Trelawny

Trelawny is one of the collection’s recurring characters. Some readers might argue that he is the protagonist of the collection, although he is not a central character in each and every one of the short stories. His second person point of view guides the stories “In Flux” and “If I Survive You.” His first person perspective guides the stories “Odd Jobs,” “Pestilence,” and “Independent Living.” His character also makes appearances, marginally or otherwise, in the stories “Under the Ackee Tree,” “Splashdown,” and “If He Suspected.”

Trelawny grows up in Miami, Florida with his mother Sanya, father Topper, and older brother Delano. Although he was “born in the United States” and has “the paperwork to prove it,” from a young age Trelawny feels like an outsider no matter where he goes (5). Because he is mixed-race and thus does not look like the majority of his peers, he is...