Fearsomeness In The Night Wanderer

Perspectives of readers influence the levels of fearsomeness than certain objects or people tend to be in the perspective of the readers. Although fearsomeness is often seen as a quality that is associated with villainous characters, upon closer examination it is obvious that the sympathy that the reader feels for the character is not dependent upon how fearsomeness or lack of fearsomeness of the character. Sympathetic and fearsome characters presented in novels such as The Night Wanderer by Drew Hayden Taylor present fearsomeness which may not fit the particular views of some people. The reader’s perception of if a character is sympathetic or fearsome is not dependent upon if the character is perceived as fearsome. Fearsomeness is often attributed

Although Tiffany is “proud of her Native heritage, she found the annual powwow events quite culturally satisfying enough” (Taylor 29). Tiffany desires to escape the “dark cloud hanging over her house” (Taylor 28), and she does this using Tony since he is able to “make her feel better” (Taylor 29). Tiffany’s friends complain that she does not spend enough time with them (Taylor 29) showing how tiffany is distancing herself from her family. When Tiffany distances herself from her family, it’s understandable to the readers due the fights with her father after her “house had had changed from a refuge to a prison” (Taylor 19) when her mother left her family. When Tiffany and Tony break up, Tiffany becomes more of a sympathetic character because she loses her single reprieve from the stressful situation within her home. Since fearsomeness and sympathetic characterization are not exclusive, Pierre can also be considered a sympathetic

Pierre was eventually forced into a lifestyle of death (Taylor 181). Pierre is a sympathetic character because he has lost his core values and is unable to return to them (Harris and Wasilewski 494). Pierre had no intention of permanently abandoning his family, so he becomes more of a sympathetic character, when those values are ripped away from him (Harris and Wasilewski 494). Pierre experiences an existence which makes the reader sympathetic to him and the difficult trials that he has had to endure because he has been ripped away from his family, lands, and core principles. When Pierre is returning home, his actions become understandable for the reader despite his fearsome