Shadow and Act | Teaching Key Figures

Character Descriptions

This section provides a short description of all the major characters in the book. This can be printed out as a study guide for students, used as a "key" for leading a class discussion, or you can jump to the quiz/homework section to find worksheets that incorporate these descriptions into a variety of question formats.

Characters

Louis Armstrong - This well-known jazz and blues musician has a strong self-deprecating, almost clown-like performance style.

Bird - This is the nickname for the jazz performer Charlie Parker.

Charlie Christian - This person is the Oklahoma City musician Ellison calls the greatest of jazz guitarists.

Samuel Clemens - This author writes under the pen name of Mark Twain.

Stephen Crane - This son of a Methodist minister wrote "The Red Badge of Courage."

Ralph Waldo Emerson - This is the author Ellison was named after.

William Faulkner - This American author wrote...
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