Henry

Henry is the main character of the novel. As a child, he grows up with his father, whom he calls Papa, and his mother, whom he calls Mom. When Henry is still young, his mother gets sick and passes away. In the aftermath of her death, Henry and Papa struggle to survive. Henry is often lonely. When he is a teenager, he begins drinking and using drugs heavily. He relies upon these substances as a means of distracting himself from his internal distress.

When Henry is 15, he is admitted to a rehabilitation center after mixing alcohol and drugs. He is discharged from the facility on his sixteenth birthday. When his father picks him up, Henry is distracted thinking about the spirited young girl he has met, Michelle. Then, when his father gives him $20 and tells him it is time for him to start working, Henry feels disheartened.

When...