A Good Neighborhood

Juniper Whitman is a second protagonist. She is a 17-year-old girl who enjoys reading and nature, and she feels out of place among her family. She does not relate to her mother or stepfather, who value appearances and impressive reputations. Juniper, like Valerie, cares more about the environment than about keeping up appearances.

Along with caring for the environment, Juniper is portrayed as intelligent and reserved. She enjoys reading, and she has ambitious educational goals. She wants to graduate from high school early, and she has several programs she wants to study in college. Juniper is reserved around her family. She does not share much with her mother because of Julia’s overprotective and controlling nature, and she avoids Brad because he makes her uncomfortable. She emotionally distances herself from her family, whom she does not feel she can rely on.

Juniper is a dynamic character who begins the story as a conformist. She does not question the lessons her parents have instilled in her, such as behaving obediently and preserving her virginity to protect her worth. As the story progresses, her attraction for Xavier inspires Juniper to question her parents’ intent and to seek independence. Her character arc is a coming-of-age tale, as Juniper experiences a sexual and moral awakening on her journey of self-discovery.

After Xavier dies, Juniper changes radically. She speaks up about Brad’s sexual behavior toward her, and she shifts her education and career goals. Rather than pursuing a career in natural sciences, she plans to study sociology and political science and become a district attorney. She is inspired by what happened to Xavier, and she wants to work to correct the systematic racism in the justice system. She does this as an act of love for Xavier and to make sure that he did not die in vain.

Valerie Alston-Holt is characterized as compassionate, understanding, and resilient. Her compassion is portrayed through her intense love of the environment and trees, her active role in society, and her parenting methods. Her parenting methods also reveal Valerie to be understanding. While she does not appreciate every decision Xavier makes and she worries about some of his traits, namely his intensity, Valerie understands that her son needs to make his own choices. Valerie’s primary trait is her resilience. She is strong after her husband dies, and she stands up for her beliefs. She also carries on after her son dies, and she finds a way to give his death meaning.

Valerie is a constant character who has a mothering or caretaking role. She guides and protects Xavier, although she cannot protect him from everything in the world. She also works to protect the environment and to teach and inspire the younger generation, whom she believes is “going to save the world from itself” (8). Although she deals with great loss, her resiliency drives her to remain strong. She ends in the novel much in the same way as she began—compassionate and understanding toward Juniper, fiercely protective of the environment, and hopeful that the younger generations will save the world.

Brad Whitman is the antagonist, and he is characterized as charming, manipulative, self-serving, and opportunistic. He looked up to his father, who was a hard worker, and he was disheartened after his dad refused to go into business with him. This rejection, along with his upbringing and his privileged social standing, combine to give Brad his antagonistic qualities. Brad also experiences sexual thoughts and feelings toward Juniper. Given his narcissistic qualities, he is unable to accurately read other’s reactions, and he has a high opinion of himself. As such, he is convinced that Juniper is attracted to him when she is actually trying to appease and avoid him.

Brad is a static character, but his characteristics are revealed slowly throughout the story. In the beginning of the story, he seems charming and trustworthy, albeit frivolous with implicit biases. His true nature is developed during moments of frustration or intense emotion. He lashes out at Julia after he is served with the lawsuit, and he says offensive things about Valerie, revealing that he is explicitly racist and sexist. His antagonistic qualities peak with his sexualization of his stepdaughter and his actions toward Xavier and Valerie.

Julia leaves Brad, and in the process of the divorce, Brad loses over half of his net worth. He is forced to file for bankruptcy, but the narrators address that “[a]s with weeds, it’s hard to keep men like him down for long” (310). He loses his money and status, but it is implied that he will find a way to get both back. So while his circumstances have changed, he has not evolved in the process.

Julia Whitman is Brad’s wife, and she is a dynamic side character. Before meeting Brad, Julia was a single mother living in poverty. She was subjected to sexual harassment and sexual assault as a child and as an adult. Her life before Brad was difficult, and she felt relieved and grateful when she married Brad and took on the traditional roles of housewife and mother.

Julia’s prominent personality traits include gratitude, insecurity, adaptability, and credulousness. She is deeply grateful for the lifestyle she lives as Brad’s wife, and she does her best to perform the roles of housewife and mother flawlessly. She feels insecure because she is hovering between two social strata—she lived most of her life in poverty, so she does not feel quite at home in Brad’s social class, but now that she is married to a rich man, she no longer fits in with working-class women, such as those in the book club. Julia is also credulous, and she does not notice Brad’s negative qualities. She believes he is a good man, and she does not question his behaviors or motives throughout much of the story. It is not until Juniper speaks up that Julia’s character shifts. She displays strength and resilience when she learns the truth and quickly adapts to her new circumstances.

Tom Alston-Holt is a flat side character who appears indirectly. He died when Xavier was still a baby. Tom is best described as an advocate. He taught sociology and was a prominent activist who fought against racism. He used his privilege as a white man to reach a wide audience. His characteristics include his outspoken nature and his moral convictions.

Tom was born into a racist family who struggled to accept his marriage to Valerie. When his uncle Brooks verbally attacked him and insulted Valerie and Xavier, Tom was upset, and he spoke up in defense of his family. Valerie blames Tom’s death, in part, on racism. His death becomes a symbol of racism, and it leads her to develop a bias against interracial relationships, such as the one between Xavier and Juniper.

Lily Whitman is a flat minor character and the daughter of Brad and Julia. She is young, energetic, and talkative. In the few scenes where she is depicted, she is often asking questions, making sassy remarks, or joking.

Lily serves to advance the plot and to assist in developing the other characters. For instance, Lily mentions wanting to marry Brad when she grows up, which alludes to Brad’s perversion. After Brad assaults Juniper, Juniper is worried that Brad could do the same thing to Lily when she gets older. In another example, when Brad takes Lily into the water to look for sharks and plays by flipping Lily into the water, he then uses the flipping game as a ploy to get physically closer to Juniper.