Character Analysis Of Dennis Lehane's Until Gwen

In his short story, Until Gwen, Dennis Lehane allows the reader to experience the dark world of his protagonist Bobby. Bobby is released from prison and reunited with his father, their destructive relationship is revealed throughout the story.

Bobby, a young troubled man is released from prison. His father pick him up with drugs and a prostitute (Mandy) in a stolen car. Shortly into the ride, Bobby starts drifting in his thoughts about Gwen the love of his life. Mandy, Bobby’s and his father spend the night at a motel and Mandy is allegedly driven home by Bobby’s father.
The next morning, Bobby’s father requests Bobby to drive around the car and look for a missing item.
During the ride, Bobby starts having flash backs about losing his …show more content…
The writer used a second person form of narration, revealing the story through Bobby’s personal perspective. Bobby, the main character is also the narrator in the story. Lehane only revealing the parts of himself that are used to create empathy from the reader. However, Bobby is the most dangerous character within the story. His father, is viewed as the villain through Bobby’s narration. But with the twisted ending his father ends up being Bobby’s victim. Gwen, Bobby’s love interest is only described through Bobby’s positive view. However, Gwen also was a very bad influence on Bobby and her behaviour was criminal and dangerous. Lehane created two different versions of the story. The one Bobby shares, and the bigger more reliable story through the reader’s own …show more content…
Also, Lehane manipulated the reader’s feeling by the use of the second person narration to create sympathy towards Bobby. An example is talking about Bobby’s sad childhood and lost mother. “Your mother died when you were seven. You've sat up at night occasionally and tried to picture her face. Some nights you can't see her at all.”
An example of Bobby’s unreliability is that Bobby’s plan to kill his father to revenge Gwen’s murder was never revealed until the end of the story.
"You've known for, what, three years now that Gwen is no more?"
"Dead."
"If you like," your father says. "Dead."
"Yeah."
"Three years," your father says. "Lotta time to think."
You nod.
“Plan."
This crucial information about Gwen’s death was hidden from the reader. Bobby also knew about Mandy’s death but never revealed that to the reader. Another example of Bobby’s unreliability is the fact that he never explained the reason behind his request from Gwen to lead his father to the fairground. Bobby knew his father was capable of killing her and yet he asked her to lead him there. "I told her if you ever caught up to her, to take you to the fairground.”
Bobby is a criminal and a thief, he planned a robbery, and ends up murdering his own