I Am One Of You Forever Character Analysis

Throughout I am One of You forever by Fred Chappell, Jess, the narrator, maneuvers through his childhood with the constant longing to grow up and for respect from the authority figures in his life. During each endeavor and adventure he partakes in, he is held back from fulfilling his potential because of his wanting to grow up and be treated as an adult. Jess lives with his father, mother, grandmother, and older brother; therefore, he is constantly comparing himself to the older beings that he lives with. Weather he is directly left out of adult conversations because “he wouldn’t understand” or because he was “too young” or he was personally generating reasons to grow up, Jess continues to only want to grow up during many vital moments of his journey.

When Jess’s father and adoptive brother, Johnson, choose to prank Uncle Ludden, they hint at their plans in front of Jess. After Johnson refuses to let Jess in on the plan, Jess demands inclusion: There’s something going to happen, and I want to know what it is (Chappell 43).” But, after Johnson refuses, Jess contemplates a plan to figure out the prank: “He didn’t answer again and I determined that I would stay awake all night if I had to. I wasn’t going to be left out (Chappell 43).” Jess feels left out and isolated from his father and brother while they partake in elaborate and exciting pranks and activities. He simply wants to fit in and feel included with the rest of his family. Later in the novel, Johnson arrives home from the brutal war. After observing the mature change in Johnson’s character post-war, Jess decides he needs to follow Johnson, and “grow