CHARACTERS:

RICHARD: main character, narrator, author. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/blackboy/canalysis.html

Brother: Alan. younger brother, gets separated from richard and the mother when the mother falls ill.

Mama: Ella, liked to beat richard, then falls ill. Has strokes that leave her partically paralyzed. Husband leaves her.

Papa: mean guy, leaves his wife and children for another women and refuses to pay child support.

Miss simon: director lady at the orphanage..

Granny: mama's mother. strict religious women.

Grandpa: too old to really be threatening anymore, don't really hear about him too much.

Aunt Maggie: lives in Elaine. married to Uncle hoskins. when hoskins dies, runs off with boyfriend who is a fugitive.

Uncle Hoskins: gets killed by white people who were angry at him for making so much money with his saloon

Ella: school teacher staying with granny who got kicked out for reading to richard.

Uncle Clark:  takes richard in when his mother falls ill. married to jodie.

Aunt Jodie: uncle clark's wife. live in mississippi

Aunt Addie: strict school teacher, lives with him at granny's, tries to beat him. very religious like granny

Uncle Tom: moves into granny's and doesn't get a long with Richard. Tries to beat him and richard fends him off with razors.

Brother Mance: lives next door, richard works with him selling insurance? or something...

Mrs. Moss: Hotel owner who is desperate to marry her daughter off. Very nice, little crazy.

Bess: wants to marry Richard. Desperate daughter of Mrs. Moss.