Dillard Early, Jr.

Known throughout this novel as Dill, he is about to begin his senior year of high school as the novel opens. Dill is highly dependent on his two friends, Lydia and Travis, because he has no support from his parents. Dill's father, Dillard Sr., is a preacher who was convicted for possession of child pornography and is now in prison. Dillard Sr. has left the family heavily in debt and both parents expect Dill to step up and help pay that debt. Dill resents the fact that his parents blame him for not lying in court to keep Dillard Sr. out of prison, and that many people in town judge Dill for what his father did. While Lydia is preparing to leave for college, Dill is looking forward to a bleak future with no hope for anything more than what he has now. When Travis faces...