Oakville Reads discussion
The Illegal
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Question #3: Characters
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Feb 06, 2016 09:05AM
While The Illegal is focused on Keita, there are many other jump-off-the-page characters that populate the landscape of this novel. Who were you drawn to? Who did you react to, or relate to, or completely despise?
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Like many other reviews I read, I think I enjoyed Ivernia Beech's parts the most. I hated that they just forgot about her once her house was raided, after all she did for him!
Mod
I also loved Viola Hill's character - her strength and background and complexity! That voice! I think she was the most memorable character, for me.
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I liked Ivernia's feistiness, generosity, and sense of fairness. I must say, though, that I was a bit shocked about her giving out library cards against policy. I kept thinking about what the consequences would be at OPL in that situation! We do give out temporary cards to new customers who don't have ID, so perhaps we are ahead of the Freedom State library on that one!
I liked Keita's father, Yoyo, very much. He seemed like such a calm and thoughtful man, and a supportive father. Fighting for human rights was important to him, so perhaps Hill's father was the inspiration for Yoyo. It broke my heart when Yoyo (view spoiler).
Ivernia Beech was wonderful! I loved that this feisty little old lady ironically broke Freedom State library policy and issued cards to "illegals". I was also a big fan of Yoyo for the same reasons Susan listed above. I even enjoyed Keita's sister, Charity, who was always so hell-bent on getting ahead academically. And of course, Keita, who had a bit of Forrest Gump in him (not just the running factor, but very good, kind, and simple (but at the same time very wise)).
I enjoyed Ivernia as well and Viola very much, but I got attached mostly to Keita, I really enjoyed the description of those very difficult moments when he is ready to give up but he is thinking about the reasons why he has to continue and kept going, I found them very vivid. The "hurting" part very descriptive and the singing as his weapon to defeat the others was great. Then I read that the author is or was a runner and I could see how he got is so right. I found Keita so authentic, humble, somehow insecure of himself, but loving and willing to sacrifice all for the loved ones. He is very attractive too :)
I had two favourites - Viola and Candace. Viola's sheer force of will to get to write serious news and to follow the story to the end stood out for me and sometimes this story was in my head more than Keita's. That she was someone with disabilities made it even more remarkable. Candace was a more even toned character - nonetheless she had an inate sense of fairness as a policewomen (as well as ambition) and was a calm balance to some of the other characters. I wondered about Ivernia's story ... did it really belong in this book in such detail. I liked her but wondered if it crowded Keita's out a little bit.Did anyone else notice the story "good" women vs. the "weak / cruel" men (Lydia and Yoyo excepted). I met Lawrence Hill when he was promoting Book of Negroes and he explained that he had been raised in a strong matriarchal home; hence, he had to tell that story through the eyes of a girl / woman. Keita is male .. but I feel his story is still being told by women.
One final thought on characters. The young boy John annoyed me ... and the fact that he kept "popping up" everywhere, including the government offices, the races, etc. didn't add to my enjoyment of the story.
I completely despise the son of Ivernia, more so because I know someone just like him. My mother in law's friend has an only son who is in his 50's or 60's has not kept a job for any lenght of time, he has lived of his mom all his life. Now that she is in a nursing home, he has taken her twice to the bank to withdraw large amounts of money. As I read the parts of this character I could not help but think about this person whom I have seen only once in my life but I could not shake his image off. I am glad that the author took us more in depth into the good characters, we only saw the surface of the bad ones.
Ivernia, Candace, Viola were my favourite characters. Such strong determined women! Viola stood out because of her strength, both sheer physical strength in hoisting herself and her chair around, and also mental strength and steely will. I was glad to read your posting, Rocio, as I've never encountered anyone quite as nasty and crass as Ivernia's son, and I thought him a bit of a caricature!
Ruth wrote: "Ivernia, Candace, Viola were my favourite characters. Such strong determined women! Viola stood out because of her strength, both sheer physical strength in hoisting herself and her chair around, a..."Someone else (I think it was Susan) mentioned that some of the "bad guys" became caricatures, and I agree with that. I suppose Ivernia's son could be grouped among them, although like Rocio I feel that he was a complete lowlife and his actions seemed pretty believable to me. I hope Ivernia wrote him out of her will!!
Mod
Susan, I heard Lawrence Hill talking to Shelagh Rogers on CBC Radio, and he again talked about his strong mother and basing Ivernia on her. You can listen to it here:
http://www.cbc.ca/radio/thenextchapte...
Mod
Viola stood out for me, too Ruth. She was very strong and feisty. I wondered if some of what she did would be possible for someone in a wheelchair, so was glad to see in Hill's acknowledgements that he had done some research to answer that question.
Ivernia's son seemed very realistic to me. We read about those types of people too often in the newspaper.
