Blankets

Raina is Craig’s first love and the most important secondary character in the novel. Raina is also a round character because enough of her personality and inner motives are known to make her a believable and relatable figure. She is 17 years old when she meets Craig. Raina first meets Craig at church camp, where both their parents have sent them over winter break. She is immediately shown to be a rebellious and unconventional person, which initially intimidates Craig but also endears him to her. She skips chapel and encourages Craig to do the same, and then they sneak off together. She falls asleep on Craig the first time they hang out, and he describes her as someone with a “permanent furrow upon her brow” (126).

Later, it is revealed that Raina has a mass of responsibilities on her shoulders, especially considering her age. Not only is she worried about finishing school, but she also helps take care of her siblings and her sister’s baby. On top of it all, her parents are divorcing, and she feels caught in the middle. Raina keeps her head held high but relies on Craig for comfort and solace from her stressful life. She is kind and generous, knitting a quilt for Craig and being more than willing to help whenever she is asked. Raina seems wise beyond her years, and much more mature than Craig due to the responsibilities she has had since she was young helping care for her siblings. She has a close bond with Laura and Ben and both of her parents, and she spends most of her time with her family.

Raina is the main source of the inner changes that Craig experiences in his adolescence, and the two weeks they spend together are pivotal. She takes up most of the space in Craig’s drawings and in his mind, and he sees her as “Sacred, Perfect, and Unknowable” (429). She causes a sexual awakening in Craig which influences the way he sees himself, his faith, and his position in the world. Because of Raina, Craig is able to grow as a person and pursue his love of drawing with confidence. Even though his relationship with Raina is short, Craig clearly looks back on the experience fondly as he writes and illustrates Raina with poetic prose and graceful strokes.

Phil is Craig’s younger brother. He occasionally acts as the antagonist of the story but is for the most part a secondary character who serves as the heart of many of Craig’s childhood memories. As a child, Phil is adventurous, innocent, mischievous, and a typical younger brother. He constantly bothers Craig, arguing with him over little things, and even accidentally tricking him into a peeing battle at one point. When Craig and Phil are not fighting, they are using their imaginations to create worlds in their blankets on their bed, or outside in the blankets of snow. Most of Craig’s happy childhood memories involve he and his brother either playing or drawing together. Remembering his childhood with Phil also brings up feelings of guilt for Craig, since he feels like he failed to protect him from molestation by their babysitter and abuse by their father. Phil is subjected to serious abuse when he is locked inside the cubby hole for the night, with its “barely breathable atmosphere of suspended dust” (15) and is seen wide-eyed and clawing at the door to be let out. As the boys age, the distance between them grows, and Phil becomes all but a stranger to Craig.

When Craig returns home from his visit with Raina, he tries to bond with Phil again. Phil becomes the reason that Craig returns home twice, years after he has moved away from home. The first time, Phil is graduating from high school. The second time, Phil is getting married. Phil serves as Craig’s anchor for home. Unlike his brother, Phil adheres to his Christian beliefs throughout his life. As a child, Phil is drawn with an innocent smile, big childlike eyes, and scruffy hair. He is skinny like his older brother. He transforms into a teenager with a flat mohawk, and then into a typical adult. He marries a geologist; they get married at the museum, and Phil seems to be happy.

Craig’s father, a static character, serves as the direct source of fear and punishment in Craig’s life. Punishment from God is always on Craig’s mind, but at the same time, it is intangible. The punishments that Craig endures at the hands of his father, however, are tangible and real. Craig’s father is abrasive, curt, and often angry at his children for doing things that typical children do. When he discovers them fighting over the blanket at the beginning of the novel, he puts Phil in a dark hole in the wall and leaves him there for the night, traumatizing both boys. He lacks sympathy and understanding, despite what his religion teaches.

He does not attempt to understand his children or their ideals. Craig is a vegetarian, but his dad insists that he “eat all his meat” (169). Craig’s dad only allows Craig to go visit Raina if he adheres to a strict set of demands because he is always trying to keep his children in line. When Craig illustrates his father, he is shown as a very large, square-shouldered man with no visible eyes most of the time. Instead, a dark and intimidating furrowed brow is in their place. Craig intentionally neglects to draw his father’s eyes because he does not see his father as an approachable man or even fully human. Instead, Craig’s dad is the reason for much of Craig’s suffering and trauma.

Craig’s mom is only briefly present in the story and is another static character. She is a devout Christian woman who adheres to her husband’s wishes and the Christian moral system. She is relatively gullible and naïve because of her sheltered religious life, and when Craig asks to go visit Raina, he is able to manipulate her by reminding her that school is a waste of time because it teaches evolution. She replies, “not to mention sex education” (167). He also tells her that Raina is just a friend, and she believes him. She is easygoing compared to Craig’s father and lets him do the disciplining. She seems to genuinely love her children and wants the best for them, but she also instills guilt in Craig on behalf of Jesus when she finds his inappropriate drawings. Craig’s mother was not a source of comfort for Craig; rather, she served as the basis for his moral foundation in Christianity. Because she is not particularly significant in Craig’s life, she is drawn with relatively non-descript features. She has a typical motherly style and rarely seems to smile.

Laura is Raina’s adopted sister and is also a static character. She has a developmental disability that prevents her from being able to speak or walk. Instead, she crawls everywhere and makes “eee” (238) sounds when she is happy or sad. Laura is a very loving and open person who immediately clings to Craig when he arrives to visit. She is highly emotional and always seems to be at one extreme or the other. When Craig leaves, Laura sobs and does not want to let him go, literally clinging to his legs. Raina spends much of her time taking care of Laura, helping her get dressed, helping her fall asleep, and just having fun together. Laura is also well-cared for by her father, who was a stay-at-home-dad before the divorce began. When Craig is visiting, he observes Laura as Raina is brushing her hair and is surprised to find that “when she held still, Laura was absolutely beautiful” (238). It is more so her mannerisms than her actual appearance that gives away her disability. He draws a picture of her still and a picture of her speaking to show the contrast. Craig sees the humanity in her and admires Raina for taking care of her.

Ben is Raina’s adopted brother, and like the other secondary characters in the story, his development is static. He has Down’s Syndrome and finds it difficult to relate socially with others. He is older than Raina but still lives at home under the care of his parents. Ben is more capable than his sister Laura, as he is able to attend school, help his dad with manual labour, and also has a protective bond with Raina. The two of them act as each other’s protector; Raina protects Ben from bullies, and Ben protects Raina from whoever he deems a threat. So, when Craig comes to visit, Ben is wary of him. He tolerates his presence but refuses to talk with or interact with Craig. Because Craig narrates the story, little else is revealed about Ben, since Ben never revealed much of himself to Craig. However, Ben’s feelings about the divorce are showcased when he lashes out as his dad, screaming “NO DIVORCE! It says so—in the bible!” (252).