads, “She looked up at her mother’s face and for the first time realized how terribly lonely her mother must be…But Jenna knew that her mother’s friends could never fill the void left by her father.” In this quote, Jenna is observing her mother’s behavior and is realizing that Meredith Ward and Charlie Ward had a special relationship that could never be replaced and that causes her to feel disconsolate. Also, Meredith Ward is starting to become sleep-deprived because she has no one there for her. Lastly, Joe Sadowski was affected by Charlie Ward’s death. He was affected by the death because him and Michael make a false story about the gun to protect Michael’s image. As a result, the people of Briarwood think that Joe killed Charlie Ward and the police think he may be the criminal. Due to Charlie Ward’s death, Michael Mackenzie, Joe Sadowski, and the Ward family are all affected by his