Tangerine
Edward Bloor (1997)
“A legally blind boy slowly recovers the memory his family buried — that his brother is the one who blinded him.”
Characters in Tangerine
by Edward Bloor · 1997 · 8 characters analyzed
Cast: Paul Fisher, Erik Fisher, Mr. Fisher, Mrs. Fisher, Luis Cruz, Tino Cruz, Joey Costello, Arthur Bauer.
Character Analysis
Legally blind, perceptually acute, and conditioned to silence by a family that has spent seven years concealing the cause of his disability. Paul's journal is an act of rebellion before he knows what he is rebelling against. His migration from Lake Windsor to Tangerine Middle is a migration from a world built on lies to one built on performance — and unlike his family, the soccer field rewards what is real.
Plain, direct, observational. Uses school-appropriate vocabulary but avoids affectation. Increasingly precise as the novel progresses.