The Subject Was Roses | 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

John Cleary - This character is the stubborn parent who grew up poor, has had affairs, and stays out late drinking, putting a definite strain on his/her marriage.

Nettie Cleary - This character is the parent who is disappointed and lacks enthusiasm for life, trying to compensate for his/her troubled marriage by being overly protective of his/her child.

Timmy Cleary - This is the character that has just returned home after having served three years in the army and is trying to deal with his/her family's problems.