Silent To The Bone

Branwell is the story’s deuteragonist and a dynamic character whose backstory is slowly revealed through a series of clues that he gives. Branwell is 13 years old and described by Connor as someone who dares to be different, who is always talkative, and who loves to think about the deeper side of life. Branwell was always bright spirited, which matched his orange hair. He never really understood when he was talking or acting out of place, but he was never so out of place that others rejected him, either. Connor knows that “there is a lot to Branwell besides the sitting-too-close and the laughing-too-loud” (19), and he is the only person whose bond with Branwell is strong enough to figure out what he isn’t saying. Branwell’s mother died when he was nine months old, and when his father remarried a couple of years ago, Branwell felt dejected and left out of his own family. He lives with his father, Dr. Zamborska; half-sister, Nikki; and stepmother, Tina, but is being kept in the Juvenile Behavioral Center after being accused of severely injuring his sister. Branwell resorts to Silence as a Form of Communication during this time, not speaking at all and instead only using blinks and occasional gestures to communicate with Connor via flash cards. Connor notes how “it’s strange that someone like Branwell who loves words so much would be silent” (22), but he eventually uncovers the nature of this silence.

On top of the isolation that Branwell felt from his family, he also developed a crush on the family’s au pair, Vivian. Vivian took advantage of Branwell and manipulated him into a sexual act despite being an adult. Branwell developed a deep sense of shame as a result, and the shame associated with this incident was matched only by the shame he felt about keeping Vivian’s neglectful behavior a secret from his parents. The Impact of Shame on One’s Personal Choices is felt in the way that Branwell kept Vivian’s neglect a secret to protect the other secret from being revealed. When Vivian hurt Nikki, Branwell felt partially responsible and could not speak or allow himself to go home until he knew that Nikki was well. Branwell always took the best care of his sister, and seeing her again after being released causes him to cry:

Nikki looked up and smiled at Branwell, and the silence suddenly seemed musical. And then a sound riffed into that silence. It was Branwell. He was crying. His sobs were soft, cushioned by the long way they had come, the long time they had taken to arrive (260).

Branwell also thanks Connor, knowing the devotion and understanding that he showed his best friend when he could not speak for himself.

Margaret is a key secondary character and is Connor’s much older half-sister. They share the same father, and Margaret lives in her own house and runs a computer consulting business. Her primary role is to act as a source of wisdom and understanding and to represent Friendship, Family, and Their Unspoken Understandings. Margaret is honest and talks to Connor without holding back or shielding him from anything. Connor appreciates being around Margaret for this reason, as well as the fact that she lets him hang out in the house alone and handle talking to everyone who might know something about Branwell or Vivian. Margaret is the first person whom Branwell urges Connor to talk to because Branwell knows that Margaret understands what it is like to feel left out of her own family—just as Branwell felt when Tina came into the picture.

Margaret is instrumental in helping Connor use the clues from Branwell and the 911 tape to solve the mystery of what happened on the day of the incident. Although she isn’t close with her father, being on the case forces Margaret to interact with him, and the wall between them starts to crumble. She gets the 911 tape, writes the letter for the agency, and obtains her father’s help in getting the tape enhanced. Despite Margaret’s sarcastic and often harsh demeanor, Connor loves and admires his sister and takes her advice to heart. As the two solve the case together, they become closer to one another alongside Connor’s maturation and growth as a person.

Vivian is the villain in the story, and her antagonistic and manipulative behavior causes harm to multiple people. She has no shame about what she has done, instead only hiding it for the sake of her reputation and keeping her job as an au pair. Vivian’s character is mysterious at first, and she appears as a well-dressed English woman of 20 who smokes and has a blasé attitude about the world. She is arrogant and loves to talk about herself, and she takes advantage of people younger than her. Vivian’s smoking is what largely defines her, and she is accused of smoking in the house with the baby. Vivian is initially known to have been present on the day of Nikki’s injuries, but she blames Branwell, who is sent to a detention center with the possibility of being tried for murder. Over time, Connor and Margaret discover that Vivian is actually the culprit and was blaming Branwell for what she did. On top of this, Vivian manipulated Branwell using sexual advances, putting him into a state of deep shame and silence. Because Branwell is just 13, Vivian is effectively guilty of sexual assault against a minor. She gets away with this because Branwell never wants to tell anyone except Connor about it, but she does lose her job as an au pair and is detained to be sent back to England.