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[theretherepsych]

Detailed Novel Synopsis

There There is the first fiction novel written by Tommy Orange. It was published in 2018, providing a wealth of insight on the oppression of Indigenous people. In There There, Tommy Orange metaphorically talks about how colonization and generational trauma has affected Indigenous communities, through the stories of 12 Indigenous people living in modern day Oakland, California.   

“All these stories that we haven’t been telling all this time, that we haven’t been listening to, are just part of what we need to heal.” (There There, p. 137) 

Tommy Orange starts the novel off talking about the history of oppression faced by Indigenous people in the United States. He talks about the erasure of Native culture due to the progression of capitalism. As capitalism started to heavily influence western society, the exploitation of Native people and their ancestral lands increased. In the prologue, the true history of Thanksgiving is explored. He explains this historical context of the tem “Indian head”, and how the Wampanoag Tribe was destroyed by colonists. The destruction of this tribe led to the Indian War where soon after chief of the Wampanoags at the time, Metacomet (also known as King Philip), was captured and beheaded. His head was sold to the Plymouth Colony where they displayed it at Plymouth Fort for everyone to see. 

This is a direct display of colonization. Colonists took and devalued not only Indigenous culture, but Indigenous people as a whole. Colonization does not only affect Indigenous communities on a surface level. Colonization has brought upon the erasure of an entire population and what they stand for. From their regalia to their last names, Native Americans have been forced to conform to white society and hide their souls from people passing by. 

“The wound that was made when white people came and took all that they took has never healed.” (There There, p. 137) 

The colonization of Native American people leads directly to generational trauma. Generational trauma is the major conflict of this book and the main literary theme. Tommy Orange uses, substance abuse, spiders, and domestic violence to intertwine each character, demonstrating how generational trauma links each member of a culture together. Right off the bat, Tommy Orange dives into alcoholism. Tony Loneman, one of the main characters, is the first person to be introduced to readers. Tony suffers from Fetal Alcoholism Syndrome, which he refers to as “the Drome”. 

This is an example of generational trauma. Alcoholism is an addiction that almost all of the characters suffer from, and if they don’t suffer from it, they have experienced its effects firsthand. They use alcohol to cope with the realities of everyday life. But not only do they need to cope with everyday experiences, they have to cope with the oppression of their culture as a whole. Characters like Tony, Jacquie, Jamie and Lucas, use substances to cope with the endless weight caused by the genocide of their ancestors. 

Along with substance abuse, Tommy Orange also uses the metaphor of spiders to explain generational trauma. This is seen mainly in Orvil Red Feather’s chapters. He experiences a lump, filled with spider legs, on his body. He is more than concerned, but after some online research, he figures it to be a “cultural thing”. What Orvil does not know is that his “grandmothers”, Opal and Jacquie, experienced the same thing when they were younger. They were taught by their mother, Orvil’s great-grandmother, not to kill spiders. She used to tell them “spiders carry miles of web in their bodies, miles of story, miles of potential home and trap” (There There, p. 163), she told them that that’s what they are too, home and trap.

Lastly, Orange uses domestic violence as a metaphor. From Victoria, Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield and Jacquie Red Feather’s mother, to Jacquie and Harvey Black, domestic abuse is a recurring topic in this book. Jacquie experienced her mother’s endless abuse from her and Opal’s fathers. Their mother protected them both from the violence, but witnessing it alone was enough to traumatize both women for life. Later on in the novel, we see Jacquie as her relationship with Harvey progresses as teens. Harvey rapes and impregnates Jacquie, causing a tremendous decline in her mental health and kick starting her addiction to alcohol after she put the baby up for adoption. 

Generational trauma is not something that can often be seen. It is felt and passed down for minorities to suffer. There is no resolution to this conflict. How do you solve problems caused by the complete genocide and erasure of entire populations? We can not go back in time. The pace has already been set, and Indigenous people, along with other minorities are forced to keep up while starting at a disadvantage. Like Orange states in the interlude, all we can do is allow minorities to live their truth and share their stories with the world. We need to listen to these stories and allow Indigenous people to embrace their cultures fully. 

[theretherepsych]

Orvil Red Feather

Character Profile: 

Basics

Age: fourteen

Place of birth: Oakland, California 

Current location: Oakland, California 

Nationality: Cheyenne Native American

Education: Unknown 

Occupation: None

Physical Appearance 

Orvil is described as a young Native boy. He was first seen dressed full in his Grandmother’s regalia. It was described as “too small”. 

Speech and Communication

How do they talk? Excited, Rambly, Chatty

What's the style of their speech? Slang, Casual, Profanities 

Do they have an accent? No 

Any speech impediments? No 

How emotive are they? Orvil is really passionate and curious. He constantly displays these emotions through his dialogue and his actions. He is playful and outgoing like a little kid, but he is more mature due to circumstance. 

The Past

What's the name of their hometown? Oakland, California 

What type of childhood did they have? Orvil was neglected as a child. He was raised by his mother, who was a heroin addict, until he was 6. He often had to call the police in fear that his mother had overdosed. He was responsible for looking after his two younger brothers: Loother and Lony. 

What was their dream as a child? To immerse himself into his Native culture

Who were their role models growing up? Orvil was influenced by the Native people he saw on the internet. He spent a lot of time researching his culture because of Opal’s refusal to teach him anything about their history. 

Describe the major turning points or “life beats” in childhood: The major turning point in Orvil’s life was when his mother passed out in their home and he had to call the police. Because he told the police that he only lived with his mother, he was sent to live with his great aunt/grandmother, Opal. 

What are three adjectives to describe them as a child? Curious, Mischievous, Adventurous

Family

Mother 

Jamie Red Feather 

Drug Addict, Jacquie Red Feather’s daughter 

They did not have much of a relationship. For the times that Orvil and Jamie were together as a family, she was neglectful of him and his two brothers. She also abandoned them after she got out of the hospital. 

Siblings

Loother and Lony

They have a great relationship. The brothers are always exploring and getting into trouble with each other. They talk a lot and often spend time with each other. 

Extended Family 

Opal Viola Bear Shield

Opal is the guardian of Orvil, Loother, and Lony, Jacquie’s grandsons. She becomes the primary caregiver of the three after her niece, Jamie, dies from suicide. All three boys love Opal very much. 

Jacquie Red Feather

Jacquie does not have a relationship with her grandsons. When Jamie died, Jacquie was not mentally stable nor sober enough to take care of them. Jacquie’s desire to meet and form a relationship with her grandsons is the key factor in her coming back to Oakland for the Big Oakland Powwow. 

Blue 

Orvil, Loother, and Lony’s aunt. They do not have any type of relationship. They are unaware of each other’s existence. 

What's their family's economic status? Lower Class

External Relationships

What’s their role in a group dynamic? 

Leader

Joker

Who do they depend on for:

Opal Viola VIctoria Bear Shield

Psychology

Orvil Red Feather:

Street-smart

Optimist

Extroverted

What do they want the most? To be apart of the Oakland Native American community and to embrace his culture

What's their biggest flaw? Stubbornness and Impulsiveness 

What's their biggest strength? Confidence and Determination 

What is their biggest accomplishment? Getting to the Big Oakland Powwow, ready to perform in full regalia

The Present & Future

What is their story goal? Orvil’s goal is to attend the Big Oakland Powwow to perform in his regalia for the people in his community. 

Story motivation: His motivation stems from his desire to learn about his culture and curiosity about the things Opal has kept from him. Despite Opal’s refusal, Orvil is adamant about learning where he came from. 

[theretherepsych]

Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield

Character Profile:

Basics

Age: fifties 6 years younger than her sister, Jacquie. 

Place of birth: Oakland, California 

Current location: Oakland, California

Nationality: Cheyenne Native American

Education: Unknown 

Occupation: Mail Carrier  

Physical Appearance

The only description we get of Opal is that she is Native American. The book does not go into detail about what she looks like. 

Speech and Communication

How do they talk? Quiet and Measured 

What's the style of their speech? Educated and Stern 

Do they have an accent? No 

Any speech impediments? No 

How emotive are they? Opal is characterized as quiet and stern. She has many emotions but she tends to keep them to her self in order to appear strong for others. Through her internal and external dialogue, readers get to explore her inner emotions. Mainly, fear and love. 

The Past

What's the name of their hometown? Oakland, California

Education: In Opal’s first chapter, she mentions briefly how she focused on her education after her and her family left Alcatraz. 

What type of childhood did they have? Opal had a slight neglectful childhood. Her mother was poor and her family struggled finding a consistent place to live. She was forced to grow up in order to support her sister after the death of their mother.

Describe the major turning points or “life beats” in childhood: The major turning point of Opal’s life is after her mother dies. Her and Jacquie are forced to live alone with their uncle, who is a child predator. Instead of subjecting her and Jacquie to live there, she beats him and they both escape. 

What are three adjectives to describe them as a child? Quiet, Shy, Fierce

Family

Mother

Victoria, aka Vicky

We get a slight narrative of Opal and Jacquie’s mother in the beginning of the novel. She is a survivor of an abusive relationship that both her children witnessed as young kids. Took Opal and Jacquie to Alcatraz in the 70s to live with other Indigenous people occupying the island in government protest. Died of cancer after refusing professional medical treatment. 

Siblings

Jacquie Red Feather 

Jacquie and Opal have a decent relationship. They were close as children, but as they got older, they became distanced, though they do text occasionally. Jacquie moves away from Oakland to New Mexico, while Opal stays. Opal takes care of Jacquie’s three grandsons: Orvil, Lony, and Loother. 

Extended family

Blue

Blue is Opal’s niece. She has never met Blue due to her being put up for adoption right after birth. The two do not meet in the novel. 

Orvil

Loother

Lony

Opal is the guardian of Orvil, Loother, and Lony, Jacquie’s grandsons. She becomes the primary caregiver of the three after her niece, Jamie, dies from suicide. All three boys love Opal very much. 

What's their family's economic status? Lower Middle Class

External Relationships

Who are their closest friends? Opal’s closest friend amongst the characters would have to be Lucas. Lucas is Dene’s uncle. Opal and Lucas were lovers in their youth, but things didn’t work out and Lucas left Oakland. When Lucas returned, he was dying, and as a gift he gave Opal his regalia. 

Enemies? Ronald, her mother’s adopted brother. He was very sexual towards Opal and Jacquie when they were children. Later in the novel, Opal explains how she beat him with a bat in order for her and Jacquie to escape his home. 

What’s their role in a group dynamic?

Leader

Parent

Caretaker

Psychology

Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield:

Book-smart

Pessimist with optimistic tendencies 

Introverted 

Secretive 

Determined 

What do they want the most? Opal wants to raise her grand-nephews free from the suffering Indigenous people face. 

What's their biggest flaw? Stubbornness 

What's their biggest strength? Persistence, Maternal, Fierce

What's their biggest fear? Not being able to protect her family from pain and suffering

What is their biggest accomplishment? Raising her three healthy, happy, and curious “grandchildren” 

How strong is their moral compass? Opal is a very strict person. She has set beliefs and she is extremely stubborn when it comes to them. As the novel progresses she loosens up and becomes more receptive to different perspectives. 

The Present & Future

What is their story goal? Opal’s goal is to take care of her grandnephews and provide them with a healthy and supportive household. 

Story motivation: Opal’s motivation is her past. She is introspective in the way she has experienced life. She knows how painful and horrible the world can be and she wants to do whatever she can to protect her family from it. 

[theretherepsych]

Jacquie Red Feather

Character Profile:

Basics

Age: late sixties 

Place of birth: Oakland, California 

Current location: New Mexico in the beginning of the novel, Oakland, California in the end. 

Nationality: Native American 

Occupation: Substance Abuse Counselor 

Physical Appearance

Jacquie is a Native American woman in her late sixties. She is apart of the Cheyenne tribe of Oklahoma. There is not a detailed description of her looks in the novel. 

Health: Depression and Alcohol Addiction 

Speech and Communication

How do they talk? Cautiously, Emotional, Melancholy 

What's the style of their speech? Educated, Mildly Assertive, 

Do they have an accent? No 

Any speech impediments? No 

How emotive are they? Jacquie internalizes her emotions a lot. Throughout the novel, many of Jacquie’s emotions are displayed through her own internal dialogue. 

The Past

What's the name of their hometown? Oakland, California 

What type of childhood did they have? Jacquie had a slightly neglectful childhood. She had free reign of the island she lived on, Alcatraz during the Native uprising/occupation, along with with her mother and sister when she was young. Because of this she was reckless. She was boy crazy, drinking, and making immature decisions as a teenager which affected her into adulthood. 

What are their skeletons in the closet? Jacquie hid her rape from everyone except her sister Opal. She also hid her pregnancy as a teenager and put her baby up for adoption. 

Describe the major turning points or “life beats” in childhood: The major turning point of Jacquie’s childhood is when her boyfriend at the time, Harvey, impregnated her against her will. 

What are three adjectives to describe them as a child? Wild, Spontaneous, Bold

Family

Mother

Victoria, aka Vicky

We get a slight narrative of Opal and Jacquie’s mother in the beginning of the novel. She is a survivor of an abusive relationship that both her children witnessed as young kids. Took Opal and Jacquie to Alcatraz in the 70s to live with other Indigenous people occupying the island in government protest. Died of cancer after refusing professional medical treatment. 

Siblings

Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield 

Jacquie and Opal have a decent relationship. They were close as children, but as they got older, they became distanced, though they do text occasionally. Jacquie moves away from Oakland to New Mexico, while Opal stays. Opal takes care of Jacquie’s three grandsons: Orvil, Lony, and Loother. 

Children 

Blue

Blue is Jacquie’s first child that she put up for adoption after getting raped and impregnated by Harvey when she was a teenager. They do not have a relationship whatsoever. Blue figures out that Jacquie is her biological mother later in the novel. 

Jamie 

Jamie is Jacquie’s second daughter. Jamie is the mother of Orvil, Lony, and Loother. She was a heroin addict and she committed suicide in her twenties, when her boys were still little. The relationship between Jamie and Jacquie isn’t highlighted, but Jacquie’s depression and struggle with her sobriety after Jamie’s death is very important to the development of  Jacquie’s character. 

Extended family

Orvil

Lony

Loother 

Jacquie does not have a relationship with her grandsons. When Jamie died, Jacquie was not mentally stable nor sober enough to take care of them. Jacquie’s desire to meet and form a relationship with her grandsons is the key factor in her coming back to Oakland for the Big Oakland Powwow. 

What's their family's economic status? Lower Middle Class

How often do they see their family in a year? Jacquie has not seen her family in years. 

External Relationships

Enemies? Harvey. Jacquie has a lot of resentment towards Harvey for raping and impregnating her as a teen. He also never apologized and talks to Jacquie like it isn’t a big deal. Jacquie demonstrates throughout the novel how much Harvey has affected her life. She states that she is uncomfortable with how comfortable he is around her. 

What do they want from their relationships? Jacquie desires to be accepted again. Feels doubt about seeing her family because she is scared that they won’t want anything to do with her after she has been gone for so long. 

Psychology

Jacquie Red Feather:

More street smart than book smart

An optimist with pessimistic tendencies 

Introverted

Isolated

Committed

Resilient

Emotional 

What secrets do they keep? Jacquie keeps her first pregnancy (her daughter, Blue) a secret for many years. It is unclear whether or not Jacquie still thinks of it as a secret in the end of the novel. 

What do they want the most? She wants to be surrounded by her family 

What's their biggest flaw? Impulsiveness and Doubt 

What's their biggest strength? Resiliency 

What's their biggest fear? Not being accepted back into her family. Them not wanting her around. 

What is their biggest accomplishment? Becoming sober! When we first meet Jacquie, she is 11 days sober. She stays sober throughout the entirety of the novel. 

How strong is their moral compass? Jacquie has a really strong moral compass. She takes her beliefs seriously and tries to enhance them. 

The Present & Future

What is their story goal? Jacquie Red Feather’s goal in There There is to get back to her family. She wants to remain sober and meet her grandchildren. 

Story motivation: Jacquie’s motivation is her own desire. She wants to stay sober, especially after her daughter, Jamie’s, suicide. She feels regretful for not being able to take care of her grandsons after their mom’s death. She wants to learn from her past and allow herself to be vulnerable enough to take away fear and pride to meet her family. 

[theretherepsych]

Edwin Black

Character Profile:

Basics

Age: Young man, early thirties

Place of birth: Oakland, California 

Current location: Oakland, California 

Nationality: Mixed, half White and half Cheyenne Native American 

Education: Master’s Degree in Comparative Literature with a focus on Native American Literature

Occupation: Internship with the Powwow Committee. 

Physical Appearance

Build: Big and Tall 

Distinguishing Features: His weight (which is highlighted in the novel to display his depression)

Grooming: Edwin is depressed. He spends majority of his time sitting at his desk. Not a consistent showerer. Wears the same clothes for weeks. He struggles to take care of himself physically. 

Mannerisms: Awkward, Calculated, Isolated 

Health: Constipation (metaphorical and related to his struggle with identity), implied obesity 

Speech and Communication

What's the style of their speech? Educated yet casual.

Do they have an accent? No

How emotive are they? I can’t say that Edwin is an emotional person. He is often reserved but he does open up when he bonds with people (see Blue under Family) 

The Past

What's the name of their hometown? Oakland, California 

What type of childhood did they have? Edwin had a sheltered childhood in the way that his mother did not connect him with his Native culture. Growing up he was only exposed to whiteness, which effects his sense of identity. Because of this, he has a strained relationship with himself which led him to a depressive state. 

Describe their education? He was a very motivated and intelligent child. He grew up to get a Master’s Degree in Literature. 

What was their dream job as a child? He dreamed of being a writer but after university he did nothing but stay at home due to a false sense of identity and lack of motivation for his craft. 

What's their greatest regret? I can infer that Edwin’s biggest regret was not immersing himself in his Native culture sooner. 

Describe the major turning points or “life beats” in childhood: I believe a major turning point was him discovering his passion for writing which leads to him learning more about his Indigenous culture.  

What are adjectives that describe them as a child? Smart, Dedicated/Determined, Positive/Happy

Family

Father

Harvey 

Alcoholics Anonymous Group Leader

They have a limited relationship. Harvey was absent in Edwin’s life. They reconnected through Facebook and met for the first time at the Big Oakland Powwow. 

Mother

Karen 

Karen and Edwin have a strained relationship. Edwin has resentment towards her for not engaging him with the Native side of his culture. She allows Edwin to live with her and her boyfriend, Bill, well into his adulthood. She tries to maintain a healthy relationship with Edwin. 

Siblings

Blue, his half-sister. 

Her parents are Harvey and Jacquie Red Feather

She was put up for adoption

Reconnected with Edwin through the Big Oakland Powwow

Her and Edwin quickly formed a close relationship while working together. They did not know they were related. 

Extended family

Bill, his mother’s boyfriend

Bill and Edwin have a very forced relationship. Edwin struggles with deciding how he feels about Bill. Bill tries hard to create a relationship with Edwin, but it’s hard to tell whether or not it is sincere until later in the novel. As the novel progresses, their relationship gets better. 

What's their family's economic status? I would classify them as middle class. They live comfortably, paycheck to paycheck. 

External Relationships

Who are their closest friends? Edwin’s closest friend is Blue, who he later finds out is his half sister. They meet when Edwin starts his internship with the Powwow committee. Him and Blue organize and plan the Big Oakland Powwow. 

Enemies? His lack of self actualization and his struggle with self identity. Because Edwin spent so much time feeling a disconnect from his culture, it stunted his personal, educational, emotional, and physical growth. 

Psychology

Edwin Black:

book-smart and street-smart 

pessimistic

Introverted (with slight extroverted tendencies later on in the novel) 

Adaptable

Gentle

What do they want the most? To be confident and aware of who he is inside. Also to form a strong connection with his culture and his family. 

What's their biggest flaw? Indolence and apathy

What's their biggest strength? Persistence 

What's their biggest fear? Staying disconnected from his Native culture

How strong is their moral compass? I think Edwin has a strong moral compass. He doesn’t have a hard time sticking to his beliefs and standing up for them as well. However, he does have a hard time staying consistent which affects his mental health. 

The Present & Future

What is their story goal? Edwin’s goal is to become connected. To become connected with his craft, his family, his culture, his job. He wants to feel apart of something. 

Story motivation: Edwin’s motivation is his desire to live a better life. When we first meet Edwin, he is depressed, struggling with his health and still living with his mother. He displays discontent with his living situation and he puts effort in to change, especially as we see his character development as the story progresses. 

[theretherepsych]

Dene Oxendene

Character Profile:

Basics

Age: young man, twenties/early thirties

Place of birth: Oakland, California 

Current location: Oakland, California 

Nationality: Cheyenne & Arapaho Native American 

Occupation: Documentary Filmmaker 

Physical Appearance

Dene is half White and half Native American, belonging to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. He is described as “ambiguously non white”. 

Speech and Communication

How do they talk? Frantic, Passionate, and Eager

What's the style of their speech? Casual, Elevated, and Apprehensive 

Do they have an accent? No 

Any speech impediments? No

How emotive are they? Dene is an extremely emotional and passionate person. His passion shows through his work. Anyone could see how passionate Dene is just by listening to him talk about the things he cares about. (See There There p. 39-41) 

The Past

What's the name of their hometown? Oakland, California 

What type of childhood did they have? Dene was a loner. He didn’t have many friends when he was in school. He mainly went around tagging items under the alias, Lens. His mother raised him openly and it was rare that she kept things from him. 

Jobs? Graffiti Artist 

What was their dream job as a child? Dene was very artistic as a child. He loved the idea of people using him as a lense. He wants the Native people in his community to use him in order to help themselves share their own stories. 

Who were their role models growing up? His uncle, Lucas, was a role model for Dene. Dene dedicated his adulthood to finishing the project he and his uncle came up with, a documentary where Native people in his community share their own personal stories without interference. 

What were their hobbies growing up? Art 

Describe the major turning points or “life beats” in childhood: The major turning point of Dene’s childhood was when his Uncle Lucas died from liver failure due to his alcoholism. 

What are three adjectives to describe them as a child? Introverted, Artistic, Curious

Family

Mother

Norma

Dene and Norma have a typical mom and son relationship. I think they have a strong bond due to Norma being a single mom. Overall, they have a good relationship with each other. 

Extended family

Lucas, his uncle

Died when Dene was thirteen years old. Was an alcoholic and suffered from alcohol poisoning/liver failure. Dene inherited his film project on the stories of Indigenous people in Oakland. 

Dene and Lucas were close. They spent a lot of time together in Dene’s childhood. 

What's their family's economic status? On the lower side of middle class. 

External Relationships

Who are their significant friends? Blue. Dene technically works for Blue at the Big Oakland Powwow. 

What’s their role in a group dynamic?

Leader

Storyteller

Initiator

Psychology

Dene Oxendene:

Street-smart and book-smart

A slight optimist 

Extroverted

Introspective

Empathetic 

Passionate

What do they want the most? Dene desires to be an outlet for the people in his community. He wants to help people share their stories and give them a platform to express themselves honestly to the Native/Oakland communities. 

What's their biggest flaw? Being too internal in terms of expressing his emotions and thoughts to the people around him. 

What's their biggest strength? Passion and Determination

What's their biggest fear? Failure 

What is their biggest accomplishment? The documentary that he worked on throughout the entirety of the novel. 

Do they want to be remembered? Dene himself does not want to be remembered. He wants his film to be remembered. He wants the stories he helps tell, told by the members of his culture and community to be shared and retold. He wants to make sure that his culture is remembered and that people are aware of the oppression of Indigenous people and Indigenous ancestral land. 

How strong is their moral compass? Dene has a strong moral compass. When he believes in something he does everything in his power to maintain it. His passion is an extremely relevant trait which is continuously displayed in the novel. 

The Present & Future

What is their story goal? Dene’s goal in There There is to create a film that accurately and authentically tells the stories of many Native American people in his community. He wants to be an outlet for Indigenous people to use in order to spread awareness of the struggles of Native American people. 

Story motivation: I think Dene’s motivation stems directly from his relationship with his Uncle Lucas. Dene wants to not only honor his memory, but keep his memories alive by fulfilling a project that meant a lot to the both of them. Dene’s motivation also comes from the oppression of Indigenous people. He is extremely passionate about his culture. 

[theretherepsych]

Tony Loneman

Character Profile:

Basics

Age: Twenty-one 

Place of birth: Oakland, California 

Current location: Oakland, California 

Nationality: Cheyenne, Native American 

Education: Unknown 

Occupation: Drug Seller for Octavio 

Physical Appearance

Eye Color: Brown 

Build: Big and Tall 

Distinguishing Features: His face, due to FAS. This plays a crucial part in his development as a character.  

Accessories: “Shitty” clothes, his regalia 

Grooming: He is clean but poor, with dingy clothing and not many outfits to choose from. 

Mannerisms: Slow, Stilted 

Health: Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Dyslexic 

Speech and Communication

How do they talk? Slow, measured, aggressive 

What's the style of their speech? Tons of slang, profanity, street slang/smarts 

Do they have an accent? No

Any speech impediments? No

How emotive are they? Tony is not very emotive physically. Others often perceive him as disabled and unintelligent based on the way he looks. He is, though, very emotional and he often feels lonely. 

The Past

What's the name of their hometown? Oakland, California 

What type of childhood did they have? Tony had a very difficult childhood. He was neglected by his mother and sent to live and be taken care of by his grandmother. He had anger issues as a child which caused him to get in a lot of fights at school. 

Describe their education? Because of his fetal alcohol syndrome, Tony had a very hard time learning in school. He failed his intelligence test in kindergarten and had a hard time believing in his intellectual ability from that moment. 

Who were their role models growing up? His grandmother Maxine (see Family) 

What's their greatest regret? I can infer that Tony’s greatest regret would be facilitating the robbery at the Powwow. 

What are three adjectives to describe them as a child? Lonely, Angry, Unhappy

List their criminal record: Murder, Armed Robbery, Distributing and Selling Drugs, and Assault. 

Family

Father

He resides in New Mexico

Him and Tony do not have a relationship whatsoever. Tony’s mother did not tell him that she was pregnant, so he does not know that Tony exists. 

Mother

She is in jail 

Her and Tony do not have a good relationship. She was an alcoholic while pregnant with him and she has been absent from his life due to her addiction. Instead of raising Tony, he was raised by his grandmother, Maxine. 

Grandmother 

Maxine

Her and Tony live together. 

She is Tony’s caretaker, guardian, and best friend. Her and Tony have the strongest relationship out of all of the people Tony knows. She has provided for Tony since he was a baby and she continues to love and support him to the end of the novel. 

What's their family's economic status? They are lower class in California. Poor. Struggles to maintain a comfortable income. 

External Relationships

Who are their closest friends? Octavio is Tony’s closest friend. However, he is not a good friend. He is a horrible influence on Tony, forcing him to do things he is uncomfortable with without any regard to Tony’s feelings. 

Enemies? Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, or what he likes to call it, “The Drome”

What’s their role in a group dynamic?

Side-kick

Pushover

The “brave” one. 

Who do they depend on: Tony relies heavily on his grandmother, Maxine. She is the only person to be by Tony’s side consistently. She takes care of him and treats him with love and patience. She treats him like a human being and not like the monstrosity he views himself as. 

What do they want from a relationship? To be seen for who he is underneath “The Drome”. To be accepted and loved for who he is. 

Psychology

Tony Loneman:

Street-smart 

Pessimistic 

Introverted

Unstable

Maladjustive 

Masochistic 

What do they want the most? To have the ability to be himself without any regard for how the world may see him. 

What's their biggest flaw? His insecurity in himself as a person. Throughout the novel, Tony refers to himself as a monster. He struggles with forming a healthy relationship with himself which is a key factor in many of the decisions he makes in the novel. 

What's their biggest strength? His determination 

What's their biggest fear? Loneliness 

Do they want to be remembered? I wouldn’t say that Tony desires to be remembered, but he definitely doesn’t want to be forgotten by the people he cares about. 

What do they look for in a person? Comfort and understanding 

How strong is their moral compass? When, specifically, are they willing to compromise their morals? Tony struggles with sticking to his morals. In There There, he compromises his morals by agreeing to rob the powwow and bringing a gun into a facility with tons of people, his people. 

The Present & Future

What is their story goal: Tony is overall a metaphor created by Tommy Orange in order to demonstrate how bittersweet life can be when you struggle with identity. 

Story motivation: Tony’s motivation is to discover who he is inside and to create a strong relationship with his culture. He wants to break out of his shell and be able to live a bountiful life. He wants to be seen but not on the outside, on the inside. 

[theretherepsych]

We are the memories we don’t remember, which live in us, which we feel, which make us sing and dance and pray the way we do, feelings from memories that flare and bloom unexpectedly in our lives like blood through a blanket from a wound made by a bullet fired by a man shooting us in the back for our hair, for heads, for a bounty, or just to get rid of us.

There There by Tommy Orange

[theretherepsych]

Absolutely fantastic

[theretherepsych]

Tommy Orange at Shakespeare and Co, 5/29/19

[theretherepsych]

If you were fortunate enough to be born into a family whose ancestors directly benefits from genocide and/or slavery, maybe you think the more you don’t know, the more innocent you can stay, which is a good incentive to not find out, to not look too deep, to walk carefully around the sleeping tiger. Look no further than your last name. Follow it back and you might find your line paved with gold, or beset with traps.

There There, Tommy Orange (via carbavor)