Because of Winn-Dixie
Kate DiCamillo (2000)
“A girl and a stray dog walk into a grocery store, and by the end of the summer, an entire town has learned how to stop being lonely.”
EraContemporary
Pages182
Difficulty★☆☆☆☆ Accessible
AP Appearances0
Characters in Because of Winn-Dixie
by Kate DiCamillo · 2000 · 7 characters analyzed
Cast: India Opal Buloni, Winn-Dixie, The Preacher (Opal's father), Gloria Dump, Miss Franny Block, Otis, Amanda Wilkinson.
Character Analysis
A ten-year-old preacher's kid, motherless and new in town. Opal's defining quality is her ability to see people — really see them, past their reputations and defenses — and to persist in connecting with them. She is lonely but not passive; she builds the community she needs.
How They Speak
Warm, Southern, slightly formal from church upbringing. Uses 'the preacher' instead of 'Daddy.' Code-switches between child and adult registers.