Shades Of Grey Character Analysis

Society is a tyrant. It refuses to abide by anybody’s laws but its own, which are cruel and unjust. Overwhelming and authoritative, it oppresses people by forcing them to be complacent and blindly comply to its rules. But what happens if nobody is willing to retaliate against society’s abuse? Jasper Fforde’s Shades of Grey centralizes on the idea of government corruption and the overwhelming odds one must overcome to overthrow an abominable authority. Eddie Russet, an ignorant conformist to the rules of the Colortocracy, is banished to East Carmine where his unbridled curiosity lead him into dangerous dilemmas with unique people. These characters dissect him piece by piece to expose his latent courage as he transitions from being an immature

As kids mature, they realize their parents have their faults and strengths; they inherit the strengths and learn from the faults. Holden Russet, a hard working father who strives to follow his moral compass, plays an influential role in Eddie’s growth; even at the age of twenty, Eddie discovers a lot about himself from the actions of his father. No dad wants to watch his son get bullied, so by refuting the disrespectful Greens Eddie’s service, Holden teaches his son that standing firm in the face of antagonists is necessary at times: “He gave an imperceptible shrug. ‘Now and again. Good residency is about having the power to ask someone to do something, but not necessarily exercising it. Impoliteness if the Mildew of mankind, Eddie’” (32). Unfortunately, everyone has their weakness. In one of his less than stunning moments, Holden sells his son’s virginity and heritage to the DeMauve’s claiming that he believed Eddie would die during the trip to High Saffron. This not only shows his blatant disregard for Eddie’s desires and his lust for money, but also displays his lack of faith in his son. Upon further speculation, he realizes his wrongdoing because a parent’s best interest are not always right and even in the most unlikely of circumstances, one must always have faith in their child. During this conversation, both father and son are able to bond with each other over

Contrasting to Holden’s supportive and positive role in Eddie’s life, Courtland is no such thing. From their first introduction to each other, he is a manipulative arrogant reprobate who works only to help himself. People will do anything to get what they want, and he is no exception to this. As the newcomer, Eddie is obviously eager to please and not annoy or enrage anyone. Unfortunately, Courtland gets his hands on Eddie and by doing so, it threatens to compromise Eddie’s moral compass. Once Eddie realizes the extent to which Courtland’s wickedness goes, he regrets ever interacting with Courtland. He realizes he needs to choose his friends more wisely, and he should never let a bully jeopardize his values. To further complicate their relationship, Courtland leaves Eddie to die by locking him in a storeroom and abandoning him teaching Eddie not to trust too easily and to be especially cautious of those who are not reliable. Strangely enough, even though Courtland has proven his immorality repeatedly, Eddie still has compassion upon him: “I didn 't even like Courtland, he had tried to kill me 一and still I felt tears running down my cheeks” (358). He takes pity on Courtland when he contracts the Mildew, and by flashing the Lincoln, Eddie shows kindness even to those who have deeply hurt him. In the end, it does not matter whether or not Courtland will be prefect or his wealth level because titles and money have its